BA of Social Services
Welcome to the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Social Services! Your studies will begin with an orientation week on 17–21 August 2026. Both the orientation week and other teaching during the beginning of the autumn semester will be organised online.
If you are moving to Finland in the autumn 2026, you will find useful information about your new home country at our New in Finland section.
- Please note that if you are moving to Finland and your residence permit takes time, you are able to attend lectures remotely via Zoom during the first semester. Please arrive to Finland immediately after receiving your residence permit, to join the studies on campus. After the first semester (autumn 2026) attending and completing studies requires attendance on campus.
- Please see our tuition fee refund policy.
Starting your studies
Compulsory orientation week takes place online on 17–21 August 2026.
All students should arrive to Finland by the end of December 2026. After that online participation to lectures will not be possible anymore.
Schedule in autumn 2026
Autumn 2026 schedules can be viewed at Diak’s schedule tool. Search with your group code HKI-S26dss.
Please see instructions for using the schedule tool.
Blended learning method
Studies are conducted as daytime studies. They include contact teaching, independent study and studying in small groups as well as online on Diakle learning platform.
Social Services programme is a blended learning programme, that includes contact and distance learning sessions and work placement periods. Diak blended learning consists of a contact learning week at the campus every 2 to 4 weeks. Each semester includes 4 to 7 contact learning weeks. The distance learning weeks consist of for instance scheduled online lectures, group work, seminars and exams. Work placements require full-time attendance.
The studies of the group will progress, primarily, in accordance with a schedule that is phased according to the group’s learning tasks.
The studies will require individual tasks and cooperative work as well as interaction face-to-face and online. They also include practical training periods.
The studies are designed to correspond to full-time studies.
Study guidance
Diak offers various forms of study guidance for students. There are regular group meetings with the Study Guidance Counselor and Responsible teacher. Also individual support is available. Students may talk to a counsellor in confidence about their personal study plan or any issues concerning studies.
Your Study Guidance Counselor Sonja Hyrkkö will guide you in building your personal study plan (PSP) in our Study Guidance sessions. There will be a monthly Study Guidance session during the first semester. On semesters 2–7 there will be three Study Guidance sessions per semester.
If you have studied similar topics before in Higher Education, you will be able to apply for RPL Recognition of prior learning.
Curriculum
The curriculum for the Bachelor’s degree in Social Services is available on the curricula..
