• You can have several study plans but only one can be a primary one.
• You need to have your study plan approved by the time you apply for master thesis topic at the latest.
• When your degree is compiled, your degree certificate will be based on your study plan. Check that your study plan is correct before applying for degree certificate.
• Do the timeline! In this way you can check how much studies you are planning to take and you can spread the studies more evenly.

The study plan is a binding agreement on both parties: the student and the university. It grants the student with a right to study according to the approved, official personal study plan, but at the same time, obliges the student to follow his or her study plan. Any deviation from the study plan must be checked first with the student services of your programme.

Approved study plan is used in many administrative processes, including for example:

• Credit transfer of studies completed at other universities: Credit transfer is possible only for studies that are included in the approved study plan.
• Exchange studies: Exchange studies need to be included in the approved study plan when applying for exchange.
• Aalto internal mobility and JOO studies: Studies need to be included in the approved study plan when applying for the study right.
• Graduation: The diploma will be compiled based on the approved study plan, so it is important that the study plan is up-to-date when ordering the diploma.

Even though making study plan is mandatory and it is used in many administrative processes, the study plan is first and foremost meant to be a tool for the students. Drafting your personal study plan helps you to plan your studies and keep track of their progress. When you have considered your goals, chosen the courses accordingly and drafted a realistic and target-oriented schedule for completing these studies, you have a map for making your plans a reality.

When you are creating a new study plan, select a curriculum period as the template of your plan in the pop-up window. Please select the curriculum according to the academic year when you have started your studies. If you want to, you can also choose to follow a newer curriculum.

The personal study plan is drafted in the beginning of your studies, but please note that it is beneficial for you to start planning your studies well in advance.

1. First familiarise yourself with the degree structure, i.e. which study blocksthe degree consists of (e.g. is your major long or compact, do you need a minor, would you like to include an optional minor in the Elective Studies). Your most important tool is the Curriculum page.
2. Next consider what your own interests and goals are, and what do you want to learn and which skills you want to develop during your studies (in addition to the professional and academic skills, e.g. language studies, communication skills etc.). This helps you to make the right choices regarding your specialisation area, minor studies, elective studies etc.
3. Consider whether you want to go for exchange, do an internship or complete studies at other Aalto Schools or in another Finnish university, and in which phase of your studies they best fit. Read the instructions concerning these options so that you know what they mean in practice, how they can be included in the degree, when are the application times etc.
4. When you know which studies you are going to include in your degree, the next step is to formulate a schedule for completing these studies, i.e. to place the courses to study years and teaching periods. You'll find the teaching periods and recommended study years under Curriculum.
5. Remember that your study time is limited. There are only a certain amount of years that can be used for completing the degree, and it is therefore advisable to aim at completing 60 ECTS per year. On the other hand, free time is necessary for keeping your energy level up, so it is also not wise to try to complete courses at too tight a pace.
6. Draft your personal study plan in Sisu.
7. It is rather likely that as your studies proceed, your plans may change for one reason or another. The study plan can – and needs to be – always updated according to your own situation and goals.

If you want to discuss your plans with someone or if you need guidance e.g. with Sisu, you can always contact the planning officer of the programme.

All students will be also assigned an academic advisor (professor of the major). You can contact your academic advisor if you want to discuss for example your studies, career plans, thesis topic etc.

After your study plan has been approved, you can always update it if your plans change. Remember to have it approved again!

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Update your study plan and send it for approval when you’re planning to

• include in your degree studies done on exchange,
• take courses in other Aalto schools via internal mobility,
• take courses in other Finnish universities via JOO study right,
• change your minor
• include in your degree courses done outside Aalto University.
• change courses in the Elective studies

You do not need to send your study plan for approval

• if the changes concern only your study schedule
• if you’re changing an optional course in your major for another one listed in the Study Guide

Note that it may take up to three weeks for your study plan to be approved.

Any deviation from the study plan must be checked first with the student services of your programme. If you get the approval for this deviation:

• Modify the courses into your study plan in free edit mode.
• Request for approval in the free edit mode.

Example 1: I am applying for exchange. How do I add the courses to my study plan?

In Sisu, you can have several versions of your study plan. Do not add planned exchange studies into your primary study plan, instead create an alternative plan as follows:

• Create a new study plan and name it according to your chosen destination (e.g. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven).
• Include the planned exchange studies in your plan. Select the study module in which you want to add them and press Add a study draft. 
  • If you plan to substitute a mandatory course with an exchange course, first add the planned course in your study plan. Once you have added the study draft, you can remove the course that will be substituted (use free edit mode -> remove course).
• In the elective studies, you can add the planned exchange studies as such by using Add a study draft.

If your primary study plan already includes planned exchange studies, you don’t have to make an alternative study plan. Please note that you have to apply for exchange, creating study plan with exchange does not guarantee your place abroad.

When you have completed the courses and the credits are transferred to Sisu, you can modify your study plan and add the courses there. Remove your study draft and add to the plan the completed courses from the selection on the left side.

Example 2: I want to complete some courses in the other Finnish university. How do I add the courses to my study plan?

• Select the study module in which you want to add the course, press Add a study draft, fill in the required information and press Add. You do not need to send the draft to be approved. When you have completed the courses and the credits are transferred to Sisu, you can modify your study plan and add the courses there. Remove your study draft and add to the plan the completed courses from the selection on the left side.

• Evolva
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• GE Healthcare Finland
• Nokia Technologies
• Polar Electro
• Verto Analytics
• HUS Medical Imaging
• Neste Oy
• Philips Medical Systems MR Technologies Finland
• SciLifeLab
• FIMM Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland
• Verto Analytics
• Haartman Institute (University of Helsinki)
• HIIT Helsinki Institute of Information Technology
• ZenRobotics
• BABACenter
• Orion
• Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

Healthtech Finland is an industry association and part of Technology Industries of Finland.

If a student wants to change they major, they have to prepare a free-form application and a study plan (HOPS). In the application, the student clearly expresses that they want to change the major and justifies the motivation for the planned change. In addition, the student has to confirm that they have familiarised themselves with the prerequisites of the new major and that they have the required knowledge. The application is submitted by email to the planning officer of the new major.

After receiving the application, the planning officer checks the study plan and sends the application with the HOPS to the professor in charge of the major. The planning officer or the professor in charge for the new major may request more information from the applicant. Professor of the new major may also recommend prerequisite courses. These courses can be included in the degree as elective studies. The HOPS has to be approved before the change of major is possible.

When the HOPS and change of major have been approved, the planning officer informs the student and makes necessary changes to the study register.

NOTE: If a student wants to change to the Biosystems and Biomaterials Engineering major, they have to follow the instructions and timetable of CHEM.

Changing majors is not recommended, since it may delay studies and graduation.