Student Services
Centria UAS offers continuous guidance to students all the way from admission through education to graduation and employment.
The main objectives of this guidance are independent study planning on part of the student, smooth progress through studies, degree programme completion within the established time framework and support for the student’s professional growth. This guidance intends to underline the importance of student responsibility for and commitment to individual studies and career planning.
Every campus at Centria contains Student Sevices to assist students in many areas including courses available, student social benefits, registration of courses completed, degree certificates and other student certificates, study guidance and careers advice.
All certificates can be easily ordered from Peppi eServices. They can be either collected at the Student Services or sent by email or post.
Student Services contact information
Check the contact information of our Student Services. If your business requires a visit to the Student Services, you can book an appointment. The appointment is campus specific.
Electronically signed diplomas
Centria’s degree students can get the documents they need electronically signed, for example the certificate of study and transcript of records. The student orders electronic documentaries through Peppi. The electronic signature replaces hand made signature and stamping. The electronic document is official only in electronic form. Changing the document will make the electronic signature invalid. An electronically signed document should be able to be used in all the same situations as a paper signed and stamped document.
You can validate your electronically signed documents below with Atomi Validator.
Services for graduates and resigned students
Students who have graduated or resigned can use the forms below to order documents related to their studies for a fee.
Use the following form if you are unable to use Paytrail payment methods or if you want to order several certificates at the same time. The receipt is attached to the application.
- Copy of the degree certificate and its attachments (from the original certificate)
50 € /certificate entity, additional pieces 10 € /certificate entity - New Electronic Degree Certificate
20 € - Rewriting the Degree Certificate in case the certificate is incorrect
0 € - Transcript of records (issued after graduation/resign)
10€/ piece, additional pieces 5€/piece - Certificate of Study (issued after graduation/resign)
10€/ piece, additional pieces 5€/piece - Inquiry for graduated (Degree Verification, Transcript of Records)
50 €
- If you wish to have the document in paper, it will be sent as a registered letter (excluding new electronic degree certificate).
- Certificates will be delivered within two weeks of the order.
- If there is an error in the original Degree Certificate, the error must be verified before the preparation of the corrective version begins.
- A new electronic degree certificate can be made for students who graduated after August 1, 2022. It is not possible for students who have graduated before that.
- Information request refers to the verification of the degree to different organizations
Study counsellors
Student counselling is offered to all students at Centria. The aim of study counselling is to ensure a smooth study experience, support the development of expertise and support your professional growth. Study counselling is pedagogical support during the whole study path at Centria, with the aim of supporting the progress of your studies and help you graduate within the set time. Central to the counselling is the aim to help you familiarize yourself with the working methods at Centria, support you to stay active and motivated, as well as support you in individual choices related to studies and well-being.
Supervision of learning and studies is the responsibility of the entire teaching staff. The teachers inform you about the learning goals of the course, how to study in order to achieve the learning goals of the course and how the course supports your professional growth.
Study counsellors can support you when there are challenges with studying in general, trouble finding suitable courses, challenges with course load or with a sudden imbalance in studies or life. Study counsellors offer special support for students who are delayed in their studies or under threat of abandoning studies.
Contact information of study counsellors
At the Kokkola campus, you can contact the campus student counsellors, who can guide you in the following fields of study: business, engineering, nursing and social services.
Career and work-life services
Career and work-life services are a place for students to stop and consider their dreams, goals and competencies and what direction they want to take in their career path. In addition, we provide concrete guidance and advice on job search matters.
Integration Services
Integration Services guide international degree students settle in the Centria region, especially in the early stages of their life and studies in Finland. You can contact Specialist Sofia Behluli with matters concerning arrival, integration into the society, Centria campus cities and the school, housing, living and accommodation, getting the right services and finding meaningful things to do. You can meet Sofia at the Kokkola Campus or online.
Study skills
Study skills such as reading and writing skills, learning techniques and memorizing strategies, critical thinking, time management and social skills also contribute to our study ability.
Reading and writing play a significant role in studies. How much time does it take for you to read 200 pages? What about writing a 6-page essay?
