Technical support for registration

Contact openuniversity@aalto.fi. Please include your student number and the necessary identifying details related to the issue in your message. Depending on the situation, these may include, for example, the course code or the date/time of the teaching implementation. This information helps us resolve your issue more quickly.

Issues related to course content

For matters related to course content, you can contact the course teacher directly.

Accessibility support

If you have difficulty using Sisu due to accessibility issues, please first contact the Starting Point student services. If you know that your matter will take time, we kindly ask you to inform us in advance when you will come to the Starting Point service desk by emailing studentservices@aalto.fi. 

Starting Point service desk contact information and opening hours

Registration for courses is binding. Registration for paid courses requires payment of the course fee at the time of registration. The fee is indicated in the course description. 

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).

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 (applies only to registrations made before 10.8.2026)

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 (openuniversity@aalto.fi) and state your transfer request in the message

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

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 openuniversity@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 openuniversity@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 (openuniversity@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

The study voucher is a payment method that you can use to pay forFinnish- and Swedish-language open university studies offered by Finnish higher education institutions. The study voucher is intended for people under 29 who have completed upper secondary education in Finland and applied to higher education in the national joint application, but who have not been offered or have not accepted a study place at a higher education institution. 

Please note that voucher is not available for students,  who have compeleted their secondary education outside Finland and you can only use to register for Finnish- and Swedish-language open university courses.

The study voucher will be launched in August 2026.

How to pay with a study voucher:

1. On opin.fi, check whether you belong to the target group and whether you can be granted a study voucher. Read the detailed instructions on how it works.
2. You must activate your study voucher before you can use it to pay. Activate the study voucher by following the instructions on opin.fi.
3. Explore the offering either on opin.fi or in the Open University course catalogue.
4. Register for the course via the Sisu link in the course description. At checkout, select study voucher as the payment method and follow the on-screen instructions. Complete the payment on opin.fi, then return to Sisu and finalise your registration.
5. You will receive an Aalto user ID after you register for the course. Please remember also to use multifactor authentication!
6. If you encounter any issues, contact the Open University: avoin@aalto.fi

Aalto University study voucher page

National guidelines can be found on opin.fi

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

Exam Registration

Academic integrity (i.e. good academic practices) must be observed in Aalto Open University studies. Upon registering for a course, you agree to abide by the rules and regulations of Aalto University. Misconduct in a course (such as cheating, plagiarism, falsification, etc.; see link below)is prohibited and may result in the student failing the course or being banned for up to one year from attending the open university. In student admissions, misconduct may result in rejection of the applicant’s admission application.

At Aalto University, we use AI for work and learning purposes, teach about AI, conduct AI research and we are also developing AI technologies.

General guidelines on AI use have been drawn up for teaching and learning. Their purpose is to clarify the university’s practices with respect to AI. Aalto views AI as opening up new opportunities, and its use is indeed allowed as a support for learning. That said, course teachers always have the right to restrict AI in a course or learning task if doing so is necessary to achieve the learning objectives.

Students who use AI for an assignment in a way contrary to the teacher’s instructions may be regarded as having committed academic misconduct, and they will be dealt with in accordance with the procedures in force at the time.

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.

Aalto Open University students are entitled to individual study arrangements, that is, special teaching arrangements within reason may be made for students with a chronic illness or disability when such arrangements are applicable under the university’s procedures and guidelines for degree students. 

The right to have a safe study space and to be treated appropriately

All students have the right to a safe study environment and the right to be treated in an appropriate manner. In addition, students must be treated in a non-discriminatory manner.

Every student is responsible not only for their own actions, but for maintaining the safety and pleasantness of the study environment overall. Appropriate conduct applies to physical as well as virtual learning environments. It is prohibited to harass or otherwise inappropriately treat students, teachers or staff. Students are to observe the study-related instructions and guidelines given by the Open University, individual teachers and administrative staff.

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 openuniversity(at)aalto.fi].

Support in cases of harassment

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 event or other event at the university. Students may be banned from attending teaching for up to three working days if they exhibit violent or menacing behaviour that impairs the safety of a student or a person working at the university or in another teaching space or if they behave disruptively in a way that makes teaching or teaching-related activities unduly difficult. The director in charge of Aalto Open University operations may ban a student from attending any of the open university’s teaching for up to three working days.

Students who violate the open university’s rules concerning Aalto user IDs or who behave inappropriately on e.g. a digital learning platform may be subject to intervention in accordance with rules governing user accounts / rules of conduct.

An open university student who commits a serious breach of public order at the university through repeated academic misconduct or disruptive, threatening or violent behaviour may be refused admission to Aalto Open University studies for a period of up to one year. In urgent cases, a student may be suspended from a course that has already begun. The course fee of a student suspended from course on the grounds of conduct shall 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.