UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ General admission criteria for 2018

These general admission criteria apply to student admissions for which the application period starts on 1 January 2018 or thereafter (and to international master’s degree programmes for which the application period starts before 1 January 2018).1

Targets and development of student admission

The target of student admission is to fill the study places offered by the University with a corresponding number of talented and motivated students who are committed to their fields of study and who will complete their degrees in a standard time.

Student admission will be developed in 2018 as follows: 1. By accepting applicants for broader degree programmes in all relevant disciplines. 2. By determining opportunities for entrance examination cooperation or joint admissions in subjects not using them yet. 3. By harmonising the application and selection process of doctoral students. 4. By accelerating and streamlining the applicant guidance and student admission process for international master’s degree programmes. 5. By increasing student admission that does not require long preparation from applicants. 6. By acknowledging in the creation of detailed admission criteria that the aim is to abandon bridge studies (supplementary studies). 7. By developing the selection procedures of transfer students and by enabling flexible transfers from bachelor’s programmes to master’s studies. 8. By clarifying the possibility to use the general point recommendation for universities in student admission. 9. By increasing the proportion of students admitted to pursue their first degree from all students in the Finnish higher education system. 10. By acknowledging the recommended general admission criteria for universities and policies set by the customer service group (ASPA), which is appointed by the steering group of the electronic application and admission system (KSHJ).

When creating the detailed admission criteria, it must be taken into account that, from 2020 at the latest, the aim is to approve admission criteria for several years at a time. In addition, the University will determine if it is possible to use electronic entrance examinations as part of the development of student admission.

Application and eligibility to apply for degree education

Applications to higher education institutions are organised as a joint application process via the Studyinfo.fi service. Alternately, it is possible to apply to the University of Jyväskylä through Studyinfo.fi using the separate application system. The University of Jyväskylä specifies all degree education at Studyinfo.fi.

Degree education organised by the University of Jyväskylä is covered by joint application (spring and/or autumn) as extensively as possible. Therefore, deviating admission criteria that were earlier organised as separate admissions are now offered as optional admission criteria for study options in joint application.

Eligibility to apply

Eligibility for degree education is stipulated in the Universities Act, Section 37 (558/2009). The eligibility is specified further in the Act on the Organisation of the Matriculation Examination (672/2005).

A person can be admitted to studies leading to a bachelor’s degree only or to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree when having completed one of the following:

1 University student admission is stipulated in the Universities Act (558/2009). The arrangement of joint admission is stipulated in the Government Decree 293/2014. The Constitution of (731/1999, Section 16.2) stipulates the requirement of equal opportunities for university education, highlighting the use of uniform admission criteria and the applicant’s ability as the central selection criterion. Student admission is also stipulated by the University of Jyväskylä Regulations (11 December 2013), the Degree Regulations (16 March 2015) and detailed admission criteria approved by faculties.

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1) education stipulated in the Act on the Organisation of the Matriculation Examination (672/2005)

2) vocational upper secondary qualification requiring studies of at least three years or corresponding prior studies

3) a vocational upper secondary qualification, further vocational qualification, specialist vocational qualification stipulated in the Vocational Adult Education Act (631/1998) or a corresponding prior qualification

4) foreign education that qualifies for corresponding higher education in the issuing country

5) Open University studies specified by the faculty

The corresponding prior studies or qualifications in items 2 and 3 refer to a qualification that can be considered equivalent to a current qualification even if its extent was narrower than the current qualification. In addition, the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma provides eligibility for higher education.

A person who can be admitted to studies leading to a master’s degree only must have completed one of the following:

1) a suitable bachelor’s degree

2) a suitable degree at a university of applied sciences (polytechnic)

3) suitable foreign education that qualifies for corresponding higher education in the issuing country.

An applicant who has completed a higher education degree may also be admitted for studies leading to a bachelor’s degree only, to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree or to a master’s degree only. As a rule, an applicant with a prior higher education degree is directed to apply for the right to pursue a master’s degree. If an applicant with a prior higher education degree is approved to pursue both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, he/she may apply for only the master’s degree if the criteria defined by the faculty are fulfilled. At the same time, the student waives the right to complete the bachelor’s degree.

If a person fails to meet the basic education requirements stipulated in the Universities Act but considers themselves as having sufficient knowledge and skills for studies, that person may apply for permission to participate in the joint application procedure if the faculty has so decided in detailed admission criteria. A well-founded application with an account of education must be delivered to the faculty by the specified date.

If the applicant is a refugee, or in a status comparable to refugee, and has received asylum in Finland (and can prove this with, for example, an asylum decision or a residence permit) but cannot prove his/her eligibility for higher education with documents, the University may allow the applicant to participate in an entrance examination. In the case of a person who is applying for the right to pursue a master’s degree, the eligibility to apply is assessed in the relevant University faculty based on the documents the applicant submits with the application.

