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Registration for courses is binding. Registration for paid courses requires payment of the course fee at the time of registration through online banking. The fee is indicated in the course description. There will be moderate changes to the course fees, which will come into effect in the autumn semester 2025.

The fees are explained in course descriptions and payable immediately upon registration via your internet bank as part of the online registration process.

Open University courses must also be paid for by Aalto University degree students. During the summer period (May-August), there may be exceptions, which will be communicated separately in the course descriptions. 

The Open University course catalog may also include Aalto University courses with different registration and payment practices from the usual Open University procedures (e.g., FITech courses). 

In addition to the course fee, the student may incur costs for learning materials, textbooks, or supplies. 

Open University fees are based on the Government Decree 1082/2009 and 199/2024. 

Study fees are directly enforceable without separate measures as public law receivables (Act on the Enforcement of Taxes and Fees 706/2007).

Rules for the spring and summer semester 2025 until August 31, 2025.

• Registration for the course is binding, and the course fee is not refundable. Cancellations due to illness will not entitle for a refund. It is not possible to transfer a paid course fee from one course to another.
• If the course format changes (e.g. from campus teaching to virtual teaching or vice versa), this will not entitle the student to a refund.
• If the course is cancelled (due to a lack of participants, for instance), you will be refunded the course fee in full by the Aalto University Open University.

Rules for the autumn semester 2025 teaching starting from September 1, 2025.

Registration for the course is binding. The paid course fee will not be refunded. Student illness or other obstacles beyond the control of the Open University do not entitle the student to a refund.

If Aalto University cancels the course, the Open University will refund the entire fee.

A transfer of registration can be requested under certain conditions. Even if all conditions are met, the transfer may not necessarily be granted. Conditions:

• Only once per registration
• During the registration period for the current course
• To an available course with open spots
• Also for another person

If the new course costs more, the student must pay the difference.

If you wish to transfer your registration, follow these steps:

• Check the course description to ensure that the registration period for your current course has not ended
• Find a course from the offerings of Aalto University's Open University to which you wish to transfer your registration
• Contact the Open University (avoin@aalto.fi) and state your transfer request in the message

The course fee will not be refunded if the transfer is not granted.

When relevant, Aalto University Open University applies the same rules and guidelines to its students as are applied to the degree students of Aalto University. These rules and guidelines for the degree students are available at Student Guide.

Cheating, plagiarism and other acts of fraud or deceit in studies are prohibited, see the Aalto University Code of Academic Integrity in Studies.

Agreement

In registering for Open University studies the student agrees to abide by the rules of conduct of the Open University.

Protection of the rights of Open University students

The Universities Act (558/2009) provisions in sections 44 and 82 on the assessment of study attainments apply also to Open University students. They concern the student’s right to obtain information on assessment criteria, the right to see study attainments that have been assessed, and the right to apply — first to the teacher, then to the Academic Appeals Board— for a rectification of the assessment.

Open University students are entitled to modified arrangements within reason, for example, special arrangements may be made in teaching for cases of chronic illness or disability, as in accordance with the guidelines and procedures of the university for respective degree students when applicable. Access to special arrangements requires that the student has not repeatedly and without valid reason failed to use special arrangements granted to him or her in the past.

An Open University student who experiences problems related to teaching or in interacting with other students in group work, for example, should first contact the teacher of the course. An Open University student may who feels subjected to inappropriate behaviour in the teaching or who feels that his or her rights as a student are being inadequately protected may bring the matter to the attention of another Open University staff person [contact email address avoin(at)aalto.fi].

The right to a safe study environment and need for appropriate conduct

All students (degree students, exchange students, Open University students and others) have the right to a safe study environment and to be treated appropriately. Students shall be treated on the basis of equality and non-discrimination. Each student is responsible not only for his or her own actions, but also for the safety and pleasantness of the study environment. Students are to conduct themselves appropriately in the physical as well as the virtual learning environment. It is not permitted to act disruptively or inappropriately towards other students, teachers or staff. Students are to observe the study-related instructions and guidelines given by the Open University, individual teachers and administrative staff.

Read here what you can do if you encounter harassment or inappropriate treatment.

Consequences of student misconduct

An Open University student who disrupts teaching, behaves violently or threatens or endangers the life or health of another person may be ordered to leave the premises of a teaching or other university event. A student may be banned from attending teaching for up to three working days if his/her violent or menacing behaviour impairs the safety of another student or person working at the university or if his/her disruptive behaviour makes teaching or teaching-related activities unduly difficult. The teacher may order a student to leave the premises. The director in charge of Open University operations may ban a student from attending all Open University teaching for up to three working days.

Students who violate the university’s user account rules, behaving inappropriately on the digital learning platform, for example, may be subject to intervention in accordance with the user account rules.

An Open University student who commits a serious breach of university order by engaging in disruptive, threatening or violent behaviour or repeated acts of fraud or deceit may be refused admission to Open University studies for a fixed period of up to one year. In urgent cases, a student may be suspended from a course already begun. The course fee of a student suspended from course for misconduct will not be reimbursed.

Behaviour that is violent or contains the threat of violence will be reported to the person responsible for university security and may be reported to the police as well.

Course registration is done at Sisu. Registration for the open university courses is done in this order:

1. Choosing the course and adding it to the shopping cart
2. Paying the course fee
3. Confirming your identity

1. Choosing the course and adding it to the shopping cart

Please read the course descriptions carefully before deciding which course you want to take. Please follow the instructions given in the course description. You can always find the course schedule as well as the course registration periods in the course description. Please note that it is not possible to register if the course registration period has not yet started or if it has already ended.

