GUIDE FOR NEW STUDENTS

A student selection notice will be sent to those selected to study. 

You must accept the study place and register for attendance / non-attendance by set date. If you are accepted from the reserve list, the deadline will depend on when you receive notification of your study place. You can accept the study place and register as a student in the My StudyInfo service.
 
If you are unable to accept the study place in the My StudyInfo service, please send an e-mail to admissions@lapinamk.fi.
 
You can print the acceptance letter from the My StudyInfo service. 

Please pay attention to the following matters after you have been accepted to study in Lapland UAS and are transferring from open UAS to Lapland UAS as a degree student:

1. If your username at the open UAS is based on your student number (in the form A1234567), it will stop working 2 weeks after your right to study at the open UAS expires. Access to the systems (e.g. e-mail, Moodle, K drive, O365, GAFE) and to their information and documents with this id will cease. In this case, you will have to archive the information and documents you need from your email, the university’s server (K drive) and cloud services before your right to study at the open UAS ends (Cloud service instructions, Email instructions, Office 365 email configuration, Office 365 email archiving, Archiving OneDrive files)
   The data and documents in Moodle are automatically transferred to the new degree student user ID (see Student user IDs in the Guide for new students).
   
   
2. If your username at the open UAS is based on your name (in the form flastnam), you will continue to use the same username when studying for a degree, in which case the information in the systems will remain unchanged.
   
   
3. When you start your studies for a degree, registering for study unit implementations in Peppi is performed with the degree student’s user ID. If the enrolment period has ended, you can ask the instructor responsible for the study unit for help. You can also register via Tuudo.
   
   
4. When you become a degree student, the student affairs office mark the studies completed at an open UAS as credit transfers during the first academic year.
   
   
5. Students can print student certificates, transcripts, etc. from Peppi’s Atom service with an electronic signature. In other practical matters related to studying, you can get help from the student affairs office of the expertise group.
   

Students can register for absences in the Oili service
According to the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, a first-year student may only register as absent for the academic year if they are:

1) Serving in accordance with the Conscription Act (1438/2007), the Civil Service Act (1446/2007) or the law on the voluntary military service of women (194/1995); 
2) On maternity, paternity or parental leave; or 
3) Unable to start their studies due to being ill or injured/illness or injury.
4) In the first academic year, a student may also register as non-attending if he or she is unable to commence his or her studies due to an official regulation relating to the COVID-19 epidemic or some other serious grounds relating to the epidemic. (516/2020) Subsection 4 as added by virtue of Act 516/2020 is temporarily in force from 1 July 2020 to 31 July 2022.

• Right to non-attendance

If you have not attached copies of your certificates to your application during the application period, please upload them to your application by the indicated date. 

If you have problems uploading, send an e-mail to admissions@lapinamk.fi

All the information provided in the joint application by students who have accepted their study place is compared to their certificates. The UAS may revoke a student admission if the applicant has entered incorrect information in the application, and the correct information would not entitle them to the study place. If you do not deliver the requested copies to the UAS, your student admission will be revoked. Copies will not be returned.  

Bring your original certificates with you when starting your studies. 

The original certificates you used in the joint application will be compared to the copies you provided during the first two weeks of your studies. Take your original certificates with you on the first day of your studies (unless you have a matriculation examination, or an initial vocational qualification completed after 2017). From 2017 onwards, we receive matriculation examinations and initial vocational qualifications directly from the register. 

The original certificates of the person registered for non-attendance are checked at the beginning of the studies. In case of discrepancies between the copies and the original certificates, the UAS may revoke the student admission if the applicant would not be entitled to the study place with the correct information. 

Finland has quite strict rules concerning immigration. Rules and regulations may differ depending on if you are a non-EU citizen, European Union citizen or citizen of the Nordic countries.

• Visa and Permits
• Insurance

When you move to your studying location, make a temporary notification of move to the local register office. If you want to become a permanent resident of the new municipality, you can do so with the same notification of move. 

