Submitting an RPL application in Peppi: applications based on previously completed studies

If you are applying for RPL on the basis of learning acquired through work experience or similar, see the instructions on the page Submitting an RPL application in Peppi: applications based on learning acquired outside the formal education system. 

If you are applying for RPL on the basis of a combination of previous studies and learning acquired outside formal education, see the relevant sections of each set of instructions.   

If you have any questions about RPL applications, please contact your faculty's office for student and academic affairs or the Centre for Language and Communication Studies (kievi@utu.fi).

NB! Doctoral and licentiate students should apply for the recognition of prior learning using a UTUForms application form.

Before applying for RPL
Peppi - Student's Desktop
Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty
Applying for RPL based on learning acquired outside the formal education system
Editing a returned RPL application in Peppi

Starting an application

  • Log into Peppi using your UTU credentials.
  • Make sure that you have selected the correct study right in Peppi (i.e., the study right for the degree that you want your prior learning to be included as part of).
  • Go to your PSP and select the RPL tab. Alternatively, go to the menu at the top of the page and select Studies > RPL applications.
  • Click +New application.
  • If you want to use an existing application as a template for a new one, you can copy it by clicking the Actions button for the relevant application (on the right-hand side of the page) and selecting Copy. This will create a copy that includes all the information in the original application, including its attachments. You can then edit the copy to create a new application.

Basic information and guidance discussion

  • When you create a new application, the basic details of your study right are automatically filled in, but you need to complete the Guidance discussion section at the bottom of the window.
  • If you have had a guidance discussion about your RPL application, enter the date of the discussion and the person you had the discussion with.
  • If you have not had a guidance discussion, enter the current date as the date of the discussion and as the contact person, the person responsible for processing RPL applications in your faculty (see Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty).
  • The Additional information field can be left blank.
  • Finish by clicking Save draft and start filling out application. 

Organisation details and application attachments

  • Go to the Organisations section and click +Add organisation.
  • In this pop-up window, you need to enter the details of your previous place of study and add the required attachments.
  • Under Type, select Educational institute.
  • Under Organisation type, use the drop-down menu to select the relevant option (e.g. Finnish university). For Open University studies, select Finnish University/University of Applied Sciences.
  • ​Find the name of your previous place of study in the Organisation drop-down menu. For Open University studies, select the name of the course provider, e.g. University of Helsinki. If the place of study is not listed, select Organisation not found in the menu and enter the name of the educational institution in Finnish and in English (if required, you can enter the English name in both fields).
  • If you are applying for credit transfer for courses that form part of a previously completed degree, write your degree title in the Degree title field.
  • Attach the required attachments by clicking +Choose files or by dragging and dropping the files to the application window. At a minimum, you must attach a transcript of records and a course description, as well as your degree certificate, if your previous studies are part of a completed degree. For further information, see Before applying for RPL > RPL application attachments.
  • Finish by clicking Save.
  • To add another organisation to the same application, click +Add organisation again.
  • To edit the details of an organisation or the attachments, click the pen icon next to the organisation name.

Studies or knowledge

Under Studies or knowledge, click the Create application part (course) button. You can apply for multiple credit transfers with the same application by creating the required number of application parts.

As a rule, you should create a separate application part for each course in your PSP that you wish to replace with your prior learning. Within a given application part, you will define which specific previously completed course(s) correspond(s) to the course in your PSP that you wish to replace. 

If you are applying for inclusion, all your previous studies can generally be added to the same application part.  

The structure of an application part depends on the kind of credit transfer you are applying for - see the relevant instructions below:
If you are applying to replace one course in your PSP with one previously completed course

In this kind of application, your PSP includes a course whose content corresponds to the content of a single course you completed previously. 

(Tip: to see the screenshot below full size, open it in a new browser tab - right-click the image and select the relevant option from the menu.)

