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There may be some course-specific variations to the application deadlines, especially if a course starts at the beginning of July. Please note that popular courses may sell out before the final application date.

In the Summer School / Winter School application form we will ask:

•  Applicant group (Recent high school graduate, Degree student at Aalto University, Degree student at another university or university of applied sciences, Professional or other lifewide learner)
• The course(s) that you wish to apply to
• Motivation letter or a link to a motivation video
  • some courses also require a link to a CV or your Linkedin profile
• basic information such as your name, country of residence, field of study and English skills

What is not required when sending an application to Summer School / Winter School:

• copy of passport
• transcript of records (only from students from partner schools to prove eligibility for the partner discount)

Official documents are required once you are accepted to a course and confirm your participation by paying the course fee.

We hope to see why you wish to take the course that you are applying to and what you wish to learn. In your motivation letter or video, you can tell about your background and what would make the course meaningful to you. 

Each course page lists the eligibility criteria for the course in the "Eligibility and prerequisites" section. 

Typically, undergraduate courses are beginner-level courses that do not require previous experience or studies in the topic. Some additional criteria might apply to graduate-level courses.

Unfortunately we do not accept high-school students to our courses. 

All summer course participants must be 18 years old and have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts.

Yes, you can apply unless the course information indicates otherwise. Aalto University Summer School courses are a great way to update your knowledge and be inspired by new experiences. 

Yes, you can. However, make sure to choose courses without overlapping schedules. If you apply to courses with overlapping teaching, we will send you a request for more information and ask you to tell us which course you wish to be admitted to.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a common scholarship scheme for Aalto University Summer School courses.

Tuition fees do not apply to students pursuing Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Aalto University. You have to be enrolled at Aalto throughout the entire course.

New students: If you are an incoming Aalto University student for the autumn, you are considered a degree student from August 1st. You may attend courses that begin in August without a tuition fee (Bachelor's and Master's students).

Important reminders for Aalto degree students

• The courses offered by Aalto University Summer School cannot be included in Aalto degree studies.
  • Exception: Nordic Biomaterials. You should only register for a course in Sisu after being admitted to a course.
• Check the Student Guide or your own school's information channels for summer courses aimed at degree students. 

Please describe any special needs (e.g. regarding arrival, disabilities, etc.) you may have in your application form or by email as early as possible. We will do our best to meet your needs.

You will receive the full terms and conditions before making the payment and confirming your participation.

After the payment, you may cancel your participation according to our cancellation terms.

The courses take place in July and August. Custom programs for visiting groups can be organised all year.

Aalto University Summer School courses are held on Aalto University Otaniemi campus in Espoo unless otherwise indicated on the course page. 

The campus is connected to Helsinki by metro (10 min) and to the airport by metro+train or bus (45-60 min). Some accommodation is available in Otaniemi, but there is more variety and availability in other parts of Espoo and Helsinki.

The language of instruction is English. If you are not proficient in English, you may not get a passing grade. 

Aalto University Summer School does not require an official test record of English proficiency. However, we expect the students to have a strong command of English, both in writing and in communicating in the classroom, to be able to fulfil the course learning objectives. Language skills may be used as criteria in the application approval process.

On the application form, we ask you to evaluate your English skills by choosing one of these categories:

• Native or bilingual
• Fluent - You have worked or studied in English without issues
• Good - You can take an active part in conversations in English and write texts on your area of study
• Intermediate - You have used English while travelling and understand spoken English on TV or social media
• Basic - You use it in English lessons at a high school level and can read short texts
• Beginner - You need a translator app to understand the application form

• We welcome participants from all over the world! In 2024, the summer school students came from 50 different countries.
• Many of the courses have about 20-40 participants. 

Yes, your own laptop or tablet is needed in all courses. You can use the campus wifi free of charge to do coursework.

Once we receive the teacher's confirmation that you have passed the course, you will receive an official digital Aalto University certificate.

Code of Conduct sets out the ethical principles and legal compliance policies that govern what we do and expect from each other in all aspects of university life. All students and instructors at Aalto University Summer School are expected to follow it.

We have created an information package on budgeting.

The need for a visa depends on your nationality. In addition to the European Union, many citizens can travel visa-free to Finland. You can check the need for one from Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you need a visa, we recommend that you apply for it as soon as you have paid your course fee and received your invitation letter.

Summer School page on visa application and budgeting

• You are responsible for your own visa application and for following the guidelines.
• Apart from providing an invitation letter, Aalto University Summer School cannot assist students in the visa process or contact the embassies to speed up the process. 

Yes, if you do not reside in Finland. Be sure to purchase travel insurance from your permanent place of residence before you travel. 

If you are an EU/EEA citizen or resident, you may take advantage of the European Health Insurance Card, which you must get before travelling. Please be aware of its limitations, e.g. not covering private healthcare costs.

Our campus is very international, and you will also find that many local people speak English, so you have no problem getting around by just using English on and outside the campus. 

It is always nice to be able to speak the local language, so we encourage you to learn some basic words like 
kiitos (thank you) during your stay.

Aalto University offers guest wifi free of charge. Almost all forms of accommodation, cafés and public buildings have free wireless connections, too.

Custom Programs are, by definition, highly customisable and can be organised all year round at any time of the semester as on-campus or online offerings.

Depending on the agreements on customisation, the programs include:

• Daily lectures and workshops on the chosen topics
• Optional case project to complete and present in groups or individually
• Extracurricular activities 

We recommend a program length from 1 to 2 weeks, but we are always open to discussing different alternatives that would suit you best.

This depends on the requested study content of the program, available faculty and classrooms. 

If you want to create a brand-new custom program with us, we recommend starting the process a minimum of 3-4 months before the arrival date of the participants so that there is enough time for visa application, for example. Repeating previous programs requires approximately two months.

Example timelines for planning a program:

• program in January → planning starts latest in September
• program in February → planning starts latest in October
• program in July → planning starts in March
• program in September --> planning starts latest in May

It depends on the program's workload. The programs are usually planned to be full days of lectures, assignments, and student excursions. 

We also request that you consider teaching at the home university from the time zone perspective.

Yes, it can. This can be agreed upon when planning the program with the Summer School team. 

Yes, all participating students receive an official Aalto University certificate at the end of the course. 

Yes, we are happy to help you with booking accommodation close to the Aalto University campus and in Helsinki.