Arcada’s bachelor students can complete up to 30 ECTS of development studies, while master’s students can complete up to 15 ECTS of development/optional studies. Development studies allow you, as a student, to contribute to shaping your own study plan based on your interests and individual goals.
On these pages, you will find different ways to conduct development studies that might interest you. Remember to check with your education representative (study advisor or degree programme director) that the course you are interested in can be included in your degree before you register!
Development Studies for Bachelor Students
As a bachelor student, you can explore the opportunity to take development studies offered by Arcada or courses offered by other UAS/Universities. You can also opt for exchange studies or take courses offered through other universities’ Open University or Open UAS programmess. Language studies, for example in foreign languages, may also be included as development studies.
Important things to keep in mind when choosing development studies:
- The courses must be on bachelor's level, offered by a higher education institution (HEI), and you need to earn ECTS credits upon completion
- You should not complete courses that cover content you have already completed within your compulsory studies at Arcada
- It is recommended that you avoid courses that differ significantly from the thematic focus of your degree programme
- By completing several courses within one theme, you can build a knowledge module similar to a so-called minor subject
More information about development studies for bachelor students can be found here.
Development studies for Master Students; optional studies
As a master student, you can explore the opportunity to complete development/optional studies offered by Arcada or other UAS/Universities. You can also complete courses through the Open University or Open UAS offerings of other institutions.
Important things to keep in mind when choosing development/optional studies:
- The courses must be on master's level, and you need to receive ECTS credits upon completion
- You should not take courses that cover content you have already completed within your compulsory studies at Arcada
- It is recommended that you do not take courses that do not align with the thematic focus of your degree programme
- By completing several courses within one theme, you can build a knowledge module similar to a so-called minor subject.
More information about optional studies for master's students can be found here.
Cross-institutional studies
If you are a student at another university and have applied to cross-institutional studies at Arcada, please visit this page for further instructions.
Cross-institutional studies refer to courses offered to students from other higher education institutions. There are several different types of cross-institutional studies and various cross-institutional study networks. Collaborative studies may also be referred to as cross-institutional studies. Collaborative studies may, for example, be compulsory courses for the degree you are currently studying for, but which are run by another higher education institution. The term ‘RIPA studies’ (derived from the Finnish ‘ristiinopiskelu’) is also sometimes used when referring to cross-institutional studies, as the national digital service RIPA enables students to enrol on courses at other higher education institutions.
Arcada has cooperation agreements regarding so-called cross-institutional networks with other higher education institutions in Finland. These agreements set out which courses you, as a student, can take at the other institution. Students at Arcada can study cross-institutional studies at other higher education institutions either as a compulsory part of their degree or as optional studies – this depends on the programme you are currently studying.
You can find information about the cross-institutional networks here.
Questions regarding the instructions or how to register to cross-institutional studies? Contact korsstudier