If necessary because of differences in the content of lower education and studies leading to a master’s degree, a student may be required to complete bridge studies (supplementary studies) to attain the required readiness for the education. The necessity of the supplementary studies must be considered carefully and their extent is not allowed to be more than 60 ECTS credits.

Joint application and quotas for joint application

At the University of Jyväskylä, the national joint application includes all student selection processes in which applicants are admitted to study for both a bachelor’s and master’s degree or a master’s degree only, with the exceptions mentioned in the Universities Act. Admission to the University based on studies at the Open University is organised as part of joint application. A person who has completed the studies determined by the faculty may apply for degree education on the basis of courses completed at the Open University. General eligibility for higher education is not required from students who apply through the Open University for the right to pursue a degree.

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Applicants who have a bachelor’s degree with suitable content may apply for master’s degree programmes in joint applications. The detailed admission criteria of the faculty must define the higher education degrees that have suitable content.

Joint application is not used for selecting applicants to replace students who register for non-attendance, and the University of Jyväskylä does not organise additional joint application rounds.

In the implementation of joint applications, the number of places on selection sequence lists are limited so that the applicants will not have unrealistic hopes of being selected from a waiting list. The following must be considered when limiting the number of places on a waiting list:  Quotas for first-time applicants: the waiting list must be long enough to fill the quotas for first-time applicants  Transfers from one waiting list to another: the limits of selection sequence lists must be broad enough to ensure there are enough applicants on the waiting lists also after transfers. The number of applicants on a waiting list can be considered on the basis of earlier application rounds.

Joint application quotas

In a joint application, the University must reserve a portion of its study places for first-time applicants who

 have not completed a higher education degree in compliance with the Finnish education system, or  have not accepted a study place for education that leads to a higher education degree and starts in the autumn term 2014 or thereafter.

Outside the joint application system, no study places are reserved for first-time applicants. In joint applications, no study places are reserved for first-time applicants in study options with ten or fewer study places because the reservation could create unreasonable inequality between applicants. In addition, reservations for first-timers are not made in the study places for Swedish-speaking applicants and applicants with disabilities at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. When preparing quotas for first-time applicants, faculties must take into account quotas prepared at other universities for the same disciplines.

If the joint application includes study options that have selection sequence lists for other than first-time applicants, the quota must be specified not to the study option level but to the lists that are principally used to select first-time applicants.

Separate admissions and application periods

In addition to the joint admission, the University of Jyväskylä may have the following separate admissions:

a) application for retraining and upgrading of qualifications

b) application for a foreign-language-medium degree programme (master’s degree)

c) transfer application a) Application for retraining and upgrading of qualifications

If student selection cannot be arranged in the same schedule with the joint application and the education is directed to a limited target group (e.g. retraining and upgrading of qualifications) whose eligibility to apply has been defined separately (i.e. deviating from the general eligibility for studies leading to a university degree stipulated in the Universities Act), an application round is arranged for the retraining and upgrading of qualifications. The application period is defined in the faculty’s detailed admission criteria for retraining and upgrading of qualifications. b) Application for a foreign-language-medium degree programme (master’s degree)

Students selected for foreign-language-medium master’s degree programmes are not required to have proficiency in Finnish at the admission stage. 3 / 16 UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ General admission criteria for 2018

Applicants must demonstrate their skills in English in one of the following ways:  An international language proficiency test or the National Certificate of Language Proficiency, which must be passed at least with intermediate level 4 (in all skill components: speaking, writing, listening and reading comprehension). The following levels are the minimum requirements for international language proficiency tests: TOEFL: 580 (paper- based test) / 92 (Internet-based test); IELTS: 6.5 or CPE and CAE: passing level A, B or C; or PTE (Pearson Test of English): 59. The Pearson test of English, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are valid for two years. The certificate must be valid until the end date of the application period.  Upper secondary education completed in English in a Nordic country (Finland, , , , Iceland), the , , the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.  A higher education degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, , the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The language of examination must have been English and the thesis must have been written in English. The language of examination must be detailed in the degree certificate or its attachment, the transcript of records or other official document issued by the higher education institution.  The applicant has completed or is completing a higher education degree in Finland and the degree includes studies of academic English for at least 6 ECTS credits (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, levels B2–C1 and field-specific content). This requirement also applies to the University’s own students who, after completing their bachelor’s degree, continue to foreign-language-medium degree programmes for which they have been granted the study right at the same time when they were granted the right to pursue the bachelor’s degree.

Faculties can, upon their discretion and only in cooperation with the University Language Centre, assess skills (academic literacy screening) study option–specifically in connection with an interview that is part of the application process. In addition to the assessment, the applicant must demonstrate his/her language skills in one of the ways mentioned above. Faculties may, upon their discretion, decide on tighter language skill requirements and higher point limits if they are necessary for a study option. The passing limits for language tests can be adjusted only for special reasons in international education cooperation projects that are based on mutual agreements. Even in these cases, it must be ensured that the students have sufficient language proficiency.

