Graduation

Applying for the degree certificate (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees)

If you are graduating from the school of professional teacher education, please see the instructions from professional teacher education’s Graduation -page.

You can start the graduation process by answering the AVOP survey when you have completed at least 80% of the Bachelor’s degree or 50% of the Master’s degree. Please note that processing time includes several stages in the application process. Vacation periods can also delay the processing of the application.

Main phases of the graduation process

Sign in to Pakki and choose the VALO – graduation service

• Respond to the university of applied sciences graduand feedback survey (AVOP)
  • If you have already answered the AVOP survey or for some other reason cannot answer, please contact your study counsellor
  • Please note that you have to answer the AVOP survey at one time – the system will redirect you back to the Valo graduation service after answering the survey and an automatic email message will be sent to your study counsellor about your application
  • Note that the survey link will take you outside the system – wait for redirecting back to the graduation service
• Wait for the study counsellor to contact you. The study counsellor will contact you in about a week
  • NB! VALO doesn’t send a separate e-mail message about the date and time of the graduation discussion. Please, sign in to Valo to see the date
• Follow the checklist in the application for degree certificate and mark the steps as completed
  • You can mark things as done on your own checklist before the graduation discussion – remember to save the changes
  • Make sure that everything is correct before proceeding to the next step. Answers can no longer be edited or deleted
• Have a discussion with your study counsellor
• Wait for the study counsellor’s confirmation: then finish and submit the certificate application
  • The submission date of the completed graduation application is your graduation date
• You will receive an email message once your application has been approved and the student services has confirmed the graduation date

Possible problems and solutions

• Valo Graduation Service works best with the following browsers: Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or Edge.
• Valo works in the same language as your PAKKI. It is possible to change the language in Pakki.
• If the service does not work, try to log off, close the browser, and log in again. Changing the browser might help. If this does not solve the problems – please, send a message to koulutuksentukipalvelut@hamk.fi.
• If you have many study rights at HAMK, please check that you have logged in with the correct student number.
• If your right to study does not lead to a degree, you cannot make a graduation application.

Possible problems related to answering the AVOP survey

• The link to the AVOP survey is not active – check if you have enough credits (bachelor’s degrees, at least 80% and master’s degrees, at least 50% of studies must be done). The credits must have been registered at least one day before answering to AVOP survey.
• If you have already answered the survey: please, contact your own study counsellor
• Answering the AVOP survey has been interrupted and you will not be able to answer it again – please, contact koulutuksentukipalvelut@hamk.fi 
• If you cannot answer for any other reason – please, contact your study counsellor
• If your right to study does not lead to a degree, you will not see the AVOP survey link in the graduation system and you will not be able to create a graduation application.

Graduation schedules from 1 August 2023

The graduation date on your degree certificate is the same as the submission date of the completed graduation application. Exception: Students who submit the graduation application between 1 and 31 July, graduate on 31 July.

Please note the regulations of the study grant when you are timing your graduation, more information: https://www.kela.fi/web/en.

*NB: Students obliged to pay tuition fees

If you submit the certificate application during August or January, you don’t need to pay the tuition fee for the semester. Please contact studentservices(at)hamk.fi for further information.

The delivery time of the degree certificate is a maximum of three weeks after  the graduation date. Information about completing a degree can be seen in the My Studyinfo service when the graduation information has been entered in the student register.

Electronic Degree certificate

You can download the Degree Certificate from the link that will be sent by email when the certificate is ready. The link is valid for 28 days from the date of sending. The sender of the email is noreply.documents(at)hamk.fi (see also spam). You will not be sent a printout of the certificate.

For degree programmes conducted in Finnish, the student receives a degree certificate in Finnish. For degree programmes conducted in English, the student receives a degree certificate in both Finnish and English.

The Degree Certificate includes the Diploma Supplement, which is a document in English language attached to an original degree certificate. The aim of the diploma supplement is to improve international ‘transparency’ and facilitate the academic and professional recognition and comparability of qualifications as well as offer easier access to work abroad after graduation.

The digital degree certificate is an official certificate, which does not require any separate authentication. It can be sent to authorities or employers as an attachment. Paper copies of the digital certificate can be printed, but only the digital certificate is authenticated and suitable for official purposes.

NB: Save your digital degree certificate carefully in several different places. 

Graduation Ceremony will be held 15 December 2023 on Hämeenlinna University Centre/Visamäki Campus from 2 p.m .

Graduates since 30 June 2023 to 31 December 2023 are invited to Ceremony. Please register by Friday, December 8th, using the registration link below.

https://tapahtumat.hamk.fi/event/aqO86/EN

• Studying at HAMK