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If your language of education is Finnish, complete:

1.    Maturity test
CHEM.kyps / ELEC.kyps / ENG.kyps / SCI.kyps (0 cr) in Finnish, completed in connection with the Bachelor’s thesis and seminar (10 cr). Instructions are given in the seminar. The maturity test is included in your major studies module.
 

2.    Swedish (the second national language)
LC-5001 National Language Requirement (Swedish) Writing Test (1 cr) and LC-5002 National Language Requirement (Swedish) Oral Test (1 cr). Include these under the “Second national language of Finland” module in your personal study plan (HOPS).
 

If you already have strong Swedish skills, including basic field-specific language, you may register directly for the Swedish tests. Often, taking a preparatory Swedish course first is advisable and the tests are taken at the end of the course. Register for tests or a suitable preparatory course according to the placement test (lähtötasotesti) instructions. 

If taking a 3–4 cr Swedish preparatory course,  include the course in your elective studies module.

3. Compulsory foreign language (3 cr)

Recommended course is LC-1117 Integrated Oral and Written Skills (has major-specific groups). Complete the course in the first year according to the recommended schedule, if possible. Include the course under the “Compulsory foreign language” module in your study plan.

If you cannot take LC-1117 course in the first year or prefer a language other than English, note: 

• The course must include both oral (o) and written (w) components. 

• Required level: CEFR B2 for English; at least B1 for other languages. 

• See the Language Centre pages for courses that qualify

If your language of education is Swedish, complete:

1.    Maturity test
CHEM.kyps / ELEC.kyps / ENG.kyps / SCI.kyps (0 cr) in Swedish, completed in connection with the Bachelor’s thesis and seminar (10 cr). Instructions are given in the seminar. The maturity test is included in your major studies module.

2.    Finnish (the second national language):
LC-7001 National Language Requirement (Finnish) Writing Test (1 cr) and LC-7002 National Language Requirement (Finnish) Oral Test (1 cr). Place these under the “Second national language of Finland” module in your personal study plan (HOPS).

3. Compulsory foreign language (3 cr)

Recommended course is LC-1117 Integrated Oral and Written Skills (has major-specific groups). Complete the course in the first year according to the recommended schedule, if possible. Include the course under the “Compulsory foreign language” module in your study plan.

If you cannot take LC-1117 course in the first year or prefer a language other than English, note: 

• The course must include both oral (o) and written (w) components. 

• Required level: CEFR B2 for English; at least B1 for other languages. 

• See the Language Centre pages for courses that qualify

If your language of education is neither Finnish nor Swedish, complete:

1.    Maturity test
CHEM.kyps / ELEC.kyps / ENG.kyps / SCI.kyps (0 cr) in English, completed in connection with the Bachelor’s thesis and seminar (10 cr). Instructions are given in the seminar. The maturity test is included in your major studies module.

2.    Language course (2–3 cr) in any language 
For international students, Finnish studies are recommended. Place this course under the “Second national language of Finland” module in your HOPS. 

3. Compulsory foreign language (3 cr)

Recommended course is LC-1117 Integrated Oral and Written Skills (has major-specific groups). Complete the course in the first year according to the recommended schedule, if possible. Include the course under the “Compulsory foreign language” module in your study plan.

If you cannot take LC-1117 course in the first year or prefer a language other than English, note: 

• The course must include both oral (o) and written (w) components. 

• Required level: CEFR B2 for English; at least B1 for other languages. 

• See the Language Centre pages for courses that qualify
 

Exemption from the language of education

If you applied for and have received an exemption from demonstrating proficiency in the language of education, follow the instruction for "Language of education: other than Finnish or Swedish" above.

Exemption from the second national language

If you have applied for and received an exemption from demonstrating proficiency in the second national language, complete: 

1.    Maturity test
Follow the instructions for the maturity test according to your language of education (Finnish or Swedish). 

2.    Language course (2–3 cr) in any language

Instead of the 1 +1 ECTS credit second national language tests, take 2–3 cr of other Language Centre language or communication studies. Place the 2–3 cr language/communication studies in the “Second national language of Finland” module in your HOPS, and submit the plan in Sisu for approval.
 

Note: If you have an exemption from the second national language and you wish to complete the second national language tests, at the time of your graduation your transcript supplement cannot include the statutory language proficiency entry under section 6(1) of Act 424/2003.

A minor subject of 20–25 ETCS is a compulsory part of a bachelor's degree. The recommendation is that you choose an intermediate level minor. As bachelor’s level studies, the courses in intermediate level minors do not tend to have too many prerequisites and are therefore easier to register for and complete.

