INSTRUCTIONS 1(10) THE RIGHT TO STUDY Instructions concerning the right to study 1. Purpose of the instructions 2. Application procedures 3. Transfer applications 4. Compulsory annual registration 5. Maximum study period 6. Application for and granting of discretionary extension of study period 7. Discontinuation and restoration of the right to study 8. Resigning from Metropolia 9. Appeals 10. Validity of the instructions 1 Purpose of the instructions These instructions are based on regulations governing Metropolia's operations and its purpose is to apply such regulations in matters pertaining to studies at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, and to support Metropolia's harmonised procedures and study-related decision-making. Each individual studying or working at Metropolia is responsible for following these instructions. 2 Application procedures The right to study at Metropolia is granted through the nationwide joint application procedure or Metropolia's own application procedure. The admission criteria for these application procedures are prepared in cooperation with the Admission Office and the deans. The Vice President presents the admission criteria to Metropolia's Board, which decides on whether they will be approved. The national recommendations for admission criteria may be derogated from for well-founded reasons. Discretionary admission may be applied, but only in cases where the applicant does not hold the degree and/or possess the general work experience required to be eligible to apply. Students are selected on the basis of the admission criteria confirmed by Metropolia's Board. The degree programmes are responsible for coordinating the entrance examination arrangements and results. The Admission Office coordinates and is responsible for entering the results of the entrance examination in the application registers. It also informs the applicants of the results of the selection. The Vice President is responsible for ensuring that selections are carried out in accordance with the selection criteria. An applicant admitted to Metropolia may only accept one study place per academic term in a degree programme leading to a higher education degree offered within the nationwide joint application system. The academic year includes two terms, namely the autumn term and the spring term. The autumn term
2(10) starts on 1 August and ends on 31 December, whereas the spring term starts on 1 January and ends on 31 July. This regulation applies only to degree programmes offered within the nationwide joint application system, including those provided by the National Defence University. Those admitted as students must notify Metropolia's Admission Office of their acceptance of the study place by the given deadline using the 'Acceptance of a Study place' form accompanying the admission letter. The deadline also concerns application processes in which study places can be accepted through an electronic application system. If the admitted student fails to notify the Admission Office of the acceptance by the given deadline, he or she will lose the study place offered. The notification of acceptance is binding. Having accepted a study place, a student may not accept another study place in a degree programme leading to a higher education degree offered within the nationwide joint application system during the same academic term, even if such a study place is offered to the student. Once a study place has been accepted, resigning does not free the student from the aforementioned rule. Admission is conditional until the Admission Office has checked the applicant's diplomas and work certificates. Metropolia may cancel the admission if the applicant fails to provide the diplomas and certificates by the given deadline or if the applicant has given false information. The cancellation of the admission will be carried out within a reasonable period of time, and no later than two (2) weeks after the student has begun his or her studies as attending or after the deadline for the submission of certificates separately agreed upon with the Admission Office. Metropolia may arrange separate application procedures for students who have completed at least 60 credit points in the open university of applied sciences (UAS). Only degree programme specific studies are accepted as a basis for such applications, although these studies may be completed at any open UAS. The selection procedure is announced on Metropolia's website. An applicant who was rejected may file a written complaint with the Board of Metropolia requesting a review of the student admission decision. The appeal procedure pertaining to student admission decisions is described in section 9 below. 3 Transfer applications 3.1 External transfer application A transfer student is a student whose right to study is transferred upon application from another Finnish university of applied sciences (UAS) to Metropolia. Transfer is possible from another Finnish UAS to Metropolia provided that: the field of study remains the same the degree programme remains the same or similar the degree/degree title remains the same.
