Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) is a Finnish private university of applied sciences founded in 1996 that trains encounter-expert professionals across social services, healthcare, church work, and interpreting, operating four campuses plus an online channel under government funding with capped tuition and EU RDI grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Diaconia University of Applied Sciences does
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak, legal entity Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu Oy) is a Finnish private university of applied sciences founded in 1996, headquartered in Helsinki with additional campuses in Oulu, Pori, and Pieksämäki (Eastern Finland), plus a Verkkokampus virtual campus. The institution specializes in degree and continuing education across four verticals: social services, healthcare/nursing, church work (diaconia), and interpreting, positioning graduates as "kohtaamisen asiantuntija" (encounter experts). Core offerings comprise bachelor's (AMK) and master's (YAMK, branded as Diak Master School) degree programmes delivered in Finnish and English, supplemented by Open UAS (avoimen AMK) studies, professional specialization programmes (erikoistumiskoulutukset), and continuing education (täydennyskoulutukset); research, development, and innovation (RDI) is organized around four thematic areas — inclusive diversity competence, holistic diaconia, social innovations, and impactful welfare services.
Technology infrastructure centers on the Diakle learning management system for course delivery, the Opinto-opas study-guide platform for curriculum data, Microsoft 365 for productivity, Zoom for online lectures, the Tuudo mobile application for student services (digital student card, schedules, library, campus maps), Suomi.fi for identity, Eduroam for campus Wi-Fi, Diak Finna for library access, and Webropol for surveys; the whistleblowing channel is provided by Falcony. Revenue is generated primarily through public Finnish government funding for degree-program delivery, regulated tuition fees for Open UAS (capped at €15/credit) and specialization studies (capped at €120/credit) processed through a Paytrail-powered online store, and EU- and nationally-funded RDI project grants across named projects (AVOT, KOHDE, HOP, IKI, KAT, TARTU, and others). The go-to-market is direct-to-student enrollment (national yhteishaku joint application, open UAS, and online store) with a growing B2B services arm under the ZekkiPro sub-brand and cross-institutional study partnerships with UEF, Humak, KAMK, SAMK, and the CampusOnline network.
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
- Legal name
- Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu Oy
- Website
- https://diak.fi
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) is a Finnish private university of applied sciences founded in 1996 that trains encounter-expert professionals across social services, healthcare, church work, and interpreting, operating four campuses plus an online channel under government funding with capped tuition and EU RDI grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Diaconia University of Applied Sciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition Fees - Open UAS: Open University of Applied Sciences (avoimen AMK) tuition fees charged per credit point, maximum 15 euros per credit point based on government decree.
- Tuition Fees - Specialization Education: Specialization education (erikoistumiskoulutus) tuition fees charged per credit point, maximum 120 euros per credit point.
- Government Funding: Public funding from Finnish government for degree programs (AMK and YAMK tutkinnot).
- Research and Development Project Funding: RDI activities funded through various projects including EU-funded initiatives such as AVOT, KOHDE, HOP, IKI, KAT, TARTU, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Open UAS per credit point |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Specialization education per credit point |
| Subscription | Annual | Degree programs (AMK/YAMK) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) is a Finnish university of applied sciences that delivers higher education, continuous learning and applied research in social services, healthcare, church work and interpreting. It awards bachelor's (AMK, 210 credits) and master's (YAMK, 90 credits) degrees through Diak Master School, sells Open UAS studies and specialisation education on a per-credit basis, and provides continuing education, expert services (ZekkiPro) and research and development partnerships to businesses, organisations, municipalities and welfare areas.
Product overview
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) is a higher education institution offering a unified portfolio of educational services. The core offerings include Bachelor's degree programmes (AMK-tutkinnot) in Finnish and English, and Master's degree programmes through Diak Master School (YAMK-tutkinnot). Supporting products include Open UAS (Avoin AMK) for flexible learning, professional specialisation programmes (Erikoistumiskoulutukset), and continuing education (Täydennyskoulutukset). The technology platform includes the Opinto-opas (Study Guide) curriculum system and Diakle learning management system. Expert services are offered under the ZekkiPro brand, and research and development activities span four thematic areas. All services are integrated with Microsoft 365 productivity tools and the Tuudo mobile application for student services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Diak Master School: Master's degree programs offered by Diak for continuing education
- Tuudo
- Dialogi
- ZekkiPro
Products and services
- AMK-tutkinnot (Bachelor's Degree Programmes) Three-and-a-half-year (210-credit) undergraduate degree programmes in Finnish and English covering Social Services, Healthcare/Nursing, Church Work and Interpreting that prepare students for expert roles in social welfare, health, church and interpretation sectors. Target audience: prospective higher education students in Finland and internationally, including Open UAS path students.
- YAMK-tutkinnot / Diak Master School (Master's Degree Programmes) Postgraduate degree programmes (90 credits) for advanced professional development, with specialisations in health and social services leadership, interpreting development, ethics, community work and crisis resilience. Target audience: working professionals and graduates seeking advanced qualifications.