  • Click +Create application part (course).
  • Credit transfer type: Replacement
  • Officer: a member of administrative staff who is responsible for processing RPL applications in your faculty (see Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty). NB! Do not select here the name of your Teacher Tutor/Guidance Counsellor/PSP Counsellor or the teacher responsible for the course you are applying to replace.
  • Find the course in your PSP that you would like to replace and drag it to the box on the right.
    • Do not add any other courses from your PSP. If you would like replace other courses in your PSP through credit transfer, create a new application part or a whole new application for them.
  • Click the +Add course button and add the details of one previously completed course - the course you would like to substitute for the course you selected from your PSP. See below for more detailed instructions for entering the details of a previously completed course.
    • Do not add here any other courses you have completed previously that are not relevant to replacing the course you selected from your PSP. If you would like to apply for credit transfer for any other previously completed studies, create a new application part or a whole new application for them.
  • Finish by clicking Save. 
Entering the details of a previously completed course
  • Under Previously completed studies, select +Add course. The +Add study module option is not in use.
  • If you know the course code, enter it in the Code field. Alternatively, leave the field blank. No not write e.g. '-' or 'N/A' in this field.
  • Enter the name of the course in English and in Finnish exactly the way it is written in your transcript of records.
    • Do not translate the course name into English or Finnish yourself - instead, copy the name from your transcript or from other official sources. If the original course name is in English, enter the English name in the In Finnish field as well. If the original course name is in a language other than English or Finnish, enter it in the original language in both the In Finnish and In English fields.   
  • Enter the number of course credits and select the Unit of Scope (usually Credit, which refers to ECTS credits. If the original course credits are in a unit other than ECTS credits or hours, leave this field blank).
  • Select the language of instruction from the drop-down menu.
  • Type the grade you received in the Grade field.
  • Under Organisations, select the relevant place of study whose details you entered previously.
  • Enter the original date of completion of the course as provided in your transcript of records.
  • The Justification field can be left blank; the course description attached to your application will be used to confirm the course content and learning outcomes. Any other further information can be added in this field, as required.
  • Finish by clicking Add. 

 

If you are applying to replace one course in your PSP with two or more previously completed courses taken together

In this kind of application, you have multiple previously completed courses whose content and learning outcomes taken together correspond to the content of single course in your PSP. 

(Tip: to see the screenshot below full size, open it in a new browser tab - right-click the image and select the relevant option from the menu.)

  • Click +Create application part (course).
  • Credit transfer type: Replacement
  • Officer: a member of administrative staff who is responsible for processing RPL applications in your faculty (see Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty). NB! Do not select here the name of your Teacher Tutor/Guidance Counsellor/PSP Counsellor or the teacher responsible for the course you are applying to replace.
  • Find the course in your PSP that you would like to replace and drag it to the box on the right.
    • Do not add any other courses from your PSP. If you would like replace other courses in your PSP through credit transfer, create a new application part or a whole new application for them.
  • Click the +Add course button and add the details of the first previously completed course you would like taken into consideration in replacing the course you selected from your PSP. See below for more detailed instructions for entering the details of a previously completed course.
  • Click +Add course again and add the details of the next previously completed course that you would like taken into consideration. Repeat as needed.
    • Do not add here any other courses you have completed previously that are not relevant to replacing the course you selected from your PSP. If you would like to apply for credit transfer for any other previously completed studies, create a new application part or a whole new application.
  • Finish by clicking Save.
Entering the details of a previously completed course
  • Under Previously completed studies, select +Add course. The +Add study module option is not in use.

  • If you know the course code, enter it in the Code field. Alternatively, leave the field blank. No not write e.g. '-' or 'N/A' in this field.
  • Enter the name of the course in English and in Finnish exactly the way it is written in your transcript of records.
    • Do not translate the course name into English or Finnish yourself - instead, copy the name from your transcript or from other official sources. If the original course name is in English, enter the English name in the In Finnish field as well. If the original course name is in a language other than English or Finnish, enter it in the original language in both the In Finnish and In English fields.  
  • Enter the number of course credits and select the Unit of Scope (usually Credit, which refers to ECTS credits. If the original course credits are in a unit other than ECTS credits or hours, leave this field blank).
  • Select the language of instruction from the drop-down menu.
  • Type the grade you received in the Grade field.
  • Under Organisations, select the relevant place of study whose details you entered previously.
  • Enter the original date of completion of the course as provided in your transcript of records.
  • The Justification field can be left blank; the course description attached to your application will be used to confirm the course content and learning outcomes. Any other further information can be added in this field, as required.
  • Finish by clicking Add. 

