As a student-athlete at VAMK
Vaasa University of Applied Sciences and the Vaasa Region Sports Academy collaborate closely, which enables top-level and professional athletes competing at the national championship and national team level to access a wide range of expert services and excellent training facilities through membership in the Vaasa Region Sports Academy.
At VAMK, you can seamlessly integrate university studies into your athletic routine with the support of both our University and the Vaasa Region Sports Academy. The services and resources available in the Ostrobothnia and Vaasa region provide an ideal environment for balancing your studies and sports commitments. The Vaasa Region Sports Academy is a collaborative network formed by educational institutions, athletes, sports federations, the City of Vaasa, and providers of sports support services. The Sports Academy works in close cooperation with the other sports academies and the Finnish Olympic Committee.
Combining Sports and Studies
- The dual career coordinator of the Vaasa Region Sports Academy , Martin Grandell, provides personalized guidance to university students who are also athletes, helping them find the right balance between their studies and sports commitments.
- VAMK offers comprehensive support, guidance, and well-being services that students can utilize to support their studies, including building individual and personalized study plans and pathways.
- VAMK’s support-, guidance- and well-being services include group counselor, career and recruitment experts, study counselors, student tutors, and the support of the VAMOK student union.
- We understand the daily lives of athletes, including competition trips and training camps, and provide various methods to accommodate their schedules. Please always reach out to your group counselor or study counselor if you require support with special arrangements.
- We also have access to tools such as EXAM – an electronic examination service that allows students to take exams at a time and place that suits them best.
The Finnish Olympic Committee has awarded Vaasa University of Applied Sciences with the quality mark of an elite athlete friendly university in spring 2024. The quality label is a indication for supporting the studies of goal-oriented student-athletes and enabling the creation of individualized study paths.
Student-athletes at universities are categorized into three groups based on their level of sports performance
- Athletes who are supported by Finnish Olympic Committee and Paralympic Committee
- Adult or youth national team athletes
- Other professional athletes, those who are committed to competitive sports and aiming for the top level
Application to the Sports Academy for higher education athletes is done through a separate application. Before filling out the application form, it is important to familiarize yourself with the requirements: what the sports academy can offer you and what commitments are expected from you as an athlete member. The application period typically takes place primarily in August and September by each academic year, but applications can also be submitted throughout the academic year through continuous intake. Membership in the Sports Academy is granted on an annual basis and is free of charge for athletes
Contact information for the Vaasa Region Sports Academy
Dual Career Coordinator Martin Grandell
040 8525003
Application for degree studies at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences can be made in the spring and autumn joint application periods.
Application for degrees studies via path studies takes place through Opintopolku (opintopolku.fi) twice a year, from May 15th to May 31st and from November 15th to November 30th. In this application, it is required that the applicant:
- Has completed 30 ECTS credits of VAMK business studies in open polytechnic.
- These path studies have been registered in the student register by the final day of the application period.
The free-of-charge studies in the Athlete Path are aimed at athletes from teams within the Athlete Path. Currently, the teams included in the Athlete Path are athletes from the teams Mailattaret, Sport, VPS, and VIFK athletes who are playing in the Women’s National League. The application periods for the Athlete Path vary annually.
The next Athlete Path application will open in early summer 2025, when the application will be for International Business and Open Professional Studies in Legal Administration. The 30 ECTS credits of the Athlete Path are primarily completed through distance learning in business administration. After completing the path studies, the athlete can apply to VAMK as a degree student.
As a student of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences and a member of the Vaasa Sports Academy, you have the opportunity to apply for a one-time athlete scholarship during your studies. The conditions for granting the scholarship are successfully combining studies and goal-oriented sports.
The application period for the athlete scholarship is annually in the spring. The scholarships are awarded at the spring graduation ceremony. The application for the athlete scholarship is done through an application form. The amount of the athlete scholarship can be up to 1000 euros.
The Vaasa Region Sports Academy
Dual Career Coordinator Martin Grandell
040 8525003
martin.grandell@vsua.fi
