Where can I find courses?

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.

This page provides information on where you should search for courses at different stages of your studies.

If you are not yet familiar with the terminology of university studies, please see the vocabulary for new students.

I wish to browse the courses now available

If you wish to explore currently available courses, begin with the following websites:

  • Courses – If you wish to search for interesting courses from the studies offered by the University as a whole 

    • You can search for courses with specific terms or refine the search results, for example, by date, target group or language of teaching. You can access course pages by clicking on the course title in the search results. Course pages provide detailed information on courses and include a link to their Moodle areas, if any.
  • Courses offered by degree programme – If you wish to explore the courses offered by a specific degree programme or study track
  • Optional studies – If you wish to know what optional studies are offered by, for example, other degree programmes
  • Open university studies – If you wish to explore open university studies
  • Language Centre studies – If you wish to explore the studies offered by the Language Centre
  • Swedish-language studies – If you wish to study in Swedish
  • Courses available to exchange students - if you wish to explore the courses available to exchange students

I already know what studies I will complete, and I wish to view the course information and register

For basic information on each course as well as the content added by the teacher, please see the course pages in the Studies Service section “Courses”. You can view the information without logging in or registering, but some of the content added by teachers to the course pages may be available to course participants only. The course pages also give you access to information on the degree requirements the courses meet. Before registering, please always check the information on the course pages because teachers may update the pages after they have been published. 

When you know which course you wish to complete, add it to your study plan and register for it in Sisu. Information on registration is available at How do I register for my courses and exams?

You can find the course pages through the search available at Courses or from Sisu. After registration, you can find the link to the course page in the Studies Service calendar (requires login).

I wish to learn more about the courses offered by my degree programme in the next academic year

Teaching programmes are published in two parts: preliminary versions in March and the actual programmes usually in June.

Preliminary teaching programmes

  • Published in March
  • The preliminary teaching programmes of degree programmes are published on this page. To access them, select your degree programme from the menu at the top, and the teaching programme will appear at the bottom. If you are an exchange student, please also see the instructions in the section I wish to search for courses available to exchange students.
  • The Language Centre’s preliminary teaching programmes are published on the Language Centre’s website.
  • Open university courses can be found in the preliminary teaching programmes of degree programmes and the Language Centre. You can also find course details on the helsinki.fi website at Preliminary information about upcoming courses.
  • Preliminary teaching programmes contain the following information:
    • The courses you can complete in the upcoming academic year and the teaching periods in which they are offered
    • The course implementation and completion methods (you can find more information on the page How are studies completed?)
    • The course languages
    • The courses included in open university education and the courses available to degree students free of charge or subject to regular rates
    • The courses open to exchange students

Actual teaching programmes

  • The actual teaching programmes for the autumn and spring terms are published in Sisu and on the Courses section of the Studies Service. Usually they are published by the end of June.
  • Summer courses are published in Sisu and on Courses, usually in early March. Information on open university courses can also be found on the helsinki.fi website at Open university: Summer studies
  • Before registering, please check the information on the course pages. Teachers may update the pages after teaching programmes have been published. You can find links to the course pages in Sisu and on Courses and, after you have registered, in the Studies Service calendar.
  • Actual teaching programmes contain the following information:
    • Detailed information on course implementation and completion methods (you can find more information on the page How are studies completed?)
    • Course timetables and venues
    • Course teachers
    • Registration details
    • Any other details

I’m looking for open university studies

You can find information on open university studies on the Open University website. It includes information on:

  • courses offered during the academic year in specific degree programmes and on specific topics 
  • preliminary information on upcoming studies
  • information on registration and course fees

In the Courses section of the Studies Service, you can view open university courses by selecting ‘Courses open for all’ in the target group menu. As a rule, information on courses offered in the next academic year will be available from the end of June (summer courses from the end of March).

In addition, open university courses are included in the teaching programmes of degree programmes and the Language Centre. For information, please see the section above.

I wish to search for courses available to exchange students

If you are an exchange student, finding and choosing courses suitable for your learning agreement, and knowing which courses you can take can be tricky. To help you find your way, we've put together a separate page on courses for exchange students. Visit the page to learn how and where to find courses suitable for exchange students.

