We publish courses throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, we publish courses for spring and summer, which is when most of our offerings are available.

We use Moodle as our learning platform. For remote teaching, Microsoft Teams or Zoom is most commonly used.

Our customer service is here to help you with any questions related to course selection.

Language courses are classified according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The starting level indicates the language proficiency needed to succeed in the course. You can assess your language skills, strengths, and weaknesses using the DIALANG system, which is based on CEFR. We do not test the student’s starting level before the course; self-assessment is the student’s responsibility.

Helsinki Summer University is a non-profit foundation. Course fees are based on the costs of organizing the courses, including instructor fees, open university charges, facility rentals, equipment and software costs, potential travel and accommodation expenses, and administrative costs.

Our courses are held at various locations, and we aim to ensure accessibility in all facilities. However, we recommend confirming accessibility with our customer service.

We no longer publish a printed course catalog. All courses are available online with up-to-date information.

Courses that provide ECTS credits are marked with “op” in the course name. These courses typically meet university degree requirements.

Students are not insured by the summer university, and participants are responsible for their own insurance coverage.

Registration usually opens as soon as the course is published. You can find the registration opening date in the course details.

Helsinki Summer University operates under the license granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture. We use the HelleWi course management system, which requires a personal identity code to uniquely identify students for registration, academic records, billing, and statistical purposes. The system is built according to data protection regulations and is password-protected. Data is handled in accordance with data protection laws.

We store the contact and background information you provide during registration, as well as course-related data such as attendance and completion records. Information is kept permanently, but you can request the deletion of your data whenever possible. Please refer to Helsinki Summer University’s Data Protection Policy.

The course fee is paid upon registration, except for company invoices, which are paid at the start of the course.

If your payment was interrupted, please contact our customer service immediately for assistance. Unpaid registrations are automatically removed from our system after a certain period.

Registration for open university courses is done separately through the university. The summer university provides instructions for registration when the course starts. After the registration deadline, it is no longer possible to register.

You can cancel your registration according to our cancellation policy. You may switch courses before the course starts and, in some cases, shortly after it begins. For course changes, please contact our customer service to explore the possibilities.

Waiting list spots are allocated in the order of the queue. If a spot becomes available, we will contact you via email or phone.

Students pursuing a degree at higher education institutions or secondary schools are eligible for discounts on some courses. The student price is listed in the course fee details.

When paying in installments, the first payment is made upon registration. The second installment is invoiced two months after the course starts, with subsequent payments every two months, depending on the number of installments.

We collect the course fee upon registration to secure course revenue and confirm participant numbers before making final decisions on course implementation. If the course is canceled by the summer university, the fee will be fully refunded.

Helsinki Summer University courses are fee-based for all participants, but some courses offer student discounts. Any available discounts are mentioned in the course fee details on our website.

You can pay for many art, sports, and music courses using Epassi or Smartum cultural and sports benefits. The course description will indicate if such payment options are available.

There is no minimum participant requirement. The decision to run a course is based on an overall assessment. If a course is full, the course details will indicate “Course is full,” and you can register for the waiting list.

Course instructions will be sent at least one business day before the course starts, including login instructions for remote courses and access to online links.

Moodle is the summer university’s online learning environment. Login instructions are provided in the course welcome email.

The allowed number of absences depends on the course. For courses offering ECTS credits, attendance requirements are specified in the course details. For other courses, please contact our customer service.

Textbooks are not included in the course fee, and students must purchase them separately. Required textbooks are listed in the course details and are available in major bookstores.

Lectures are generally not recorded. Some courses may record lectures based on the instructor’s teaching practices.

A personal computer is required for courses conducted remotely.

In-person courses cannot be attended remotely. However, for hybrid courses, students can choose between in-person or remote participation. The course format is specified in the course details online.

One lesson lasts 45 minutes. The total number of lessons is listed in the course details.

Parking is generally not provided specifically for students. For parking information, please contact our customer service.

If the course is not suitable (e.g., incorrect level), please contact our customer service as soon as possible after starting the course to explore course change options.

Studies should be completed within the defined duration of the study period.

Courses are assessed according to the grading scale specified for each course, which may be pass/fail or numeric (1-5 or 4-9). Grades are provided as soon as possible after completion. For university courses, grades may appear in the university system with a slight delay.

You can request a certificate from our customer service via email or phone. For university courses, transcripts and certificates are ordered from the university or through the My Studyinfo service.

You can inquire about exam results from our customer service. Results are usually available about two weeks after the exam.

The summer university does not organize transfer exams for other universities.