Combining an athletic career with studying at Aalto

You can apply for Urhea’s membership through the Urhea website:https://urhea.fi/ota-yhteytta/haku-urheaan/ (site in Finnish only) 

Elite athletes receive the same advice and guidance as all the other Aalto students: the planning officers and coordinators of the student’s programme will help students to plan and schedule their studies and create a personal study plan. In addition to the standard student services, elite athletes have access to specialised support, provided they are

members of Urhea. In practice, supporting the student in studies means being flexible with e.g. the deadlines and channels for returning coursework, as well as flexibility with examination times and places, when possible. If possible with respect to the learning outcomes, flexibility is also recommended regarding compulsory attendance when the student is at a training camp or travelling to a competition. This does not mean that the learning outcomes are negotiable, but that flexibility be applied especially to completion methods and schedules. The student should discuss any special arrangements with the relevant teacher. They should contact the teacher well in advance of the course beginning if they need flexibility in the course arrangements.

There are two courses reserved only for students who are members of Urhea. For more information on the courses, see below.

Each school has an Urhea contact person who can provide information on the support available for student-athletes as well as issue a certificate of the student’s Urhea membership upon request. (See below for details.) The student’s career in sports is also taken into consideration when student-athletes apply for an extension to their right to study. The School of Business allows students to delay their choice of major if they are unable to complete the first-year courses in the recommended time. 

As an Urhea member, you are entitled to request for a certificate of your Urhea membership. The certificate will serve as a recommendation for teachers to allow flexibility in studies if special arrangements are required due to your career in sports. Submit the recommendation to your teacher and agree on any special arrangements well in advance of the course.

Students who are Urhea members are offered two special courses, which can be included in the elective studies of their degree. You can complete the courses independently in your own time within a single academic year. For details on the course contents and assignments, see MyCourses. Only Urhea members can register for these courses.

JOIN-C1000 Dual Career and Wellbeing of Student-Athlete (3 cr)

JOIN-E1000 Utilising Sports Skills in Career Planning (3 cr)

Throughout the academic year, members of Urhea have a chance to meet with other elite athletes and get peer support. The events give students information concerning the current affairs of Urhea and Aalto and are organised around varying themes, such as communicating your competencies or making the transition to the world of work. The event attendees include a varying number of alumni and stakeholders as well as the Urhea contact persons of the schools.

The contact persons will email information about the meetings using the Aalto email addresses. Please contact the Urhea contact person of your school if you are not sure whether you are on the university list of Urhea members. 

Kauppakorkeakoulun suomenkieliseen Kauppatieteiden kandidaattiohjelmaan voi hakea erityiset saavutukset -nimisen hakukohteen kautta, jos hakijalla on tavanomaisten hakukelpoisuusvaatimusten lisäksi jokin hakukelpoisuuden antavan tutkinnon aikana saavutettu erityinen saavutus. Tällainen saavutus voi olla jokin saman ikäisten keskimääräiseen tasoon verrattuna erittäin merkittävä suoritus yrittäjyyden, johtajuuden, vapaaehtoistoiminnan, urheilun, musiikin, taiteen, tieteen/tekniikan alalla, tai jollakin muulla alalla. Lisätietoa väylästä ja valintaperusteista löytyy Opintopolusta.

The Metropolitan Area Sports Academy Urhea is an official elite sports academy approved by the Finnish Olympic Committee. Urhea works in close cooperation with the Finnish Olympic Committee and its unit for elite sports (huippu-urheiluyksikkö). Urhea is a foundation supporting the daily training of athletes, helping them to combine sports and education and bringing expert coaching services to the everyday life of athletes and their coaches.  Its operations are intended for young athletes who aim for or have already attained the highest level of performance in their sport.  

For more information on Urhea, go to:www.urhea.fi. 

Aalto University and the Metropolitan Area Sports Academy Urhea have been partners since 2015. Through its partnership contract with Urhea, Aalto University is committed to supporting students who wish to combine competing with studying. In practice, support may take the form of flexible arrangements regarding lectures, assignments or examinations, but the final decision on these arrangements rests with the teacher responsible for the course. As necessary, teachers of student-athletes who have requested for flexibility may contact Aalto University’s Professor of Practice Sami Itani ([email protected]) to discuss practical examples of flexible arrangements made to support a career in sports.