Guidance compass for teachers

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.

On this page are compiled tips for supervising teachers related to students’ most common questions and needs in guidance situations. Here you can also find to which services you can direct students in different situations, if necessary. All guidance, advice and counselling providers and their services are listed in Flamma (requires login).

Well-being and ability to study
General questions about studying at the University
Planning studies
The Language Centre’s language and communication studies
Studying at Open University
Credit transfer for previous studies and competence
Exchange studies and the Flexible Study Right Scheme JOO
Continuing on to a Master’s degree and Master’s options
Theses, information seeking and academic writing
Traineeships
Career planning and job seeking
Individual arrangements due to a disability, illness or other difficulty
Harassment and inappropriate behaviour at the University
Returning to studies after a break
Applying to another degree programme
IT issues

Well-being and ability to study

As the closest supervisor of students, you play an important part in the support for students’ ability to study. The ‘What does student guidance include?’ page has information about the different roles of supervisors and how they support students’ agency and well-being.

Further information

  • Study psychologists provide students with support for things such as coping with studies, honing studying skills, and managing anxiousness. When required, you can also consult a study psychologist if you are, for example, concerned about a student or a challenging guidance situations exceeds the limits of your role.
  • If students have health-related questions, they should contact the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). Further information on the FSHS website.
  • University chaplains can be contacted for dialogue-based support.
  • 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 student well-being events are held at Guidance Corner throughout the academic year. ​
  • More Information on student well-being services, see the Health care and well-being theme on the Studies Service.
  • On the UniSport page you will find materials to add movement to everyday life and lectures.

General questions about studying at the University

In general study-related guestions, you can refer the student to the Student Services. Student Services at Kaisa House provides general advice and guidance on studies and helps students find the right services. Student Services performs duties relating to registration for the academic year, annual stickers for student cards, and transcripts and diplomas.

Further information

Planning studies

Creating a study plan in Sisu

Each student makes their personal study plan and enrolls on courses on Sisu. As a supervisor you can view and answer the study plan comments the students in your tutoring group have submitted. You can also comment on the students’ study plans. Supervisors do not need to approve applications on Sisu.

More detailed instructions for planning studies are available under ‘Instructions for students’. More information about Sisu as a tool for guidance is available in the user instructions for teachers: PSP guidance. Help for using Sisu is also available on the page for frequently asked questions.

Further information

Optional studies

Students can find information about their degrees’ optional studies and the related requirements on their personal study plans on Sisu or in the ‘Instructions for students’ on the page Degree structure and scope of the degree.

In the ‘Instructions for students’ you can peruse the available optional study modules by faculty. Students can search for individual courses in the section Courses.

Tips for situations in which a student requires support for selecting optional studies:

  • You can ask the student about their interests and plans for the future and you can discuss which courses or study modules would support the student’s hopes and goals the best. Remember that you are the expert in your field.
  • If necessary, you can also instruct the student to contact the Student Services of the studies that interest them.
  • When necessary, you can instruct the student to look into the optional studies of Open University and to contact the Open University’s student services.

The Language Centre’s language and communication studies

The Language Centre provides students with advice and guidance concerning the language and communication studies required for degrees, studying foreign languages, credit transfer for language and communication studies, and registration for language courses. Students who have questions about their language skills and language studies can contact one of the Language Centre’s teacher tutors. 

Key themes of language and communication studies to be taken into account in student guidance and supervision can be found at Guidance and supervision on the Language Centre’s language and communication studies.

Further information

You can find the contact details and office hours of the Language Centre’s Student Services, teachers and teacher tutors on the Language Centre website.

Studying at Open University

The Open University studies are courses the degree programmes of the University of Helsinki which are open to everyone. The courses are held year round.   

The Open University summer courses are particularly popular among degree students as they are free of charge (excluding possible material costs) for degree students registered as attending the University of Helsinki. The online courses of Open University are a flexible option that degree students can utilise even during the academic year.
Further information ​ 

Credit transfer for previous studies and competence

When you start supervising a new student, you should in the guidance meetings discuss the student’s possible previous studies or other skills that they could get recognised for their current degree. Instruct the student to review carefully the principles and instructions for credit transfer.

You and the student should decide whether they must submit an inclusion or substitution application. In a substitution case, the student substitutes a particular completed credit for a course in the curriculum with other completed credit. In an inclusion case, the student includes other appropriate studies in the degree as they are. Usually, studies to be included are placed in the category of optional studies.

Further information

When required, the services of the international education community offer help for matters related to international exchange and flexible right to study.​

Exchange studies and the Flexible Study Right Scheme JOO

When you have a discussion with a first-year student, you should approach the topic of diversifying their degree through studies at another Finnish university or a higher education institution outside Finland. Exchange studies or studies based on the Flexible Study Right Scheme JOO should be planned well in advance to ensure that the normal scope of the degree is not exceeded (180 cr for a bachelor’s degree and 120 cr for a master’s degree) when it comes to JOO studies or maximum scope of the degree exeeded when it comes to exchange studies ​(200 cr for a bachelor’s degree and 135 cr for a master’s degree).

