Study time
Everyone who has enrolled attendance and has study time left has the right to study. Study time includes in addition to the duration of the degree program, one more year. For full time education, five years are available in engineering and health care education, four and a half years in others.
The student who has not completed the studies within the study time, loses the study right, unless the student has been granted extension of time to complete the studies on special grounds.
Extension of time
As a rule, extension of time can be granted for one academic year. The extension application must include a plan on how the student intends to complete the studies. The application is submitted to the study affairs office.
According to the decision of the Council of State (1440/2014) the applicant will be charged 50 € of handling charge. The contact information of the applicant will be sent to the economy and personal secretary for invoicing and information of the payment comes automatically to the study office of VAMK.
On completion of the studies required for the Degree Programme, the degree is conferred on the person. The actual study time is not extended due to eventual extra studies.
The student, who is going to resign the study place for transferring into another educational institution or working life or for some other reason, must immediately inform Student Services about the resignation by sending email to address studyoffice@vamk.fi Prior to filling in and drawing out the application, the issue must be discussed with the Head of Degree and Competence, or Study Counsellor.
Loss of Right to Study
- The student who fails to enrol loses the study right.
- The student who has not completed the studies within the study time, loses the study right, unless the student has been granted extension of time to complete the studies on special grounds.
Restoring the Right to Study
degree student at a university of applied sciences can apply for reinstatement of the right to study without a separate application procedure for the following reasons:
- Failure to comply with the obligation to register
- The student has not completed their degree within the study right period, or after a discretionary extension
In the above-mentioned cases, it is a question of granting an extension to the old right to study (not a new right to study).
The guidance counsellor decides on the restoration of the right to study. The decision on the restoration of the right to study must be made within one month of the student paying the processing fee.
The right to study can be restored to the same or equivalent education in which the previous right to study was held. The student must have a realistic plan for completing their studies.
The restoration of the right to study is applied for using an electronic form and a processing fee of EUR 50 (A1440/2014) is charged for its processing. The time that has passed since the obligation to enrol has been neglected will count towards the student’s periods of absence, if the student has the right to be absent left. The right to study will be restored at the earliest at the beginning of the month in which the application was received. The student has the right to apply for a written rectification of the decision from the Board of Examiners within 14 days of receiving notification of the decision.
If the number of missing studies is large in relation to the available study right period, the student can complete the studies at the Open University of Applied Sciences in accordance with the plan made with the study counsellor. The amount of Open University of Applied Sciences fees is decided separately each academic year, based on the Government Decree on the Fees Charged for the Activities of Universities of Applied Sciences 1440/2014. The paid tuition fee is a prerequisite for participating in the studies.
A student can apply for a re-granted right to study for the same or a similar degree through a separate application process for the following reasons:
- The student’s previous higher education studies started in Finland have been interrupted, and the student’s original right to study is not at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences.
- Vaasa University of Applied Sciences students who have given up their study place on their own, (the student has resigned from their studies).
- The study place has ended after 1.8.2026, due to the regulation of one higher education place. The Act will be applied for the first time when applying for education starting in spring 2027.
A person who has been granted a re-granted right to study is not entitled to a discretionary extension and does not have the right to be absent. Separate provisions are laid down on the admission criteria for the separate application. No processing fee is applied to separate applications.
