Alternative Path to University

Traditionally, entrance exams and the matriculation examination have been the ordinary ways to apply for a university in Finland. Besides these, also the channel through Open University has been available, though it has not yet worked as desired in universities’ student admission. Anyway, as the student admission system of higher education was renewed by 2020, we also need new alternatives for students to show their capacity for higher education studies. 

For students: The Open University Path – infomation for applicants

Our project is called Alternative path to university (TRY, Toinen reitti yliopistoon in Finnish). Alternative path to university is a higher education development project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland. The project includes 11 universities (Aalto University, University of Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland, University of Jyväskylä, University of Lapland, University of Oulu, Uniarts Helsinki, Tampere University, University of Turku, University of Vaasa, and Åbo Akademi University) and several different subjects.

^{Project Manager Paula Savela and Marketing Coordinator Heli Joutsen}

Open University studies give students an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and eligibility for university studies. The aim of the TRY project is to develop, pilot, and establish different Open University paths to higher education in addition to entrance exams and the matriculation examination:

• Firstly, we aim to revise the existing Open University route so that an increasing number of applicants would be admitted to university degree studies and that the admission criteria for study options could be predicted more accurately.
• Secondly, we will develop routes for secondary level students and for the needs of working life. In addition, we will develop guidance and advice services related to these routes.
  
  

Read more about TRY project:

Making the open university path to degree studies more functional (News article, published 15th Oct, 2018)
Students admitted to JSBE through the renewed Open University path (News article, published 8th May, 2019)
Alternative Path to University – Critical Points of Student Services in the Open University Path (Presentation, 17th Oct, 2019)