Xamk Open University of Applied Sciences is known as Xamk Pulse. Our courses are available for all, regardless of age or educational background.

Studies at Xamk Pulse cover the same courses as Xamk students complete as part of their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree studies. Studies completed through Pulse can be recognised later in case of starting degree programme studies at Xamk. Pulse studies meet the aims and requirements of degree programme studies, but do not result in a degree. In case certain courses involve requirements or recommendations for prior know-how and skills, such information is listed in Xamk Pulse Course calendar. There are also studies in Finnish.

Xamk Pulse studies are carried out in different ways: completely online, as part-time studies with a few contact teaching days and as full-time path studies with contact teaching on weekdays between 8.00 and 18.00. Studies usually follow a tight, predefined timetable with prescheduled deadlines for learning assignments.

Life will take us on routes unexpected. The trick is to enjoy the ride and to keep a curious and open mind.

Attention!

The studies we offer are at university level. We require that you have good IT skills to participate in the studies.

Please note that Xamk Pulse does not provide IT support during your studies!

 

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

  • Xamk recommends using either desktop computers or laptops for studies. Some courses can involve assignments that cannot be completed with tablets or smartphones.
  • The online learning environment Learn works best with the Mozilla Firefox browser.

 

ALSO NOTICE

From September 1, 2024 onwards, only students with a Finnish social security number (i.e. a personal identity code) can start their studies on Xamk Pulse’s courses.

How to get the personal identity code? The personal identity code is issued only to a foreign citizen moving to Finland from abroad.

Residence permit based on Open studies? Open Studies are not full-time and do not lead to a qualification – therefore it is not possible to get a residence permit based on studies at Open University of Applied Sciences. More info on this site.

What else Xamk has to offer? Get to know Xamk’s Global Talent Acquisition Programmes and Xamk’s Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree programmes. Also follow our course calendar in the Autumn 2024 and Spring 2025. We are aiming to offer new educational products, that will unfortunately be subject to a fee in the future.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO STUDY AT XAMK PULSE?

DID YOU ENROL FOR STUDIES AT XAMK PULSE?

DID YOU ALREADY COMPLETE STUDIES AT XAMK PULSE?

Welcome to study at Xamk Pulse

  • What to consider when planning to start your studies at Xamk Pulse?
  • What happens after enrolling?
  • Who to contact if you need further advice?

Xamk Pulse’s staff is happy to help you. You can contact us by email or by calling us.

Check out our versatile list of courses at www.xamk.fi/openstudies and www.xamk.fi/koulutuskalenteri

The largest Open University of Applied Sciences in Finland is here for you!

enrolment

Enrolment for Pulse studies takes place through Pulse’s Course calendar.

  • On the Course calendar you can find  all the Pulse courses available.
  • Each course’s contents and further details are shown on the Course calendar.
  • Enrol through the Course calendar by clicking the button ‘’ENROL’’ and entering your personal and contact data.
  • Please note that you can enrol for Pulse studies at a maximum of 50 ECTS credits per semester. One person’s enrolments exceeding 50 ECTS credits are deleted in the enrolment order. Paying attention to this is important when planning your studies.
  • Enrolment ends approximately 2 to 4 weeks before the course start.
  • Enrolments on courses are accepted in the enrolment order, and enrolment is binding. Read more about our cancellation policy here.

If the course is full, you can enter your name on a waiting list. You receive an email in case more students can be admitted later. The email notification you receive includes a link for confirming your enrolment. This must be done within 24 hours. As changes can take place quickly, please keep following your email, including the spam folder, right after entering your name on the waiting list.

Studies in English are listed in Course calendar, and studies in Finnish are available through this link.

Please note that there can be changes in the course details in terms of the timetable and teachers, for example.

Data protection in Xamk

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences processes personal data in order to fulfil its duties established in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act. The Data Protection Announcement is a general description of how personal data is processed at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. The document is published in order to meet the requirements on data protection stated in articles 13 and 14 of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). More information about data protection in Xamk you can find here.