Student and Academic Services decides on the organisation of application rounds for foreign-language-medium education, the application periods and the admission schedules in more detail during spring 2017. c) Transfer application (target: bachelor’s and master’s degree)

The transfer application period in spring is from 2 to 16 May 2018 in the Studyinfo.fi service. Results will be published no later than on 29 June and study places must be accepted no later than on 31 July 2018 by 3:00 p.m. Applicants must have completed the studies determined by the faculty on 31 May 2018, at the latest.

The autumn transfer application period is from 1 to 15 October 2018 in the Studyinfo.fi service. Results will be published no later than on 14 December, and study places must be accepted no later than on 31 December by 3:00 p.m. Applicants must have completed the studies determined by the faculty on 15 November 2018, at the latest.

In addition, a transfer application will be arranged in the Studyinfo.fi service in early 2018 for students who move from the language education of the University of Vaasa to the language education of the University of Jyväskylä. The dates of the admission period will be decided separately later.

The application period of the transfer application starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. Attachments must be submitted within 14 days from the end of the application period.

A transfer student is admitted to pursue a degree so that his/her study right is transferred from one higher education institution to another or from one degree to another within a higher education institution. Students who change their specialisation or degree programme within a faculty or move from one faculty to another and whose target degree does not change are not regarded as transfer students at the University of Jyväskylä. Changing the specialisation or degree programme within a faculty when the target degree does not change may be possible either when pursuing studies for a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Faculties must specify in which fields and with which admission criteria it is possible to flexibly move in the manner described above without increasing the duration of education. 4 / 16 UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ General admission criteria for 2018

In a transfer application, a faculty may grant the right to complete a degree for an applicant who is completing studies leading to a bachelor’s degree in another Finnish higher education institution or faculty of the University of Jyväskylä. Students in their master’s degree phase must submit their transfer student applications in the joint application system on the basis of their bachelor’s degrees.

In its admission criteria, the faculty must define conditions for the approval of transfer students. Within the University, there may be study options that do not accept transfer students or that only accept students from fully corresponding training programmes.

National recommendations have been provided for the admission of transfer students.

Joint degree programmes

The admission procedures of international joint degree programmes are agreed on separately in the agreements of joint degree programmes.

Joint degree programmes must have sufficiently uniform admission criteria, scope, length, core curriculum content and quality assurance in all partner universities.

Procedures related to student admission are defined in advance and it is ensured that they fulfil the general admission criteria of each partner university.

A student may apply for the right to study in a manner defined in the joint degree programme agreement. A prerequisite is the right to study at a partner university and a plan for how the studies completed at the University of Jyväskylä will be included in the double/joint degree. Language proficiency requirements and other admission criteria are defined separately for each joint degree programme.

Commissioned education

The University of Jyväskylä may arrange commissioned degree education (made-to-order education) that complies with Section 9 of the Universities Act. In case of possible commissioned education, separate decisions shall be made on the application and admission procedures and the practices for granting completion rights.

Admission to doctoral studies (includes licentiate studies)

Eligibility to doctoral studies

In accordance with Section 37 of the Universities Act (558/2009), eligible applicants for studies leading to an academic or artistic licentiate or doctoral degree have completed (1) a relevant master’s degree awarded by a university, (2) a relevant master’s degree awarded by a university of applied sciences, or (3) a relevant study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for the corresponding level of higher education. The university may require a student admitted to study for an academic or artistic licentiate or doctoral degree to complete the necessary supplementary studies in order to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the study programme. The extent of supplementary studies is decided by the faculty. The supplementary studies are not included in the licentiate or doctoral degree.

Admission criteria for doctoral studies

The University of Jyväskylä requires that a student selected for doctoral studies has sufficient basic knowledge of the discipline in which the dissertation is to be completed and has received at least a grade of Good, 3/5 for the master’s thesis or another grade of a similar level. Doctoral student admission follows detailed admission requirements prepared by faculties based on the following general admission criteria:

Applicant’s knowledge and skills • success in studies that provide eligibility to apply for doctoral studies • appropriate language skills required for the studies

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Research subject • the suitability of the research subject for the research strategy of the department/faculty • the level and feasibility of the research and study plan Supervision • the availability of expert supervision and the sufficiency of related resources Commitment • the doctoral student’s commitment to complete the degree

Students selected for doctoral degree programmes are required to have proficiency in Finnish or English at the admission stage. A certificate in the proficiency of Finnish or English is not required if the applicant has completed a higher education degree that provides eligibility to apply for the studies or a higher education degree in Finland. A certificate in the proficiency of English is not required if the applicant has completed a higher education degree that provides eligibility to apply for the studies or a higher education degree in English in an EU/EEA country, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The language of examination must have been English and the thesis must have been written in English. The language of examination must be detailed in the degree certificate or its attachment, the transcript of records or other official document issued by the higher education institution.