3(10) All other transfers must be applied for through the normal application and admission procedure (described in section 2). Students applying for transfer should note that their study period or the period for which they are entitled to receive student financial aid will not be extended due to the transfer. The maximum study period is calculated from the date when the student accepted the study place in the previous university of applied sciences. The right to study cannot be transferred during the same academic term (autumn term from 1 August to 31 December or spring term from 1 January to 31 July) in which the student accepted the study place in question. The student may transfer to Metropolia at the beginning of the term following the approved transfer decision at the earliest. The decision on the admission of a transfer student is conditional until the student has submitted a resignation certificate from his or her former university of applied sciences. If the new study place is not accepted by the given deadline, the study place is withdrawn. A transfer student can be admitted provided that: 1. the student has a valid right to study in a Finnish university of applied sciences, and 2. there is a study place available in the degree programme at Metropolia, and 3. a personal study plan can be prepared so as to accommodate the completion of studies within the allocated study period, and 4. the applicant attends an interview and/or possible tests arranged by the degree programme, if this is required. The transfer application must be well-founded and may always be approved or rejected at Metropolia's discretion. Metropolia must ensure equal treatment of all transfer applicants, and uniform admission criteria pertaining to each degree programme must be applied to all of them. Application and decision-making procedure: The transfer application periods are between 15 April and 15 May for the autumn term and between 15 October and 15 November for the spring term. Transfer decisions are made by 30 June in the spring term and by 15 December in the autumn term. An applicant who is accepted as a transfer student may start his or her studies at the beginning of the autumn term or the spring term. A student applying for a transfer must fill in an application form and deliver it by the deadline to Metropolia's Admission Office. Late applications will not be processed. The Head or the Dean of the degree programme issues a statement concerning the application, which is presented by a coordinator from the Admission Office. The transfer decision is made by the Manager of Student Affairs. The Admission Office will notify the applicants of the decisions and record the decisions in the student register. 3.2 Internal transfer applications
4(10) Students completing studies leading to a degree at Metropolia may apply for a transfer within Metropolia from one degree programme to another. Transfer is possible within Metropolia from one degree programme to another provided that: the field of study remains the same the degree is the same (the degree title may change). A transfer can be accepted provided that: 1. the student has a valid right to study at Metropolia, and 2. there is a study place available in the degree programme, and 3. a personal study plan can be prepared so as to accommodate the completion of studies within the allocated study period, and 4. the applicant attends an interview and/or possible tests arranged by the degree programme, if this is required. Application and decision-making procedure: The application periods are between 15 April and 15 May for the autumn term and between 15 October and 15 November for the spring term. Transfer decisions are made by 30 June in the spring term and by 15 December in the autumn term. An applicant whose transfer is accepted may start his or her studies at the beginning of the autumn term or the spring term. A student applying for a transfer must fill in an application form and deliver it by the deadline to Student Affairs Office. Late applications will not be processed. The decision is made by the Dean of the degree programme based on a statement by the Head of the degree programme. Student Affairs Office will notify the applicants of the decisions and record the decisions in the student register. Students must follow the curriculum that is applied to their intake group and any exceptions are decided upon by the Dean of the degree programme in a manner jointly agreed upon with the student, with the decision entered in the student's individual study plan. 4 Compulsory annual registration A student pursuing studies leading to a degree must register every academic year as attending or nonattending as indicated by Metropolia. Failure to observe this obligation will result in losing the right to study. Restoration of the right to study is described in section 7 below. Students must register for the entire academic year through WinhaWille between 1 May and 31 August. Further information on the registration procedure will be posted on the student portal. The registration can be done for a maximum of one academic year at a time. Students may change their spring term attendance status between 1 and 10 January. After the closing date for registration, the registration can only be
5(10) changed in writing and for a very good reason. The decision on a registration change is made by the Head of Student Affairs. New students must register as attending or non-attending for the first academic year when accepting their study place. Pursuant to the one-place-per-student principle, the student remains bound to the study place received until the end of the first academic term. Students starting their studies in the spring term must register as attending or non-attending only for the spring term when accepting their study place. Nonattending students who are starting their studies must register as attending or non-attending for the next academic year by returning the written query they have received from the Admission Office by 30 April at the latest. A student pursuing studies leading to a degree may register as non-attending for a maximum of four (4) terms (equivalent to two (2) years), but in accordance with the registration rule only for one academic year at a time. The period when the student is registered as non-attending does not count against the maximum study period. However, if a student registers as non-attending for more than four terms, the extra terms of non-attendance will count against the maximum study period. Only students completing studies leading to a degree have the right to register as non-attending. A student who has been granted a discretionary extension of the study period may not register as non-attending. Students who have registered as non-attending are not entitled to: complete courses or course modules receive any new entries in their credit register graduate / complete their degree receive student financial aid receive the daily subsidised meal receive insurance coverage provided by Metropolia receive benefits from their membership with the student union receive discounts on public transport. Non-attending students have access to a Metropolia online user ID and a student e-mail address. After the absence period, students should re-register primarily through WinhaWille, but if electronic registration is not possible, it can be delivered in writing to the Student Affairs Office during the registration period. Students registering as non-attending should take into consideration the annual changes in the courses offered at Metropolia and the effect they may have on their personal study plan. The curricula are structured on the basis of the whole academic year. The training may also be discontinued entirely during the period of absence or arranged again only after several years. Students are advised to carefully consider any period of absence and to discuss the matter first with the Head or the Dean of the degree programme. Metropolia will not separately arrange any studies that have changed or been discontinued during a student's absence. If some of the courses in the curriculum of the student's original arrival group are no longer offered after the period of absence, the student must, together with his or her tutor lecturer or senior lecturer, prepare a proposal for a detailed personal study plan that must be based on a
