Cross-institutional studies between higher education institutions

A number of University of Helsinki degree programmes belong to one of several national networks for cross-institutional studies. If your programme belongs to such a network, you can complete studies at another higher education institution which has agreed with your home institution to offer studies to all degree programmes in the network. Your right to study at the other institution is valid for a fixed term.

If you are considering cross-institutional studies at another higher education institution

• Find out whether your degree programme belongs to a cross-institutional studies network.
• Explore the studies offered and the network instructions. You can find information in the instructions at the end of this page as well as in the instructions specific to your degree programme.
• Plan your studies at the other institution so that they fit in with your other studies.
• Ensure the inclusion of the studies in your degree according to your programme instructions.
• Carefully read the information on teaching and note whether you are required to attend in person.
• Apply for the right to complete the prospective studies according to the instructions of the relevant network.

Credits completed in certain cross-institutional networks are transferred automatically, in which case you need not submit a separate application for their transfer. For further information on networks utilising automated data transfer, read Cross-institutional studies service (RIPA). In other cases, after obtaining a transcript of studies you can apply for credit transfer at your own higher education institution in accordance with its regular credit transfer practices.

These instructions are for University of Helsinki students considering cross-institutional studies at another higher education institution.

What studies can you complete through cross-institutional studies?

You can check in your personal study information in Sisu whether your degree rights entitle you to complete studies at another higher education institution through cross-institutional studies. This is called a network right. However, not all network rights are currently visible in your personal study rights. You can contact the student services at your faculty to find out more about your opportunities for cross-institutional studies. 

Where can you find the course offerings?

You can find the course offerings of the cross-institutional study networks in Sisu, on the networks’ own websites, or in the instructions for your degree programme on this page.

Study plan

All University of Helsinki degrees include a personal study plan (PSP), which is drawn up in Sisu. In your PSP, you outline the studies you intend to complete at each stage of your degree. Further information is available on the webpage ‘Study planning and guidance’.

How to have courses completed elsewhere recorded in the University of Helsinki’s Sisu system

Credits completed in certain cross-institutional networks are transferred automatically, in which case you need not submit a separate application for their transfer. For further information on networks utilising automated data transfer, read Cross-institutional studies service (RIPA). In other cases, you can request course recognition through credit transfer by submitting an application in Sisu. Instructions are available on the webpage ‘Recognition of prior learning’.

Other considerations

Please read the information on teaching and note whether you are required to attend in person.

Are you studying at another Finnish higher education institution? Did you find an interesting course in our selection? If your institution has a cross-study agreement with the University of Helsinki, the course may also be available to you.

Read the instructions for incoming cross-institutional students on our website.

Cross-institutional study networks where you can manage your studies in Sisu or Peppi:

Cross-institutional study networks where you can manage your studies in Sisu or Peppi:

• Collaboration on teaching of astronomy and space physics
• Co-operation between Helsinki University’s Master’s Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability and LUT University’s Master’s Programme in Circular Economy in Lahti campus
• Ekonometrian opetusyhteistyö (Helsingin yliopisto - Turun yliopisto)
• Farmasian yliopisto-opetusyhteistyö, Helsingin yliopisto, Itä-Suomen yliopisto ja Åbo Akademi
• FIN-GEO education collaboration network
• Education network in Physical Chemistry
• Geoinformatics Educational Collaboration Network (GISwap). Aalto University and University of Helsinki.
• Helsingin yliopiston oikeustieteellinen tiedekunta, Vaasa –  Svenska Handelshögskolan -opetusyhteistyösopimus
• Helsinki Graduate School of Economics (Helsinki GSE)
• Education cooperation in Chemistry
• Education Cooperation within Commercial Law University of Helsinki – Hanken
• Education network in mathematical risk management. University of Helsinki - Aalto University.
• Matematiikka HY - UEF. University of Eastern Finland - University of Helsinki.
• Education cooperation in Forest Sciences. University of Eastern Finland - University of Helsinki.
• Kestävän ruokaliiketoiminnan opintokokonaisuuden yliopisto-opetusyhteistyö
• Kääntämisen ja tulkkauksen opetuksen yhteistyöverkosto
• Network in Neuroscience Studies
• UH-INAR - LUT-COPE -cross-institutional studies
• Samarbete i Helsingfors: Mentorsprogrammet Näktergalen (instructions in Swedish)
• Sport and Health Studies at the University of Helsinki and University of Jyväskylä
• Teaching Collaboration Agreement between the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law, and Hanken School of Economics in Vaasa