Other applicants who are planning to write their dissertations in English must demonstrate their skills in English. Applicants may demonstrate their skills in English with an international language proficiency certificate or the National Certificate of Language Proficiency, which must be passed with the highest level 5 in all skill components (speaking, writing, listening and reading comprehension). The following levels are the minimum requirements for international language proficiency tests: TOEFL: 627 (paper-based test) / 95 (Internet-based test); IELTS: 7 or CPE and CAE: passing level B or C; or PTE (Pearson Test of English): 76. The Pearson test of English, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are valid for two years. The certificate must be valid until the end date of the application period.

Other applicants whose mother tongue is not Finnish and who are planning to write the dissertation in Finnish must demonstrate their skills in Finnish. Applicants may demonstrate their skills in Finnish with the civil service language proficiency certificate, which must be passed with good speaking and writing skills, or with the National Certificate of Language Proficiency, which must be passed with the highest level 5 in all skill components (speaking, writing, listening and reading comprehension).

Faculties may, upon their discretion, decide on tighter language skill requirements and higher point limits study option- specifically. Faculties may, upon their discretion and only in cooperation with the University Language Centre, assess English language skills (academic literacy screening) study option-specifically using other methods than language tests.

At the admission stage, the faculty assesses the availability of professional guidance and the sufficiency of guidance resources needed for student admission. The availability of guidance is assessed based on how strong and established the unit’s research activity is in the applicant’s field of research. The sufficiency of guidance resources is assessed based on how many supervised students the suggested supervisor-in-charge already has. If the suggested supervisor-in-charge is already a supervisor-in-charge for at least nine doctoral students whose study rights are active, the faculty can designate him/her as a supervisor-in-charge for, at the most, one new doctoral student per year. Faculties may, upon their discretion, decide on a lower maximum number of supervised doctoral students per a supervisor-in-charge.

At the admission stage, students selected for a doctoral programme are expected to commit to the completion of the degree. An applicant’s commitment is assessed in accordance with his/her possibilities to (1) participate in education organised by the University, (2) complete the degree in the target time (four years when studying full time) and (3) integrate with research communities. The assessment pays attention to the full or part time nature of studies, the need and possibilities for remote studies, other study rights to pursue a doctoral or master’s degree and the possibilities to network within the University, in Finland and internationally.

Special conditions for the admission of doctoral students

A precondition for granting licentiate and doctoral study rights is that the dissertation for the postgraduate degree will be supervised at the University of Jyväskylä in accordance with its Degree Regulations.

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A prerequisite for admitting a doctoral student from another university or another faculty of the University of Jyväskylä is that the universities or faculties have agreed in writing that the research material included in the dissertation is to be transferred to be part of the dissertation completed at the University of Jyväskylä or in another faculty of the University of Jyväskylä. An applicant with a postgraduate degree cannot be granted the right to pursue another licentiate or doctoral degree with similar content. For an applicant with a doctoral degree, the faculty evaluates the similarity of the content of the degrees and requests a statement from the Graduate School Steering Board before admission.

The University will not process dissertation manuscripts which have not been granted permission for public examination or which have been rejected in another university or faculty of the University of Jyväskylä, unless there are justified grounds to do so.

Application and admission procedures for doctoral education

All doctoral education is specified at Studyinfo.fi. The application periods for doctoral studies are in March (1–29 March 2018) and in August (1–31 August 2018). The March application period is for programmes starting on 1 August. The August application period is for programmes starting on 1 January. The admission decisions are made within six weeks from the end of the application period (by 11 May 2018 and by 12 October 2018).

Faculties organise application rounds for doctoral studies one or two times a year in the abovementioned application periods. Faculties have the right to admit doctoral students outside the application period if it is necessary for filling open doctoral students’ positions that are financed with external funding. Information on the application periods and procedures is permanently available on the University website. The start of the application period is informed internationally at least through the websites of the University and the unit. The application process uses a unified electronic application form which includes a funding plan. A copy of the master’s degree certificate, a transcript of records for prior studies, a research plan, a doctoral study plan and other attachments required by the faculty.

The applicants’ eligibility to apply and the correctness of application documents is verified. External service providers may be used for the verification. The applicants are assessed in doctoral school or doctoral programme–specific groups, which comment on the admission decision. When processing the applications, attention is paid to the accessibility requirement in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

The application and admission procedure, to be updated in 2017, is followed in the application round and admission of licentiate and doctoral students.

The faculty grants the licentiate and doctoral study rights. The students’ supervisors, follow-up group and doctoral programme are verified in the same connection. The faculty may, at its discretion, make a conditional admission decision at the most six months before the completion of the applicant’s master’s degree. The study right based on an unconditional admission decision is granted after the completion of the master’s degree, provided that the degree will be completed within six months from the conditional decision. Studying may begin once the study right for licentiate or doctoral studies has been granted.