 

If you are applying to replace two or more courses in your PSP with one previously completed course

In this kind of application, you have one previously completed course whose content correspond to the content of two or more courses in your PSP. 

(Tip: to see the screenshot below full size, open it in a new browser tab - right-click the image and select the relevant option from the menu.)

  • Click +Create application part (course).
  • Credit transfer type: Replacement
  • Officer: a member of administrative staff who is responsible for processing RPL applications in your faculty (see Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty). NB! Do not select here the name of your Teacher Tutor/Guidance Counsellor/PSP Counsellor or the teacher responsible for the course you are applying to replace.
  • Find the courses in your PSP that you would like to replace and drag them to the box on the right.
    • Do not add any other courses from your PSP that are not relevant to the content of your chosen previously completed course. If you would like replace other courses in your PSP through credit transfer, create a new application part or a whole new application for them.
  • Click the +Add course button and add the details of the relevant previously completed course. See below for more detailed instructions for entering the details of a previously completed course.
    • Do not add here any other courses you have completed previously that are not relevant to replacing the courses you selected from your PSP. If you would like to apply for credit transfer for any other previously completed studies, create a new application part or a whole new application for them.
  • Finish by clicking Save. 
Entering the details of a previously completed course
  • Under Previously completed studies, select +Add course. The +Add study module option is not in use.

  • If you know the course code, enter it in the Code field. Alternatively, leave the field blank. No not write e.g. '-' or 'N/A' in this field.
  • Enter the name of the course in English and in Finnish exactly the way it is written in your transcript of records.
    • Do not translate the course name into English or Finnish yourself - instead, copy the name from your transcript or from other official sources. If the original course name is in English, enter the English name in the In Finnish field as well. If the original course name is in a language other than English or Finnish, enter it in the original language in both the In Finnish and In English fields.  
  • Enter the number of course credits and select the Unit of Scope (usually Credit, which refers to ECTS credits. If the original course credits are in a unit other than ECTS credits or hours, leave this field blank).
  • Select the language of instruction from the drop-down menu.
  • Type the grade you received in the Grade field.
  • Under Organisations, select the relevant place of study whose details you entered previously.
  • Enter the original date of completion of the course as provided in your transcript of records.
  • The Justification field can be left blank; the course description attached to your application will be used to confirm the course content and learning outcomes. Any other further information can be added in this field, as required.
  • Finish by clicking Add. 

 

If you are applying to replace one course in your PSP with a combination of previous studies and other prior learning

In this kind of application, your PSP includes a course whose content and learning outcomes correspond to prior learning you have acquired in part through previous studies and in part through work experience or similar. 

(Tip: to see the screenshot below full size, open it in a new browser tab - right-click the image and select the relevant option from the menu.)

  • Ensure that you have added the details of all the organisations where you gained your prior learning under the Organisations section:
  • Go to the Studies or knowledge section and click +Create application part (course).
  • Credit transfer type: Replacement
  • Officer: a member of administrative staff who is responsible for processing RPL applications in your faculty (see Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty). NB! Do not select here the name of your Teacher Tutor/Guidance Counsellor/PSP Counsellor or the teacher responsible for the course you are applying to replace.
  • Find the course in your PSP that you would like to replace and drag it to the box on the right.
    • Do not add any other courses from your PSP. If you would like replace other courses in your PSP through credit transfer, create a new application part or a whole new application for them.
  • Click the +Add course button and add the details of the relevant previously completed course. See below for more detailed instructions for entering the details of a previously completed course.
    • If you would like other courses you have completed previously to be taken into consideration in replacing the course you selected from your PSP, you can add them to this application part by clicking +Add course again.
  • To add the details of your work experience or similar, click +Add course again. NB! For technical reasons, the details of learning acquired outside formal education are in this case entered as if they were studies.
    • In the Name field, enter Työkokemus / Work Experience.
    • In the Credits field, enter 0.
    • In the Grade field, enter PASS.
    • Under Organisations, select the relevant employer/role whose details you entered previously.
    • For the Date of completion, enter the date when you left the role.
    • In the Justifications field, you can write more detailed information about the skills and knowledge you gained in this role or about how your work experience complements the learning you acquired through the studies included in this same application part.
  • Finish by clicking Save.
Entering the details of a previously completed course
  • Under Previously completed studies, select +Add course. The +Add study module option is not in use.