6(10) corresponding confirmed curriculum currently offered in the degree programme in question and approved by the Head or the Dean of the degree programme. Metropolia notifies the Centre for Student Financial Aid of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) of the students who have registered as non-attending. Non-attending students must personally contact the Centre for Student Financial Aid to cancel their student financial aid. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland will reclaim any student financial aid paid for the period of absence. Students are obliged to keep their contact details up to date throughout their studies. 5 Maximum study period The study period begins when an applicant has accepted a study place, Metropolia has recorded him or her as a student and the student has registered as attending for the first time. The standard duration for completing a university of applied sciences degree is 3.5 years for degrees consisting of 210 credit points, 4 years for degrees consisting of 240 credit points and 4.5 years for degrees consisting of 270 credit points. The standard duration for completing a university of applied sciences Master's degree is 1 year for studies consisting of 60 credit points and 1.5 years for studies consisting of 90 credit points. Studies may also be provided over a period that is longer than their standard duration if the student is not a full-time student. Specialisation studies consist of 30 60 credit points. Specialisation studies may be completed over a period that is longer than their scope by one year. If necessary, the maximum study period for specialisation studies may be determined according to their method of completion. The study period is expended on the basis of registration as attending or non-attending, regardless of whether the student makes any progress in his or her studies. Students can apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) as part of compulsory or optional studies in a degree, in which case the standard duration of the studies may differ from the period corresponding to the scope of the degree programme. Full-time students should plan their studies so as to ensure completion within the standard duration. However, students are entitled to complete their studies within one year in excess of the standard duration of the studies. The right to study expires after the standard duration and the statutory additional academic year following it (standard duration + 1 academic year). It is also possible to complete the studies over a longer period than the standard duration determined by the scope of the studies, but this means that the student is not a full-time student. Students must present a clarifying statement of their studies exceeding the standard duration at least two months prior to the expiry of their degree's standard duration of studies. The statement must include a plan and a timetable for the completion of the remaining studies and the final project. The statement must be based on a checked study plan and be approved by Metropolia.
7(10) 6 Application for and granting of a discretionary extension to the study period Students who are unable to complete their studies within the maximum study period (i.e. the standard duration + 1 academic year) must apply for a discretionary extension to their study period before their study period expires. The Student Affairs Office informs each student in their last term of the 'standard + 1' period that their study period is coming to an end. The student must present his or her specific reasons justifying the application. Extensions to the study period may be granted only if the amount of uncompleted studies in the degree is considered to be small and if graduation is realistic within the extension period. As a general rule, an extension may be applied for only once and for a maximum period of one year. An extension will not be granted if the required degree studies have already been completed. Only degree programme students can be granted a discretionary extension to their study period. The application must be filled in and the processing fee of 50 euros must be paid online at maksut.metropolia.fi. The student's application must include a plan for completing the missing courses as well as an explanation as to why these courses have not been completed within the given study time. The application form must be submitted by 15 May in the spring term and by 15 November in the autumn term. The processing of the application is subject to a statutory fee of 50 euros. The Head or the Dean of the degree programme prepares a statement/proposal and the decision is made by the Head of Student Affairs. The decision will be sent to the applicant by e-mail by 30 June in the spring term or by 15 December in the autumn term. Students must have a realistic chance of graduating within the discretionary extension period. The amount of uncompleted studies at the beginning of the extension may be equivalent to a maximum of 60 credit points. If the uncompleted studies exceed 60 credit points, the application must include a separate explanation of the situation to be considered when preparing the statement and making the decision. Any extension is always granted or denied at Metropolia's discretion and calls for well-founded reasons. Metropolia must ensure equal treatment of all students applying for a discretionary extension to their study period, and similar criteria must be applied to all when an extension is granted. A student who has been granted an extension cannot register as non-attending. The student's right to study must still be valid on his or her graduation day. 7 Discontinuation and restoration of the right to study Students may lose their right to study for the following reasons: failing to register as attending or non-attending by the deadline failing to complete their studies within the period prescribed by law and any discretionary extension period granted resigning at their own request. In these cases, no separate decision will be made on the discontinuation of the right to study, nor will the student be provided with any written decision to that effect. The student will be entered as resigned in the student register and the right to study is deemed discontinued.