In accordance with Section 38 of the Universities Act (558/2009), applicants may accept only one student place in a degree programme that begins in the term of acceptance. To monitor the regulation, information on the acceptance of a study place is registered in the Studyinfo.fi service.

Student admission and detailed admission criteria

Faculties shall use the attached table (Appendix 1) when approving detailed admission criteria. Applicants to Finnish-language study options (programmes) with a school language other than Finnish are required to demonstrate their skills in Finnish. This must be written in the detailed admission criteria of each study option. The ways to demonstrate skills in Finnish are presented in Appendix 2.

Faculties must approve the detailed application criteria of foreign-language-medium degree programmes by 30 June 2017

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and the detailed admission criteria of other student admissions no later than on 30 September 2017. Approved admission criteria must be delivered to Admission Services. The admission criteria of international master’s degree programmes must be published in Studyinfo.fi after approval and other admission criteria for 2018 no later than on 31 October 2017.

Student admission has the following admission groups: 1. Direct admission (based on educational certificates) 2. Admission based on certificates and an entrance examination (total points) 3. Admission based on an entrance examination and/or competition 4. Admission based on prior studies (e.g. studies at an open university or separate study rights)

For applicants completing an IB or EB certification in the spring, the aim is to acknowledge the grade estimations of general upper secondary schools. If the final grades of an applicant fall behind the estimations to the extent that the applicant would not be admitted (or the certification is not approved), the conditional admission decision is cancelled.

The points of student admission may also be based on information the applicant has submitted on the application form (e.g. grade, number of courses, grade point average). The applicant must ensure that the submitted information is correct. If false information is submitted, admission points may be corrected later and the study place may be cancelled if the correction affects the order of selection.

Applicants who cannot be awarded any of the initial points mentioned in the admission criteria may be admitted in admission group 3 or 4.

The mother tongue test can be substituted with a test of Finnish or Swedish as a second language, which will be graded in the same way as the mother tongue test.

If the applicant has completed a dual qualification (a matriculation examination and a vocational upper secondary qualification), the calculation of initial points in the student admission is always based on the matriculation examination. If the applicant has completed both an IB, EB or Reifeprüfung examination and the Finnish matriculation examination, the calculation of initial points in the student admission is always based on the Finnish matriculation examination.

Entrance examinations that are part of student admission are arranged in locations and at times decided by the faculty only.

Limitations of student admission

New limitations were introduced to student admission at the beginning of 2012 to promote the safety of minors, patients and customers. At the University of Jyväskylä, the limitations concern the following disciplines: psychology, social work and teacher education. In these disciplines, the health and functional ability of admitted students must allow them to participate in study-related practical tasks or practical training.

An earlier decision to cancel the right to study may also be a barrier to admission if matters related to the protection of the health and safety of others so require. A previously granted right to study may be cancelled if the University has requested the applicant to supply certain information in the application phase and the applicant has concealed the information.

Attachments for joint and transfer applications

In the application phase, it is sufficient that an applicant submits a copy of a required attachment.

An official translation in Finnish, Swedish or English must be submitted for a transcript of records and the certificate of a degree completed abroad if it is not already in one of those three languages. An official translation may be  a translation issued by the institution that has awarded the certificate  an officially certified copy of a translation issued by the awarding institution,  a translation made by an authorised translator  an officially certified copy of a translation made by an authorised translator.

Copies may be certified officially by a Finnish notary public (in a local register office) or the educational institution that has

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issued the document. The original signature and stamp of the certifier must be on each page of the document.

There is no need to translate an IB, EB or Reifeprüfung certificate.

Degrees and other and prior studies required for joint application must be completed so that attachments related to them can be submitted in the given schedule. Studies used in a transfer application must be completed by a separately defined date (see section Separate admissions and application periods: c) transfer application).

Attachments for a foreign-language-medium degree programme (master’s degree)

For foreign-language-medium degree programmes, the attachments of applications must always be officially certified.

An official translation in Finnish, Swedish or English must be submitted for a transcript of records and the certificate of a degree completed abroad if it is not already in one of those three languages. An official translation may be  a translation issued by the institution that has awarded the certificate  an officially certified copy of a translation issued by the awarding institution  a translation made by an authorised translator  an officially certified copy of a translation made by an authorised translator.

Copies may be certified officially by a Finnish notary public (in a local register office) or the educational institution that has issued the document. The original signature and stamp of the certifier must be on each page of the document. In addition, possible country-specific requirements for documents must be acknowledged in the applications for foreign- language-medium degree programmes.

The proficiency in English required for foreign-language-medium degree programmes must be proven with  a degree certificate and/or a transcript of records (degree completed in a country specified in the admission criteria),  the certificate of an English proficiency test specified in the admission criteria, OR with  evidence used separately for this purpose, in case the applicant proves his language skills through academic English studies (6 ECTS credits).

