Aim for Bachelor's Degree through Open University Route Studies

• Route Studies allow you to earn enough credits to apply via the open university route and get admitted to degree studies even without an entrance examination.
• Your studies will be credited towards a degree at Jamk, if you later become a degree student. This enables you to jump directly to the second study year! By starting in the Open University Route studies and continuing in degree studies, you can graduate as fast as by starting directly in degree studies. 
• If you are otherwise not eligible to apply for admission to a university of applied sciences, you will gain eligibility by completing the studies required for the Open Universtiy Route studies.
• If you apply for a degree programme through a joint application system, the studies will help you develop your study skills and thus prepare for possible entrance exams.

NOTE! Open studies have no effect on your status as a first-time university applicant in Finland.

• Consider carefully whether you will be able to commit yourself to studies. Open University Route studies often require the possibility to study in the daytime on weekdays. Studies also consist of quite extensive study modules (1 ECTS credit refers to an average input of 27 hours of work by the student).
• Make sure that you possess the necessary study abilities and that the special requirements for the social and health care sector are met, if this is your chosen field. Check the criteria before registration.
• Clarify any issues related to studying while being an unemployed jobseeker with your local Employment and Economic Development Office well in advance before applying for the studies! The studies will be considered full-time if you earn more than 5 ECTS credits / month. In this case, you will not be entitled to receive unemployment benefits. Instead, you may be eligible to pursue studies supported with unemployment benefit (for those aged 25 or over).
• Open studies are not eligible for the state’s student financial aid or student discounts unless your other studies entitle you to them. Consider financing your studies and life in advance.
• Many routes only have a few places available and they will be filled by order of enrolment, so it is advisable to act fast as soon as the registration is opened. It is also worth registering for the waiting list!
• Make a plan for when you intend to apply for admission to degree studies. Remember to submit your application in due time.

For the Open University Route studies, you must have the following study abilities: 

• independent study skills
• interaction and teamwork skills
• fluent writing skills
• basic IT skills (computer management, word processing, e-mail, electronic services) 
• sufficient language skills, ie at least B2 level in English.

In addition, individual routes may have field-specific requirements. You can see these on the study path description page. See more detailed information related to study abilities
 

In full-time studies, you participate in face-to-face contacts on weekdays and meet fellow students on campuses. In addition to contacts, your studies include group work, online studies, independent reading, searching for information and completing assignments.

In part-time studies, you study online, and often the studies are divided into contact and distance learning periods and possibly practical training, depending on your route studies. The amount of contact learning varies between different route studies. You will receive support from teachers, fellow students and Open University personnel. However, part-time studies require more personal scheduling and self-direction than full-time studies. So please note that part-time studies can require your presence on campus or online at a specific time of day. 

The workload in both study methods is the same, so it is not worth choosing part-time studies because you could complete the studies with less effort.