Vocational general upper secondary school
Would you like to take general upper secondary school studies alongside vocational studies?
You can take general upper secondary school studies and the matriculation examination at a vocational institution. This is referred to as a vocational general upper secondary school or double degree.
Completing vocational upper secondary school takes motivation and commitment. It provides a good general education and basic knowledge that increases your preparedness to continue your studies at a university or university of applied sciences.
Different educational institutions implement vocational upper secondary studies in slightly different ways. At Stadin AO, The Helsinki Vocational College and Adult Institute, general upper secondary school courses are studied for two days a week.
Starting from spring 2022, the matriculation examination will include at least five tests:
- compulsory test for everyone: mother tongue (Finnish, Swedish, Sami, Roma or sign language) or Finnish as a second language
- three of the following four tests (one must be at advanced syllabus level): second national language, foreign language, mathematics, a subject in the field of humanities and natural sciences
- one optional test
The matriculation examination has to be taken in Finnish or in Swedish.
A personal competence development plan (PCDP) is drawn up for every student. General upper secondary school studies can replace some of the shared units included in a vocational qualification. However, you must confirm with your teacher in advance that all the studies required for your vocational upper secondary qualification will be completed during your period of study.