In general, the best time to start your minor studies is during the second year of studies. The first year is usually full of compulsory courses, and by starting the minor in the 2nd year, you’ll have enough time to complete it by the end of your 3rd year. Please see the recommended timetable to confirm which semester is the best time to start completing minor studies in your major.

You can explore the different minors offered in Aalto University here: Minors | Aalto University.

• If you want to broaden your knowledge on the minor subject, you can include the additional courses, that doesn’t fit within the actual minor, in elective studies.
• If you find two minors that both really interest you, or a minor which has extent less than 20 credits, you might be able to take a second minor as part of your elective studies. Please read more below on Elective studies.
• Choosing your minor may affect the options of to which master’s programmes you can continue to, so please see the major-specific recommendations below and the Graduation page of the programme.

Elective studies can consist of individual courses that interest you, practical training, exchange studies, and/or elective minor. For possible major-specific guidelines on what courses can be included in the degree, please see the study recommendations and guidelines section of your own major below.

The extent of a bachelor’s degree is 180 ETCS, and it cannot be exceeded by a full course or more. If you already have extra credits from your language studies, or in some cases basic or major studies, the extent of elective studies may be less than the minimum stated in the curriculum.

Choosing your elective studies may affect the options of to which master’s programmes you can continue to, so please see the major-specific recommendations below and on the Graduation page of the programme.

Internationalisation

• Exchange studies
• Intercultural Communication

Language and communication studies

Aalto University Language Centre offers a wide variety of different language and communication courses. In addition to traditional language courses, the offering includes courses that will develop your social interaction or intercultural communication skills, or help you manage stage fright. Foreign students are encouraged to take Finnish courses.

• Language and communication studies

Studies offered by other universities

• Cross-institutional studies (RIPA)

MOOCs and other online courses

If you’re planning to complete elective studies in other universities, please ensure that all the courses are university level studies. In general, courses that you can include in your degree must be studies that are offered as degree studies at the other university as well. Universities also offer courses aimed at wider audiences, where the learning outcomes are lighter compared to bachelor’s level courses. As a rule, self-study online courses aimed at the general public are not suitable as part of elective studies.

There are a variety of courses and credits offered even by Aalto University that cannot be included in a bachelor’s degree, for example:

• Pedagogical education
• Aalto EE / Alex.fi courses

Elective minor

If you find two minors that both really interest you, you might be able to take a second minor as part of your elective studies. However, you must take into consideration that your main minor and elective minor must fit within the combined extent of minor and elective studies of your major. Therefore, choosing an elective minor will affect the number of individual elective courses or practical training you can include in your degree. Unlike the main minor, as your elective minor, you can select one that is less than 20 ETCS in extent.

• Example 1: The combined extent of minor (20–25 cr) and elective studies (23–28 cr) in your major is 50 ETCS. After selecting a minor worth 20 ETCS, you want to take an elective minor and complete it with the extent of 20 ETCS. There’s still room for individual elective courses worth 10 ETCS.
• Example 2: The combined extent of minor (20–25 cr) and elective studies (23–28 cr) in your major is 48 ETCS. After selecting a minor worth 25 ETCS, you can take an elective minor that may be even less than 20 ETCS. If the minimum extent of your selected elective minor is 18 ETCS and you complete it with that exact number of credits, you’ll have room for individual elective courses worth 5 ETCS. If you complete the elective minor with the extent of 23 ETCS, you cannot take any more individual elective courses.

The purpose of getting work experience is to develop and deepen the knowledge and skills gained during studies. Having work experience also helps in picturing the job opportunities after graduation and creating connections to working life. Practical training is not a mandatory part of your degree but very much recommended.

From work experience that relates to your field of study, you can get 1–10 ECTS, which can be included in your elective studies.

More information and submitting the application on the currently ongoing course page: .

It is possible to include a maximum of 10 ECTS connected to practical training in the bachelor’s degree. This means that 10 ECTS of practical training can be included either from JOIN.trai Practical Training only or 10 ECTS with a combination of JOIN.trai and other practical training course codes (e.g. JOIN-A0003 Contributing in Community).

Most master’s programmes in the School of Chemical Engineering have prerequisite courses that bachelor’s students must complete if they wish to continue to a specific master’s programme in the same school. Please see the Graduation page of the programme for the up-to-date information regarding the requirements.

ELEC majors have recommended master’s programmes that are considered the best fit and most suitable continuations to the bachelor’s studies. In these majors, the bachelor’s studies already provide all the recommended skills and knowledge to start the master’s studies without any issues.

All ELEC bachelor’s students can continue to all ELEC majors in master’s programmes, but some majors do have a specific minor or a set of courses that are suggested to be completed during the bachelor’s studies in order to have the best possible prerequisite knowledge in the subject before continuing to the master’s programme. However, not completing the recommended minor or courses does not prevent you from continuing to these master’s programmes.

