International Professional Teacher Education

Applicants are admitted to the programme in the rank order of their total admission points within each admission group. Admission groups are based on fields of education (programme in Finnish) and separate admission groups. International Professional Teacher Education programme is separate admission group and the final selection will be based solely on the applicants´ admission point scores.

Your application will be processed by the University of Applied Sciences, which you have entered as your first preference on your application. First, your eligibility will be checked. Matters which affect your eligibility will not be considered under the admission point scoring system. If you are found eligible, your application will be evaluated based on the admission point scoring system. Points are awarded in every Professional Teacher Education institution according to the admission criteria of 2023 agreed on by the institutions. Education completed and teaching experience acquired by the end of the application period, that is by 19 January 2023, can be considered. The number of study places in 2022 were 20 for International Professional Teacher Education programme. Study places for year 2023 will be published in autumn.

Admission points for year 2023 will be published in autumn. In 2022 admission points were:

Other completed degrees

Degrees completed in addition to the degree required for eligibility; max. 2 degrees

Basic studies in educational sciences

Further education

Studies completed since 1 January 2015 can be considered; each individual course of education has to be at least 1 ECTS, 1 competence point, 0,5 credit units or 27 hours in scope

Teaching experience from official educational institutions

Part-time teaching can be converted into full-time teaching

Teaching experience from vocational education since 1 January 2020

At least five months of teaching experience from a vocational upper secondary school and/or a University of Applied Sciences

Before filling in the application, please acquaint yourself with essential information these following documents contain:

2023 Admission criteria, pdf

2023 Admission criteria in short, pdf

2023 Required attachments, pdf

In the student selection process to Professional Teacher Education, the fields of education follow the national classification of education 2016 by Statistics Finland where applicable. The national classification of education 2016 is based on UNESCO’s International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011). The fields of education and specific teaching areas are used in the selection process when determining the applicant’s eligibility.

The applicant’s allocation to an admission group is determined on the basis of the degree on which the eligibility is based. Student selection is carried out in rank order from admission groups based on the fields of education and from separate admission groups.

International Professional Teacher Education programme is separate admission group and the final selection will be based solely on the applicants´ admission point scores.

Education

Education science

Humanities

Religion and theology
History, archaeology and culture research
Philosophy and ethics
Languages, sign language and interpreting
Literature and linguistics
Youth work and civic activities

Arts

Audio-visual techniques and media production
Fashion, interior and industrial design
Fine arts
Handicrafts
Music and performing arts
Other arts

Social sciences and journalism

Economics
Political sciences, civics and administration
Psychology
Sociology
Journalism and reporting
Library, information and archival studies

Business and law

Business
Law

Natural sciences

Biological and related sciences
Environmental sciences
Natural environments and wildlife
Chemistry
Earth sciences
Physics
Mathematics
Statistics

Information and communication technologies (ICT)

Computer science
ICT technologies (engineering)

Engineering, manufacturing and construction

Chemical engineering and processes
Environmental protection technology
Electricity, energy, mechanical and process engineering
Electronics and automation
Mechanics and metal trades
Motor vehicles, ships and aircraft
Food processing
Materials (glass, paper, plastic and wood)
Textiles (clothes, footwear and leather)
Architecture and town planning
Building, civil engineering and property maintenance
Knowledge management and industrial management

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary

Crop and livestock production and animal care
Horticulture
Forestry
Fisheries
Veterinary
Other agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary areas

Social services, health and welfare

Care of the elderly and of the disabled Childcare and youth services
Social work and counselling
Dental care
Medicine
Nursing and midwifery
Medical diagnostic and treatment technology
Therapy and rehabilitation
Pharmacy
Health science

Services

Domestic and cleaning services
Hair and beauty services
Hotel, restaurant and catering
Sports
Travel and tourism
Other services

Security and transport

Military and defence
Protection of persons and property
Transport services

Citation guides

Citation guide part 1: Theory, pdf

Citation guide part 2: Examples, pdf

Plagiarism

It is forbidden to copy documents made by another person and to present them as one’s own. If a student is found to have done so, the assignment in question will be failed. Teachers check all students' written course assignments for plagiarism.