Degrees and other and prior studies required for application must be completed so that attachments related to them can be submitted in the given schedule. If an applicant wants to demonstrate his/her language skills with the same incomplete degree with which he/she demonstrates the eligibility to apply, the language skills and the eligibility to apply will be checked after the degree is completed and the applicant has submitted the degree certificate by a given deadline.

If an applicant who studies or has completed a degree at the University of Jyväskylä is applying on the basis of the studies at the University, he/she does not need to submit a transcript of records, a degree certificate or evidence of academic English studies.

Publishing student admission results and accepting a study place

The faculty publishes the results of joint application on its notice board on a nationally agreed date. Along with the publication of results, information on appealing against an admission decision is provided. The results of student admission are published on Studyinfo.fi.

The results of spring student admission are published by Thursday 28 June 2018. The applicant must accept the study place by Tuesday, 10 July 2018 at 3:00 p.m. The appeal period ends on 12 July 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Exceptions to this are transfer applications and foreign-language-medium degree programmes.

The results of autumn student admission are published to all applicants by Thursday 29 November 2018. The applicant must accept the study place by Tuesday, 11 December 2018 at 3:00 p.m. The appeal period ends on 13 December 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Exceptions to this are transfer applications and foreign-language-medium degree programmes.

The handling of appeals is centralised to the Appeal Committee of the University and follows separate procedure guidelines. A request for rectification must include information on the decision to be rectified, what kind of rectification is requested and 9 / 16 UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ General admission criteria for 2018

on what grounds. A request for rectification will not be investigated if it is submitted after the given time limit. If a decision to not investigate a request for rectification is made, the applicant must be provided with instructions for appealing to an administrative court (hallinto-oikeus).

All requests for rectification are handled in one batch or, at the most, in a few. This is because the resolution of one request may also affect the resolution of other requests. In case of a negative rectification decision, the applicant must be provided with instructions for appealing to an administrative court (hallinto-oikeus).

Failing to present a certificate or presenting a false certificate

If an applicant fails to present a requested certificate of eligibility for higher education, and the eligibility cannot be confirmed otherwise, the applicant cannot be admitted as a student through the joint application system. If an appeal process concerning eligibility to apply is not finished before the entrance examination, the applicant can participate in the entrance examination regardless of the decision on the eligibility to apply. If it proves that the applicant does not have eligibility for higher education, his/her application is rejected even though he/she would have participated in the entrance examination.

An admitted student must deliver an officially certified copy of an original certificate or show the original certificate at the faculty. This does not apply to students whose eligibility to apply to the programme is based on matriculation examination completed in 1990 or thereafter. If certificates prove to be false or their information differs from the information given by the applicant so that student selection is crucially affected, the University may cancel the student’s admission.

Applicants requiring special arrangements in student admission

In student admission, special attention must be paid to the implementation of the Act on Equality between Women and Men (609/1986) and the Non-Discrimination Act (21/2004) also regarding the prevention of indirect discrimination.

An applicant requiring special arrangements must apply for the right to pursue a degree in the same way as other applicants do and must participate in the selection process in a manner defined by the faculty. Entrance examination arrangements shall ensure that applicants requiring special arrangements are in an equal position with other applicants.

Special arrangements are applied for with an application form. The application must specify in detail the type of special arrangements and on what grounds they are requested. Applications for special arrangements must be submitted in accordance with the nationally agreed schedule. An application received after this date may be approved only if the applicant is able to prove that the need for special arrangements has emerged after the end of the application period. The faculty makes the decision on approving special arrangements.

A person applying for special arrangements must attach a medical statement, or another corresponding statement of an expert, which clarifies the nature of the disability or illness and the need for special arrangements. Statements proving a learning difficulty, illness or injury must not be older than 5 (five) years. In cases of a permanent learning difficulty, illness or injury, earlier statements may also be considered. A statement, not older than five years, from a special education teacher, psychologist or speech therapist is sufficient to prove difficulties in reading or writing. In addition, the applicant may attach a corresponding decision from the Matriculation Examination Board to the application. No separate attachment is needed to prove the need for special arrangements if the applicant requires facility and fitting arrangements for using a wheelchair.

An applicant may have additional time and breaks according to a proven need. The type of examination tasks and the situation of the applicant will be considered when assessing the required additional time. If necessary, the entrance examination may also be arranged in separate facilities, or special material or aids may be used in the examination. A decision on special arrangements for an entrance examination is specific to the study option and valid only during the day of the entrance examination. The accessibility instructions of the University of Jyväskylä will be observed when deciding on special arrangements.

It is possible to appeal the decision on special arrangements to an administrative court (hallinto-oikeus). The instructions for appeal must be attached to the decision.

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The assessment of the entrance examination complies with the University’s instructions, and all examinations are evaluated using the same principles, regardless of special arrangements. No medical certificates are included with the exam paper and the examiners of the test are not informed of the disability.

