NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

Students apply for entry to AMK institutions after upper secondary studies. The requirement is a matriculation certificate or at
least an upper secondary school certificate, an International Baccalaureate, Reifeprüfung or European Baccalaureate; a postsecondary
vocational qualification, a secondary vocational qualification in a way defined in the decision by the Ministry of
Education, a combination diploma; or a foreign qualification equivalent to these. The combination programmes are offered by
a few experimental vocational institutions and upper
secondary schools; the programmes include both general and vocational subjects.
The permanent AMK institutions select their students from eligible applicants according to their own selection criteria. The
Ministry of Education determines the selection criteria for experimental AMKs and vocational institutions (post-secondary
education). The selection can be based on students’ school achievements, work experience and possibly an entrance test.
There is a joint national system for application to AMKs and post-secondary education, which is administered by the National
Board of Education.
Vocational institutions
In the new successive system of vocational education, students who have completed upper secondary education, either general
or vocational, can apply for post-secondary vocational programmes — the selection criteria and the joint national application
procedure are explained above. In the old system, the pattern was more complicated. There used to be a joint national
selection procedure for vocational institutions and upper secondary schools. Matriculated students could choose the level of
their studies when applying, while comprehensive school leavers were selected in two phases: they first chose a field of study
and towards the end of the one-year foundation course they chose a line of specialisation and its level (kouluaste, opistoaste or
ammatillinen korkea-aste). Comprehensive school-leavers with at least a post-secondary level diploma could also apply for
the programmes intended for matriculated students.
II.2. Qualifications in higher education
In Finland, all the higher education degrees are final qualifications. They enable the students to pursue a career in the
professional world, to undertake studies at a higher level or possibly to begin a course of study in another field. There is a
decree (11.3.1994/203) which defines higher education qualifications (korkeakoulututkinnot/högskoleexamina); it was
renewed at the end of 1996.
II.2.1. University qualifications
(List of qualifications in Appendix I; see also Appendices II and III)
Finnish university qualifications are classified into ‘lower academic degrees’ i.e. alemmat korkeakoulututkinnot/lägre
högskoleexamina, ‘higher academic degrees’ i.e. ylemmät korkeakoulututkinnot/högre högskoleexamina and postgraduate or
doctoral degrees i.e. jatkotutkinnot/påbyggnadsexamina. All universities confer doctorates.
Most fields of study had adopted the reformed degree system by autumn 1996. In health care and fine arts the new degrees
were taken into use in autumn 1996; the fields of medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine did not undergo any structural
reform. Students who began their studies under the old system are allowed to change into the new system, or take old degrees
up to a date defined in the respective degrees.
Since the 1970s, comprehensive and upper secondary school teacher education has been provided by the universities. The
higher academic degree in education is requested of a ‘class teacher’ who teaches at the lower stage of comprehensive school.
As for subject teachers at the higher stage of comprehensive school and at upper secondary schools, they must have a higher
academic degree in the subject; the studies include educational methods and teaching practice. Nursery school teacher
education was transferred from vocational institutions to universities in autumn 1995; students take a lower academic degree
in education.