Pulse studies in English

Course calendar

Pulse studies in Finnish

Koulutuskalenteri

Path studies

Open path studies can open the way to a degree student.

Read more

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR OFFICE!

We primarily respond to students’ inquiries by email within three working days.

  • If you want to visit, Xamk Pulse offices are open on Wednesdays from 9 am to 3 pm at all four Xamk’s campuses in Kotka, Kouvola, Mikkeli and Savonlinna.
  • If you have questions about enrolment, student IDs, course fees, transcripts of records and study certificates or other study policies, you can find more information here.
  • If you can’t find an answer on our website or if you need advice on planning your Pulse studies, please contact our education experts. We are happy to help you in English and in Finnish! Unfortunately, our customer service is not available in other languages. You can contact us at openstudies@xamk.fi. We aim to reply within 3 business days.

course fees

Xamk Pulse Open UAS courses cost either EUR 12-45 per 1 ECTS credit or a semester fee of EUR 175. Choose the basis for payment on the enrolment form.

BASIS FOR PAYMENT

  • Single courses
    • EUR 12-45 per 1 ECTS credit.
    • If you prefer this option, choose the enrolment form’s alternative ”Open UAS course X ECTS credits”.
  • Semester fee 2024, Spring or Autumn
    • EUR 175 per semester
    • Spring semester fee entitles you to study courses, which start between 1 January and 31 July.
    • Autumn semester fee entitles you to study courses, which start between 1 August and 31 December
    • Semester fee is invoiced only once during the same semester. In that case, make the same selection for all your enrolments by choosing the checkbox ”Semester fee” on the enrolment form
    • If you have chosen the semester fee of EUR 175 and the sum of your single courses is less than EUR 175, there is no reimbursement for the difference.
    • Semester fee is meant for you in case you take path studies or otherwise several courses during one semester. If you choose for example three courses of 5 ECTS credits, the semester fee is more affordable than paying for all three courses separately.
  • Students of other higher education institutions in Finland.  Notice that course fees are charged for students of other higher education institutions in Finland (universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS).
  • Diplomas for Higher Education
    • are always invoiced separately (EUR 12-45/ ECTS credit)
    • the fee does not entitle you to choose additional studies from the Xamk Pulse OUAS course selection.
  • Additional fees
    • which may apply in some courses for materials or tests for different permits or qualifications, are charged to all students.
  • Xamk Pulse does not refund paid course fees, with the exception of situations where Xamk Pulse cancels a course due to low enrolment or some other unexpected reason.

RIGHT FOR FREE STUDIES

  • Xamk Pulse studies are free of charge for
    • students at Finnish upper secondary schools and vocational schools (in Finnish lukio, ammattiopisto and kansanopisto).
    • Xamk graduates who have graduated after 1 January 2021. The free continuing education study right is valid for two years after graduation. After this, the studies will be subject to a charge. Notice that a copy of the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate should be attached in the enrolment form. The right to study free of charge does not apply to studies carried out in cooperation with other Universities of Applied Sciences.
  • Each semester we offer a wide variety of courses that are free of charge to everyone.

OTHER TERMS

  • You can enrol for OUAS studies for the maximum of 50 ECTS credits per semester, covering courses with or without a charge as well as all bases for payment.
  • The course or semester fee gives the student the right to study limited in terms of time and content.
  • Xamk Pulse can, at its discretion, deny the right to study to a person who has previous unpaid fees at the time of enrolment.
  • Note also that our course or semester fees  are receivables under public law and are enforceable without judgment or decision.
  • By enrolling for studies, you agree to follow Xamk’s terms of payment and cancellation.

Cancellation policy

  • Study place cannot be canceled free of charge 
  • You can still cancel your enrolment, but the course fee will not be refunded. Cancellation must be sent to openstudies@xamk.fi.
  • If a student interrupts path studies or a study module, such as a diploma of higher education or specialist training, he will be charged the semester fee for the current semester. Fees for the following semesters will be cancelled.
  • If the student falls ill before the start of the studies and is unable to start, the course fee / semester fee will be refunded using a separate discretion on a case-by-case basis against a sick leave certificate. The refund is paid within about one month of the student’s notification.