Talk about your positive experiences at various host universities. Encourage the student to work on their thesis and complete a traineeship abroad.  If possible, also describe the best stage of studies for an exchange.

Further information in Instructions for Students

Continuing on to a Master’s degree and Master’s options

After completing a Bachelor’s degree, a student can then start a Master’s degree programme for which they have been granted an option right. For some Master’s degree programmes there is a separate registration procedure. Students can register for these Master’s degree programmes while completing their Bachelor’s degree, usually at the end of their Bachelor’s degree studies. Additionally, students can apply to international Master’s degree programmes via the student admission process.

The Master’s options for Bachelor’s degree programmes are mainly available to students on Sisu. Personal study plans can be created for different options in order to see the structure of the Master’s degree. Master’s options and their possible criteria are also available via the link below the ‘Instructions for students’.

Instruct the students to familiarise themselves with their Master’s options and their possible criteria and registrations times well in advance.

Further information

Theses, information seeking and academic writing

The general instructions related to writing a theses and support for academic writing are available at the Thesis theme of the ‘Instructions for students’.

If a student has issues writing their thesis, you can instruct them to make an appointment with a study psychologist. Study psychologists offer 30-minute remote support sessions for students writing theses.

Guidance Corner holds events and small group sessions that support information seeking and writing a thesis. More information available on the Guidance Corner page.

You can also encourage students to participate in the online courses or remote guidance the library services organise to support information seeking related to theses. The library services have also compiled a set of tips for information seeking and management, they are available in the ‘Instructions for students’. More information about all the services and usage possibilities provided by the library of the University of Helsinki is available on the library website.

Traineeships

All Bachelor’s degrees provided by the University of Helsinki include a working life period of at least five credits. The period refers to either a traineeship or a working life project. All master’s degrees include working life orientation studies and career planning.

Career Services provide traineeship advice, especially concerning contracts and funding. Degree programmes are responsible for providing information related to the traineeship period’s content, completion and registration.

Encourage students to consider their career paths from the beginning of studies. Instruct students to learn more about the traineeship organisations that interest them and tell them about the traineeship opportunities you are familiar and satisfied with. Tell the students about the instructions for traineeships and instruct them, if necessary, not to hesitate contacting Career Services.

Further information

NB! The traineeship instructions and contact persons for traineeships resulting in professional qualifications is available on the page Degree programme-specific traineeship instructions. Instructions and contact information related to practice teaching are available on the page on the pedagogical studies for teachers.

Career planning and job seeking

The Kudin.fi tool for the assessment of guidance and supervision needs provides students with feedback on their career skills, and the feedback from the questionnaire can also be used as the basis for guidance and supervision discussions.​

Kudin guidance and supervision cards (PDF)  provide guidance and supervision staff with information and exercises associated with the assessment of related needs. 

The information and exercises in the material bank for career planning and professional growth can be used in guidance, supervision and teaching. ​

Further information

Individual arrangements due to a disability, illness or other difficulty

When guiding or supervising students with a disability, illness or difficulty that hinders studying, you may discover that they need individual arrangements for teaching and/or examinations. Individual arrangements are a type of individual support for learning, which students may need, for example, due to a physical disability, sensory deficit, long-term illness, a difficulty related to reading or writing, or a cognitive difficulty. Individual arrangements refer to practical arrangements relating to teaching, guidance or examinations.

For individual arrangements related to teaching and examinations, you can ask students to contact an accessibility liaison. If a student needs a recommendation for individual arrangements, they can apply for one from the University's expert panel on individual arrangements. The expert panel has also issued general recommendations on how various challenges that hinder student progress can be taken into account in teaching.​

Further information

Harassment and inappropriate behaviour at the University

The University is responsible for the students’ teaching, guidance and traineeships. Units must ensure that the students do not experience inappropriate treatment in these situations.

If a student experiences harassment, bullying, discrimination or other inappropriate behaviour, instruct them to contact the University’s harassment contact persons. Ensure that students will not hesitate to talk to appropriate bodies about harassment. Harassment contacts persons provide help and advice for processing the incident and support the student throughout the process.

Further information

Returning to studies after a break

If a student is returning to their studies after a long break, they may require help with restarting their studies. If a student requires additional support for drawing up a personal study plan, you can instruct them to make an appointment at a local service point of Student Services. 

Further information

Applying to another degree programme

Admission Services offer help for questions related to study opportunities, for example, if a student is considering applying to another programme via the student admission process.

Further information

IT issues

Helpdesk offers help for issues related to IT, such as user accounts, Office 365 and other information systems. Concerning technological problems related to Sisu you can instruct students to contact Student Services.

Further information

See also the Instructions for Students

You will find related content for students in the Studies Service.

Study planning and PSP guidance

A personal study plan (PSP) is part of every degree. In a PSP, you can yourself plan how you intend to progress in your studies. On this page you will find your degree programme's PSP instructions.