The AAC (University Academic Affairs Committee) decided at its meeting of 10 September 2024 the amendments to the Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying (OOS) section 36 concerning the changes to transfer of credits principles, i.e. studies completed elsewhere and learning demonstrated in some other manner may be incorporated into an Aalto University degree. The name of section 36 was also changed to ‘Credit transfer and other ways to incorporate studies into a degree’.

Key changes for students:

• A course completed at a Finnish higher education institution may be incorporated into an Aalto University degree and entered as a transfer of credit into the student register with the given grade (i.e. 1–5) instead of a Pass if the grading scale of the completed course is equivalent to that used at Aalto. However, this does not apply to courses that could substitute for specific Aalto courses.
• As before, transfer credits may account for up to one half of the entire scope of an Aalto University degree, excluding theses and maturity essays, which may not be used for transfer credits. After OOS section 36 has been amended, detailed provisions will be given elaborating the maximum allowable scope of transfer credits for specific parts of a degree. Transfer credits may in the future account for up to one half of the scope of the following parts of a degree: degree programme studies (excluding language and communication studies); degree programme core studies; and studies for a major. As before, transfer students are an exception to the maximum allowable scope of transfer credits. The same exception also applies to situations where agreement-based studies are a compulsory part of a degree.
• In the future, agreement-based studies completed at an institution of higher education in Finland may be transferred to the Aalto student register without the transfer-of-credit procedure if the studies were approved as part of the degree programme’s curriculum. This change is related to the increasingly broad adoption of cross-institutional study services in Finland.

The amended principles for credit transfers will enter into force on 1 January 2025 and apply to applications for transfer of credit submitted after amendments’ entry into force. 

Aalto University’s instructions on transfer of credit are being revised this autumn.

In autumn 2024, the university will also add details to its instructions for preparing educational project contracts. Agreement-based studies will be part of work of planning Aalto’s next curriculum. The updated instructions will apply to the curriculum period that begins in autumn 2026.

The amended section 36 of the OOS