If you are completing cross-institutional studies within one of the networks listed above:

• you can search for network courses in your institution’s Sisu or Peppi system and include them in your study plan
• you can register for network courses in Sisu or Peppi
• your completed studies will be automatically transferred to your records – you do not need to apply separately for credit transfer for studies completed at another higher education institution

Please also review the Sisu instructions for cross-institutional studies. 

Maintenance break

In the Service for Cross-institutional Studies, there is a maintenance break every first Tuesday of the month from 9.00 to 11.00. Brief interruptions may occur, potentially preventing course registrations.

Data protection

Once the Service for Cross-institutional Studies (RIPA) is in use, students will approve the transfer of their information between their home and target institutions in line with regular data protection practices.

The University of Helsinki data protection notice is available on the ‘Data protection’ webpage.

If your degree programme has a collaboration agreement with another higher education institution, you may complete studies offered by that institution under a network for cross-institutional studies. Registration for such studies takes place in Sisu.

1. Check whether your degree programme has a collaboration agreement in the section specific to your degree programme on this page.
2. Browse the cross-institutional offerings in Sisu under the ‘Search’ tab. In the search view, look for an area with cross-institutional studies network selection. You can only be admitted to teaching for which you have the relevant right to complete cross-institutional studies.
3. If you wish to narrow the search results further, you can also choose a specific higher education institution and language of instruction. If you wish to run a more detailed text search, enter the keywords in the text field.
4. Once you have found a suitable course, open the course information sheet and go to the Completion methods’ tab. Registration for teaching provided by another higher education institution takes place in Sisu in the same way as registration for teaching provided by the University of Helsinki.
5. Remember to add the course to your plan.
6. If your study right includes a right to complete cross-institutional studies, your registration will be forwarded to the higher education institution providing the teaching. If there is no such right, the registration will not be forwarded or recorded in Sisu.
7. Wait for a response from the higher education institution offering the teaching on the status of your registration. If registration fails or you need to change your registration, you can cancel the unsuccessful registration and try again.

When in doubt, reach out to Sisu support at sisu-info@helsinki.fi

The University of Helsinki participates in the following multidisciplinary cross-institutional studies networks:

• Climate University. Coordinated by the University of Helsinki, the Climate University network provides students with the opportunity to complete courses on climate and sustainability. As a rule, the courses are organised online, but course coordinators also provide real-time instruction and assess students’ performance alongside assignments completed over remote connections. 
• HILMA – National Network for Gender Studies. HILMA is active in the field of gender studies, offering online teaching and studies in feminist pedagogy as well as developing teaching and research collaboration and improving communication.
• Helsinki Graduate School of Economics GSE. A network of teaching and research in economics. 
• Sustainability Studies Network. A multidisciplinary collaborative teaching network that offers courses focused on the environment, sustainability and responsibility to undergraduate, postgraduate and exchange students of partner higher education institutions.
• Finnish University Network for Youth Studies YUNET. YUNET is a collaboration network for youth research and promotes teaching, research and communication focused on young people.
• Russian and Eastern European Studies network – Expertise in Russian and Eastern European Studies (ExpREES). Studies in the ExpREES programme strengthen multidisciplinary competencies and expertise related to Russia, the rest of Eurasia and Eastern Europe.
• Psykonet. Psykonet is a university network in the field of psychology.
• Samarbete i Helsingfors: Mentorsprogrammet Näktergalen. Read about the Näktergalen Mentorship Programme on the programme's website (in Swedish).
• Sosnet. The Sosnet network organises professional specialisation and doctoral education in social work as well as promoting cooperation in bachelor’s and master’s level education and research between educational units.
• UniPID – Finnish University Partnership for International Development UniPID is a network of Finnish universities for global responsibility and partnerships.