Selection criteria and terms of exchange
Information about the terms of exchange.
More detailed instructions (timetables, application form, application attachments, proof of language proficiency, available destinations, school spceific instructions, and important points to consider) can be found below.
You can apply to Aalto partner schools during the Aalto application rounds. The main application round for all Aalto schools for exchange in the academic year 2025-2026 is 10 - 31 January 2025.
In January's application round, it is possible to apply for the next autumn or spring term.
The online exchange application is open only during the application rounds. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
Below you will find the exact application timetables and other possible school specific application rounds.
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
The application round for exchange studies abroad in the ARTS partner universities is held twice a year.
Exchange info sessions |
Info sessions on September's application round:
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Main application round
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January 2025 |
Secondary application round
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2 - 20 September 2024 (16.00) |
All applicants will be informed of the selections by email approximately in 2 - 3 weeks after the application deadline. Please note that we do not comment the selections before the official decisions have been made.
School of Business
Application timetables for undergraduate or graduate level exchange for the academic year 2025-2026, Otaniemi campus.
Exchange info In English: see the BIZ Exchange info for the AY 2024-25 presentation slides
Vaihtoinfo suomeksi: BIZ Vaihtoinfo 2024-25 esitys suomeksi
Application dates (application form in portal) | 10.1.–31.1.2025 (16.00) |
Applicant's studies checked for selection | Fri 31.1. |
Publication of selection results | Fri 28.2. |
Deadline for students to accept the place | Fri 7.3. |
Secondary application round for the spring 2026 | 14.8-21.8. |
Applicant's studies checked for selection | 21.8. |
Publication of selection results | As soon as possible |
Deadline for students to accept the place | Will be announced |
Technical schools (CHEM, ELEC, ENG, SCI)
Main application period The studies calculated for the academic index need to be registered to the student register by the end of the application period. |
Exchange during the academic year 2025–26 in
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Second round application period The studies calculated for the academic index need to be registered to the student register by the end of the application period. |
Exchange during the spring term 2025 only in
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Main application period The studies calculated for the academic index need to be registered to the student register by the end of the application period. |
Exchange during the academic year 2025-26 in
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Host universities have different kinds of language requirements. The language in which the studies are completed depends on the host university's study offer. Although courses might be offered in English, the host university might acquire for example basic skills in the host country's language.
To check if you fullfill the host university's application criteria, check from the Destination Database of your own Aalto University field of study. Please check host universitiy's website for the following information before submitting your Aalto application:
You can be selected only to a destination which langauge requirements and recommendations you fullfill. Note that even if the host university wouldn't require a language certificate from the student, Aalto can ask the applicant to provide a written certificate of the student's language skills in the Aalto application stage. This way we can be assured that you have the language skills required to complete studies at the destination.
In unclear cases, contact the destination's Aalto Coordinator, to check if your language skills fullfill the application criteria. In certain cases, your Exchange Coordinator can ask you to provide a language certificate from the Aalto Language Center.
1. You have completed a CEFR B2 level English course at Aalto University language centre or in another institute of higher education, and the course is recorded to your transcript of records at Aalto University.
2. If you are studying at Aalto in a programme which teaching language is officially English
3. A certificate from the language teacher at the Language Center
Additiona information about the language certificates from the Language center and MyCourses (booking a time etc).
4. Official English language test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS)
5. Other ways to prove your English Language skills:
6. If the host university requires level C1 (CEFR) in English language
You can apply to a destination which requires a certificate of C1 level, if you have completed a B2 level course in English at Aalto with grade 4 or 5.
Options to receive a CERF assessment (if you have not completed a language course)
If you need a certificate of a certain CEFR level, but you have not completed a language course at Aalto, contact the Aalto Language Center to find out if it is possible to determine your CEFR level on the basis of the following certificates or grades:
Note that in these cases, your eligibility to the destination which you have chosen depends on if you can provide a language certificate with a CEFR level.
