Congratulations for the admission and welcome to study at the Aalto University School of Business! On this page you will find instructions for starting your studies and the orientation programme.
Prepare for your Master’s studies:
- Follow the instructions for new students on the page New Master's students and this page
- Read carefully the newsletters sent to new students during spring and summer:
Road to Aalto 1 (April 9, 2026)
Road to Aalto 2 (April 22, 2026)
Road to Aalto 3 (May 5, 2026)
Road to Aalto 5 (May 21, 2026) - Activate your Aalto IT user account and complete the preorientation on the MyCourses learning platform
- Reserve time for orientation events
- Online info sessions about study planning will be held in mid-August. The timetables for the fall 2026 orientation are published in the table below and will be updated during spring.
- Online orientation sessions will not be recorded but all the materials are published on this page after the events.
- Orientation week is organized on Aug 24 – Aug 28, 2026. Events take place both during the day and in the evenings.
- Create a preliminary study plan and register for period I courses by Aug 24.
- Participate in orientation events.
- Start your studies: first courses will begin on Aug 31, 2026.
Participating in orientation is an important part of starting your university studies. During the orientation you will familiarize yourself with studying and student life, your courses, study environment and university practices. You will also receive information about services available to you and get to know your fellow students, tutors, staff and faculty.
Attending the orientation events and activities is highly recommended for all new students. If you cannot attend, please inform your planning officer and familiarize yourself with the information provided on these pages.
Orientation schedule for new Master's students fall 2026
All necessary links, schedules, and information about orientation will be updated on this page throughout the spring and summer.
| Day and time (GMT +3) | Program | Place |
| July-August | Complete Pre-orientation course after you have activated your Aalto account |
|
| Tuesday 11.8.2026 | ||
| 15.00-16.00 |
Study plan, course registration and credit transfers in English
The course registration deadline is 24 August for most courses, so we encourage you to attend this session. There will be time for questions during the whole session. |
Online |
| Programme-specific online sessions scheduled here below. These online info sessions are esigned specifically for new master’s students in respective MSc programmes. You’ll receive a brief introduction to the programme and course selections in Period I. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about your studies or the programme in general. |
||
| Wednesday 12.8.2026 | ||
| 15.00-16.00 |
Study plan, course registration and credit transfers in Finnish (Suomeksi)
The course registration deadline is 24 August for most courses, so we encourage you to attend this session. There will be time for questions during the whole session. |
Online |
| Programme-specific online sessions scheduled here below. These online info sessions are esigned specifically for new master’s students in respective MSc programmes. You’ll receive a brief introduction to the programme and course selections in Period I. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about your studies or the programme in general. |
||
| Thursday 13.8.2026 | ||
| Programme-specific online sessions scheduled here below. These online info sessions are esigned specifically for new master’s students in respective MSc programmes. You’ll receive a brief introduction to the programme and course selections in Period I. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about your studies or the programme in general. |
||
| Friday 14.8.2026 | ||
| Possible programme-specific online sessions scheduled here below: | ||
| Monday 17.8.2026 | ||
| 15.00*-17.00 | Study plan clinic (optional) Available programme-specific drop-in guidance for any questions concerning your personal study plan in Sisu. This session is organized on first come, first serve basis and we will accept students to the Zoom meeting one by one. |
Online |
| Day and time (GMT +3) | Program | Place |
| Monday 24.8.2026 | ||
| 09.00- | Welcome breakfast Breakfast is served for all new students with their tutors |
School of Business, Ekonominaukio 1, ground floor lobby |
| 10.00-12.00 | Welcome to Aalto University School of Business! Dean's welcome, Dean Timo Korkeamäki Introduction to orientation week Greetings from Aalto University Student Union AYY Association for Business Students KY |