The degree regulations contain instruction for the entire HAMK, for example the right to study, the completion of studies and a safe study environment:

Degree regulations (pdf)

You can download digitally signed documents at Student Desktop Pakki

• Log into Pakki with your HAMK ID and password.
• Select Documents from the desktop and New order.
• The list includes all the documents available in digitally signed format.
• Select the right document type, language of the document and Order.
• Select the tab called Documents. The newest document is the first one on the list.
• Just select the document name to download or open it.
• You can either
  • open it with your browser or
  • open it from the Downloads file in your computer or
  • open it with a default PDF reader on your computer.
• Save the document on your computer and forward it for example attached to an email.
• The recipient may validate the authenticity of the document by following the instructions at the end of the digitally signed document.

If you notice some errors in some of your documents (for example Transcript of Records), please contact our Student Services: aokk-opintotoimisto@hamk.fi.

If you need documents for Public employment and business services or for Insurance company, please contact our Student Services.

Ordering copies or re-send of certificates  

Pricing:
EUR 20 for paper certificate (certificates issued before 10/2021). Place the order via HAMK Shop. Delivery takes about a week. 

Re-send of your digital certificate (certificates issued from 10/2021) is free of charge. Place the order via: aokk-opintotoimisto@hamk.fi 

You can apply for adult education allowance from the Employment Fund, support for independent study from the Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) or Kela's financial aid for the vocational teacher education studies. Studying is essentially part-time, but it can be changed to be full-time with a personal study plan if the sponsor of the studies requires it. NOTE! Students living abroad are usually not covered by Finnish study support.

More info on the adult education allowance can be found from the Employment Fund website. The allowance requires that the student gains at least 4 ECTS a month. Studying in the 13 months program fulfill the criterion.

More info on the support for independent study can be found from the TE Services website. Receiving this benefit requires gaining at least 5 ECTS a month. Studying according to the group program does not fulfill the criterion, but a personal study plan can be made for the student to shorten the study time.

More info on the financial aid for students can be found from the Kela (Social Insurance Institution) website. Receiving this benefit requires gaining at least 5 ECTS a month. Studying according to the group program does not fulfill the criterion, but a personal study plan can be made for the student to shorten the study time.

If you have a need for a personal study plan, please contact guidance counsellor. In practice shortening studies usually means that one course is completed with a different schedule and implementation than what was originally planned for the group program. In addition, the course of Practical Teacher Training in an Educational Institution and the course of Research, Development and Innovation Skills must be completed well in advance.

Graduation and applying for a certificate

To apply for graduation, access VALO Graduation System through the Student’s Desktop Pakki. Before starting the graduation process, have a graduation discussion with your tutor teacher. Also, all studies need to be completed and assessments must be marked in the Pakki system before you can start the graduation process.

The graduation process has two phases, and it is good to allow 4 weeks for the whole process.

In the first stage

Choose your preferred graduation date from the available options. You will also need to complete the graduation feedback survey and fill out the necessary fields on the graduation application. Once you have begun filling out the application, your information will be sent to the Student Affairs Office for review. The Education Coordinator will check that all your studies have been assessed. Please note that there may be delays in processing during busy graduation periods in May and June.

In the second stage

Once the Education Coordinator has reviewed your studies, the application will be returned to you in the VALO service. Review the application and forward it for approval and certification. Ensure that the application is forwarded no later than three weeks before your chosen graduation date. Once your application has been processed and approved, you will receive confirmation of your graduation date through email to your HAMK email address, and you can see it in the VALO service.

Downloading a certificate

On your graduation day, you can retrieve your electronic certificate by logging into the Student's Desktop Pakki and clicking on the Documents icon. The certificate can be downloaded for 28 days from the date of completion. After this, it is not possible to log in to HAMK's services that require login. Please remember to save the electronic certificate for yourself and make a backup copy of it. A physical printout of the certificate will not be sent separately.

