Hyppää sisältöön

Assessment

Assessment principles at Diak

At Diak, assessment is based on learning aims, which are specified for the early, middle and final stages of study.

The assessment criteria are based on the stage in question and the intended learning outcomes of the course or module.

Assessment areas include

  • Professional competence and information retrieval
  • Professional skills, ability to work in expert roles and problem-solving skills
  • Team, network and leadership skills
  • Societal and ethical competence.

Assessment criteria at Diak

General guidelines for assessment of study achievements you can find in degree regulations.

Guidelines for written assignments

Please find guidelines for written assignments in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Guide 2.0.

Plagiarism i.e. unauthorised use or copying of someone else’s text without citation is prohibited and will result in a process of a suspected cheating case.

Assessment appeals

If you dissatisfied with the assessment of your coursework, you have the right to make an appeal. The process is defined in Diak’s Degree Regulations, section 23.

The coursework assessment appeal process
  • The student requests a review verbally or in writing, e.g. by email, from the assessor within 14 days of the date on which the assessment result was recorded in the transcript.
  • The assessor carries out a reassessment of the student’s submission (e.g. an exam or learning assignment). The assessor provides written feedback to the student, including a description of how the assessment criteria were applied and/or other basis for the assessment result (e.g. attainment of the intended learning outcomes).
  • The assessor sends the reassessment and reasons to the student within one month of having received the review request.
  • If the student is dissatisfied with the decision made on the appeal request, they may appeal it with the Examination Board within 14 days of receiving the decision (Act 932/2014, section 57), that is, within 14 days of having received the results of the reassessment and its reasons. The student sends the appeal request and the necessary appendices to the Examination Board. The student’s appeal request must clearly specify which aspects of the RPL decision they are dissatisfied with.
  • The Examination Board reviews the appeal request and notifies the student of its decision.
RPL decision appeals

If you are dissatisfied with a decision on accreditation of prior learning, you have the right to make an appeal. The process is defined in Diak’s Degree Regulations, section 23.

RPL decision appeal process

The Examination Board reviews the appeal request and notifies the student of its decision.

The student requests a review of the RPL decision verbally or in writing within 14 days of having been notified of the decision (Act 932/2014, section 57).

The person who made the RPL decision processes the appeal request and notifies the student of the final decision.

If the student is dissatisfied with the decision made on the appeal request, they may appeal it with the Examination Board within 14 days of receiving the decision (Act 932/2014, section 57). The student sends the appeal request and the necessary appendices to the Examination Board. The student’s appeal request must clearly specify which aspects of the RPL decision they are dissatisfied with.

Thesis assessment appeal

If you are dissatisfied with your thesis assessment, you have the right to make an appeal. The process is defined in Diak’s Degree Regulations, section 23.

Thesis assessment appeal process

The Examination Board reviews the appeal request and notifies the student of its decision.

The student requests a review verbally or in writing, e.g. by email, from the assessor within 14 days of the date on which they received the assessment result.

The reviewer reassesses the thesis, writes a description of how the assessment criteria were applied with justification, and submits the feedback to the student within one month of having received the request.

If the student is not satisfied with the explanation, they must contact the reviewer’s supervisor within 14 days of having received the information to arrange a reassessment. The reassessment is carried out by a lecturer who has not supervised the thesis. The principal lecturer assesses the thesis and writes a statement using the thesis assessment template within one month of having being assigned the reassessment. The reassessment concerns the thesis report or equivalent written component. The reassessment cannot result in a reduced grade.

If the student is dissatisfied with the decision made on the appeal request, they may appeal it with the Examination Board within 14 days of receiving the decision (Act 932/2014, section 57), within 14 days of having received the results of the reassessment and its reasons. The student sends the appeal request and the necessary appendices to the Examination Board. The student’s appeal request must clearly specify which aspects of the RPL decision they are dissatisfied with.

Diak examination board

The examination board and its procedures are described in the Degree Regulations.

The decisions of the examination board are recorded. The record log is a public document. Supporting documents that contain information that is secret under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are not public documents.

Members of the examination board 1.8.2025–31.7.2027:

  • Jari Helminen (chair) (deputy chair Lena Segler-Heikkilä)
  • Anu Arola (member) (deputy member Eeva Kylä-Setälä)
  • Miia Tarujärvi (student member) (deputy student member Santeri Karttunen

The secretary of the examination board is Heidi Grundström and deputy secretary Sari Tuohinto.

Please send mail addressed to the examination board to tutkintolautakunta@diak.fi.

You can see the meeting schedule below. Changes to the meeting schedule are possible.

If you submit an appeal to or request exemption from the language proficiency requirements from the Examination Board, please note that the process usually takes several weeks. The Examination Board will ask for a statement from the teacher who has assessed or taught you.

Meeting agendas are sent to the members of the Examination Board a week before the meeting.

Meetings in spring 2026

  • 8 January 2026, 9am
  • 16 January 2026, 2pm
  • 3 February 2026, 9am
  • 2 March 2026, 9am
  • 8 April 2026, 9am
  • 29 April 2026, 12noon
  • 20 May 2026, 9am

Meetings in autumn 2026

  • 13 August 2026, 9am
  • 8 September 2026, 9am
  • 6 October 2026, 9am
  • 3 November 2026, 9am
  • 1 December 2026, 9am
  • 17 December 2026, 9am

Further information

The assessment principles are described in the Degree Regulations.

The assessment of theses is described in the Participatory Research-based Development Handbook.

Competences

The Bachelor’s Degrees’ competence descriptions determine the minimum skills requirements of a Bachelor graduated from a Finnish UAS.

