Deadlines

The date on which you submit a complete graduation request will also become your official graduation date.

Autumn of 2025 | Deadline December 19,2025

The deadline for submitting a degree certificate application is 19 December 2025.
If you apply by 19 December 2025, your application will be processed during the December–January period, and your degree will be registered in the national system by January. You will be eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony in January 2026.

If you apply between 20 December and 31 December 2025, your application will be processed no earlier than mid-January, and your degree may be registered in the national system, for example, in February. Please take this into consideration if you need your degree for purposes such as an employment contract. You are still eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony in January 2026, but your degree may not yet be officially registered by then. No degree certificates will be distributed during the graduation ceremony.

If you wish to graduate during the autumn term, for example if your right to study ends on 31 December 2025, you may apply for your degree certificate until 31 December 2025, but you are responsible for ensuring that everything in your application is correct. If your application is incomplete or your study plan contains errors, the processing time will be extended. Please note that we cannot guarantee that applications submitted after 19 December, or those that are incomplete, can be corrected in time for your degree to be registered during January–February. To ensure timely graduation, you should apply for your degree certificate no later than 19 December 2025. Carefully review your study plan before submitting your application.

Arcada will transition to issuing electronic degree certificates during the academic year 2025–2026.
Printed certificates will no longer be issued. Electronic degree certificates are also accepted outside of Finland.

Spring of 2025 | Deadline Monday 2.6.2025

To ensure your application for the degree certificate is processed as smoothly as possible (and to participate in the June graduation ceremony), you should submit your graduation application no later than June 2, 2025. Please note that no degree certificates are handed out during the graduation ceremony.

To graduate during the spring term, you may submit your graduation application until July 31, 2025. However, please note that applications submitted after June 2 will not be processed until August/September. Your graduation date may be, for example, in July, but the national system will not see that you have graduated until August-September. We recommend applying well in advance to prevent any issues with the grading process. You may still submit your application, and you will receive your physical degree certificate in late August or September. (The official graduation date will be the date your graduation application is submitted and complete.)

As of August 1, 2025, it will no longer be possible to submit application for the degree certificate for the spring term 2025.