Credit transfer is a procedure whereby you receive credits for previously completed studies or other learning. You may have accumulated knowledge and skills by completing studies in another higher education institution, or through work experience and hobbies.
- You may request the transfer of credits completed at higher education institutions in Finland (universities, the National Defence University, universities of applied sciences) or abroad. You must have received a passing grade for the studies in question.
- You can also request the transfer of credits for learning acquired in, for example, professional life, elected positions or hobbies. Such cases constitute learning acquired in non-formal and informal education.
Methods of credit transfer include substitution and inclusion.
You can request the transfer of credits by submitting an application for either substitution or inclusion.
Substitution
If you wish to substitute a course or study module with previously completed studies, submit a substitution application.
For your application to be accepted, the content of the studies must correspond to the studies to be substituted and you must have achieved their targeted learning outcomes.
For example: You have completed at another higher education institution a course corresponding to a basic course in your degree programme. You can request the transfer of credits by submitting a substitution application. If your application is accepted, the substitution will be recorded in Sisu.
Inclusion
If you wish to incorporate previously completed studies into your degree or studies, apply for their inclusion. When applying for inclusion, you do not request the transfer of credits for a specific course or study module. Usually, the studies in question are included as optional studies in a degree or programme.
If completing a degree, the studies or other learning to be included must correspond to the level of studies in your degree programme and the targeted learning outcomes of your degree.
For example: You have completed studies during an international exchange period which you wish to incorporate into your degree. The studies do not correspond to any of the courses or study modules included in your degree programme, but they can be included in your degree as elective studies. You can request the transfer of credits by submitting an inclusion application. If your application is accepted, the studies will be incorporated into your degree as such, and you can add them to your study plan.
Credit transfer for learning acquired in non-formal and informal education
Prior learning acquired in contexts other than formal education is known as non-formal or informal learning. Non-formal learning may be acquired in, for example, continuing education, in-house training and adult education. Informal learning can be acquired in everyday situations such as work, hobbies and elected positions.
When applying for the transfer of credits for non-formal and informal learning as part of your degree or other studies, you must:
- Verify and document your learning as agreed with the teacher
- Demonstrate that you meet the learning outcomes set for the studies in question
It is possible that you must also take an examination, create a portfolio, write an essay or report, attend an interview or complete other work. Furthermore, you may be expected to complete separate learning assignments or other equivalent tasks.
Request the transfer of credits for learning acquired in non-formal and informal education by submitting an application for substitution or inclusion. You must attach to your application a description of how the learning corresponds to the learning outcomes of the studies in question. If you are applying for substitution, your learning will be assessed according to the assessment scale or system implemented in the course to be substituted for in the curriculum.