8(10) Students whose statutory study period has not expired but who have lost their right to study at the end of the previous term either due to a failure to register or by resigning may submit an online application during the following term, i.e. between 1 August and 31 December or between 1 January and 31 July, for the restoration of their right to study. If the application is submitted later, the Head of the degree programme is requested to provide a statement/proposal before any decision is made. The processing of the application is subject to a statutory fee of 50 euros. The Head of Student Affairs makes a decision on the right to study based on the proposal made by the degree programme. If a student has lost his or her right to study due to the expiry of the study period and no discretionary extension of the study period has been granted, he or she may re-apply through the normal application and selection procedure. Metropolia may derogate from the above procedure in cases where a student whose right to study has been discontinued is in the final stage of his or her studies. In such cases, the student applying for restoration of his or her right to study must fill in the basic information on the online application form. After this the Student Affairs Office will send the proper application form to the student, who prepares a plan together with a representative of the degree programme for completing his or her studies by using, for example, the RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) procedure, and submits the application to the Student Affairs Office. The Head of the degree programme prepares a statement/proposal and the decision on the right to study is made by the Head of Student Affairs. A favourable decision always specifies the period of time in which the student must complete his or her studies. Granting or denying restoration of a right to study is always at Metropolia's discretion and is dependent on the degree programme's ability to provide the resources needed in order for the student to be able to complete his or her studies. The decision may be appealed to Metropolia's Board for review. If the student is dissatisfied with the Board's decision, it may be appealed to the Helsinki Administrative Court for review. Both procedures are described in section 9 below. 8 Resigning from Metropolia Students must notify Metropolia of their resignation in writing, thereby losing their right to study. The Student Affairs Office registers the student as resigned and provides a resignation certificate. 9 Appeals The decisions made by Metropolia are accompanied by appeal instructions. If an appeal is not permitted under a special provision or if a decision is not appealable, this must be indicated in the decision. Appeal instructions A decision made by Metropolia based on section 22 (Student admission) and 25 (Losing the right to
9(10) study) of the Act on Universities of Applied Sciences (351/2003) may be appealed in writing to Metropolia's Board for review as provided in the Government Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences (352/2003). Appeals for review: Board of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Science Registry Office Bulevardi 31 / PO Box 4000 FI-00180 HELSINKI / FI-00079 METROPOLIA Tel: +358 9 7424 5001 Fax: +358 9 7424 5002 E-mail: kirjaamo@metropolia.fi The appeal period is fourteen (14) days from the receipt of the decision. The appeal for review must indicate: the appellant's name, profession, municipality of residence and postal address the decision being appealed against the extent to which the decision is appealed against and the requested change to the decision the grounds for the appeal. The appeal must be personally signed by the appellant or the person who prepared the document. If the appeal document is only signed by the person who prepared it, the profession, municipality of residence and postal address of that person must also be indicated on the document. The original decision being appealed against, or an officially certified true copy of the original document, must be enclosed with the appeal, along with proof of the date from which the appeal period is to be deemed to have begun. The appeal must be submitted to Metropolia's Board prior to the expiry of the appeal period. Appeal documents may be submitted, at the sender's own risk, by post or through a courier. Any delays due to the postal service will not eliminate the sender's responsibility to submit the documents on time. Appeals to the Administrative Court A decision made by Metropolia based on the Act on Universities of Applied Sciences (351/2003) and the Government Decree on Universities of Applied Sciences (352/2003) issued by virtue of the Act may be appealed to the Helsinki Administrative Court as provided in the Administrative Judicial Procedure Act (586/1996). Appellate authority: Helsinki Administrative Court
10(10) Radanrakentajantie 5 FI-00520 HELSINKI Tel: +358 29 56 42000 Fax: +358 29 56 42079 E-mail: helsinki.hao@oikeus.fi The appeal period is thirty (30) days from the receipt of the decision. The appeal document must indicate: the appellant's name, profession, municipality of residence and postal address the decision being appealed against the extent to which the decision is appealed against and the requested change to the decision the grounds for the appeal. The appeal document must be personally signed by the appellant or the person who prepared the document. If the appeal document is only signed by the person who prepared it, the profession, municipality of residence and postal address of that person must also be indicated on the document. The original decision being appealed against, or an officially certified true copy of the original document, must be enclosed with the appeal, along with proof of the date from which the appeal period is to be deemed to have begun. The appeal documents must be submitted to the appellate authority prior to the expiry of the appeal period. Appeal documents may be submitted, at the sender's own risk, by post or through a courier. If submitted by post, the appeal documents must be posted well in time to allow them to be delivered before the expiry of the appeal period. 10 Validity of the instructions These instructions are approved by the President upon presentation by the Vice President. In case of any ambiguity, the responsibility for interpretation rests with the Vice President upon presentation of the Head of Student Affairs. These instructions are in force as of 1 August 2014.