The competences are nationwide, and the Universities of Applied Sciences have developed them in co-operation with the working life organisations.

Generic competence requirements: Bachelor’s degrees

Learning competence

A Bachelor graduated from an UAS

  • is able to self-evaluate and develop one’s competence and learning style orientation
  • is able to retrieve and analyse information and evaluate it critically
  • is capable of taking responsibility for collaborative learning and sharing knowledge in teams.

Ethical competence

A Bachelor graduated from an UAS

  • is able to take responsibility for one’s own actions and for the consequences of these actions
  • is able to work according to the ethical principles of the subject field
  • is able to take other people into account in one’s actions
  • is able to apply the principles of equality
  • is able to apply the principles of sustainable development
  • is capable of social influencing using one’s know-how and based on ethical values.

Working community competence

A Bachelor graduated from an UAS

  • is able to operate as a member of a work community
  • is able to operate in communicative and interactive situations in working life
  • is able to utilize information and communications technology in one’s subject field
  • knows the working life in one’s subject field and is able to create personal contacts in working life
  • is able to develop the operations of a work community
  • is able to develop multidisciplinary communication and interaction in working life
  • is able to utilize information and communications technology in one’s work
  • is able to create networks and partnerships
  • is capable of management and to operate in professional networks
  • is capable of decision making in unpredicted situations
  • is able to apply the principles of organizational management and leadership in working life and has abilities for supervision tasks
  • possesses entrepreneurial skills.

Innovation competence

A Bachelor graduated from an UAS

  • is able to conduct research, development and innovation
  • projects applying the existing knowledge and methods of the field
  • is able to work in projects
  • is capable of creative problem solving and development of working methods
  • is able to find customer-oriented, sustainable and profitable solutions.

Internationalization competence

A Bachelor graduated from an UAS

  • possesses communicative competence necessary for one’s work and for professional development in the subject field
  • is able to operate in a multicultural environment
  • takes into account the effects of and opportunities for internationalization development in one’s own field.

Source: The competence descriptions are quoted from a publication (PDF, in Finnish) of the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences.

Competence requirements: BA for Social Services

Ethical competence in social field

Bachelor of Social Services graduates will be able to

  • act in accordance with human and fundamental rights regulations, social values and professional ethics
  • understand the importance of their own human perception and values in customer work
  • promote equality and diversity, and act in ethically justifiably and in a socially sustainable manner in situations involving conflicts of value
  • understand cultural diversity and acts in a sensitive manner in interaction situations
  • try to further the status of vulnerable individuals and communities.

Competence in social client work

Bachelor of Social Services graduates will be able to

  • act professionally and dialogically in interaction situations and are able to reflect critically on their own actions
  • plan, implement and evaluate a client-safe service process, supporting the client’s involvement and resources
  • support the growth, development and everyday life of individuals, groups and communities in different life situations and in a goal-oriented manner
  • identify and evaluate the risk- and protective factors of well-being, and apply methods of preventive work and early support
  • apply and evaluate social guidance work orientations and methods in client, group and community work in different operating environments
  • understand the importance of psychosocial support and is able to act in clients’ various changes and crisis situations
  • implement and document client work in a client-oriented way in a digital operating environment, considering information security and protection requirements
  • use a rehabilitative, well-being-promoting and early support work approaches in their operations.

Social service system competence

Bachelor of Social Services graduates will be able to

  • know how to structure regional, national and international challenges related to well-being and sustainable development and understands their impact on social, health and education services
  • know the legal framework of the field and operates in accordance with key legislation
  • know the ways, guidance and supervision of organizing and producing social, health and education services in well-being areas, municipalities, the private and third sectors
  • understand the principles of social security
  • implement comprehensive service guidance and understand the importance of it
  • act as an active social sector expert in the interest of the client in multi-functional network co-operations.

Critical and Inclusive Social Skills

Bachelor of Social Services graduates will be able to

  • evaluate the significance of social phenomena and power structures and their impact on the ability of individuals, groups and communities to function in society
  • analyse structures and processes that produce inequality, disadvantage but also well-being, and prevents marginalization
  • know the operating principles of the public administration decision-making system, and is able to act according to them in the best interests of the client
  • promote the inclusion and opportunities for participation of client, client groups and communities, and is capable of social structural advocacy
  • promote self-motivated agency as part of civil society.

Research-based development and innovation competence

Bachelor of Social Services graduates will be able to

  • be capable of proactive and innovative problem solving in the development of social sector
  • develop client-oriented, as well as research and experience knowledge utilizing customer work practices, methods and service processes
  • plan, implement and evaluate social sector development projects in co-operation with various actors
  • apply research, development and innovation methods and produces and analyses data to promote well-being
  • act in research, development and innovation work in accordance with the principles and guidelines of sustainable development and research ethics.

Work community, management and entrepreneurship competence

Bachelor of Social Services graduates will be able to

  • work in multidisciplinary teams and work communities, and identifies opportunities for regional, national and international networks
  • work as a foreperson and member of the work community in a socially, ethically, ecologically and economically sustainable manner
  • know the key labour legislation and promotes one’s own and the work community’s well-being at work, as well as occupational safety
  • recognize the importance of self-management and work community management as part of work management and organization, as well as the development and career planning of one’s own expertise
  • evaluate the quality and results of work and understands the importance of strategy and financial, information and personnel management in the organization’s operations
  • demonstrate an entrepreneurial attitude and is familiar with the principles of social enterprise.
Competence requirements for nurses

Information on the competence requirements and contents (180 ECTS credits) for general nurse education is available online.