More information on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) self-assessment grids.
Official language tests in e.g. Japanese (JLPT) and Chinese (HSK) are organized somewhat rarely. If the host university requires an official language test results (normally only if you wish to study in the language):
Start making your study plan, i.e. planning your course selections well in advance, so that you have time to consider your destination carefully. Find out which universities offer the most interesting and suitable courses for you.
The exchange study plan is made for
In European destinations, the credits correspond to Aalto credits. Many universities located outside Europe in form their credits as local credits, not ECTS credits. The amount of studies in local credits varies. Check from the Destination Database for how many local credits your study plan has to be made.
Before you apply for exchange, discuss with your Study Advisor/Academic Advisor/Study Coordinator/Professor , what would be the best timing for your studies and waht studies you can complete during your exchange.
More information on destination specific course selection instructions, and links to our partner universities' course information, is available in your school's Destination Database. During the Aalto application round, the host institution's next academic year's course information is not normally available, so the study plans can always be made based on the available course information. You can use the course information from previous or current academic year, exchange reports, or contact the Exchange Coordinator of your own school or the Coordinator responsible for the destination at Aalto.
The credit transfer of your exchange studies is not voluntary. Credits completed abroad have to be included in your degree, since you have received the exchange placement on the basis of your study right at Aalto University (or the exchange has been considered as official student exchange), as well as student exchange scholaship, and possibly student aid. You must apply for credit transfer for the exchange studies in Sisu as soon as possible after your exchange has ended, and you have received the official transcript of records from your host institution.
Also note that FPA (KELA) takes into consideration only the credits included (transfered) in your Aalto transcriot of records, when checking the progress of your studies.
For school specific instructions on how to make your study plan, please see below.
Students of School of Business pariticpating in student exchange normally complete the International Minor as part of their degree. The extent of the International Minor in the undergraduate level degree is at least 30 credits and in the masterl level degree at least 24 credits. In master level destinations, where the academic year consits of trimesters it is not necessarily possible to complete enough credits for full International Minor. In these cases, you have to complete additional studies for the International Minor after your exchange.
Criteria for the exchange studies:
If you are planning to apply for exchange, you must included the exchange in your personal study plan in Sisu ad plan the studies so that the completed studies can be transferred into your degree. Remember that the International Minor must be included in your personal study plan (eHOPS) already at the time of your BIZ exchange application round.
It is possible to transfer the credits of an official student exchange as follows:
In order to add the International Minor into the student's degree, at least 18 credits of the exchange studies have to be included as part of the minor. From autumn 2018 onwards, the courses completed during the exchange have been transfered individually, i.e.the completed courses will appear in the Aalto transcript under the International Minor individually under the original name and credit number. Studies as graded as accepted/fail.
Studies completed abroad outside the official student exchange cannot be included in the International Minor.
IDBM-programme (exception):
Students of IDBM (BIZ) programme who have started their studies 1.8.2018 or after, cannot complete International Minor. The exchange studies are normally transferred into their degree as electives instead. If you apply for exchange, elective studies must be mainly reserved for exchange studies. During the exchange selections, students' personal study plans are checked and the elective studies have to be reserved for exchange.
Exchange studies can also be included elsewhere in your degree if their content is suitable for your degree. For more information on the content of the exchange studies, please contact IDBM's Planning Officer.
Criteria for the exchange studies:
Study Plan
When you choose your destinations, you must check that all the destinations which you have chosen offer you enough studies during the semester which you apply for.and in which language the host institution's studies are.
When you have found out what courses the destinations which you have chosen offer, you must write a study plan to all destinations which you have chosen.
The study plan is not final. The plan can be modified if necessary after your acceptance to the host university. All changes have to be approved by your Academic Advisor immediatly.
Note that ARTS exchange agreements are normally made for specific study fields, for example with certain faculty, department or programme/major, which defines what courses you can select from the host institution. This might restrict the number of courses which are availabe for you at the host institution. Also note that not all destinations offer a degree programme which is exactly the same as your programme/major at ARTS. Instead, they can offer for example a general programme in Design, or different types of programmes related to your major.