Recommendation to harmonise and simplify the calculation of student admission points

It is recommended to award points for the following four tests of the Finnish matriculation examination:  the mother tongue test / a compensatory test (Finnish/Swedish as a second language)  three (3) other tests providing the best points

The grades of the matriculation examination are converted to points as follows:

Points

L E M C B A

 mother tongue / compensatory test* 21 18 15 12 9 6  mathematics, advanced syllabus  language, advanced syllabus  general studies

 mathematics, basic syllabus 16 13 10 7 4 1  language, intermediate or basic syllabus

*the following languages are accepted as mother tongue: Finnish, Swedish, Sami, Finnish as a second language and Swedish as a second language

As a rule, scaling is applied to points based on an international matriculation examination: the points the applicant has received from the matriculation examination are divided with the maximum points of the examination and multiplied with the study option’s maximum points from a matriculation examination.  The maximum number of points on the International Baccalaureate (IB) examination is 45. Points based on a matriculation examination are calculated by dividing the received total points by 45 and multiplying the result with the maximum points from a matriculation examination in the study option. For example, if the maximum points from a matriculation examination are 84 and the applicant has received 40 points from an IB examination, he/she will get 40 ÷ 45 x 84 = 74.67 points.  The maximum number of points on European Baccalaureate (EB) examination is 100.  The maximum number of points on the Reifeprüfung (Rp) examination completed in Deutsche Schule is 300.

When justified, a study option may use matriculation examination points based on certain examinations only.

For those completing an IB or EB certificate in the spring application period, the points for the matriculation examination are calculated for a conditional admission decision from predicted grades. The points from a matriculation examination and admission decision will be confirmed after the grades are final. Points from the Reifeprüfung, IB Higher level (HL) and EB Standard level (SL) examinations are recommended to be calculated in accordance with the advanced syllabus. Points from IB Standard level (SL) examinations, mathematics of the Reifeprüfung examination and the EB Elementary level (EL) examination are recommended to be calculated in accordance with the basic syllabus. However, universities may field-specifically give points for the Studies level of IB certificates in mathematics, however, in proportion to the points of higher levels (HL, SL) studies. It is recommended to parallel the general studies of international matriculation examinations to the general studies of the Finnish matriculation examination regardless of the completed level. Any other matriculation examination completed abroad, including examinations completed in the spring of application, grant the applicant general eligibility to apply for a degree programme, but no points will be given for the examination grades.

Student admission to non-degree education

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Admission for separate studies (according to the principles of the Open University)

Faculties and the University Language Centre may admit students pursuing separate studies to complete a separately specified course or study entity of one or maximum two subjects. For separate study modules, it is possible to admit asylum seekers, refugee status holders and other immigrants living in Finland, provided that the selected student has relevant prior higher education studies and sufficient language skills. To comply with Government Decree 1436/2014, students pursuing separate study entities at the University of Jyväskylä are charged a maximum of 15 euro per ECTS credit within the study right. Nevertheless, studies in teacher education specified in Section 19 of the Government Decree on University Degrees are free for students when completed as separate studies. Faculties may grant separate study rights only for such study entities that are not available as Open University studies at the University of Jyväskylä. Study rights for separate studies cannot be granted to persons who have the right to pursue a degree at the University of Jyväskylä.

Separate qualification studies

The Faculty of Education and Psychology may admit students for separate studies (60 ECTS credits) that provide a teacher qualification (subject teacher, adult education teacher, special education teacher and study counsellor studies). The faculty decides on the admission criteria and application periods of these separate studies. The separate qualification studies are free for students. This also applies to other faculties that arrange studies that are part of subject teacher education and promote the mastery of a subject taught in basic education, general upper secondary education or other education.

Educational offerings for separate qualification studies can be found in the Studyinfo service.

Specialisation education

Faculties can select students for specialisation education. Faculties decide on the admission criteria and application periods of specialisation education.

Exchange students and visiting students and immigrants who have completed higher education studies

An international student who will complete curricular studies but not a full degree at the University of Jyväskylä (a non-degree student) may apply for short-term study rights for a maximum of one academic year and receive one of the following three student statuses:

 Exchange student: The student applies for the right to study based on an exchange agreement and/or programme agreed by the University/faculty/department, either as a bachelor’s/master’s student or as a doctoral student. Exchange students are required to have a good command of English. However, there is no need to prove language proficiency with an official language test (TOEFL, etc.). English as the major subject is an exception for which students other than Erasmus students must get at least 100 points on the TOEFL iBT test. Exchange students may be admitted for the following periods: from 1 August or 27 August to 31 December, from 1 August or 27 August to 31 May or from 1 January to 31 May.

