Open University Route Studies give you a head start on your degree

The Master’s Degree in Project Management is delivered in a part-time studies format, offering flexibility to balance studies with work. Studying alongside employment does, however, require adjustments to everyday life and leisure time. For Sari, this posed no major challenge, as she had developed effective routines for part-time studying during her engineering studies, making her return to studying smooth.

“I thought I might as well continue at the same pace and start my Master’s studies straight away,” Sari says with a laugh. While studying alongside work does require some juggling, Sari feels that the pace of Master’s studies is considerably more relaxed than that of Bachelor’s studies.

Another motivating factor for starting immediately after graduation was the alumni benefit offered by Jamk: graduates from Jamk’s Bachelor’s programmes can study Master's Level Open University Route Studies free of charge for two years after graduation via Jamk Open University of Applied Sciences (Jamk Open UAS).

“The semester fee is 200 €, so it’s quite a significant saving,” Sari notes.

Typically, eligibility for Master’s-level studies requires two years of work experience after completing a Bachelor’s degree. However, through Open University Route Studies students can begin studying immediately after graduation.

“The open route option is absolutely fantastic! It allows you to fast-track your progress, as you can accumulate the required work experience while studying,” Sari enthuses. She advises anyone interested in Open University Route Studies to pay close attention to enrolment periods, which differ from the standard application timelines.

As an Open University Route student, Sari completes the same courses as degree students. Once she has accumulated the required number of credits and sufficient work experience, she can apply for the degree programme without an entrance exam.

“In that sense as well, Open University Route Studies are a great route into a degree. I don’t particularly excel in exam situations, and grades don’t always reflect my actual competence,” Sari explains. As an additional benefit, Sari points out that Open University Route Studies also provide an opportunity to explore studying or a field of interest.

“You can easily start by taking just one course through Jamk Open UAS and see how it feels,” she encourages. In Sari’s view, learning and studying are never a waste.