Criteria for the exchange studies:
Practical instructions:
To apply for student exchange you have to fill in and submit the Aalto BIZ Outgoing Student Exchange Application which is open in the BIZ Study Abroad Portal during the application rounds. Fill in only 1 application. You can apply to 1-10 destinations with one application form. Check the list of the available exchage places for the academic year 2024-2025.
List of available Undergraduate and Graduate exchange places spring 2025 (second round application).
Number of available exchange places is limited. Please note: Destinations which have flexible slots (eg. 4 UG/G) between study levels are included to both lists (green column). Destinations which have strictly divided slots (eg. 1 UG+1G) have available study level places in green column (other study level marked to notes on allocations column).
Remember to check that you are selecting options from the list of right study level (UG/G) above. From above, read the instructions for filling the online application carefully. Read also the exchange info slides
Upload the following attachments to the online application. Without them the application cannot be submitted. Scan the attachments in PDF (other file formats are not accepted). The max. size for all attachments in total is 10 MB. Remember to also add the International Minor as your minor to your Personal Study Plan (PSP).
In addition to these, the following documents are attached to the application only if necessary:
Please note that the available destinations will be confirmed before each application period. These will be announced on this site.
You can apply to max. 10 destinations, in a binding order of preference.
If you are not selected to any of the options stated in the application form you can be offered a place in some other university if this has been marked in your application ("wild card option").
To apply for student exchange you have to fill in and submit the Aalto ARTS Outgoing Student Exchange Application which is open in the ARTS Study Abroad Portal during the application rounds. Fill in only 1 application. You can apply to 1 - 4 destinations with one application form. Read below the instructions for filling the online application carefully.
If you are applying for free mover exchange (i.e. to a destination which is not ARTS partner university), please fill in and submit the free mover application and follow instructions found on page free mover exchange.
Upload the following attachments to the online application. Without them the application cannot be submitted. Scan the attachments in PDF (other file formats are not accepted). The max. size for all attachments in total is 10 MB.
In addition to these, the following documents are attached to the application only if necessary:
Remember to acquire all the required attachments well before the deadline. Late attachments are not accepted. Incomplete applications are not processed.
Open places will be published by the beginning of each application round in the ARTS Destination Database.
Note that all destinations are not open on each application round. In the spring's application round, you can apply for exchange for the following autumn or spring semester. In the autumn's application round, you can apply for exchange for the the following spring semester
You can apply to destinations which are marked open for your degree programme, major and study level (i.e. UG, MA, PHD) in the ARTS Destination Database for the following semester/academic year.
You can apply to 1-4 destinations.
If you are not chosen to any of the destinations which you have chosen, we can propose another destination for you, if you wish, if there are open places available to destinations which application deadline has not passed, if you are eligible to apply.
To apply for student exchange you have to fill in and submit the Aalto TECH Outgoing Student Exchange Application which is open in the TECH Study Abroad Portal during the application rounds mentioned at the beginning of this page. Fill in only one application. You can apply to 1-3 destinations with one application form. From below, read the instructions for filling the online application carefully.
Upload the following attachments to the online application. Without them the application cannot be submitted. Scan the attachments in PDF (other file formats are not accepted). The max. size for all attachments in total is 10 MB.
The available destinations will be confirmed before each application period. You can apply to max. 3 destinations, in a binding order of preference. Every semester is marked as a separate alternative in the application.
If you apply to 3 destinations, you may also choose a "wild card option". If you choose a wild card option in your application, and you are not selected to any of your 3 stated options, you may be offered a place in another university. If you have less than 3 destinations on your application, a wild card destination may not be offered to you.
Information about the terms of exchange.
Free mover applicants organize their exchange completely independently.
Exchange coordinators' contact information (outgoing exchanges from Aalto to partner universities).