An electronic certificate is an official document that does not require additional verification. The certificate can be submitted as an attachment to the authorities or the employer. Although paper copies of the certificate can be printed, the official certificate only exists in electronic format.

The certificate includes a cover page, a transcript of records, and a Certificate Supplement. The Certificate Supplement is designed for international use. If education is accomplished in Finnish, students receive a certificate in Finnish. If the education has been completed in English, students receive certificates in both Finnish and English.

Note! If you wish, you can download an electronically signed transcript from Pakki before you graduate.

Instructions for the VALO – graduation service and the Graduand Feedback Survey 

• VALO – graduation service   
  • Works best with the following browsers: Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or Edge. 
  • Works in the same language as your student desktop Pakki (to change language settings in Pakki, click on the language icon next to the user icon in the top bar). 
  • If you have multiple study rights, check from the student desktop Pakki that you are accessing VALO – service with the correct student number (to check your study rights in Pakki, click on your name in the top bar, next to the user icon) 
  • If you have problems with signing in to VALO – service, you can try signing out from the student desktop Pakki, closing your browser, or changing your browser and signing in again. 

• Graduand Feedback Survey on the Webropol-website 
  • Works best with Mozilla Firefox or Chrome browsers 
  • VALO – graduation service will direct you to the Graduand Feedback Survey on the Webropol-website  
  • If you have not completed the feedback survey or have closed your browser before being redirected to the VALO – graduation service, please contact the Student Services.

If you have problems that cannot be solved with the advice above, please contact the Student Services:
aokk-opintotoimisto@hamk.fi 

Graduation dates for the academic year 2023–2024 and the last day to submit your certificate application

If any assessments are missing in the Pakki-system or the certificate application is sent too late, graduation will be postponed to the next possible graduation date.

The Certificate 

Download the digital certificate from the student desktop Pakki (top bar – Documents – Degree Certificate). The certificate can be downloaded for 28 days from the date of graduation. Remember to save your digital certificate and make a backup copy of it. 

The digital 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.  

The certificate includes both in English and in Finnish, a cover page. Also a transcript of records in English and a Certificate Supplement, which is an English-language attachment to the certificate for international use.  

Note! If you wish, you can download a digitally signed transcript of records from the Pakki-system before you graduate. 

Ordering copies or re-send of certificates  

Pricing:
EUR 20 for paper certificate (certificates issued before 10/2021). Place the order via HAMK Shop. Delivery takes about a week. 

Re-send of your digital certificate (certificates issued from 10/2021) is free of charge. Place the order via: aokk-opintotoimisto@hamk.fi 

You can easily find all IT services listed and links to instructions here. You can search for services with a keyword, save services as your favourite, so you can return to them next time or browse the automatically updated list of most searched services.

In case of an error, please contact ServiceDesk.

Module feedback

Study feedback should be given by the student at the end of each module (excluding Practical Teacher Training and Development of Pedagogical Expertise) via HAMK's feedback system. Student may give feedback seven days before the module ends, at the earliest. The system picks the exact end date from the implementation plan in Pakki service. The feedback survey opens seven days before the module ends and it stays open for a fortnight after the module end date.

Student may give feedback via Spark feedback service in Pakki. The feedback service recognises the modules or courses for which the student has been accepted to in Pakki. Student can give feedback for each module only once and when the feedback questionnaire is available.

Student instructions for giving feedback on modules (pdf)

The practical teacher training is worth 9 credit points as part of the professional teacher education programme. Upon completion of the practical teacher training, the teacher student will be expected to be able to plan and deliver teaching and to evaluate students’ work and their development. In addition, the teacher student should be familiar with the premises of teaching work and know how to act in a vocational education environment.

The practical teacher training begins in spring, when the teacher students become acquainted with the learning environment in which their placement will take place. The teacher students will also become familiar with the standards, regulations, and guidelines guiding professional training, sources of funding for vocational training, and the working practices of professional teachers.

