Guidance compass

Student Advice at Kaisa House

Student Advice provides general advice and guidance on studies and helps students find the right services. Student Advice performs duties relating to registration for the academic year, annual stickers for student cards, and transcripts and diplomas.

Contact us

• Student Advice chat advice
• Customer service at Kaisa House
• Email advice at studentinfo@helsinki.fi
• Email advice concerning tuition fees and scholarships tuitionfees@helsinki.fi

You can also obtain general study-related advice and guidance from Student Services staff working in Kumpula, Viikki and Meilahti.

All instructions for international degree students can be found here.

Faculty-specific student advice and guidance

The purpose of faculty-specific student advice and guidance is to help students plan their studies and resolve other degree programme-specific matters. You can book a personal appointment with a student advisor. Please contact the on-site service point of your faculty’s Student Services. For contact details and methods, please see the Student Services’ site.

PSP guidance

The purpose of the personal study plan (PSP) is to make a plan with a teacher or group of teachers on the completion of studies. You can find the contact details of PSP supervisors on the Instructions for Students website. Please be sure to log in to access information pertaining to your degree programme. You can also check who is your PSP-supervisor in Sisu in the section My Profile.

Open University advice and guidance

Open University's Student services help you with all your questions concerning studying in Open University. Contact us: Contact information (Open University)

You can explore the optional studies offered by various faculties on the Optional studies website.​

You can find the courses included in optional study modules on the Degree structure and scope of the degree website or in Sisu when you add the module to your study plan. For detailed descriptions of individual courses, please see the relevant course brochure. You can also search for the course by its code or title on the Courses website.

You can find information on the amount of optional studies required for your degree in Sisu or on the website Degree structure and scope of the degree. There you find also the credit requirements for an optional study module in your study plan.

The study plan instructions contain detailed information on how to add optional studies to your study plan in Sisu.

Contact us

• You can discuss your optional studies with your PSP supervisor. For the contact details of PSP supervisors, please see the Study planning and supervision website or click on the My profile -tab in Sisu.
• If you have a question about the content of studies, you can contact Student Services at the faculty where you wish to complete optional studies.

Language Centre advice and guidance

The Language Centre provides

• advice and guidance on the communication and language studies included in degrees as well as on foreign language studies
• the recognition of communication and language studies
• registration for language courses

Contact us

• Language Centre’s chat advice
• Email advice at kielikeskus-neuvonta@helsinki.fi
• Further information on the Advice and guidance for language studies webpage 

Groups and courses to support ability to study

Guidance counsellors, career counsellors and study psychologists organize groups to support studies throughout the academic year. The groups offer peer support and guidance in different themes of studying. Most of the groups are in Finnish. Find out more about the groups on the page Groups to support ability to study and career planning in the Instructions for students.

Counselling psychologist services

The University’s counselling psychologists offer support for developing studying skills and coping with studies and study-related tension and anxiety.

Contact us

• Register for a small group or workshop
• Book an appointment for individual guidance

Other services supporting mental wellbeing

• If you have health-related questions, please contact the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). Further information on the FSHS website
• University chaplains can be contacted for dialogue-based support. Further information on the university chaplains’ site
• The Nyyti association organises a wide range of interactive activities to support students’ mental wellbeing, life management skills and ability to study. Further information on the Nyyti website
• A variety of openly available wellbeing events are held at Guidance Corner throughout the academic year. 

Further information on student wellbeing services.

Guidance counsellor's services

The goal of guidance counselling is to clarify your thoughts through shared discussion and provide tools for the smooth progress of your studies, e.g., through study techniques. The guidance counsellor will support you to find answers about your life, as well as make decisions, choices, and plans. Guidance counselors offer drop-in counselling, group counseling, as well as bookable individual times.  

Contact us 

• Individual guidance by appointment 
• Drop in without appointment
• Email advice at guidancecounsellors@helsinki.fi  
• Groups and courses to support ability to study

As a student of the University of Helsinki, you need to draw up a study plan in the academic administration system Sisu. You will also register for courses, submit electronic applications and communicate with your supervisor via your study plan. More specific Sisu instructions are available on page Sisu instructions for students. In addition, you can find more information of planning your studies and PSP-supervision on Instructions for students.

Contact us

• If you need help with technical issues, please contact Kaisa House Student Advice
• If you need guidance and support on the planning of your studies, please contact your PSP-supervisor or student services

IT-Helpdesk

IT-Helpdesk can assist you if you have problems related to information technology, such as your user account, Office 365 or other information systems. Further information can be found on the Students’ IT services page.

IT-Helpdesk offers comprehensive instructions and a chatbot available 24/7 at helpdesk.it.helsinki.fi. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact IT-Helpdesk.

Contact us

• If you have an urgent question, please use the chat service (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00). You can find the service on all IT-Helpdesk webpages.
• In urgent matters, you can also call the phone service (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00), phone 02941 55555.
• Email advice on non-urgent issues: helpdesk@helsinki.fi

International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation

International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation helps with questions relating to exchange studies, international traineeships and the Flexible Study Right Scheme (JOO).

Contact us

• Phone service open Mon–Fri 12.00 –14.00, phone +358 2941 22401
• Email advice at studentexchange@helsinki.fi or joo@helsinki.fi
• Online drop-in hours open during application periods for exchange studies. Check available times on the International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation´s contact details page.
• You can use the drop-in service desk for quick questions and matters, such as signatures required for exchange programme documents. Please see the office hours for your campus on the International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation´s contact details page.
• For questions requiring more in-depth discussion, please book an appointment using the University’s booking system.

