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 syllabus for the academic year 2024-2025

  • Master's Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability

Please find below your degree programme's preliminary teaching programme for the coming academic year. The preliminary programme has been decided by the degree programme's steering group. Please note that changes may occur. The final teaching programme will be published in Sisu and Courses. This table will no longer be updated after the publication of the final teaching programme.

Code Course unit name Scope (cr) Teaching period Teaching language Mode of teaching / Method of completion Open to exchange students
ECGS-001 Introduction to Sustainability Science 5 cr 1. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) including both contact and distance teaching yes
ECGS-002 Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of Sustainability Science 5 cr 1. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) including both contact and distance teaching yes
ECGS-003 Practical application of sustainability science: learning project 5 cr 4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching if space
ECGS-004 Master's thesis seminar, Autumn 5 cr 1. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching no
ECGS-004 Master's thesis seminar, Spring 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching no
ECGS-005 Master's thesis 30 cr Periods 1-4 Any - Other, please enter information in this field including both contact and distance teaching no
ECGS-006 Master's thesis 30 cr Periods 1-4 Any - Other, please enter information in this field including both contact and distance teaching no
ECGS-008 Master's thesis for Subject Teacher 30 cr Periods 1-4 Any - Other, please enter information in this field including both contact and distance teaching no
ECGS-011 Advanced aquatic and sediment biogeochemistry 5 cr 4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) including both contact and distance teaching yes
ECGS-014 Diagnosis of environmental problems in aquatic ecosystems 5 cr 1. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-016 Fish research 5 cr 2. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-017 Fisheries management 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-023 Functional Marine Ecology 5 cr 4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching if background knowledge is sufficient
ECGS-024 Technology in Ecological Research and Environmental Monitoring 5 cr 1. period English, Finnish - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-026 Portfolio for future 1 - 5 cr Periods 1-4 Any - Completely in English (or multilingual) online teaching (not time-bound) yes
ECGS-027 Co-creation Lab 2 cr Periods 1-4 English(Finnish) - Completely in English (or multilingual) including both contact and distance teaching no
ECGS-032 Field course on Arctic ecosystems 10 cr 4. period and summer English, Finnish - Materials, assignments, and guidance also in English contact teaching yes
ECGS-036 Arctic and human beings 5 cr 3.-4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-039 Arctic climate change 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-050 Science Communication and Thesis Writing 5 cr 2. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-068 Past environmental change 5 cr 3.-4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-071 Advances in environmental chemistry 5 cr 2. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) distance teaching (time-bound) yes
ECGS-073 Fate and transport of pollutants 5 cr 4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) distance teaching (time-bound) yes
ECGS-081 Analytical approaches to human environmental interaction 5 cr 4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-084 Environment, technology and culture 5 cr 3.-4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) online teaching (not time-bound) yes
ECGS-153 Internship period 5-10 cr Periods 1-4 Any - Other, please enter information in this field online teaching (not time-bound) no
ECGS-154 Research group training 5-10 cr Periods 1-4 Any - Other, please enter information in this field online teaching (not time-bound) no
ECGS-201 Perspectives on sustainable consumption 5 cr 1. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching max 5
ECGS-202 Sociotechnical (re)construction of consumer society 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-203 Sustainability in everyday life 5 cr 2. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching max 5
ECGS-204 Business in the natural environment, Period 1 5 cr 1. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) online teaching (not time-bound) max 5
ECGS-204 Business in the natural environment, Period 3 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) online teaching (not time-bound) max 5
ECGS-901 Field course in Urban Environmental Ecology 5 cr 4. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-903 Urban Ecosystem Ecology 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-904 Urban Environmental Policy 5 cr 2. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching no
ECGS-907 Urban Biodiversity 5 cr 3. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching yes
ECGS-910 Integrative methods in environmental social science 5 cr 2. period English - Completely in English (or multilingual) contact teaching no