Data Science students cannot take Computer Science (SCI3031) as their minor, as the contents are very similar. However, some of the individual optional courses of the minor, e.g. CS-C3170 Web Software Development and CS-C3130 Information Security, can be included in elective studies. If you are interested in taking a course offered in Computer Science minor but you’re unsure whether the contents and learning outcomes overlap with your major studies, please contact the programme staff or the responsible professor of the major to confirm the suitability well in advance.

ELEC majors have many master’s programmes that are considered suitable continuations to the bachelor’s studies. In these majors, the bachelor’s studies already provide all the recommended skills and knowledge to start the master’s studies without any issues.

All ELEC bachelor’s students can continue to all ELEC majors in master’s programmes, but some majors do have a specific minor or a set of courses that are suggested to be completed during the bachelor’s studies in order to have the best possible prerequisite knowledge in the subject before continuing to the master’s programme. However, not completing the recommended minor or courses does not prevent you from continuing to these master’s programmes.

Students of the BSc Tech programme do have a right to continue to master’s programmes within the schools of technology. While it is possible to continue to some master’s programmes directly without any additional requirements, some master’s programmes do have prerequisites regarding completed minor or individual courses. Requirements vary between different majors and depend on whether you wish to continue your master’s studies in the same school or if you are transferring to another school of technology.

Please see the continuing to a master's programme section on the Graduation and continuing to a master’s programme page to ensure you fulfill all the possible transfer requirements to your planned master’s programme.

Master’s programmes available only through an external admission process

There are some master's programmes within the field of technology that require a separate, external master's level admission, meaning that the Bachelor and Master of Science in Technology (3 yrs + 2 yrs) study right does not include a way to continue to these programmes after graduating as a bachelor. You can read more on the Continuing studies in a different school of technology after a Bachelor's degree section on the Graduation and continuing to a master’s programme page of our programme. Master's programmes with external admissions have the transfer procedure option number 4.

Almost all the international joint degree programmes, in which students study at two or more universities, have external application periods and admission as well. Please read more on the following page: International Joint Degree Programmes.

Master's level study plan is made as a continuation to your bachelor’s studies primary study plan. Click the uppermost heading of your study plan (CHEM/ELEC/ENG/SCI: Aalto Bachelor's Programme) to select the master's programme from the selection assistant menu.

Master's studies must be completed with the latest curriculum, so change the curriculum period of the master’s programme study plan template if necessary. Technical instructions on how to update the master's study plan and change the curriculum period can be found in the Sisu instructions: Changing versions in your study plan.

During your bachelor’s studies, the study plan of your master’s programme will have a notification "No study right". This doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to continue to the programme in question, nor does it prevent you from registering for the master-level courses. When you graduate with a bachelor's degree, your right to study in your chosen master’s programme will be updated in Sisu and the notification on your study plan will change to "Selection confirmed to the study right”.

Check with the learning services, or the responsible teacher of your major beforehand, whether you can include the courses you are planning to include in your degree. Please, remember that all transferred courses must be included to the BSc degree studies (180 ECTS).

When you ask for a credit transfer through inclusion a course completed at another Finnish higher institution, the approved transfer is registered with the original scope and the original grade (when the grading scale corresponds Aalto University scales). 

If you have completed or are completing higher education studies outside Aalto University you might also be able to count these towards your degree through substitution. Check the suitability of the course for substitution from the responsible teacher of the course or contact the learning services of your programme. The actual credit transfer is done when the course has been completed. 

When asked for a credit transfer through substitution (with a course corresponding a course in Aalto), the course is graded pass.

Exchange studies can also be transferred towards your degree. Normally, the suitability of exchange studies is controlled already before you go for the exchange. However, the transfer can be executed only when you have received the official transcript from the hosting higher education institution. If you are applying inclusion for an International Minor, please, apply inclusion for each course with a separate credit transfer application. 

The curriculum period at Aalto University is two years, and the courses are valid for two years at a time according to the information in Sisu. The schedules for courses and exams for the coming academic year are published annually in June. 

You must enrol for all courses in the Sisu system through your primary study plan. Course registration usually starts 28 days before the start of the period and ends 7 days after the start of the period. If a course has some other registration period, it can be seen in Sisu. See also the quick guide to registration for courses in Sisu.

As a rule, course registration is also registration for the course exam and midterm exams. However, the exceptions are the exams in the electronic exam room, retake exams and exams for major IT courses. Due to practical arrangements, in the large courses in computer science (more than 300 students), you may also need to register for a course exam. 