Make a notification of move. 

Information on accommodation.
  

How to pay your tuition fee? Check here!

Financial aid for studies pursued in Finland is available to Finnish citizens and, under certain conditions, to citizens of other countries.

Financial aid for students - kela.fi 

Students can get financial aid from Kela for post-comprehensive school education. 

You can get study assistance for studies at a UAS. The prerequisites for granting study assistance are being admitted to an educational institution, full-time studies, sufficient progress in studies and the need for financial support. 

How to pay the student healthcare fee - kela.fi

How to apply for the general housing allowance - kela.fi

Studying at Lapland UAS is often independent of time and place, which is why students must have a laptop. Our students can download Microsoft Office products on their computers for free (Mac version does not contain Microsoft Access), but they are responsible for the maintenance of their terminal device. Please remember to always install the latest updates to your device to protect your data. For more demanding data processing and special applications, the computers of the UAS are used. 

 
If you are completing blended studies, please note that you have access to USB headsets and broadband internet wherever you will be studying. 

Suitable computers for studying:
• A Windows or Mac laptop
• Tablet computer with Windows operating system

Not suitable for studying:
• tablet without Windows operating system
• Linux operating system

Note! Minimum laptop requirements for an engineering student in the ICT field:

• At least 8 GB of RAM (16 GB or more recommended)
• 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, 4 cores or more and support for virtualization
• 64 bit Windows operating system, Home or Pro (not Starter)
• A separate graphics card with at least 4GB of display memory
• At least 500 GB of storage space
• Mac OSX or Linux are not suitable, nor are devices with M1 or similar processors
  
  
  

Settings for WLAN at campuses before starting studies 

The Lapland UAS uses the EDUROAM WLAN network for students’ own laptops and mobile devices.  

Instructions on connecting to EDUROAM here. 

Help with settings when studies have started 

There is a single service number for students to help with problems: +358 40 484 4488. The email address is servicedesk@luc.fi. 

From January 2021, students at universities of applied sciences and universities are entitled to the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) and therefore they have to pay a health care fee to Kela. 

The fee applies to all students registered (irrespective of whether they are staying in Finland or abroad) as attending and who are completing: 

a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a UAS 

a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a university. 

Arriving exchange students, open university students and commissioned education students are not entitled to the services of the FSHS, therefore they are not required to pay the health care fee.

Also students in higher education who have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom do not have to pay the student healthcare fee. Read more information here.

No invoice is sent for paying the fee, but students must pay the fee to Kela on their own initiative. 

Please find here further instructions on how you pay a university students’ health care fee. 

Student healthcare fee

Students attending a university of applied sciences who are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) are required to pay a healthcare fee to Kela for each academic term. All students who are registered as attending for the current term and are studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree are entitled to FSHS services.

If you are entitled to FSHS services, you must pay the student healthcare fee.

You are not billed for the student healthcare fee but must make sure to pay it in OmaKela for each academic term. How to pay the student healthcare fee.

The due date for paying the student healthcare fee is 30 September for autumn term and 31 January for spring term every academic year.

The Lapland UAS operates on three campuses: Jokiväylä in Rovaniemi, Kosmos in Kemi and Minerva in Tornio.  

Students in tourism, business, physical education, physiotherapy, medical and health care, agrology and forestry study at Jokiväylä. 

Students in medical and health care, social work for the aged, social sciences, mechanical engineering and electrical and automation engineering study at Kosmos. 

Students in business, data processing and visual arts study at Minerva. 

The Lapland UAS has parking areas containing spaces with and without heating poles. Spaces without heating poles are freely available to students. Between 1 November and 15 April, parking in heating pole spaces is allowed only with a parking permit. At other times, parking is allowed without a permit. The parking permit is subject to a fee. If you need a parking permit, please contact the site’s property manager. 