During the practical teacher training, and in addition to other study activities, a teaching module worth approximately 3 credits will be planned and then taught to the professional student group. The number of contact teaching hours can vary by institute and the training may also include other activities than classroom teaching, such as distance guidance, online teaching, cooperation with business and industry, and guidance for on-the-job learning. The practical teacher training is usually scheduled for the second semester. The placement involves teaching and guidance of learning in a variety of professional learning environments, as well as student assessment.

During the practical teacher training, the teacher student will be supervised by the student’s tutor teacher and a supervising teacher from the placement organisation.

The practical teacher training takes place in a professional training setting, such as a professional educational institution, adult educational centre or a university of applied sciences. The teaching should primarily be part of the training for a particular certification or qualification.

It is also possible to conduct practical teacher training period abroad. The requirements for the practical teacher training institutions, qualifications for the supervising teacher and the content of the practical teacher training period are described above. However, you are required to plan your teacher practice well in advance together with your tutor teacher and your supervising teacher. The documentation of your teacher practice consists of both written and audio-visual materials based on the meeting between you, your supervising teacher, and your tutor teacher prior to the start of your teacher practice. Prior to the start of your practical teacher training period the plan has to be approved by the tutor teacher.

As part of the practical teacher training, an agreement is made with the placement organisation and includes arrangements for the supervising teacher. A written plan is also made for the placement. A form is provided for this purpose. Towards the end of the placement period, a joint review meeting will be held with the supervising teacher. Supervising teachers may submit invoices for their work once this evaluation is complete. The supervising teacher is paid EUR 295 for supervising the teacher training.

The supervision fee is invoiced from HAMK via electronic invoice service (available only in Finnish) or via paper invoice. The invoicing instructions are sent to the supervising teacher by e-mail after the practical teacher training agreement has been concluded.

Agreement and assessment documentation can be sent electronically to: aokk-opintotoimisto@hamk.fi

Practical teacher training documents

Practical Training Agreement (doc)

Practical Training Plan (doc)

Practical Training Evaluation Form (doc)

If you have competence that corresponds to the competence objectives of the courses, you can apply for the recognition of prior learning (RPL). This way, you don’t have to re-learn the same thing you already know and have the opportunity to progress your studies faster than the group programme. In professional teacher education studies, recognition of prior learning can be applied for either through credit transfer or skills demonstrations.

Both types of application can be made electronically using the app available in the student’s Pakki desktop.

Instructions for the RPL application, pdf

Credit transfer

Credit transfer is where prior studies are used to directly credit the courses that are part of the teacher education. For example, basic studies in pedagogy and adult pedagogy completed earlier at the university (25 credits or 15 credit units) equate to a credit transfer of 13 credits for the basic studies in educational sciences in teacher education.

New students, please take note: There is no need to apply for transfer of credits for basic studies in educational sciences if the certificate of having completed the studies (25 credits or 15 credit units) has been attached to the application for teacher education. The credit transfer is approved for you automatically. If you have completed only part of these studies, contact the guidance counsellor. Please also note that having completed basic studies in special pedagogy (25 credits or 15 credit units) does not qualify you for a credit transfer for basic studies in educational sciences (13 credits). You can enquire about other opportunities for credit transfer from your guidance counsellor.

Principles of credit transfer:

• To receive a credit transfer, you must make an eRPL application (but see the above note on basic studies in educational sciences).
• The prior studies must correspond to the content and scope of the teacher education course for which the credit transfer is sought.
• The prior studies must be higher education level studies.
• The prior studies must have been completed in the last five years, calculated from the start year of your teacher education studies. The exception to this rule is basic studies in educational sciences, for which there is no such time limit (25 credits or 15 credit units).
• Credit transfer is only granted for entire courses.
• Credit transfer can be granted for the ‘Studies enhancing the Teacher’s Competence’ (6 credits) on the basis on pedagogical studies that deepen and expand the teacher's competence. The scope of the prior studies must be at least 6 credits. Credit transfer can also be approved for two educations/courses, for example, that have a total scope of at least 6 credits. Credit transfer can be approved with studies completed five years previously if the scope of studies has been at least 25 credits.
• Credit transfer can be granted for the ‘Research, Development and Innovation Skills’ course (6 credits) based on a previous master's thesis or bachelor's thesis who's subject or frame of reference was related to vocational education and training (VET) and which took a pedagogical perspective on the topic.
• No credit transfer can be granted for the ‘Personal Expertise as a Professional Teacher’ course.