Information on studies

ECTS CREDITS

  • The extent of studies and student workload required is described in ECTS credits. One ECTS credit equals 27 hours of student work.
  • Usually one course covers 5 ECTS credits, totalling 135 hours of student work, and equalling to approximately 17 working days.
  • The number of hours is theoretical and varies according to student effort.

PART-TIME STUDIES

  • Part-time studies include approximately 2 to 3 days of contact teaching per month.
  • Studies also include independent learning online.

ONLINE LEARNING

Online learning means studying through an online learning environment according to the teacher’s instructions. Studies do not include contact teaching on campus.

Depending on the course online learning can involve:

  • realtime lectures online, for example, through Teams or Zoom: In such cases you need headphones and a microphone.
  • recorded lectures available through an online learning environment: These lectures you can watch according to your own timetable.
  • written learning assignments: These assignments can have predefined deadlines.
  • discussions
  • group tasks
  • online exams.

As a student you are responsible for getting to know the learning environment and the course materials, for participating in discussions and for completing the assignments required on time. When working in groups you are responsible for your own part in completing the assignments, and commitment to group work is required.

Online learning is not an easy way of achieving ECTS credits. It requires as much work as traditional studies. When studying online, please plan your use of time and make time for studies.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

  • Xamk recommends using either desktop computers or laptops for studies. Some courses can involve assignments that cannot be completed with tablets or smartphones.
  • The online learning environment Learn works best with the Mozilla Firefox browser.
  • During your studies Xamk provides you with an Outlook email account, enabling the use of Office365 applications. This means that you do not need to have a wordprocessing program of your own, for example.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Pulse studies include various written assignments that require mastering correct spelling, text type specific features and professional style. Text types involved include for example exam answers, lecture diaries, summaries, essays, research plans and reports. Please make use of the ready-made templates for writing, available on the intranet Lux. The same webpage also provides access to Xamk’s Reporting and Referencing guidelines as well as a PowerPoint template in Xamk style and outlook. Note that you can log in to Lux and access the previously mentioned information, only if you have active Xamk IDs.

When writing for study-related purposes it is important that you produce the text by yourself, as copying others’ text, ie. plagiarism, is against Xamk’s Ethical guidelines for studies. There is the Ouriginal online service in use for monitoring, if course assignments include copied parts. Xamk’s Ethical guidelines for studies define Xamk’s values as well as students’ rights and responsibilities. These guidelines also explain the procedures for cases of students’ misconduct or inappropriate behaviour.

DURATION OF STUDY RIGHT

Students’ right to study is based on the duration of the courses. Courses must be completed by their end date. It is not possible to postpone the right to study until the next time the course is implemented, for example, until the next semester.

EXAMS

Courses can include exams either on campus or online. In some courses it can be possible to retake a failed exam. More information on retakes is provided on course’s learning environment.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR STUDIES

Single Pulse courses cannot be replaced with other previously completed higher education studies.

User identification and authentication

Studies at Xamk Pulse require a Xamk user ID and a password. You can read more information about IDs on the course invitation. The username and password of new students are created in our system about a week before the course start. It is not possible to get your IDs earlier.

  • To be able to get a Xamk ID you need personal eBanking codes or mobile certificate authentication service. In case you do not have eBanking or mobile authentication services, please contact us at openstudies@xamk.fi.
  • If you already have Xamk’s username and password
    • If you have studied at Xamk earlier, your username will be reactivated when your Pulse studies start.
    • If you have forgotten your username, you can identify yourself at https://id.xamk.fi/. In Xamk’s Identity Service you can also reset or change your password.
  • Xamk IDs are valid while you study at Xamk Pulse. In case you discontinue or complete your studies, the IDs are deactivated.
  • Xamk user ID allows accessing the following online services:
    • the Learn learning environment
    • the Peppi system for student registration
    • Xamk computers on the campuses in Kotka, Kouvola, Mikkeli and Savonlinna.
    • the intranet Lux (login information should be entered as follows: ‘username@edu.xamk.fi’)
    • the student email (login information should be entered as follows: ‘username@edu.xamk.fi’)

In case of problems in getting a Xamk username and/or setting a password, or if the ones you received do not work, please notify us immediately through the Xinfo helpdesk service.

