All master's degree programmes offer students flexible options for personal competence development through 5 - 15 ECTS of optional studies. Here you can find a selection of possible ways to find optional courses to include in your degree.
Students can choose relevant courses at European Qualifications Framework (EQF) 7 level at Arcada or any other higher education institutions. All optional courses must be approved by the degree programme director as part of the study plan, to ensure that they align with the set competences of the master's degree programme. Students can thus take part in designing their own study plan, based on their existing skills, interests, and objectives.
⚠ Note: You must always contact your study counsellor or the degree programme manager at Arcada before enrolling in optional courses to ensure they fit within your degree programme
Optional studies offered at Arcada
Some master's degree programmes at Arcada offer courses to students enrolled to other master's degree programmes at Arcada. These courses can be completed as optional studies.
How to Register for Arcada’s "Optional Studies for All Masters"
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The search function in Sisu : Begin by familiarising yourself with the offered optional master courses at Arcada.
✔ Search for "Master optional"
In the search bar, type "master optional" to view all courses available at Arcada. You need to write exactly this phrase!✔ Add to course cart
Click "Add to course cart" for the courses you are interested in! This will allow you to easily add the course to your study plan's Optional/Elective Studies section once you have confirmation that the course is suitable for your degree, by clicking the blue "Add to the plan" button.

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Contact Your study counsellor or Degree Programme Director. Inform them of the course you wish to take.
Before enrolling, ensure that the course you wish to complete from another degree programme at Arcada aligns with your study plan.
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Add the course to your Study Plan
✔ Find "Optional Studies" in your study plan in Sisu. The section could also be called Elective or Development Studies
✔ Press on the Blue "Add to the plan" Button. Place the course in your Optional Studies section.

- Choose your completion method, as you would for mandatory courses in your degree (instructions for registration can be found here).
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Register when registration opens, as you would for your mandatory courses (read: instructions for registration).
You can track your registration status under the tab Registration in Sisu if you have followed steps 1-5 above.
⚠ Note: These courses may have registration quotas, and places may fill quickly. It is possible that you may not be granted access to the course, even if you registered within the registration period.
Optional courses completed at other Universities/UAS
You can complete courses through other Universities'/UAS' Open University or Open UAS and apply for accreditation. Remember to discuss this with your study counsellor before registering for a course.
Campus Online on master's level
Learn more about the course offerings and how to register for the Campus Online collaboration (COL) online courses here on start. Campus Online is a network for Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences where they can present their digital courses. COL courses are open and free of charge for all enrolled UAS students, and are available at both bachelor’s and master’s levels.
These studies are perfect for those wishing to complete optional courses remotely. Grades for courses completed through COL are automatically visible in your Sisu.
Opin.fi
The Opin.fi service brings together open courses from Finnish Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences. Opin.fi shows both courses that earn credits, and content that does not earn credits. The courses listed under Opin.fi are offered through the Open University of Applied Sciences or the Open University. Many of the courses are subject to a fee and you have to pay the fee yourself. But there are also free courses. You can also log in to Opin.fi via the Suomi.fi service, to pick and save interesting courses in your profile, or to see your study history.
If you are interested in taking individual courses from another higher education institution, this is a good option for you.
⚠ Note: You must always contact your study counsellor or the degree programme manager at Arcada before enrolling in courses offered through Opin.fi to ensure they fit within your degree programme. Studies completed through Opin.fi need to be accredited after completion.