Sisu instructions: Registering for teaching and exams

The instruction belongs to the following themes

By selecting a degree programme you are able to see the general content as well as the possible degree programme-specific content. You do not have to select a degree programme to see the Open University's instructions.

Here you will find technical instructions on how to register for teaching and exams in Sisu. You can find the basic principles of course registrations and a quick guide to registering on the page How do I register for my courses and exams?

Registrations for Open University courses is done in accordance with these instructions.

If you have not yet made a study plan and scheduled your studies in Sisu, start from the Study plan instruction.

In Sisu, courses visible in your study plan are referred to as 'courses'. While teaching, exams, and other learning and teaching occasions for which you can register for in Sisu, are referred to as 'course units'.

Update Oct 9, 2023: Registration for attendance will only be checked for the semester in which the course unit begins.

Update on June 26, 2023: The new Registration page shows you in a summarised form which courses you should register for. This page shows you which courses you have not yet chosen a course for at a glance. The confirmation of group selections and registration has also been redesigned and you can follow changes in the registration status more clearly than before. Also, terminology related to teaching is going through some changes. In Sisu, courses visible in your study plan will be referred to as 'courses'. While teaching, exams, and other learning and teaching occasions for which you can register for in Sisu, will be referred to as 'course units'. The change is first visible on the new Registration page but will expand to cover other sections of Sisu later on.

When registering for course units, please note the following

To be able to register for the courses and examinations without problems, please check the following:

  1. Always start registration via your primary study plan. Don’t register via Sisu’s Search page. You will find instructions for adding a course into your study plan on the page Sisu instructions: Study plan.
    NB! If you have a study right for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, you need to add the Master’s programme’s degree structure after the Bachelor’s programme’s degree structure into the same study plan. You will find more instructions on how to choose a Master’s programme in your study plan on the page Sisu instructions: Choosing a Master’s programme.
  2. Check that your study plan includes this academic year’s version of the course. You will find instructions for checking and updating the course version on the page Sisu instructions: Updating a version of a course or a study module in the study plan.
  3. Always select the completion method before selecting the course unit. Select the completion method on the course brochure by first clicking the column of a completion method and then clicking the green “Select this completion method” button.
  4. On the Registration page, when you're confirming your registration for a course unit, please register to all the suitable groups if there are multiple to choose from. This way it is more likely for you to be chosen to at least one of the groups.
  5. Read and carefully follow the registration instructions on this page.
  6. Finally, check the status of your registration after the registration period has ended i.e. whether you can participate or not. 'If the registration ended now' notifications do not yet mean that you have been accepted to the course unit. Further instructions can be found on this page.

Registering for course units

Selecting the completion method and course unit

Before registering, you must place the course in your primary study plan, and select the method of completion and course unit from the course brochure. First, add the course to your plan and open the course brochure by clicking on the course code. If the course is already in your plan, you can also go to the Registration page to select the method of completion and course unit. The Registration page will show you a summary of all the courses in your primary study plan for which you have not yet selected a course unit. Once you have selected a course unit, you can go to the Registration page to confirm your registration under 'Registration for the selected course units'. You can select the methods of completion and course units in advance, e.g. for all teaching in the following period, so that you can later confirm all your registrations on the Registration page at once. Note! Do not start course unit registration from the Search page because registration approval requires that you select course units through your plan.

  1. Open the course brochure and move to the Completion methods tab. Firstly, check below the course name that the version of the course corresponds to the academic year and confirm the selection of the new version if needed. You can read more about changing the version of a course on the page Sisu instructions: Updating a version of a course or a study module in the study plan.
  2. Click the column of the completion method you want and then click Select this completion method. 
  3. Select a course unit by clicking the Select button, which will activate after the completion method has been selected. You can see the registration period and selection criteria for the course unit from the course unit’s additional information by clicking its name. You can read more about selection criteria in the section Registration methods at the end of this page.
    Screenshot of the user interface of Sisu.
    If a completion method has more than five course units, you can get all course units visible by clicking Show more under the undermost course unit. 

    Under a course unit may appear the notification ‘The teaching is already in your calendar, either through one of the parts of another completion method, through another version of the course or through another course.’ By clicking the Show link below, you can see which course and completion method you have chosen. The notification means that you have already chosen the same course unit either through another course or through a previous version of the same course. Once you have already selected a course unit, you can proceed to the Registration page to register.
    Screen capture of the notification showing under the name of the teaching.

  4. Click Proceed to registration on the notification that appears at the top of the page right after you have selected a course unit. You can also proceed directly to the Registration page later when the registration is open.
    Screenshot of the user interface of Sisu.
  5. You will be taken to the Registration page, which consists of a section for selecting course units and a section for registering to selected course units below, where you will find the course units you have selected. You will see an active register button for those course units for which the registration period is open.
    Screenshot of the user interface of Sisu.

Selecting teaching groups and confirming the registration

The Register button opens a new window where you can make any group selections and confirm your registration. At the top of the window, you will be shown the registration criteria that must be met in order for your registration to be accepted. You can read more about the registration criteria in the chapter What is the basis for selecting students for courses?

Screenshot of the registration window.

