Accreditation means that completed higher education studies are recognised as part of the degree you are currently pursuing.

Can I apply for accreditation?

Accreditation applies to you if you:

  • Have completed higher education studies at another university or university of applied sciences in Finland or abroad within the past ten years
  • Can provide proof of completed studies through an official transcript or via My Studyinfo
  • Please note: If you have completed a thesis or practical training, you should instead apply for validation of competences.

Accreditation of studies completed at another Finnish higher education institution also includes the grade, provided that the grading scale is the same. Studies completed abroad are recorded as passed.

Before applying

Before submitting your application, make sure you have the following:

  • Are you clear about which course unit or module at Arcada you wish to apply for accreditation of? Review the learning outcomes and compare them with your previously completed studies – do they match?
  • If you plan to apply for accreditation of several course units, you must first prepare an individual study plan in consultation with the study counsellor for your degree programme.
  • Ensure you have all the required attachments! Read more about the attachments here . At minimum, you must provide:
  • an official transcript or be able to share your records via My Studyinfo.
  • The course name in English
  • Course descriptions

Make sure your personal details are up to date in Sisu! You can update them here .

The link to the application form can be found on this page.

How do I fill in the application? – Practical instructions

You’ll find step-by-step instructions to help you fill out the application for accreditaion!

The application can be accessed from this page.

Having trouble with your application? Check the FAQ for answers!

Step-by-step guide

The steps follow the same structure as the application.

1. Personal information

2. Corresponding course unit at Arcada

  • Start by selecting what you are applying for accreditation of. You can choose from:
    • Development studies
    • Language studies
    • Other course unit
    • Multiple course units
  • In this section, you will fill in the course unit code, name, and the examiner. Check these in your study plan and copy them exactly. If you’re applying for accreditation of development studies, no code is needed. You can simply write “Development Studies” as the name. The examiner in this case is the degree programme director.

3. What have you completed?

  • Here you choose whether you have completed one or more course units, or an entire prior study module.

4. Course unit or study module completed at another higher education institution

In this section, you fill in the details of your previously completed studies. This is also where you upload the required certificates . You must be able to verify the following:

  • Course unit name
  • Course unit name in English (must be an official translation — do not invent your own)
  • Number of ECTS credits
  • Date of completion (can be seen on transcript/My Studyinfo)
  • Name of the institution
  • Level of education (university/university of applied sciences)
  • Language of instruction

Are you applying for accreditation of multiple course units? Remember to upload your individual study plan!

You will also need to upload:

PROOF OF COMPLETED COURSE UNIT:

  • one of the following is mandatory:
    1. Official transcript
    2. Link to My Studyinfo (make sure the correct course units are visible!)
  • If you paste a My Studyinfo link, the form may still require you to upload a file. In that case, take a screenshot or download a PDF of your completed study attainments from My Studyinfo and upload it under “Official transcript or screenshot from My Studyinfo”.

COURSE UNIT NAME IN ENGLISH: 

  • upload one of the following if the study unit is completed in another language than english:
  1. Official transcript showing the English course unit name
  2. Link to My Studyinfo – if you switch the language to English and the name appears, that is sufficient
  3. If the above don’t show the English name: search for the course unit on the institution’s website and check if there is an English version
  4. If still not found: contact the institution and request a document confirming the English course unit name

COURSE UNIT DESCRIPTION: 

  • provide one of the following
  1. Course unit description as a file
  2. Link to the institution’s website where the course unit is described / other document showing the description

5. Comments

If you have created an individual study plan with your study counsellor, write the name of the counsellor in the comments field.

6. Submit the application!

What happens after the application is submitted?

You will receive a decision on your application approximately three weeks after submitting a complete application. If anything is missing, we will contact you and request additional documents. During August and September, the processing time may be longer due to the volume of applications.

The accreditation process works as follows:

  1. Once submitted, Student affairs checks that the application is complete. We’ll contact you if anything needs to be added.
  2. Decision: The examiner and/or degree programme director evaluates the application.
  3. Student affairs processes the application and the decision will be sent to you via email.
    • If the accreditation is approved as such, it will be registered in Sisu.
    • If it is partially approved, you will receive instructions for how to supplement the application.
    • If the application is rejected, you will be given a justification of the decision.
  4. Archiving of the application and decision by Student affairs.

If you have questions, check the FAQ. If you still need help, you’re welcome to contact the study coordinators at Student affairs – studentaffairs@arcada.fi.