Multi-factor authentication

Starting from 29th March 2022 each student must perform a multi-step authentication once. When you log in to the Microsoft 365 portal, you will be directed to a form where you can enter the phone number you want and the method of authentication. You can safely use your phone number here, as the number will not be stored in any visible location, but will only be used for multi-step authentication in the future. When you’re signing in to your Xamk account, you can sign in either with an incoming text message on your phone or with a separate Authenticator app.

In case of problems in completing the multi-factor authentication, please enter a ticket into Xinfo-Helpdesk.

As of 1 September 2024, to strengthen data security and to verify the student’s identity, we use strong authentication at Xamk Open University of Applied Sciences, i.e. we ask for a Finnish social security number.

Getting username and password

If you already have active Xamk IDs − a username and password − new ones are not needed.

You can access Xamk’s Identity Service to get a username after your information has been registered. After this there is a delay. If the username is not available right away, please wait for 24 hours and try again.

In case of forgetting your password, you can set a new one through the link Xamk Identity Service.

Xamk Identity Service

Students' online services at Xamk

Xamk ID and password

  • In order to access the students’ online services, you need active Xamk IDs (username and password).
  • If you can identify yourself in suomi.fi service, you can get your Xamk ID (username) and password via the Xamk ID service.
  • If identification is not possible, please contact us on openstudies@xamk.fi.

Learn and Open Learn

  • The online learning environments of Xamk Pulse studies are called Learn and Open Learn.
  • You receive a course invitation by email before the course start. The invitation includes instructions for accessing the Learn / Open Learn course platform.
  • All course-related messages from the course platform, such as discussion messages and the teacher’s messages, go to your student email. The default email on Learn is always the Xamk student email. This default will not change, even though you would change your email on Learn. The change is not saved, and the default setting is restored, when you access Learn the next time. In case you definitely want to forward the student email messages to another email address, you can do so in the Outlook settings.

Outlook student email

  • An email account is created automatically for students. You can access the student email through the Lux intranet or this direct link.
  • Email accounts are created in the Microsoft Office 365 environment.
  • Accessing student email takes place with a login that follows the form username@edu.xamk.fi. For example, the login could be amoma001@edu.xamk.fi.
  • Teachers only use the Xamk student email addresses for communication. It’s therefore important to follow the student email regularly.
  • If you definitely want to use some other email account, you can forward your messages to your personal email address.

Lux intranet

  • The Lux intranet is a joint communication channel for students and staff. Lux includes events, news, instructions and other essential studying information.
  • Accessing Lux takes place with a login that follows the form username@edu.xamk.fi. For example, the login could be amoma001@edu.xamk.fi.
  • In the front page of Lux you can also create your own link shortcuts and bookmarks to the online services you use, such as the Learn learning environment, Outlook student email and the Peppi system.
  • You can use the writing instructions and ready-made templates available on Lux.
  • Also Xamk’s Ethical guidelines for studies are available on Lux.

Teams

  • Microsoft Teams is an online collaboration platform developed by Microsoft. Teams offers many tools for online learning and group activity.
  • Teams is part of Microsoft Office 365 service, that includes also Outlook email, Onedrive cloud files, and Office apps.
  • It is recommended to log in to Teams with your Xamk IDs (username@edu.xamk.fi)
  • Participating in Teams online meeting is however also possible without logging in (as guest), when using Chrome or Edge browser.
  • It is recommended to learn the basic skills of Microsoft Teams. You can get to know Teams in a course in Open Learn.
  • More information about Teams and other collaboration environments, such as Zoom, is available on Lux.