Always select in the study right field the study right that has the course you are registering for added to your primary study plan. Otherwise, you will see the message below and your registration will not be accepted if you do not add the course to your primary study plan. If you have only one study right, that study right will be selected by default.

Screenshot of the error message when a course is not in the primary study plan.

If there are alternative groups in a course unit, you must select groups suitable for you before the actual registration.

If there are no alternative groups, all parts are mandatory, and you can proceed straight to confirm your registration in the lower part of the window.

Please note that individual parts of a course can require separate registration. For example, the registration for lectures and exercises is not necessarily done at the same time.

  1. When selecting teaching groups, you can see the minimum number of groups you need to register for (e.g. at least 1 group). You can also mark the number of groups you wish to join as preferred, and your preferences will be considered in the placement. The more groups you select as suitable, the more likely it is that you will get a place in a course unit. Teaching that is joint and mandatory for all students registering for the teaching is not selected separately.
    Screenshot of the user interface of Sisu.
     
  2. After the group selections, you can also answer any additional questions and indicate your preferred language of completion.
  3. Finally, click Confirm at the end of the window. If you have not made all necessary group selections, you will see a notification about it. 

Once you have confirmed your registration, you will receive a "registration complete" message and your registration will move to the "registration being processed" column, where you will see a preliminary status of your registration.

On some courses and exams, participants are selected in the order of their registration. In this case, your registration will go directly to the "Registration processed" section, and you will be directly informed about the final status of your registration.

Please note that preliminary acceptance does not yet guarantee you a place in the course, as students registered in the course are usually definitively confirmed only after the registration period is over.

If you do not meet the registration criteria or cannot fit in the course unit, you will see a preliminary notification of rejection. Click Open registration details link to view possible reasons for the rejection.

Screen capture of the Registration page in Sisu.
Screen capture of the registration details in Sisu.

If the course is not yet included in your study plan or your study plan includes a wrong version of it, or you have not yet completed your annual registration for attendance, you will see a cross next to the conditions that are not met. In this case go back and add the course to your study plan or select the correct version before coming back to continue with the registration.

Sisu updates the placement of registered participants each time a new student registers for the course. When status changes occur, you may see Changes in registration, refresh the view. Clicking the Refresh View button will update the changes in your view.

Where do I check the status of my registration?

During the registration period, you will see the current status of your registration on the Registration page. 

Screen capture of the Registration page in Sisu.

You can view the preliminary placement in groups by opening the registration details. 

Screen capture of the registration details in Sisu.

When the registration period ends, your registration will go to the Registration processed section, where you will see the final registration result. Please note that the status of your registration may change if your registration is in the Registration being processed section. Please note that the status of your registration may change as long as it is under Registration being processed section. Confirmations may have a delay of a day or two after the end of registration if the teacher or administrator does it manually only after the end of the registration.

See also these instructions: What should I do if my registration is declined

How do I know if I have been selected for the course?

You can check the result of your registration after the registration period has ended on the Registration page. You can also view your registrations and their status in the Study Calendar and in your profile on the Registrations tab. 

Screen capture of the Registration page in Sisu.

The teaching groups to which you have been assigned are indicated in the registration details under the heading You have been selected to the following groups.

Screen capture of the registration details in Sisu.

If necessary, remember to remove the groups you were not selected for from your study calendar.

show events in the calendar

What should I do if my registration is declined?

If you did not get a place on the course unit, you will receive a notification after the registration period has ended saying: “Your registration has not been accepted”. If the course unit still has space or places become available, late registration can be opened afterwards, allowing you to re-register. Late registered students are selected in order of registration. Sisu does not have an automatic waitlist function.

If your registration is declined as soon as you register, you probably do not meet the prerequisites for the course unit, or the decline is due to technical reasons. Make sure these things are in order before you re-register:

  • You have registered as an attending student for the duration of the course unit. You have a valid study right for the entire duration of the course unit and have registered for attendance for the semester in which the course unit begins. If necessary, contact the teacher/student services if the course unit can be completed before the end of its actual duration.
  • The course is in your primary plan and you have chosen the right completion method.
  • You have selected the course through your study plan. If you select a course only through Sisu's search function and not through your study plan, you may accidentally register for a different version of the course than you have selected in your study plan. If necessary, you can change the version in your study plan from the course brochure.
  • You have made a study plan update or a new study plan if your current plan was made before 1 August 2020.
  • If you have multiple study rights, make sure you have registered through the correct study plan.
  • If, after reviewing and correcting these, your registration is still declined at the time of registration, please check the course unit's selection criteria. For some courses and exams, registration could only be limited to a specific target group.

Note! If you are supposed to attend a course unit even if you do not meet the selection criteria, please contact the course unit instructor well in advance.

What is the basis for selecting students for course units?

In Sisu, the selection of students who can be admitted to a course unit is based on the prerequisites of the course unit, the selection criteria, the size of the teaching groups and the student's group wishes. For most course units, the speed of registration is irrelevant. If you have multiple active study rights, please note that the criteria are checked always automatically based on the study right used in registration.