Course registration is done at the Sisu system. The link to Sisu can be found in the course description. Please click it to start the registration process.

The link will lead to a page which shows the basic information on the course. Please make sure to check that that the location and teaching times work for you. You can find the course schedule and teaching times by clicking the arrow.

After you have confirmed the information, please add the course to your shopping cart by clicking “add to cart”. Next, please select and confirm your teaching group(s). You can then proceed to the payment.  Please note that you have 15 minutes to complete the course registration and pay the course fee after adding it to the cart.

2. Paying the course fee

Please proceed to the shopping cart to pay the course fee. You can pay several courses at the same time. You have 15 minutes to complete the course registration and pay the course fee after adding it to the cart.

Confirm the courses you want to take and fill in the information of the person who paying. The student taking the course and the person who is making the payment can be different.
You will be directed to different page to complete the transaction. Always please follow the instructions written on the page.

You can use your Finnish banking credentials to pay the course fee. You can also use pay with credit card. The cards accepted are Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard and American Express. 

If you are unable to use any of the payment methods, please contact us at avoin@aalto.fi.

After your transaction has been completed, you will be redirected back to Sisu. You will also receive a confirmation email which contains a confirmation code.

3. Confirming your identity

Next, the student taking the course must prove their identity. If you have access to Finnish internet banking, you can do this by using the Suomi.fi identification service. If you have taken studies at Aalto university recently and your study right is active, you can login in to Sisu with your Aalto ID to confirm your identity.
If you are unable to verify your identity using the methods above, please contact open university at avoin@aalto.fi

Please add the confirmation code to your email. We will then send you instructions on how to send us a copy of your official ID using encrypted email service.

Please note that if the person who paid the course and the person who is taking the course are not the same, the person taking the course must complete the identification process.

You should confirm your identity as soon as possible. If you do not confirm your identity, you are not going to able to access the course space or complete the course!

If you are a new student, you also need to add your contact information as a part of the identification process.

If the contact information displayed during the confirmation phase is incorrect, please correct it. You can also edit your contact information after confirmation in Sisu under My Profile (My profile -> personal information).

After logging in, you need to activate your Aalto user ID and use multifactor authentication. Without these steps, you cannot complete a course!

Read more about activating your user ID and multifactor authentication

You do not need an Aalto user ID when registering for a course, nor do you need to sign up in advance to use Sisu (the service we use for course registrations). To register, just follow the instructions above.

You will receive an Aalto user ID after you register. Remember also to use multifactor authentication!

Please read "Course registration using Sisu service" from above for more detailed instructions. 

Open University courses are open to all. Please note that some of our course offerings are FITech courses that are reserved for Finnish citizens and residents only.

However, you can still register for Open University courses even if you are not a Finnish citizen or if you are unable to provide electronic identification through the Suomi.fi service. Registering for a course does not require you to have an Aalto user ID or to sign up in advance to use Sisu (the service we use for course registrations).

After registering, just remember to confirm your registration. If you are unable to identify yourself electronically by the means described above, send an email to the Open University (avoin@aalto.fi). You will receive a confirmation code in your email; please include the code in your future contacts with us.

You will receive an Aalto user ID after you register for the course. Please remember also to use multifactor authentication!

Please read "Course registration using Sisu service" from above for more detailed instructions. 

Open University teaching (fee-based student places)

Open University courses are open to all. Aalto University and other higher education degree students may also take Open University courses by paying a course fee. Follow the registration instructions above and register through the link in the course description.  See the Open University’s course list to find the courses available.  

Open University course list

Summer courses (free of charge for Aalto degree students)

Aalto University degree students who have enrolled as attending for the summer are offered student places in summer Open University courses free of charge. The summer courses begin in May, June, July and August. Registration is done in Sisu in the same way as for degree studies. For more details about registering, see the summer studies page.

Summer studies for Aalto degree students with attending-student status

All Aalto University staff members can  take FITech courses as well as selected Open University courses free of charge.

The number of free places is limited. If a course is not offered for free to staff or the number of places available has been filled, a staff member may register for the course as an Open University student and pay the course fee. In such cases, registration takes place according to the instructions given on this page and in the course description.

The selection of lifewide learning courses for staff members

You can find instructions for exam registration in our Exam instructions at the Open University:

Exam Registration

Technical problems with Sisu

Please contact avoin@aalto.fi . Please include your student number and other relevant information related to your problem when you contact us. Depending on the situation such information might be course code or date of teaching implementation. This helps us to solve your problem faster.

Problems concerning content of studies

Please contact the course teacher directly. 

Accessibility support for Sisu at Aalto University

If you have accessibility related challenges in using Sisu, please contact the Starting Point service desk. If you know that your issue is time consuming, we hope that you inform us by email studentservices@aalto.fi in advance when you will be visiting the Starting Point service desk.

Contact information and opening hours of Starting Point

Starting Point will do their best to help you with the use of Sisu. 

If using Sisu is likely to cause you repeated problems throughout your studies, get in touch with the contact person for individual study arrangements at avoin@aalto.fi . You can discuss your needs for support for using Sisu – and other matters related to studying – with the contact person of Open University. Help for facilitated use of Sisu is arranged between you, the contact person for individual study arrangements, and the Starting Point.