Peppi system and student number

  • Xamk’s system for registering students is called Peppi. All Xamk students are registered on this system.
  • Registering on Peppi gives all Xamk students a student number. You may need this student number, for example, in returning learning assignments.
    • When you access Peppi, a box first appears with the heading Study right information. The box first lists your name followed by a 7-digit number which is your student number.
  • Pulse students do not have a specific group number. In case you need to insert a group number, for example, in the ready-made writing templates, you can enter as group number Xamk Pulse Open OUAS.
  • Peppi also enables printing an official transcript of records by yourself in case the grade is already entered on Peppi before your Xamk ID becomes inactive.
    • Teachers have a month for the assessment after the course end date.
    • In case you receive the grade later, you can always ask the Xamk Pulse customer service for the transcript of records through the email address openstudies@xamk.fi.

Xamk Library Services

Xamk's Library Services are also available for Pulse students.

Library Services

transcript of records

Did you complete your Xamk Pulse studies? Congratulations! Completed studies can result in recognition of prior learning (RPL), if you later continue with us as a degree programme student. You may also need the transcript of records to provide employers or financiers of the studies with a proof that you completed the studies.

The course assessment is entered in the record of credits in Peppi system within one month after the closing date of the course. The one-month time also applies the courses that are carried out nonstop. You will automatically receive the transcript of records to your email within one week after the assessment is entered. The sender of the email is noreply.atomi@xamk.fi and the subject of the message is “The document related to Xamk’s studies is available for download”.

Also, there are different alternatives for you to order the transcript of records: You can print the transcript of records by yourself through Peppi, fill in an order form, contact Xamk’s Pulse or directly transfer the ECTS credits to your own higher education institution.

Creating the transcript of records on Peppi

In case your Xamk ID is still active, you can create an official electronic transcript of records by yourself. Login to Peppi system ->  on front page ‘Orders’. Please remember that teachers have a month after the end date for assesment and entering the grades.

Order form for the transcript of records

In case a longer time has passed since completing the studies, you can always ask our Pulse customer service for the transcript of records. You can order the transcript through the link below or through the email address openstudies@xamk.fi.

ECTS credit transfer through My Studyinfo

Are you studying at another higher education institution (HEI) and completed studies at Xamk?

It can be possible to transfer the ECTS credits to your own HEI electronically. You can use My Studyinfo or ask electronic transcripts of records. More information is provided here.

In case you have questions about CampusOnline studies, please contact campusonline@xamk.fi

CampusOnline students do not receive the transcript of records automatically.

Funding options

Different options for funding studies

Pulse studies provide a great opportunity to combine work and studies. At Pulse you can study flexibly while working.

In case of unemployment, please read more about the funding options available by TE Services through the links below. Additionally, TE Services’ education and training guidance answers to your questions related to open UAS studies.

If you are employed, under certain conditions you can deduct your study-related expenses in taxation. Read more on the vero.fi page (in Finnish) It is no longer possible to receive adult education support from the Employment Fund starting this fall.

As studies at Pulse do not result in a degree, you are not entitled to Kela’s study-related social benefits.

Read about jobseekers' self-motivated study subsidised with an unemployment benefit on the TE Services website.

TE Services

Read about jobseekers' short-term studies with unemployment benefit on the TE Services website.

TE Services

READ XAMK PULSE STUDENTS’ STORIES

Get inspired and start your studies today.

Read more

Contact us

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR OFFICE!

We primarily respond to students’ inquiries by email within three working days.

  • If you want to visit, Xamk Pulse offices are open on Wednesdays from 9 am to 3 pm at all four Xamk’s campuses in Kotka, Kouvola, Mikkeli and Savonlinna.
  • If you have questions about enrolment, student IDs, course fees, transcripts of records and study certificates or other study policies, you can find more information here.
  • If you can’t find an answer on our website or if you need advice on planning your Pulse studies, please contact our education experts. We are happy to help you in English and in Finnish! Unfortunately, our customer service is not available in other languages. You can contact us at openstudies@xamk.fi.