Information sessions

• You can obtain advice and assistance for selecting an exchange destination or planning a traineeship by attending an information session, or for using Mobility Online by visiting an application clinic. Timetables are available on the International Exchange Services and Education Cooperation´s information page.
• Further information on JOO studies can be obtained during information sessions. For timetables, please see the JOO information page. 

Career Services

Career Services offers advice on the completion of traineeships in Finland, including looking for a traineeship placement, traineeship agreements and funding. Instructions are available online at Traineeships.

Contact us

• Traineeship guidance by appointment
• Drop-in advice on traineeships in Guidance Corner and Zoom
• Email advice: traineeships@helsinki.fi

NB! For instructions on traineeships providing professional qualifications as well as information on the relevant contact people, please see the Degree programme-specific traineeship instructions page. For instructions on teaching practice as well as information on the relevant contact people, please see the Would you like to become a subject teacher? page

Career Services

Career Services supports your employment and the growth of your expertise. We offer traineeship advice, career guidance and support for job seeking. For further information on support for job seeking and career planning, please see the Work and career page.

Contact us

• Queries about services: careerguidance@helsinki.fi
• Drop-in advice on job seeking: Career Services’ site
• Workshops on job seeking: Career Services’ events page
• Small groups supporting studies and career planning: Career Services’ events page
• Individual career guidance by appointment

Groups and courses to support ability to study

Guidance counsellors, career counsellors and study psychologists organize groups to support studies throughout the academic year. Most of the groups are in Finnish. The groups offer peer support and guidance in different themes of studying, for example, career planning. Find out more about the groups on the page Groups and courses to support ability to study   in the Instructions for students.

Library services

Helsinki University Library serves its customers at all four campuses and is open to everyone. Further information on the services and opportunities provided by Helsinki University Library

Contact us

• Opening hours of facilities and customer service points on the Helsinki University Library website.
• You can participate in training, workshops and online courses in information seeking and management at any stage of your degree. Further information on topics and timetables can be found on the Helsinki University Library website.  
• You can also book an appointment for guidance on information seeking.
• Guidance Corner organises regular guidance sessions on information retrieval for theses and the use of electronic publications.
• To contact library specialists, please see the Helsinki University Library website.

General instructions for thesis writing can be found under Theses.

If you are having difficulties writing your thesis, you can receive assistance from the University’s counselling psychologists. Thesis writers can book a 30-minute appointment for remote support using the counsellors’ booking system.

Helsinki University Library organises online courses on information seeking and offers remote guidance. It has also published tips for information retrieval and management.

Events supporting thesis work are also organised at Guidance Corner. Please read more on the Guidance Corner site.

Accessibility liaison

You can contact the University’s accessibility liaison if you have any questions about individual arrangements.

As a student of the University of Helsinki, you may be entitled to individual study-related arrangements. These arrangements might be needed if you have an illness, disability or difficulty that hampers your studies.

Individual arrangements are a type of individual support for learning. Support may be needed, for example, due to a physical disability, sensory deficit, long-term illness or a cognitive difficulty related to reading or writing. Individual arrangements refer to practical arrangements relating to teaching, guidance or examinations.

Contact us

• Service email for the accessibility liaison: specialneeds@helsinki.fi
• Further information can be found on the webpage on individual arrangements.

Harassment liaisons

Students of the University of Helsinki are entitled to a safe and welcoming study environment. If you encounter harassment or inappropriate behaviour at the University, you can contact the University’s harassment liaisons.

Contact us

• Timo Valtonen, timo.valtonen@helsinki.fi
• Terhi Somerkallio, terhi.somerkallio@helsinki.fi
• The Student Union can also be contacted for assistance at hairintayhdyshenkilo@hyy.fi. Further information can be found on the Student Union website.

You can read more about the University’s efforts to promote equality, diversity and accessibility on the Instructions for Students website.

Finnish and Swedish language studies

Finnish language courses for international students can be found here.

The Language Centre organizes e.g. Swedish language courses.

The Language PSP (personal study plan) can help you reflect on and set goals for learning Finnish/Swedish

Contact

• Metsätalo Student Services offers advice regarding Finnish language studies: metsatalo-student@helsinki.fi
• Language Centre advice: kielikeskus-neuvonta@helsinki.fi

Swedish-speaking community

The Bilingual Affairs (Svenska ärenden) at the University Services co-ordinates and develops bilingualism at the University. Each campus has its own coordinator developing bilingualism at the University's four campuses.

If you want to know more about e.g. courses in Swedish or the Swedish-speaking community, do not hesitate to contact your own campus coordinator. Our contact information is on the University's website.

Admissions Services

Admissions Services can help you with questions relating to, for example, applying to the University of Helsinki or to another degree programme.

Contact us

You can reach the Admission Services by email at admissions@helsinki.fi. Guidance is also available via phone and chat. You can also visit the admission advisors at the Guidance Corner in the Kaisa House. For more information, please visit the Admissions Services’ website.

Open University's advice and guidance

Open University's Student services help you with all your questions concerning studying in Open University.

Contact us

• Contact information (Open University)