School of Business, Ekonominaukio 1, ground floor lobby |
| 12.00-13.15 | Lunchbreak | Lunch with tutors |
| 13.15-15.00 | Practical information on studies School of Business Learning Services Exchange studies CEMS Starting Point of Wellbeing |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1. Lecture hall A. |
| 18.00-23.00 | Programme organized by business students association KY: Night of the Clubs. Various KY's Clubs present themselves in the form of checkpoints and a party at Betonimiehenkuja 3. All new students are welcome to the event, including exchange students after the Exchange Extravaganza |
Betonimiehenkuja 3 |
| Tuesday 25.8.2026 | ||
| 10.00-16.00 | The HSL (Helsinki Region Transport) pop-up service point To obtain or update a HSL card. |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1 |
| Between 10.00-18.00 | Master's programmes' kickoffs Degree programme specific kick-off sessions (around 2 h per programme) at campus, where you get to meet fellow new master's students, meet faculty & subject club representatives. Programme-specific kick-off schedule will be updated in spring. |
School of Business, Ekonominaukio 1 |
| Wednesday 26.8.2026 | ||
| 10.00-15.00 | DVV, Digital and population data services agency Possibility to register your place of residence and your permanent municipality of residence in Finland. Requires preparation, see more here. |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1 |
| 10.00-16.00 | The HSL (Helsinki Region Transport) pop-up service point To obtain or update a HSL card, see more here. |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1 |
| 10.00-11.00 | Drop-in: tuition fee and scholarship advice (optional): If you have any questions concerning on tuition fees and scholarships, you can drop by and get personal guidance. |
School of Business Ekonominaukio 1, 1st floor. Learning Services help desk Y115 |
| 14.15-15.45 | Campus tour with tutors Get to know Aalto’s campus with your student tutors! A relaxed walk through key spots, helpful tips, and a great chance to ask questions along the way. |
Around campus |
| 16.00-18.00 | Welcome Evening for new Master’s students Organized by School of Business Career Services & Alumni Relations. More information and registration link will be updated. |
School of Business, Ekonominaukio 1, ground floor lobby |
| Thursday 27.8.2026 | ||
| 10.00-15.00 | Aalto Welcome Fair At the fair, you will meet with several different organizations that can support you during your studies, and you will get information about other useful services. |
Aalto University Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1. |
| 12.30-14.00 | Better Student Life -lecture During the lecture you will get a concise overview of who supports you in various situations during your studies. |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1, Aalto-hall. |
| 10.00-15.00 | DVV, Digital and population data services agency Possibility to register your place of residence and your permanent municipality of residence in Finland. Requires preparation, see more here. |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1 |
| 10.00-16.00 | The HSL (Helsinki Region Transport) pop-up service point To obtain or update a HSL card, see more here. |
Undergraduate Center, Otakaari 1 |
| Day and time (GMT +3) | Program | Place |
| Tuesday 1.9.2026 | ||
| Aalto Day One Opening of the academic year 2026-2027 Registration and more information TBA |
||
| 13.15 | Opening ceremony | Undergraduate Centre U2 hall and online |
| 14.15 | Aalto Awards and Reception | Marsio and online |
| 15.30 | Aalto Party | Alvar Aalto's Park |
Support for starting your studies
Tutors are senior students who help new students during orientation week and at the beginning of their studies. Each new student is assigned a student tutor who has completed tutoring training. Tutoring is carried out in cooperation with tutors, University personnel and student organizations. Each major has their own tutors, who introduce students to the campus, student organization activities (KY & AYY) and student life in general.
Your student tutor will contact you at the latest during week 34. Your contact information will be given to your tutor. If you haven't been contacted by your tutor by the end of week 34, please contact studentservices@aalto.fi.
Planning officers support students in study affairs: planning of studies (personal study plan), guidance on practical study affairs and counselling in challenging study situations. You meet your programme’s planning officer during the orientation week and can contact them any time during your studies.
You can reach your planning officer through programmes-biz@aalto.fi.
