The degree certificate will be ready in about three weeks after you submit a complete application.

The application process

  1. After the application has been submitted, it is forwarded to the Degree Programme Director for approval.
  2. After that the degree certificate still needs to be produced by Student Affairs and signed by the Dean and the Rector.
  3. Your degree certificate is ready three weeks after submitting a complete application. Please, note, that public holidays and tuition free periods (especially around Christmas and New Year, May and June) will extend the processing time.

The graduation date on the degree certificates will be the date you applied.

When your degree certificate is ready

Arcada has transitioned to electronic degree certificates as of 20 April 2026. This means that certificates are distributed electronically in PDF format, certified with an electronic signature. On this page, you will find more information about the e-certificates.

You will receive an email when your degree certificate is ready (sender: noreply@sarake.fi). The email will be sent both to your primary (arcada.fi) and secondary (the one you provided) email addresses with the subject “Congratulations on your graduation”. Follow the link to the download service and remember to save your degree certificate to your own device immediately, as the download link is only valid for 30 days. It is advisable to save the certificate in multiple locations, each separate file is your official degree certificate.

Inquiries about when the degree certificate will be ready

We kindly ask you not to email to inquire how much longer it will take before you receive your degree certificate. Such inquiries unfortunately do not speed up the processing time and may instead delay the process further. Please wait at least one month before contacting us. Also note the processing times around public holidays and non-teaching periods (especially during Christmas and New Year, as well as May, June, July and August).

Content of the degree certificates

You will receive a degree certificate stating (among other things) the following information:

  • Degree programme name and occupational title
  • Specialisation/track (if included in your studies)
  • Extent of the studies
  • Extent of the practical training
  • Title and grade of the degree thesis
  • Information about language requirements

Upon graduation, you will receive the degree certificate (in English and Swedish), a transcript of records (in English and Swedish  as well as a Diploma Supplement (in English). The Diploma Supplement is a document for international use and follows the model developed by the European Commission, Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES. It provides a description of the degree in question and how the degree is positioned within the Finnish higher education system.

Applying during summer

If you submit the application for the degree certificate between June 3 and August 31, you won't receive your degree certificate until September. Your graduation date is still usually the submission date, however. If you apply after August 1, you will have to register as present for period 1 and 2 (autumn term) the next academic year. Please note that you, according to Kela, still are a student until you graduate. This has consequences for the income check, the study progress check and the reduction of the study loan. You can find more information about this on Kela's webpage under the header Have you started studies or graduated?