  • If you know the course code, enter it in the Code field. Alternatively, leave the field blank. No not write e.g. '-' or 'N/A' in this field.
  • Enter the name of the course in English and in Finnish exactly the way it is written in your transcript of records.
    • Do not translate the course name into English or Finnish yourself - instead, copy the name from your transcript or from other official sources. If the original course name is in English, enter the English name in the In Finnish field as well. If the original course name is in a language other than English or Finnish, enter it in the original language in both the In Finnish and In English fields.  
  • Enter the number of course credits and select the Unit of Scope (usually Credit, which refers to ECTS credits. If the original course credits are in a unit other than ECTS credits or hours, leave this field blank).
  • Select the language of instruction from the drop-down menu.
  • Type the grade you received in the Grade field.
  • Under Organisations, select the relevant place of study whose details you entered previously.
  • Enter the original date of completion of the course as provided in your transcript of records.
  • The Justification field can be left blank; the course description attached to your application will be used to confirm the course content and learning outcomes. Any other further information can be added in this field, as required.
  • Finish by clicking Add. 

 

If you are applying for inclusion

In this kind of application, you have completed some studies elsewhere (e.g. during an international exchange) that you want to be included as part of your degree without directly replacing any courses in your PSP. 

(Tip: to see the screenshot below full size, open it in a new browser tab - right-click the image and select the relevant option from the menu.)

  • Click +Create application part (course).
  • Credit transfer type: Inclusion
  • Officer: a member of administrative staff who is responsible for processing RPL applications in your faculty (see Staff members processing RPL applications by faculty). NB! Do not select here the name of your Teacher Tutor/Guidance Counsellor/PSP Counsellor.
  • Click the +Add course button and add the details of a previously completed course. See below for more detailed instructions.
  • If you have completed further courses that you also want to apply to be included in your degree, click +Add course again and add the details of the next course. Repeat as needed.
  • Click the drop-down menu under the Place the courses/knowledge to be included in the PSP structure heading and select the relevant study module or PSP section where you would like the included studies to be added, e.g. Other studies.
    • If you are applying to include multiple courses and would like different courses to be added under different PSP sections, create a separate application part for each PSP section.
  • Finish by clicking Save.
Entering the details of a previously completed course
  • Under Previously completed studies, select +Add course. The +Add study module option is not in use.

  • If you know the course code, enter it in the Code field. Alternatively, leave the field blank. No not write e.g. '-' or 'N/A' in this field.
  • Enter the name of the course in English and in Finnish exactly the way it is written in your transcript of records.
    • Do not translate the course name into English or Finnish yourself - instead, copy the name from your transcript or from other official sources. If the original course name is in English, enter the English name in the In Finnish field as well. If the original course name is in a language other than English or Finnish, enter it in the original language in both the In Finnish and In English fields.  
  • Enter the number of course credits and select the Unit of Scope (usually Credit, which refers to ECTS credits. If the original course credits are in a unit other than ECTS credits or hours, leave this field blank.).
  • Select the language of instruction from the drop-down menu.
  • Type the grade you received in the Grade field.
  • Under Organisations, select the relevant place of study whose details you entered previously.
  • Enter the original date of completion of the course as provided in your transcript of records.
  • The Justification field can be left blank; the course description attached to your application will be used to confirm the course content and learning outcomes. Any other further information can be added in this field, as required.
  • Finish by clicking Add. 

 

Submitting the application

  • When you are ready to submit your application, scroll up to the top of the page, where you will find the Submit application button.
  • The system will ask you to confirm that you want to submit the application.
  • Submitted applications can be found on the RPL tab of your PSP. You can view the status of your application there.  
  • You will receive email notifications of any changes to the status of your application (e.g. if the application has been returned to you for amendments or when a decision has been made on your application).   
  • The decisions are made by the faculties or the Centre for Language and Communication Studies. As a rule, decisions on the recognition of prior learning are made within a month from the submission of the application and the appropriate appendices. Decisions on applications submitted in June or July are normally made by the end of August. If you are dissatisfied with a decision, you can appeal it and request rectification following the appeals process described in the message you received about the decision.
Editing a returned RPL application in Peppi