Don't wait – get prepared for your studies

Congratulations on your admission to the University of Helsinki!

To get your studies off to a good start this autumn, you can learn more about the University’s online environments before your studies actually begin with the orientation week. 

• You can start to explore the material connected to the Student’s Digital Skills course 1 July onwards.
• You can complete the course in August after you have been registered as an attending student for the autumn term and activated your University user account.
• The registration  is available from 6 August, 2025 to 5 June 2026. The Moodle course platform and exams are available from 6 August, 2025 to 7 June 2026.

If you are able to activate your user account already during summer, we recommend that you complete the first part of the course, Student's Digital Skills: Orientation (2 cr) at the beginning of the semester. This way you gain understanding of the digital environments used at the University and earn your first credits!

The course is compulsory for all bachelor’s students. If you have completed a bachelor’s degree at another university or institution of higher education and are now beginning to complete a master’s degree at the University of Helsinki, we recommend that you complete the course or at least read the course material. 

Find out more about the course Student’s Digital Skills.

Survival Finnish online meetings schedule 2025:

In August, the University of Helsinki organises “Survival Finnish” for international students and staff, consisting of three (3) online meetings and a blog platform with useful information. The aim is to give you a glimpse of the Finnish language and culture to make your first weeks in Finland easier.

In the meetings, you get a short introduction of the Finnish language and learn useful phrases that will help you in everyday life. We will also investigate some cultural aspects of Finland and Finnish language. In addition, you can meet future student peers and colleagues and make new friends!

The 1,5-hour meetings will take place online via Zoom making it possible for you to join wherever you are. There are two options for every meeting – A and B have the same content – so you can decide the day that suits you.

• Meeting 1 A: Thu 14 Aug 2025 at 14:00–15.30 (local Finnish time)
• Meeting 1 B: Fri 15 Aug 2025 at 14:00–15.30 (local Finnish time)
• Meeting 2 A: Mon 18 Aug 2025 at 14:00–15.30 (local Finnish time)
• Meeting 2 B: Tue 19 Aug 2025 14:00–15.30 (local Finnish time)
• Meeting 3 A: Wed 20 Aug 2025 at 14:00–15.30 (local Finnish time)
• Meeting 3 B: Thu 21 Aug 2025 at 14:00–15.30 (local Finnish time)

To participate, register online 11 Aug 2025 at the latest. Link to registration form.

Please note that no ECTS credits can be gained from the meetings. Participation in the meetings is voluntary – if you cannot attend all three meetings, it is no problem. Also, you don’t need to let teachers know beforehand if you miss a class.

For more information, you can contact the teachers Saija Pyhäniemi (saija.pyhaniemi@helsinki.fi) and Taija Udd (taija.udd@helsinki.fi) by email.

Tervetuloa Suomeen ja nähdään pian! Welcome to Finland and see you soon!

Other language studies

All bachelor's degrees include compulsory language and communication studies worth at least 10 credits. NB! If you are pursuing master’s degree only, if the language of your secondary education is Finnish or Swedish and if you have completed your bachelor’s degree abroad, you have to demonstrate the language proficiency as part of your master's degree.

You can read more information about the language studies and other language activities in the University of Helsinki Language Centre's newsletter for new students. You can also read more about language studies and our other activities on the Language Centre’s orientation in Moodle. You can log in to Moodle after you have activated your University of Helsinki user account.

Get ready for your studies at the University of Helsinki with our pre-arrival course! If you have already activated you UH user account, you can register yourself starting from May to our course created just for you: the pre-arrival course Studying at the University of Helsinki 2025! Completing this online course will help you to familiarise yourself with everyday life at the University of Helsinki, will support your orientation and hopefully give you a smooth start to your studies.

The course has five different modules:

• Get to know your University
• Study essentials
• Student life at the University
• Well-being during studies
• Career support

The course is completely voluntary and doesn't give you any credits, so you can also read only the material that interests you. However, you will get the most out of it if you complete it in its entirety. That way you will be one step ahead when you start your studies!

Find out more about the University organisation and matters related to your studies. Do you have questions? Write them down so that you remember to ask them during your orientation week!

Recognition of prior learning

Have you completed any previous studies that could be recognised for your new degree? The recognition of prior learning will be considered on a degree programme-specific basis during the autumn term. More details will be provided during your orientation week. However, you can already read about the recognition process here.

Please wait until the beginning of the academic year with questions about the recognition of prior learning. Teachers, student advisers and education coordinators cannot make recognition decisions concerning individual new students in the summer.