Your lessons are marked in your timetable, but you also have to schedule your personal study time when you revisit the material and work with assignments. Make enough time for yourself because rushing tends to cloud our thinking and hurry makes it harder to memorize things. A calendar is a helpful tool when used effectively. These are skills you can work on – you are here to learn so you don’t have to master everything at once.
- For problems in reading and writing, we have the Special Education Teacher to offer support: paivi.ruohoniemi@centria.fi
- Study Psychologist has courses for wellbeing, with coaching throughout the course (non-stop, online):
- Time Manager: Self-management and prioritizing skills
- Stress Manager: mindfulness-based, relaxation skills
Motivation
In order to understand your motivation or lack of motivation, it’s important to know your personal values and goals – and if necessary, refine them. You must also be able to imagine the end result so that the time and effort put into practice feels worth it. One has to be able to bear incompleteness, “I’m not ready yet”. The curious mind is always a good base for learning so keep up that spark:
What do I already know about this subject? → What new is there to learn in this course?
What really intrigues me in this subject? → How could I gain more information about it?
There is much to learn but keep your focus and you will accumulate the information course by course.
To keep up motivation one needs to be organized as well as have time management skills and a positive view of oneself as a learner. In gruelling life situations, you may encounter problems in these areas. You might feel like your motivation has simply disappeared and your workload is piling up. That might be a good moment to ask yourself, with no blame but all curiosity: What has changed? What could be done to correct this imbalance? Is your free time invigorating enough to keep you productive?
By taking care of our living conditions and overall life balance we are equipped to reach our goals.
Studies in higher education present us with new challenges related to time management and the organization of our daily lives. Recognizing our resources is important because during the study years life situation often changes in many ways: social networks, residence, livelihood and maybe even a change in hobbies. All of this has impact in our time management as well as our coping.
We must examine the everyday balance again and possibly make new additions to our routines. Sleep hours shouldn’t be sacrificed for work and studies because one cannot fully trust their memory in a sleep-deprived state. A healthy diet is also important. There’s no expecting good results when you’re merely half-energized.
Slight stress is a natural response to changes but by acknowledging our inner strengths and our sources of wellbeing, we can adjust our activities accordingly. Plan yourself quality free time while observing the study schedule and build up routines that enhance your wellbeing.
Individual study arrangements
You may be eligible for individual arrangements to support your studies if you have a diagnosed illness or disability that affects your studies, or if you have specific learning challenges (such as reading difficulties). Individual arrangements are granted on the basis of an opinion or recommendation from a specialist, such as a doctor, psychologist or special education teacher.
Individual arrangements may include, for example, extra time for exams, splitting and scheduling assignments into smaller parts, or clarifying assignments by reading aloud. A recommendation may also entitle you to use the assistive devices you need – but you will generally have to arrange these yourself.
However, individual arrangements cannot influence the compulsory content of studies or the learning objectives.
- Contact the special education teacher and book an appointment. If you have a medical certificate or similar, take it with you.
- Discuss with the special education teacher what arrangements would help your studies to advance smoothly. If your medical certificate has already identified forms of support, we’ll plan how to put them into practice. If you do not have a statement, reading tests or other learning challenges will be explored. If necessary, the special education teacher will refer you to other specialists.
- The special education teacher will write a recommendation for learning support for you. Based on a joint discussion, the test results and the opinion of a doctor or other specialist, the recommendation will set out the individual arrangements you can have for your studies.
- Always show the recommendation to your teachers at the beginning of each course and discuss with your teachers how the arrangements will be made. If necessary, the special education teacher will be involved in the planning and help with the arrangements.
- If your situation changes (for example, if you receive a new diagnosis), the individual arrangements and the recommendation for learning support can always be adapted and refined.
Please note that you are responsible for showing the recommendation and discussing the arrangements with your teachers. This information is not automatically transmitted or stored in any system.
The special education teacher serves all Centria students, teachers and staff in matters related to accessibility, learning difficulties and individual learning arrangements.
You can ask the special education teacher to join you for PSP and network meetings, lessons or other events, or to give a lesson on topics such as study skills or exam preparation.