Academic advisers are faculty members who also act as mentors for students of their department. You can talk about your academic ambitions, interests and study goals with the academic adviser.
Some programmes assign academic advisers to all students, some name the advisers per research topic. If you don’t know how to contact an academic adviser, please ask your planning officer through programmes-biz@aalto.fi.
Frequently asked questions
You’ll receive a newsletter for new students via email about once a month during the summer. Please read the emails carefully since they include important information about starting your studies at Aalto University. The email address we use is the one you gave when you applied to Aalto.
Your student tutor and planning officer will contact you in August via email or phone with details about the start of studies. You can also chat with students of Aalto Business School here.
The events and activities during orientation are planned to ensure a smooth start of studies. You will learn all you need about the start of studies by following the instructions on this page, reading your email and participating in the orientation.
Here on your programme pages. This is the study guide of the programme and here you can find the curricula, instructions for study planning, available study options and instructions for all study related matters.
Please familiarise yourself with the page New Master’s students and this page that you are currently on (Starting your studies). These pages contain information relevant to new students. Complete also the preorientation in MyCourses.
You can browse through the Student guide to learn more about practices. The most important information is part of the orientation programme.
The beginning of the academic year is the busiest time for the planning officers and they get many emails. Your planning officer will reply to you as soon as possible.
If you have a study related question, instead of sending an email, please do the following.
- Check if the information is available on these pages, New Master's students, or in the newsletters you received.
- If the subject of your question is part of the orientation programme, attend the orientation event. Please also attend the available Q&A sessions and/or clinics and ask there.
- If you can’t find the information and the matter is urgent, call your planning officer via phone or contact the student services at studentservices@aalto.fi.
Please also note that during August-September we can't prioritize emails with questions that will be answered during the orientation or are answered in the materials sent to new students.
The degree structure of your programme and the courses it includes are listed under Curriculum 2026–2028. You can find instructions for planning your studies under During your studies > Planning your studies.
The study plan is created in student information system Sisu and the detailed instructions for creating your study plan are part of the orientation programme.
Please note that all our programmes are full-time programmes that run mainly on campus. We do not recommend working full-time during the studies.
The amount of compulsory attendance depends on the course. Please familiar yourself with the detailed course descriptions in the student information system Sisu.
Yes, you can transfer credits completed outside of Aalto University to your degree. You can use them to substitute a specific Aalto course or include them in the degree as is towards e.g. the electives. Please read more about credit transfer here. The detailed instructions are part of the orientation programme.
Course registrations are done in the student information system Sisu through your study plan. Please see the instructions here. The detailed instructions are also part of the orientation programme.
If the registration period is still ongoing, register for the course even if there appears to be more participants than allowed. The participants will be confirmed only after the registration period has ended. In many courses, priority will be given to students in the programme that organises the course. This information is available on the course brochure in Sisu.
If the registration period has ended, please choose another course.
Personal Study Plan or PSP (sometimes referred to with the Finnish abbreviation HOPS) is a plan for the courses you are going to include in your degree. It also includes a schedule for your studies over the planned study time.
PSP is used for e.g. course registration and graduation, but primarily it is your planning tool that helps you plan your studies. PSPs are made in the Sisu system.
Yes, you can. We ask you to make your personal study plan first and foremost to help you plan your studies. The first version of your study plan is done during the orientation, but you are allowed to change your plans. Please see the instructions under During your studies > Planning your studies.
The scope of the Master's degree is 120 cr. Students are allowed to extend the degree by one course. Plan your studies to meet the 120 credits.
No, they won't. The degree certificate includes only the courses that are part of your degree. You can, however, download a transcript of records from Sisu that will show all the courses you have completed at Aalto University.
This is not possible. You cannot hide or delete courses from the study register.
We recommend that you start the thesis process in the beginning of the second study year.
The duration of the thesis work typically takes between one and two semesters to complete. The thesis is either 20 or 30 ECTS, depending on the requirements of your specific degree programme.