- Avoin AMK (Open University of Applied Sciences) Open-access studies for anyone to explore new topics, pursue a degree path or develop competencies, with per-credit tuition fees up to €15 per credit as set by government decree. Target audience: lifelong learners, prospective degree students, working professionals.
- Erikoistumiskoulutukset (Professional Specialisation Programmes) Specialised continuing-education programmes (erikoistumiskoulutus) for credentialed professionals with per-credit tuition fees up to €120 per credit. Target audience: licensed practitioners in social services, healthcare and education who need specialised post-qualification training.
- Täydennyskoulutukset (Continuing Education for Organisations) Customised staff training and professional development programmes commissioned by employers in the social, healthcare and church sectors. Target audience: HR managers, training coordinators and executives in social/healthcare/welfare organisations.
- ZekkiPro Expert Services Consulting and expert services that monetise Diak's research expertise in inclusive diversity, holistic diaconia, social innovations and impactful welfare services for external organisations. Target audience: businesses, municipalities, welfare areas and non-profits seeking sector-specific expertise.
- Research and Development (RDI) Activities Applied research, development and innovation activities covering four focus areas: Inclusive Diversity Competence, Holistic Diaconia, Social Innovations, and Impactful Health and Welfare Services, including research projects, publications, and knowledge transfer to partners. Target audience: academic institutions, municipalities, welfare areas and partner organisations.
Companies that use Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Nuorten Ystävät (Friends of Youth)coreDiak and Nuorten Ystävät are strengthening their cooperation through a partnership agreement (kumppanuussopimus). The partnership aims to enhance collaboration in areas relevant to both organizations.
- CampusOnline NetworkminorDiak participates in the CampusOnline AMK and CampusOnline YAMK networks - a collective of Finnish universities of applied sciences offering cross-institutional study opportunities.
- University of Eastern Finland (UEF)minorCross-institutional study partnership between Diak and UEF for student exchange.
- Humak University of Applied SciencesminorPartnership for YAMK degree and interpreting program studies between Diak and Humak.
- Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK)minorCross-institutional study agreements for YAMK, social services, and health care degree programs.
- Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK)minorPartnership for AMK and YAMK degree programs, with focus on strengthening educational cooperation and RDI activities in Satakunta region.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences: Multi-campus Finnish UAS offering nursing, social services, and professional specialisation education. Competes for the same government allocations and continuing-education contracts in southern Finland.
- Laurea University of Applied Sciences: Finnish UAS in the Helsinki metropolitan area offering social and healthcare degree programmes alongside Open UAS and continuing education. Competes with Diak for both students and EU-funded RDI projects.
- Turku University of Applied Sciences: Southwest Finland UAS offering health and social services degrees plus Open UAS paths. Comparable structure to Diak with both publicly funded degrees and tuition-bearing continuing education.
- Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK): Large Finnish UAS offering health and social-services degree pathways plus Master's-level specialisation. Competes nationally for students, applied research funding, and employer training contracts.
- LAB University of Applied Sciences: Finnish UAS formed from the merger of Saimia and LAMK, with active social-services and healthcare programmes. Overlaps with Diak on health/social curriculum and Open UAS delivery.
- JAMK University of Applied Sciences: Central Finland UAS with healthcare, social services, and continuing education programmes that overlap Diak's core offerings. Competes for RDI funding and professional specialisation students.
- Metropolia University of Applied Sciences: Largest Finnish UAS, offering overlapping health, social services, and interpreting programmes with degree-granting authority similar to Diak. Direct competitor for the same yhteishaku applicant pool and government funding envelope.
- Humak University of Applied Sciences: Private Finnish UAS focused on community education, youth work, and interpreting - a current Diak cross-institutional partner. Operates in adjacent niches of Diak's social and interpreting portfolios.
- Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK): Northern Finland UAS and Diak cross-institutional partner; delivers YAMK, social services, and health programmes. Comparable in scale and in reliance on multi-campus delivery plus EU RDI projects.
- Savonia University of Applied Sciences: Finnish UAS providing healthcare and social-services degrees plus RDI activity in welfare topics. Direct competitor for nursing/social work applicants and for EU-funded social-innovation projects.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences social profiles
Digital presenceDiaconia University of Applied Sciences compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
What does Diaconia University of Applied Sciences do?
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) is a Finnish university of applied sciences that delivers higher education, continuous learning and applied research in social services, healthcare, church work and interpreting. It awards bachelor's (AMK, 210 credits) and master's (YAMK, 90 credits) degrees through Diak Master School, sells Open UAS studies and specialisation education on a per-credit basis, and provides continuing education, expert services (ZekkiPro) and research and development partnerships to businesses, organisations, municipalities and welfare areas.
Is Diaconia University of Applied Sciences a public or private company?
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Diaconia University of Applied Sciences founded?
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1996. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Diaconia University of Applied Sciences based?
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Diaconia University of Applied Sciences make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition Fees - Open UAS are the primary driver. The others are tuition Fees - Specialization Education, government Funding and research and Development Project Funding.
Who are Diaconia University of Applied Sciences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), LAB University of Applied Sciences, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Humak University of Applied Sciences, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK) and Savonia University of Applied Sciences.
Does Diaconia University of Applied Sciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Diaconia University of Applied Sciences.