You can only take part in the course unit if you meet these mandatory prerequisites:

  • you have registered for attendance for the semester in which the course unit begins
  • your right to study is valid throughout the course unit
  • the course is part of your primary study plan and you have registered through your study plan
  • you have completed the compulsory prior knowledge for the course

In addition, there may be other selection criteria for the course unit. If there is space on the course unit, you can be selected even if these selection criteria are not met. Criteria can include:

  • being a part of a certain target group
  • the recommended prior knowledge for the course
  • completed credits for the degree
  • approved registration for another course unit

Please note that in some cases, being part of the target group may have been set as a mandatory requirement, which means that you cannot be accepted even if there are available spaces on the course. Always check the selection criteria in the course brochure.

If there are more registrations than there are places on the course unit and the registered are on an equal footing on the basis of the selection criteria, the students are selected on the basis of a draw.

If there are group selections, students are not placed in the groups they have not selected. Therefore, select at least one group as a preferred group and as many as possible as suitable.

Registered students can be selected according to the order of registration on some courses, and during re-registration.

 Where can I find the prerequisites and selection criteria?

The requirements and criteria that are checked automatically in registration can be found in the course brochure under the course unit's Registration tab, and in the window where you can make group selections and confirm your registration. In addition to these, other selection criteria may be used if registrations are confirmed manually.

Screenshot of registration requirements in the window for registration confirmation.

Editing a registration

It is necessary to edit your registration when you wish to change your preferred groups, the study right used in the registration, or your answers to the registration questions. You can edit your registration as long as the registration period is valid.

Editing your registration happens on the Registration page by clicking the Edit button under course unit details.

Screenshot of an editable registration with the Edit button visible.

Edit of group selections after confirmed registration

If it has been made possible for students to edit group selections by themselves and your registration has already been confirmed, you will see the Edit group selections button in the course unit information.

Screenshot of course unit information with the Edit group selections button visible.

Please note that while the normal registration period is in progress, you can always change your group selections by editing your registration. You can read more about how to edit your registration in the chapter Editing a registration on this page.

In this case, you can edit your group selections as follows.

  1. Click on the Edit group selections button to open the edit window.
  2. Remove the selection from the previously selected group.
  3. Select the group you want.
  4. Click Confirm edits.

Cancelling a registration

You can cancel your registration for teaching as long as the registration period or the cancellation period is valid. You will see the Cancel button in the course unit information.

Screenshot of the course unit information with the cancel button visible.

You can also deselect course units for which you have not been selected by clicking the Deselect selection button.

Screenshot of the course unit information with the Remove course unit selection button visible.

Cancelling Open University registrations is done by emailing avoin-student@helsinki.fi. See instructions here.

Discontinuing a course unit

A course unit must be discontinued instead of cancelling if the course unit has started and the cancellation period for registration has ended. Discontinuing means that you cannot re-register for the course unit in question yourself. Contact student services if you should re-register for a course unit that you have discontinued.

You will see the 'Withdraw from this course' button at the end of the course unit information when discontinuing is possible. Discontinuing is only possible after the registrations have been confirmed.

Screenshot of the course unit information with the Withdraw from this course button visible.

Registering for retake examinations

If you have already successfully completed the course unit, you can register for the retake examination by opening the course brochure and selecting the version of the academic year during which you completed the course unit. Therefore, you may need to change the course version to the previous academic year, for example, in order to select the retake exam. In some cases, you will not be able to register for a retake exam this way, so you can contact your faculty's student services for registration.

If you do not yet have a completed course credit (or have failed the course unit), you will be able to register for the retake exam normally without changing the course version backwards. So, select the appropriate exam event from the course brochure and register.

In some cases, the retake exam may have a different identification code than the original course unit. In this case, your plan will have two completed courses, but you will be able to remove the extra course later in free edit mode.

Please also note the restrictions on improving grades and retaking completed studies.

Registration errors

If Sisu gives the following reason for rejecting your registration ‘The correct version of the course is included in the primary study plan’ you do not have the course in question in your study plan, or you have selected it via the Search function, in which case your registration may have been for a different course version than the one you selected in your plan. There may be different versions of a course, for example, when the details of the responsible teacher or the literature of the course change due to a change in the curriculum period.

You can correct your registration by adding the course to your study plan and re-registering. However, if the course is already included in your primary plan, but you still receive the above message, please check from the course brochure that you have selected the most recent version of the course available.

  1. Access your study plan, open the course brochure by clicking on the course code, and change the course version to the most recent one.
    Screenshot from Sisu.
     
  2. When you change the course version, the following message will appear below the drop-down menu: ‘You are viewing a version of the course that is not in your plan. Switch to this version.’
    Screenshot from Sisu.
     
  3. Once you have switched to the most recent version, you should be able to register.

If you have any problems or questions after reading the instructions on this page and answers on the Frequently asked questions about Sisu page, please contact the Student Services. You can find contact details for the Student Services on the Student Services page.

Video instructions

You can also see how to register for courses and exams in Sisu on the Unitube recording Registering for teaching and exams in Sisu.

Links to other Sisu instructions

You can find all Sisu user instructions on the User instructions for Sisu page.

You can find answers to common problems and questions on the Frequently asked questions about Sisu page.