 Short-term visiting student (bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral student): The student applies for the study right to participate in short-term study entities such as summer and winter schools. The student is required to have the right to study at a university outside of Finland and a plan for how the studies completed at the University of Jyväskylä will be included in the degree at the home university. For short-term study modules, it is possible to admit asylum seekers, refugee status holders and other immigrants living in Finland, provided that the selected student has relevant prior higher education studies and sufficient skills in English. As a rule, Finnish citizens are not admitted as short-term visiting bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral students.

 Visiting doctoral student: The student applies for the study right outside the abovementioned agreements. The status may only be granted for a foreign student who pursues a doctorate in a foreign university and stays at the University of Jyväskylä at least for three months or at the most for one academic year. The Marie Skłodowska Curie doctorate scholarships (the H2020 programme) are exceptions for which the status can be granted for three years, at the most. Finnish citizens are not admitted as visiting doctoral students.

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Application periods for visiting and exchange students The application periods for visiting doctoral students end on 2 May 2018 and 1 October 2018. The application periods for exchange students who apply through student exchange programmes end on 15 May 2018 and 1 November 2018. Faculties decide on and announce the application periods for summer and winter schools.

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UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ APPENDIX 1

Degree education at the University of Jyväskylä is organised as degree programmes leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. A licentiate degree may be completed as part of a degree programme leading to a doctoral degree or, in exceptional cases, as a separate programme.

Content and presentation of detailed admission criteria Detailed admission criteria are created according to the following table (Finnish, English).

Admission criteria of study options: Admission criteria (study option data)  Validity of admission criteria, explain how admission criteria have changed from the last year  Study places in total, study places in different selection sequence lists. If all persons fulfilling a certain criterion are selected from the list, there is no need to specify the number.  Processing order of the selection sequence lists  Quota for first-time applicants (study options for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, either at the level of study options or selection sequence lists in a joint application)  Rule of equal points (define one rule): all are admitted, no one is admitted, the admitted person is selected at random  Are applicants admitted from waiting lists?  Tables of admission points  Point limits or other information on the ranking from the previous year (also for applications to master’s studies, applicants should have comparable information on the performances of students selected in the previous application round) Requirements for the eligibility to  Eligibility to apply and possible exemption admission (when and where the apply for study options (application exemption application must be submitted) data)  When the prior studies/degrees must be completed by. Language proficiency requirements and how they should be proved. Health requirements (study option  Legislative solutions for unsuitability for studies (SORA) data) Entrance examination and aptitude  Time and location of the entrance examination (link to more detailed test (study option data) information)  Entrance examination books and materials and their publication (is the material available only online?)  Specify if the same entrance examination material is used for several study options. Specify if the material distributed in the entrance examination differs between study options regardless of having the same preliminary material. Specify if there is no entrance examination.  Describe the entrance examination and its duration (this information is needed also to process requests for special arrangements).  Specify if old entrance examination questions/answers are available (link to old questions).  Special arrangements of entrance examinations (according to the general admission criteria) Required attachments (study option What attachments must be supplied and by when? or application data) 14 / 16 UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ General admission criteria for 2018

Additional information on the When the studies start, accepting a study place, instructions for appealing application (application data)

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UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ

A faculty may decide that the language proficiency shown in an entrance examination is sufficient to demonstrate proficiency in Finnish. If the language proficiency shown in an entrance examination is not sufficient, the applicant must demonstrate his/her skills in Finnish in one of the following ways (note that this list is comprehensive) and this must be reported in the detailed admission criteria of the study option:

 Basic education, upper secondary education or other education completed in Finnish provides eligibility for higher education  A passing grade in Finnish as a mother tongue in a school leaving certificate from studies in accordance with the Basic Education Act or the General Upper Secondary Schools Act or corresponding studies  Completion of the Finnish matriculation examination in mother tongue (Finnish or Swedish) with the grade approbatur or higher OR the examination of Finnish as a second language with the grade cum laude approbatur or higher  In the Reifeprüfung/Abiturprüfung examination, a passing grade (= 4) in written Finnish OR grade 8 or higher in spoken Finnish  In the IB examination, Finnish as the A1 language with a passing grade (2 or higher) OR Finnish as the A2 language with the grade 5 OR Finnish as the A language (literature / language and literature / language and performance) with a pass grade (2 or higher)  In the EB examination, Finnish/Swedish as the LI language with a pass grade (= 4)  In a higher education institution, a language proficiency test included in the degree or studies that prove proficiency in spoken and written Finnish (as the second national language) with the grade of good or higher  In a higher education institution, studies of minimum 35 credits or 70 ECTS credits in Finnish/Swedish OR the grade cum laude approbatur OR similar studies in a corresponding subject in accordance with a certificate given by the higher education institution  A higher education degree in Finnish  A higher education degree with the Finnish language as the major subject  Maturity essay in Finnish at a higher education institution Language proficiency test (approved tests and required points or grades):  Finnish National Certificate of Language Proficiency: level 5 in all skill components  Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate: good skill level in spoken and written Finnish

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