Examples of studies eligible for credit transfer of Studies enhancing the Teacher’s Competence: Basic studies in special pedagogy, intermediate studies in pedagogy, studies in university pedagogy, specialisation studies for teachers, training as a competence-based qualification master and training as a driving instructor. Please note: extensive prior training can also be used to obtain credit transfer for other courses, provided that they have equivalent content.

Applications for credit transfer should be directed to Guidance Counsellor Eveliina Grönberg. Where needed, you can also ask her for more information on matters related to credit transfer. The credit transfer application should be submitted no later than two weeks before the start of the course to be accredited.

Skills demonstrations

The starting point for skills demonstrations is competence that a student has obtained through work experience. This competence is assessed in relation to the assessment criteria for the course. The student takes an active role in applying for a skills demonstration, as they must first familiarise themselves with the instructions for skills demonstrations and the assessment criteria for the courses. At the beginning of their studies, they carry out a personal competence survey and also have a development discussion with their tutor teacher. If the outcome of this process is that the student has the competence outlined in the assessment criteria, then fill in the eRPL application and agree with the teacher carrying out the actual skills demonstration. A skills demonstration is assessed as a study attainment. A skills demonstration cannot be used to obtain RPL for the ‘Personal Expertise as a Professional Teacher’ course.

Applications for skills demonstrations should be submitted to the teacher responsible for the course – who as a rule is the group’s tutor teacher. A skills demonstration application must be submitted no less than two weeks before the start of the course in question.

Instructions for applying for a skills demonstration, pdf

Assessment criteria for courses, prerequisites for skills demonstrations and methods of skills demonstration, pdf

Right to study

Studies that progress according to the programme for multiform and online studies are considered to be part-time studies. Part-time students must complete their studies within three years (Act on Universities of Applied Sciences 932/2014). The right-to-study period begins when the student enrolls as present for the first time. A student who has not completed their studies during the period of study loses the right to study.

Right of absence

On the first year, the student can enroll as absent only for the following reasons:

1. military, non-military or women’s voluntary military service
2. parental leave
3. the student cannot begin studies due to being incapacitated by personal illness or injury

If a student registers as absent for the first academic year, they must provide an official document to support this absence (for example, a statement from KELA regarding a parental allowance period or a medical certificate regarding pregnancy or a statement regarding daily sickness allowance or a medical certificate or statement regarding entry into a social support service).  The official document must be submitted for the spring semester no later than 10 January and for the autumn semester no later than 31 August. If a student is unable to provide one of the aforementioned certificates, they should register as present for the academic year in question. The official document must be submitted to the Education Coordinator: pia.ojansivu@hamk.fi

A second or third-year student may enroll as absent for a maximum of one (1) year, which is not counted against their study right period. Similarly, absences caused by the above-mentioned reasons 1 or 2 are not deducted from the study right period. To report absences for the entire semester, students must inform Student Services by 10th January for the spring semester and 31st August for the autumn semester.

Enrolment for the academic year

The students will have to enroll as present or absent every year according to the deadlines set by HAMK. Practicalities of this will be advised for students at the beginning of the studies.

Once students have accepted a study place, they register as present for the first academic year in the manner described in the admissions guide. If a student continues studying into 2nd or 3rd academic year, they must also register as present. Continuing students will be informed of the registration process during the spring (May-June).

A student who has not enrolled will lose their right to study. If a student who has lost right to study wants to continue studying, they must apply for the reinstatement of their student status. The student status can be readmitted if the study period (3 years max) is still running. The Head of Degree Programme makes the decision to reinstate the student status. A handling fee of EUR 50 is invoiced from the student.