Students can book an appointment with the special education teacher for individual guidance and take advantage of the workshops available: a continuous Monday afternoon workshop throughout the academic year on the Talonpojankatu (Kokkola) campus, and online on Thursdays, as well as short thematic workshops and tutorials on topics such as essay writing or medical calculations. Small groups and support classes will be organised according to demand and need, so please suggest and make requests! Current information on workshops can be found on the Skills Centria website.
Special education teacher Päivi Ruohoniemi is available at the Kokkola campus in the beginning of every week. You can also send an email to specialteacher@centria.fi, send SMS or call +35850 535 9690.
Centria offers a range of study support at different stages of your studies. Information about workshops and tutoring is available on the Skills Centria website. It is worth actively monitoring the website as information is constantly being added and updated.
In addition to the special education teacher, help with the different challenges of studying and everyday life is also available from study counsellors (opo@centria.fi), the study psychologist (opintopsykologi@centria.fi), the student pastor, tutor teachers and tutor students.
IT Services
The responsibility of Centria’s IT services is ensuring the availability, functionality and security of IT services for students and staff.
IT services’ contact information
IT support services help with issues related to computer networks and students’ digital tools.
Library and information services
Centria Library operates on two campuses, in Kokkola and Ylivieska. The library is open for everyone. You can borrow books and journals even if you are not studying at Centria UAS.
In the library, you can find printed books and journals, as well as online materials to support your studies. Library staff assist with all issues related to information needs and the use of materials.
In Centria-Finna you can find all the library’s materials, services, guides and instructions.
There will be a need for scientific data and research during your studies and in particular while doing your thesis. If you have problems in information searches, it is possible to allocate time for personal information retrieval guidance with an information specialist in either Kokkola or Ylivieska.
In the e-resources list you can find e-books, article databases, standards and dictionaries.
Licensed e-materials are intended for use by students and personnel at Centria. They can be accessed when logged in to the Centria’s network.
If the book or article you are looking for is not found in the Centria Library’s collection, you can make an interlibrary loan request to borrow the book for your use from another library.
Tutoring
Tutoring is a significant component of Centria’s counselling and guidance system, and it consists of teacher tutoring and student tutoring activities. The purpose of tutoring is to clarify practical study issues as well as enhance your abilities to complete your studies within the scheduled time.
When you begin your studies, you will get comprehensive support from your own study group’s tutor teacher with issues related to your studies and your personal study plan. The teacher tutor provides both individual and group guidance activities regularly during your entire study path.
In connection with the individual guidance activities, you can discuss the matters related to your current situation, progress of studies and personal study plan (PSP) with the teacher tutor and thus, gain deep insight into your own professional development and level of expertise. Group guidance activities, in turn, give you a chance to talk about general issues related to your studies within your study group and keep informed regarding topical matters.
Student tutoring is an important part of Centria’s guidance system. Student tutors are peer learners who will help you launch your studies as smoothly as possible. Their task is to provide comprehensive peer support to all students and they can be contacted about all kinds of matters; you can ask them anything! The student tutors support you in the orientation of studies and student life, encourage and motivate you throughout the study path, enhance a positive study atmosphere in your study group as well as support you to achieve your study goals.
There are a lot of benefits for the student tutors themselves as well. Student tutoring supports the development of coordination skills and teamwork abilities. In addition, it strengthens students’ social and presentation skills and makes it possible to make new friends.
If you would like to be a student tutor during your studies, you can apply for the task through the Centria’s student union COPSA. The application period is usually at the beginning of the year and information about application periods is sent via e-mail. You can apply with an electronic application form. After the application period has ended, all applicants are asked to participate in an interview. Chosen applicants must take part in tutor training arranged later by COPSA.
Student counselling plan
The student counselling plan of Centria University of Applied Sciences is based on the strategy of the University of Applied Sciences and the strategic operational programme of education. Its purpose is to give an overall picture of the target areas, content and methods of guidance of UAS studies and to clarify the roles and tasks of the various counselling actors. It can help improve the completion of education and support the student’s graduation and transition to working life and longer careers.
Student Union COPSA
Student Union COPSA is a student advocacy organization for students at Centria University of Applied Sciences.
Student Union COPSASkills Centria
Skills Centria is designed to support students in their studies and career planning while also offering low-threshold activities related to well-being and the fluency of studies.
Skills Centria