• Watch the introduction video for Kemi!
• Watch the introduction video for Rovaniemi! 
• Watch the introduction video for Tornio!
• Matkahuolto (bus schedules) 
• VR (train schedules) 
  

How to get information about current issues at the Lapland UAS

The institution’s information website. This information is also available at Tuudo. If the issue concerns only a specific campus town, the information is published in a town-specific manner. Tuudo also contains other important information for students. 

Open jobs and traineeships. Recruitment ads submitted by employers are published on Tuudo. 

Facebook group for students of the Lapland UAS (and other cool people). 
Tutoring teachers or students can assemble specific Facebook groups for distributing information. 

Facebook group for student events 
Student events that take place in Lapland UAS are on this page.  

Information screens in school premises. 

Email @edu.lapinamk.fi when it is urgent and / or important that everyone receive the message with the same content. 

At universities of applied sciences, we are closely linked to everyday life. Working life and different industries are present, and theoretical, practical and experience-based knowledge are interlinked in learning. Problem-solving and decision-making skills develop when investigating real problems and phenomena in working life. The studies are community-based and collaborative. Students, teachers and working life entities build common knowledge and understanding together.

Read more about studying at the UAS!

It is possible to get guidance for your studies and learning even before your studies begin, and throughout your studies. Guidance is provided by study counsellors, teachers, guidance experts, support services’ staff and representatives of working life. In order to streamline your studies, it’s good to ask for advice and guidance as soon as you start wondering about something. 
   
Student affairs officers
Study counsellors

   

Starting studies in a university of applied sciences means entering a new situation in life, which may entail moving to a new locality away from friends and family back home, taking responsibility for one’s own life, and beginning studies that differ in nature from studies in a vocational or upper secondary school. The most important factor that eases studying at the start is interaction with others in the same situation. Other students can provide support and information on studying. 

The purpose of student tutoring during the initial phase of studies is to facilitate and support the new student’s integration and orientation into the UAS community and the new situation in life. It is important for new students to meet their fellow students. The goal of tutoring is to awaken the student’s own activeness and reinforce interaction between the student and the staff of the UAS. 

The tutor acts as a bridge between the new student and the staff of the UAS. The new student should learn how to address possible problems and how to solve them. However, the tutor is not a psychologist or a student counsellor, and does not need to know everything. More essential is to know where the information and help can be found. Tutors job is to listen encourage and advise. 

The purpose of tutoring is to…

• be present for the first year students
• help the new student’s to get friends
• help new students find their place in the school community
• improve the grouping of a new group
• create a positive atmosphere
• share information
• introduce a new student to UAS practices and student life
• encourage to participate in various events
• create and develop activities for the first year students
• be the voice of students
• ensures continuity of tutoring 
  
   
  List of the current tutors can be found from Lapland UAS Web page:  
  
  Student tutors 

As a student, your most important tool is yourself. Taking care of your well-being helps you cope with your studies and it is also important for your future work. Sometimes we need guidance and counselling, as well as help and support. Talking to student wellbeing professionals can help you structure things and find a new direction. 

If you need tips on maintaining your resources, streamlining your studies, overcoming anxiety or stress, check out the website Arjen ituja. 
 
University social worker services
 

University social workers prevent and support student’s well-being. Social workers provide guidance and counselling for students and support students with their studies. Most often, students contact social worker if they want to discuss about their life situation; everyday life, studying, learning problems, stress or loneliness. 

Healthcare 

Starting from January 2021, the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) is responsible for university student healthcare. Students in universities of applied sciences and universities who are entitled to the services of the FSHS must pay a healthcare fee to Kela. You can use FSHS services if you are studying for a Bachelor's or Master’s degree and you have registered as an attending student. Get familiar with FSHS: FSHS-Video for new students

 
Sports services

Start exploring your own studies in the curriculum. Curricula can be found in the Study Guide.