Studying after the end of the admission group's programme

If a student does not graduate according to the admission group's programme, they continue under the guidance of the same tutor teacher until the end of the second year.

Extension period

Application for extension period (word document)

The Head of Degree Programme may grant a discretionary extension period to students in order to complete their studies. This extension is dependent on the student submitting a realistic plan for the achievement of this goal. The extension must be requested during the right to study period. An extension may only be granted for a maximum of six months. The application for an extension period is subject to EUR 50 administration fee.

Readmission to complete studies

Application for readmission (word document)

If, upon conclusion of the right to study period, a student wishes to continue their previously interrupted studies, they may apply for a new right to study. The Head of Degree Programme may, on the basis of an application, grant a former teacher student the right to study so that the student in question can complete their teacher education if no more than one half of the entire scope of the programme is to be completed. A new right to study can be granted for a maximum of one year. Applications for a new right to study are subject to a EUR 50 administration fee.

Pakki – Student Desktop Service

Learn to use Pakki student desktop right from the start. Pakki includes versatile tools that help you follow your progress and update your personal information. Log into Pakki with your student ID and password (HAMK ID and password). Change the language to English from the upper right corner. You can use this service both on your computer browser and on your mobile.

In Pakki you may:

• review and update your contact information (link to My profile video)
• see the timetables (link to Instructions for Timetable engine (pdf))
• browse your grades
• apply for accreditation of your prior learning (credit transfer) and accreditation of work experience (skills demonstration) via the RPL tool
• create digitally signed documents (for example transcript of records)
• download graduation certificate for 28 days from the graduation day
• answer the module feedback questionnaire (Spark feedback service)

Note! A teacher student doesn't have to register for courses through the Pakki service. Professional Teacher Education registrations are handled by Student Services.

Digipedagogical Guidelines to support learning

Digipedagogical Guidelines is a site where all the guidelines for utilising digital tools in HAMK are gathered in one place. All tools and services can be used on desktop and mobile. Some services or tools may also have its own mobile app.

To support students’ wellbeing, HAMK offers the services of a special needs teacher, student counselling psychologist and coordinator of sport services. They work in all HAMK’s campuses in cooperation with tutor teachers, study counsellors, nurses, pastors and everyone connected to student services.

Contact student counselling psychologist if you have difficulties for example with coping, stress or motivation on your studies. Or you need tips on your time management or self efficacy. Psychologist can provide individual conversation support and guidance on 1-5 appointments. If you need psychological health care or therapy, you should contact health care services. Psychologist Maija Partanen, telephone +35850 4063 124, maija.partanen@hamk.fi

The special needs teacher works as a contact person for equality in studies. He is also responsible for organising special arrangements for students who need support in studying. Special arrangements are also available for people who apply to study at HAMK in their entrance examination. Special need teacher Samu Toivonen, telephone +35850 5776 312, samu.toivonen@hamk.fi

Coordinator of sport services can be contacted regarding anything related to HAMK sports. The coordinator can give guidance to different activities or even create a training programme for you. Coordinator of sport services Jari Virtanen, telephone +35840 7355 653, jari.virtanen@hamk.fi

Note! Students of the professional teacher education are not entitled to student health care services. If you fall ill, please contact the municipal health care services in your area or your occupational health care.

More information on student wellbeing pages

The study guide contains the curriculum of the education, the main principles of the studies and the implementation plan of the study group:

Study Guide 2023-2024, pdf
(accessibility updated 2 June 2023)

Study Guide 2022-2023, pdf
Study Guide 2021-2022, pdf
NOTE! The graduation process has changed. Updated instructions can be found under "Graduation".

Activating user ID

Before starting your studies, you need to activate your user ID. Familiarise yourself with user ID activation instructions. Note! User ID’s are not sent via email.

How to log in to HAMK services

Log in to HAMK’s service with the username form firstname12345@student.hamk.fi. In some services, you can also use username in firstname12345 -form. Log in to Google cloud services with your email, which is usually firstname.lastname@student.hamk.fi.