Library

The Helsinki University Library operates in the Main Library in Kaisa House on the City Centre Campus as well as campus libraries in Kumpula, Viikki and Meilahti. The Library also has a learning centre on the City Centre Campus: Aleksandria. The Library facilities feature group work areas, computers and reading spaces – in short, everything a student needs!

You can start reading e-books immediately when your university username is activated. Activate your customer information in the Helka database by signing in with your Helsinki University user credentials. You need a Helka card only to borrow printed books. Students at the University of Helsinki can acquire a digital Helka library card via the Studies Service.

Find out more about the Helsinki University Library. 

Student exchange

Although you are just beginning your studies, you may also be considering exchange studies at a university outside Finland. International Exchange Services can help you with your plans! 

The specialists at International Exchange Services coordinate both student and staff mobility. You can contact International Exchange Services during office hours, by phone or by email for information about: 

• exchange opportunities
• traineeships abroad
• short courses abroad
• funding for student exchange.

The bilingual university

The two main official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. The University of Helsinki is the only bilingual multidisciplinary university in Finland. Together the University students and staff members create a multilingual community where Swedish plays its own unique part. The University also contributes to the debate concerning the Swedish society in Finland. Over a hundred Swedish-speaking researchers and teachers work at the University of Helsinki to offer you courses and student services in Swedish. There are around 2,000 Swedish-speaking students within the university!

The various kinds of student services are provided in Finnish, Swedish an English. IT Helpdesk, Student Services such as student counselling, International Exchange Services and Admissions Services are available in these three languages.

The Bilingual Affairs (Svenska ärenden) at the University Services co-ordinates and develops bilingualism at the University. In our newsletter we communicate about Swedish speaking courses and events. If you wish to subscribe to our newsletter (in Swedish), please contact us at svenska-arenden@helsinki.fi

For more information on the bilingual university, please click here.

Support for studies

Several units and individuals at the University of Helsinki can help you during your studies. For information on events and low-threshold activities, see the well-being events page.

• On the Instructions for students website, see the Study support section for information about the individual arrangements.
• Career Services can support you with career planning, job seeking and traineeships – read the instructions available on the Instructions for students website: Jobs and career and Traineeships.
• Sometimes you may need someone to talk to. The University of Helsinki’s university chaplains can help you in situations related to studies and personal life regardless of your religion or beliefs!

Wellbeing in everyday life is important for students. Read about various services below and get a head start on student life!

Health care

During your studies, you can contact the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) in all matters related to health and illness. You can read from the Healthcare page on the Instructions for students about the services available through the FSHS.

Sports 

UniSport is for members of the University community on each University of Helsinki campus. UniSport’s wide range of sports and exercise opportunities has something for everyone – at a reasonable price! Physical activity is an excellent counterbalance to studying. Learn more about UniSport's services here.

Food

The University offers appetising dishes at low rates. UniCafe believes that student restaurant services delivered proficiently and with care make the everyday life of students healthier, smoother and tastier. UniCafe restaurants and cafés serve students with all kinds of preferences on all campuses. And don’t forget the UniCafe theme weeks!

You can read more about UniCafe and other student lunch options at the Student lunch page on the Instructions for Students.

Mental wellbeing and the promotion of the ability to study

There is a network of supporting services for your study ability and mental well-being. See more about them on the Mental well-being -page.

Also it is important to get to know Nyyti association, which supports students’ mental health through easily accessible services (e.g. themed web chats, online self-help courses and volunteer activities). Find out more about Nyyti!

Student life

Student life and the academic year feature a wide range of academic traditions and student events. The Student events website features an event calendar and information on the University of Helsinki Student Union HYY.

Each faculty and degree programme organises its own orientation week, during which you can learn more about your degree programme and its teachers and practices as well as your campus, and be integrated into the academic community. You will also meet your tutor and tutor group and will likely get to participate in your first student events.

Click here for more information on your faculty’s orientation week!

The entire university community is already looking forward to your arrival! We want to make sure your first weeks at university go as smoothly as possible. During the first week of your studies, this pink logo will guide you with any questions you have! The Ask Me! campaign will be held on 12 to 16 January. Ask Me! campaign is also active on the university's Instagram account @universityofhelsinki on 12 January.

The goal of the training focused on the ethical guidelines of the University of Helsinki is to increase students’ and staff's awareness of themes associated with ethics. As a university community, we strive to promote ethically responsible conduct also in terms of public engagement.

The training helps students and the university community familiarise themselves with the different perspectives of ethical conduct by reviewing the guidelines as well as by watching videos and completing reflection assignments. The training is completed in Moodle as a single self-study offering and it takes about fifteen minutes to complete. Link to the Ethical guidelines course page.