Take time to plan your studies. You have to make important decisions in different stages of your studies:
- How to plan the studies so that it's possible to graduate in time?
- What studies to include in your degree?
- What minor studies to take?
- Should the studies include an exchange period or an internship abroad?
- What projects to include in studies?
- What is the subject of thesis work?
You build your own, individual study plan which helps you to define your studies as a whole. Well planned studies are a key to successful studies.
You can view your degree structure and information on courses and study modules in Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi) once you’ve made a HOPS study plan (Sisu Help).
Your study plan automatically shows the courses and study modules that are compulsory, i.e. those you are required to complete in order to graduate. For your elective (optional) studies module, you can find courses by using the search function either in Sisu’s ‘selection assistant’ or on the Search page (click Search on the upper banner).
Personal study plan
Practical tool to define your own study path is called Personal Study Plan (PSP or Finnish HOPS). The personal study plan is drawn up and approved by the student and the persons appointed by the degree programme together. Although HOPS is mandatory document that needs to be confirmed academic advisor, it is also a useful tool for you to keep up with your studies. At best it shows you at which stage your studies are and it sets concrete milestones that you can follow.
HOPS tools that are in use in Aalto ARTS:
Personal study plan is approved by your academic advisor. You can update the plan as needed, but the main goal is to make a realistic plan to support your studies. Please note that you need a valid plan for example to apply for exchange or minor studies.
Sisu support
If you can not find answers in instructions and have problems with your PSP or course registration in Sisu, you can come and visit our Sisu clinic, where we can check individually, how to manage the problem. Clinic is not a lecture about Sisu. Next clinics and links to them:
SISU clinics spring 2023
Zoom link is same for all the clinics: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/64516644762
January
Wed 18.1. at 10.00-11.30 AM
Fri 20.1. at 12.30-14.00 PM
February
Wed 15.2. at 13.30-15.00 PM
Fri 17.2. at 10.00-11.30 AM
March
Fri 17.3. at 10.00-11.30 AM
Wed 22.3. at 10.00-11.30 AM
Fri 24.3. at 13.00-14.30 PM
April
Wed 12.4. at 12.00-13.30 PM
Fri 14.4. at 10.00-11.30 AM
May
Fri 12.5. at 13.00-14.30 PM (especially for study extensions applicants)
Tue 23.5. at 10.00-11.30 AM
Fri 26.5. at 10.00-11.30 AM
June
Tue 13.6. at 12.30-14.00 PM
Fri 16.6. at 10.00-11.30 AM
Instructions on studying
Students must register to courses in the registration period in order to participate and complete courses. Sisu is used for registration to courses.
- As a main rule, registration to courses starts 28 days before the period of the course starts and ends 7 days before the period (if the course has a limited number of spaces) or 7 days after the period starts.
- If a course has some other registration period, it can be seen in Sisu.
- It is the responsibility of the programme and teacher to inform of special registration times.
- NOTICE! The courses do dot always start in the start of the period. Still the registation to courses is before the period starts. For special reasons the registering period can differ from these guidelines, please check the times from Sisu.
Decision of the Academic Committee on Arts, Design and Architecture of 16 June 2021.
The order of priority is as follows since August 9, 2021:
1. Students of the program / major whose program / major studies include the course
2. Exchange students in the program / major for whose study plan the course has been approved
In addition, it has been possible to set quotas for the following students for the course
3. students whose course is part of a minor subject
4. students who have applied for the course through various mobility studies (JOO studies, separate studies, etc.)
The remaining places can be filled by students from the following target groups:
5. other ARTS students
6. Aalto students
Courses that are cross-disciplinary by default, can use the order of priority that is compatible with the course's learning objectives (eg. UWAS and elective art and theory courses offered by TAS). However, the university's obligation to organize the studies in a manner that allows the students to complete their studies within the normative duration of studies applies in these cases too. Quotas for different groups of students can be set for courses for a justified reason.
The order of priority does not override the teacher's right to set prerequisites for the course.
If the course is so popular that only some of the students in the program / major can be accepted, the university's obligation to arrange the studies in a way that allows students to complete their studies within the normative duration may be taken into account.
Will be updated
The guidance counsellor of ARTS
With the guidance counsellor, you can talk about all matters related to your studies and future plans, get help with structuring your thoughts and get support for broader study planning and goal setting. The guidance counsellor can also help when you would like to talk with someone about your studies but are not sure whom to contact.
The guidance counsellor can help if you want to, for example,
- reflect your strengths and interests
- explore different study options (minors, study exchange etc.)
- discuss any subject concerning your studies that puzzles you (motivation, change of program/field etc.)
You can reserve time via MyStudies. The length of the appointment is 45 minutes and available times (ca. 3/week) are on different weekdays.