Students are allowed to take advantage of studies they have completed at another Finnish or foreign higher education institution or another educational institution, and to include or replace studies with other same level studies, as well as with other proven competences (932/2014, 37§). A student’s competence is central, regardless of where and how the competence was acquired. The recognition of prior learning can be done right at the beginning of studies or at a later stage. The benefits of the recognition of prior learning include e.g., graduation at a faster pace, elimination of overlapping course contents and awareness of your own competences. 
 
It is important that you familiarise yourself with the curriculum and recognise your own learning in relation to the learning objectives of courses. Please get prepared for Individual Study Plan (ISP) discussions by compiling documents for demonstrating your competences, such as competence description forms and work testimonials. 

Read more about applying.

Remote and online studies at the Lapland UAS mean using a computer and network for studies. The learning event is not tied to a classroom, instead, you study in part or completely in different online environments. 
 
When participating in remote and online studies, you are responsible for ensuring that your computer and internet connection work. Online studies do not require specific IT skills; basic computer and internet skills are sufficient. In orientation studies, you practice the use of e-learning tools. The personnel of Lapland UAS’s eLearning services always provide personal assistance when needed.

•  eLearning services
  

As a student at the Lapland UAS, you have a possibility to acquire international competence in many ways. You can, for example:  
• go for an exchange abroad for studies or traineeships 
• take part to a summer school or other short exchange 
• complete online course(s) arranged by one of our partner institutions 
• participate in international student ambassador activities 
• become an international student tutor 
 
By going for an exchange or participating in other international activities, you will improve your language skills, acquire valuable knowledge for your future career, make new friends and gain a lot of self-confidence among many other important things. 
 
Explore different possibilities and find your way to gain international expertise! 
Read more here! 

Accessibility in studies means that every student of the Lapland UAS has equal opportunities to study. In matters related to accessibility, we recommend contacting the UAS before starting your studies. For more information, contact your own study counsellor or university social worker.

More about accessibility here!

The Lapland University Consortium offers library services to the University of Lapland and the Lapland UAS. As a student at the Lapland UAS, you can borrow books and use the library’s electronic collections on LUC-Finna.  

 
The library has two locations in Rovaniemi: 

• University Library
• Arctic Centre Library 
  

and two locations in the Kemi-Tornio area: 

• Kosmos Library in Kemi (UAS)
• Minerva Library in Tornio (UAS) 
  
   
  Additional information. 

A Student Union can be found from every University of Applied Sciences in Finland. In Lapland UAS, it bears the name Student Union of Lapland UAS, ROTKO commonly known as “ROTKO”. 

As a vigilant watchdog of student affairs, ROTKO’s mission is to ensure that the students' voice is heard in decision-making processes inside Lapland UAS.  

In addition, ROTKO supports and takes part in student culture. ROTKO co-operates with local student associations in various events and organizes activities throughout the academic year. 

Student Union ROTKO in a nutshell 

 

• Oversees the quality of teaching
• Ensure that students are treated equally as members of the university community
• Oversees well-being of students and participates in the development work of well-being in the working groups of the university of applied sciences
• Organizes tutor training and supports tutoring work
• Makes sure that the students’ voice is heard not only within the university but also in Rovaniemi, Kemi, and Tornio regions as well as on national level 
• ROTKO has student advocates, who advice whenever students feel treated wrongly

ROTKO’s harassment contact persons will help if you have experienced ill treatment or harassment 

All students of Lapland UAS have also a possibility to become full members of the Union by obtaining a student card. Student card offers various local and national discounts and student benefits. 

More information about Student Union and student card can be found from ROTKO’s website.

Activating User Credentials (Username and Password) 

If you do not have Finnish social security number, these instructions do not concern you. In that case, you will receive separate instructions.   

You can activate your user credentials after receiving a notification email from the Lapland UAS. 
 
If you have valid user credentials from the Lapland UAS or the University of Lapland, you will not receive new credentials, but continue using existing credentials. 

