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Starting from the beginning of August 2025, there have been changes to which type of studies completed outside of Aalto University can be included in the elective studies of the degree. Academic Committee for Business decided on 19 December 2024 to restrict the possibility of placing studies other than those aimed at degree students in bachelor's and master's degrees. (Read more about the decision.) The Committee elaborated its decision on 28 August 2025 by stating that the inclusion of such studies in the elective studies of the degree requires the approval of Vice Dean of Education.

The new procedure is applied to courses completed outside of Aalto University which are worth a maximum of 3 credits and can be completed flexibly online. The new procedure is applied also to the courses offered by Aalto EE which are part of the lifewide learning offerings. Otherwise, the credit transfer practices have not changed. 

The change concerns credit transfer applications that have been submitted on 1 August 2025 or afterwards. If you have applied for a credit transfer for these kind of courses before the beginning of August, you can include the transferred credits in your degree without a separate approval process. 

How to apply for the approval

1. In Sisu, add a study draft of the course you wish to take in your study plan
2. Write an informal application in which you justify why you want to include said course in your degree. In your justifications, consider the entity of the degree and the skills and knowledge you would acquire.
3. Send the application to the Planning Officer of your major or programme by email. You can find the contact information of the Planning Officers in the Student Guide on your programme’s pages in the section Contact.
4. The decision is made by the School of Business’s Vice Dean for Education. The applications are processed approximately once a month.
5. If the course is approved, complete it and afterwards, apply for a credit transfer (inclusion) in Sisu via the study draft as per usual. 

To recap, there are two parts in the new procedure: applying for the approval of the Vice Dean of Education and the actual credit transfer process.

Every student must apply for the approval individually – the applications are handled case-by-case. This is why it is also not possible to evaluate in advance whether a certain course can be included in the degree; the decision is always made by the Vice Dean for Education based on the application. 

Questions?

For further information, please contact the Planning Officer of your major or programme.