Registration shall also be done separately for examinations or assessments not included in the registration for the course (e.g. taking directly an exam instead of participating a course with exercises). The registration period for such examinations normally begins 60 days prior to the examination in question. For such examinations, students must register Sisu system no later than 7 days beforehand.

See also: Aalto University Examination Guidelines

As a rule, you should only register for courses that you are planning to complete. This way, as many people as possible can participate in the courses and complete them on time. English and Swedish language courses are especially popular, so schedule them carefully in your timetable.

However, if you have to drop out of the course for a special reason, discontinue the course in Sisu according to the Sisu instructions. If the course includes participation in teaching, always notify the teacher of the discontinuation of the course as early as possible since your participation may have an influence in exercise groups.

Study attainments are evaluated on the basis of one of two grading scales: 

Grading scale 0-5 where 5 is the highest grade: 

• 0 (Fail)
• 1 (Passable) 
• 2 (Satisfactory) 
• 3 (Good) 
• 4 (Very good) 
• 5 (Excellent) 

or a Fail/Pass scale. 

However, the proficiency in the second national language (Finnish/Swedish) for a bachelor’s or master’s degree is graded using the following scale: Fail / Satisfactory / Good. See “Section 28” here: Aalto University General Regulations on Teaching and Studying (in force from 1 August 2021) 

Below you can find more information in the abbreviations of the teaching events.

You can only attempt once to raise a grade for a course that has already been passed. It is not possible to change the version of completed courses in your personal study plan (HOPS), so see the "Registering to raise your grade" instructions here: Detailed instructions on registering for courses in Sisu.

If the course has several different course codes, you can also retake the approved course with some other implementation (e.g. MS-A0102 -> MS-A010X). However, you cannot have two course grading for courses with the same content. Once you have received a credit for the retaken course, send a message to the learning services of the school organising the course, and the course upgrade will be entered in Sisu and only the higher grade will remain valid for your study attainments.

You can retake a failed course as long as there are opportunities to complete the course.

Sisu lists all of your completed studies below the information on your right to study on your transcript of records. Your completed study modules along with the courses included in them are listed first, then your other completed courses, and finally any partially completed courses. Studies appear in the order they were completed, from the most recent to the oldest. 

Once you pass a course, it will be listed on the transcript, and this information on passed courses cannot be removed from the transcript. The cancelled or failed courses are not listed on your transcript of records. When you raise your course grade, only the raised grade is shown on the transcript of records, i.e. if the grade does not raise when the course is retaken, the highest grade remains valid.

You can download your electronic transcript of records from 'My Profile' section in Sisu. See detailed instructions on SisuHELP. The electronic transcript of records is only authentic in its electronic form and not as a printed copy, for example. You cannot edit the document. Any changes to the file will invalidate the electronic signature.

The transcript also shows the grading scales used for your assessments, explanations of their scope in credits, studies completed elsewhere (asterisked), and the languages of learning (i.e. languages of study attainments).

Application process

Changing one’s major occurs once a year at the beginning of May.

How to apply: Changing major within Aalto Bachelor's Programme in Science and Technology

Other possibilities to change the study track

The best time to change the study track is between the BSc and MSc degrees. It is possible to continue studies at a different master's programme that the student originally had the study right for. You can check the criteria for continuing studies in a different school of technology after a Bachelor's degree.

Currently, it is not possible to be admitted to this programme by changing one’s degree programme or applying for transfer from another university.

Universities Act (558/2009) and the amendment of the previous Universities Act (556/2005) include regulations regarding the normative duration of studies for university degrees, the duration of the right to study and extensions of this right. The stipulations apply to students who were granted the right to pursue a degree on or after 1st August 2005.

The student is considered to start the degree studies on the date when he/she accepts the study place in the university. The normative duration of studies for the Bachelor of Science degree is three years and for Master of Science degree two years.

Those students who were granted the right to pursue both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees have the right to complete the degrees in a time exceeding the normative duration of studies by a maximum of two years (altogether seven years).

The duration of studies is not affected by military service, conscription or maternity/paternity or parent leave. In addition, the duration of studies does not include an absence of a maximum of two terms for which the student has registered as non-attending. Should the student fail to register for attendance or non-attendance, this term or these terms shall be included in the duration of studies.

If a student has not completed their degree in the maximum duration of studies, but wants to finish the studies, it is possible to apply for extension. The extension can be granted, if the student can present a study plan on how to complete all the missing study modules within a reasonable time. An approved study plan specifying the courses and schedules must be attached to the application. The decision on the duration of the extension shall be made taking into consideration the previously completed studies and the estimated duration of studies specified in the study plan. Additionally, any previous extension will affect the decision.

For further information, please contact the student services of the programme.