The user accounts are used to log into systems, e.g. Peppi, StudentaPlus, Status, WebOodi, Moodle, the email system, classroom workstations and the wireless network. In order to use the services of the Lapland UAS, you must first activate your user credentials! Once you have activated your username, you can log in to Moodle the next day.

To enable / activate your username using your Finnish online banking account or mobile certificate: 

Instructions here. 

Read the rules of use of Lapland UAS’s IT services here. 

Peppi is a system that combines the tasks of students, teachers and the administration of the UAS into one entity. Peppi works in web browsers, including mobile use. All functions are assembled on the student’s own desktop, which opens when you log in to Peppi.  
 
The student’s desktop allows the student to plan their studies, monitor their progress, make appointments, enroll for studies, exams and the academic year, as well as view and edit their own contact information. 
 
Log into Peppi to the student desktop 

• Update your contact information in Peppi (help)
• Explore your own study plan (ISP) and scheduling (help)
• Registration for implementations (help) 

To ensure your place in the course implementations, enroll for course implementations via Peppi or Tuudo. Your own timetable will be created based on your enrollments. 

Registration instructions.

All students of Lapland UAS have a possibility to become full members of the Union by obtaining a student card. The student card serves as a membership card for your student union and it is also an official certificate that you are a student of the Lapland UAS. Membership of the student union does not bind anyone, but gives its members the opportunity to influence and participate in promoting student rights. Student card offers various local and national discounts and student benefits.  

Student who pays the membership fee can activate a mobile student card (mobile app called PIVO) or get a physical student card with a valid sticker. The PIVO mobile student card is available only for those who have a Finnish bank account and a Finnish social security number. 

 If the person doesn't have a Finnish bank account and a Finnish social security number, they can order a physical student card and use optional mobile student card in Slice.fi mobile app. With Slice.fi app a student can have all the same benefits, except student price train tickets (VR), and bus tickets (Matkahuolto), and student meals in Lapland UAS’s student restaurants. For getting these benefits the person needs to order the physical student card with a valid sticker. With the card a person can confirm that they are a student and are eligible for student-priced travel tickets and meals. The membership has to be renewed each semester or year depending for on how long you buy the membership for. 

 By paying for the student card, you also support the student’s rights and benefits since the money goes straight to supporting the student union. The student union’s main task in all university of applies sciences is to oversee for student rights. If you own a student card, you have the right to vote for the student representatives that are chosen each year from the members of the student union. 

 More information from ROTKO’s web site.

Contact teaching begins at different times depending on the degree programme. Information about starting time can be found in the menu below.  

Orientation studies start with a self-study package before contact teaching. 

For more information on studies and the campus days/contact lessons, contact the Student Affairs Officer of your degree programme.

Information about exceptional arrangements due to COVID-19 can be found here.  

Start dates for studies starting in autumn 2022.

Before the start of on-site teaching, students starting their studies at Lapland UAS complete orientation independently in the Moodle e-learning environment. Orientation studies are completed in two phases. In the first phase, you will get to know the services and systems that support your studies. In the second phase, you get orientation towards studying with a group of students in your own field.

You have received instructions by email for activating your username and completing a self-study package for study orientation. It is recommended to complete the self-study package before the first contact instruction session. If you have not activated your student credentials, activate them here.

Start with orientation studies (scroll down the opening page for English part).

Once you have enrolled for the course implementations, you will get a timetable based on your enrollments. You can view your own timetable from Tuudo. You can find Moodle’s assignment and exam schedules also from Tuudo’s timetable.  You can find the timetable on Tuudo’s front page.  
 
You can also view your timetable in Peppi (help). 
 
You can view your group’s timetables or room reservations from Timetables.

 

If you have a smartphone, download the Tuudo application and enable it by selecting Lapland UAS from Tuudo’s menu. After reading the guide For new students, login to Tuudo with your student credentials. This ensures that you have access to all Tuudo functions, such as your timetable and important notices.