Preliminary teaching programme for the academic year 2024-2025

  • Master's Programme in Integrative Plant Sciences

Below you can find the preliminary teaching programme of your degree programme for the next academic year. Please note that the programme may still be amended. Actual teaching programmes will be published, as a rule, by the end of June in Sisu and in the Studies Service course search. This table will not necessarily be updated after the actual programmes have been published.  

Further information on open university courses offered in summer 2025 will be updated on the Open University website early 2025 .  

Additional information on the publication of teaching programmes can be found under I wish to find out more about the courses offered by my degree programme in the next academic year.

Please see in Sisu the IPS course descriptions (e.g. content and completion methods) (search the course descriptions by a course name or code. No login to Sisu needed).

Please see here the two-years model study schedule for the IPS students, who start in autumn 2024.

Courses arranged by IPS codes in 2024-2025:

IPS courses in 2024-2025 (pdf)

Code Name of study unit Credits Period Teaching language Mode of teaching Open for exchange students Open for open university students Open for students in other degree programmes
IPS-001 
 
Personal Study Plan (PSP) 0 cr 1 English, suomi Independent project No No No
IPS-002  Plants in a Changing World 5 cr 1 English Contact teaching No No Yes (AGRI)
IPS-003  Design and Planning of Biological Experiments 5 cr 2 English Contact teaching Yes No No
IPS-004A  Master’s Thesis Seminar 5 cr 2-4 English, suomi Blended teaching No No Yes (EEB)
IPS-004B  Master’s Thesis Seminar, part 2 5 cr 1-4 English, suomi Blended teaching No No Yes (EEB)
IPS-005  Literature Examination 5 cr any period English, suomi Exam No No No
IPS-006  Master’s Thesis 30 cr any period English, suomi Independent project No No No
IPS-111  Plant Developmental Biology (even years) 5 cr 2 English Contact teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-113  Advanced Plant Physiology 5 cr 1 English Contact teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-122  Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology 5 cr 2 English Contact teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-123  Laboratory Course in Plant Biotechnology 5 cr 3-4 English Contact teaching No No Yes (AGRI)
IPS-124  Laboratory Course in Plant Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 5 cr 4 English Contact teaching Yes 
(after agreement with the responsible teacher)
No Yes 
(after agreement with the responsible teacher)
IPS-125  Plant Genetics and Environmental Responses 5 cr 4 English Contact teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-153  Flora of Subarctic Europe (web course) 5 cr any period English, suomi Online teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-171  Boreal Bryophytes and Lichens (web course) 5 cr any period English, suomi Online teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-173 Mapping Plant Distributions 5 cr IV and summer English, suomi Independent project No No Yes
IPS-174  Temperate and Tropical Flora (web course) 5 cr any period English, suomi Online teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-177  Fennoscandian Flora (web course) 5 cr any period English, suomi Online teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-178  Threatened Vascular Plants of Finland  (web course) 5 cr any period English, suomi Online teaching Yes No Yes
IPS-181  Field Course on Botany I (any field course)  5 cr I, IV or summer English, suomi Contact teaching No No Yes (EEB)
IPS-182 Field Course on Botany II (any field course)  5 cr I, IV or summer English, suomi Contact teaching No No Yes (EEB)
IPS-183  Vegetation Analysis (web course) 5 cr any period English, suomi Online teaching No No No
IPS-008  Advanced Training in a Research Group 5-10 cr any period English, suomi Work placement Yes 
(after agreement with a potential supervisor)
No Yes
IPS-009 Practical Training 5-10 cr any period English, suomi Work placement Yes 
(after agreement with a potential supervisor)
No Yes
IPS-010  Learning by Doing in Scientific Natural History Collections 5-10 cr any period English, suomi Work placement No No Yes
IPS-011  Project Work 1-5 cr any period English, suomi Independent project No No No
IPS-012 Plant Biology Journal Club 1-5 cr any period English Independent project Yes No Yes
IPS-013  Symposia and Seminars 1-5 cr any period English Independent project Yes No No
IPS-014 Learning by Teaching 2-5 cr any period English Independent project No No No
VIIKB-000 Research Practice for Exchange Students in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences 5-60 cr any period English Work placement Yes 
(after agreement with a potential supervisor)
No No