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

We recommend a program length from 1 to 4 weeks, but we are always open to discuss different alternatives that would suit you best.

This depends on the requested study content of the course, available faculty and classrooms. A minimum of six weeks of preparation time is usually required for a two-week program.

It is possible for students to attend lectures or work on assignments for their home university while attending a program at Aalto University, but keep in mind that the courses are planned to be full-day in terms of lectures, assignments and student excursions.

Yes, it can. This can be agreed upon when planning the program with the program coordinators at Aalto University Custom Programs. However, please remember that too many points of focus limit the depth of each individual topic.

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

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 teams or individually
• Extracurricular activities organised by Aalto University Custom Programs

Yes, the program coordinator will send the attending students (and members of faculty) an invitation letter for the visa application.

The programs are held at Aalto University Otaniemi Campus, located in Espoo, unless agreed otherwise. The campus is connected to Helsinki by metro (10 min) and to the airport by metro+train or bus (45-60 min). There is some accommodation available in Otaniemi, but more variety and availability can be found nearby in other parts of Espoo and in Helsinki as well.

Students will get more out of the courses if they have their own laptops, as lectures might include workshops in digital co-working spaces, for example. There are PC labs available to use at Otaniemi campus as well. Otaniemi offers great wifi service free of charge!

Otaniemi offers you great wifi service free of charge, and almost all forms of accommodation have free wireless connections, whether it is an Airbnb, hostel or a hotel.

Depending on the course format, the lectures can often be watched online if for some reason a student is unable to participate in the on-campus program. In the case of covid-19, Aalto University follows the regulations and instructions by the Finnish Government and Finnish Institute for Health and Wellfare.

Yes. Please be sure to purchase travel insurance from your permanent place of residence before travelling. If you are an EU/EEA citizen or resident, you may take advantage of the European Health Insurance Card, which you need to get before you travel. Please be aware of its limitations, e.g. that it does not cover private healthcare costs.

Yes, we are happy to share a list of suitable accommodation alternatives, both close to Aalto University campus and in Helsinki.

Espoo and Helsinki have an excellent public transportation system, and Aalto University even has its own metro station. When your students arrive for a program, we can make sure to purchase weekly transportation tickets for them already before they arrive. The same transportation ticket is valid in buses, metros, trams and even smaller archipelago ferries.

Read more about the Finnish public transportation system here:

https://www.hsl.fi/en/hsl 

Please describe any special needs (e.g. regarding logistics, accommodation, etc.) your students may have to the program coordinator as early as possible. They will do their best to meet your needs.

The language of instruction is English for customised courses at Aalto University. The students need to understand spoken and written English, and to be able to express their thoughts in English in order to truly participate in the course. 

Our campus is very international and students will also find that many local people speak English, so there is no problem in getting around by just using English on campus and outside the campus. The variety of accents may be diverse, though! It is always nice to be able to say something in the local language, so we encourage your students to learn some words in Finnish like for example:

• Hello: Hei
• Goodbye: Näkemiin
• Yes: Kyllä
• No: Ei
• Thank you: Kiitos
• You are welcome: Ole hyvä
• Excuse me / I'm sorry: Anteeksi
• My name is: Nimeni on

In the case of cancellation

• Cancelling 30 days before the beginning of the program: 100% refund of academic tuition fee and program fee
• Cancelling 14 days before the beginning of the program: no refund of academic tuition fee or program fee
• If Aalto University cancels the course or program: 100% refund of tuition fee and program fee

These terms apply only to cancellations of the entire student group. If the invoice has already been paid, Aalto University will deduct 15% of the total invoice amount as a bank cost fee.

Please note that accommodation might have separately agreed cancellation terms.

We do indeed have a Code of Conduct and all students that participate in Aalto University International Programs are expected to follow it.