Choice of courses and preliminary study plan

• In the study plan you should fill in the courses that you are planning to take during your exchange and the courses that will be replaced at Arcada by the courses taken at the host institution.
• You must study full time while on exchange and you should achieve 30 ECTS in one term and 60 ECTS in one year.
• Check the host institution's website for information about their courses. In case the new list of courses for next semester is not available on the website during the application period, please use the most updated information available at the time of the application. Contact the Specialist at international affairs if you need help to find the list of available courses at the host institution. Read more about how to choose the courses below.
• In the form, you also need to fill in the start month and end month of your planned exchange. The semester dates and the study period varies from university to university. Check the semester dates on the host university's web page for incoming exchange students.
• Discuss your choice of courses with your study counselor.
• Your study plan must be approved by your Degree Programme Director (Study counselor if you study Business).

Form: Preliminary study plan for exchange studies

What can I study during my exchange and how are my credits transferred at Arcada upon return?

• The exchange studies must be included in a degree pursued at Arcada and the chosen courses at the host institution should therefore be relevant for your curricula at Arcada. You can choose courses that will replace corresponding courses at Arcada or study some of your extension studies abroad.
• In SISU you can find the structure of your study programme and thus see which courses will be running while you are abroad. In some programmes it is preferable to go on an exchange during the second year and in others during the third year. It is therefore important to discuss this with your study counselor.
• The final choice of courses is often made once you have been granted an exchange student position in the host institution. Sometimes the actual final choice of courses isn't made until you have arrived in the host country.
• If you keep your study plan up to date and take courses as planned, the courses taken abroad will be transferred to your degree at Arcada and they can be registered in SISU after we have received the Transcript of Records from the receiving institution. Only approved courses are accredited and registered in SISU.
• If you make changes to your study plan during your exchange, you need to fill out the form Changes to Learning Agreement and inform your study counselor/Degree Programme Director and the international coordinator. More information and the form Changes to Learning Agreement can be found on the During your exchange page.