Student Guide

Combining an athletic career with studying at Aalto

Aalto University is committed to helping students belonging to the Metropolitan Area Sports Academy Urhea combine studies with sports and to considering the particular needs and challenges of a career in competitive sports.

Below you will find additional information on Aalto University’s support for student-athletes. The support is contingent upon the student’s Urhea membership. If you have been a member of Urhea before beginning your studies at Aalto, you must notify Urhea of your change of study place to have Aalto University notified of your membership. Please contact Urhea to change your details or check with the Urhea contact person of your Aalto school whether your name is already on the university’s list of Urhea members. See the bottom of the page for contact details.

  1. Get to know Urhea (www.urhea.fi) and become a member unless you already are one. If you have been a member of Urhea before beginning your studies at Aalto, contact Urhea and email them the details of your current place of study. See the contact details on the Urhea website. When you have updated your place of study in the Urhea database, they will inform Aalto of your membership.
  2. When Urhea membership has been confirmed, you will be added to the list of students who are members of Urhea. After that, you will be allowed to take the Urhea courses and will be notified of any current news and events for Urhea members.
  3. If you wish to obtain a certificate of your Urhea membership which serves as a recommendation for teachers to allow flexibility in studies if special arrangements are required due to your career in sports, please contact the Urhea contact person of your school. 
  4. If you wish, you can also book an appointment with the Urhea contact person. With the Urhea contact person you can discuss about combining sports and studies and/or hear about the services available for members of Urhea. See the bottom of the page for contact details. To book an appointment, go to the MyStudies pages. Note that the coordinator/lanning officer of your programme can give you more detailed information about the timing and planning of studies.
  5. Please notify your school contact person if your sporting career ends or you make any changes to your Urhea membership details.

More information

Urhea logo

The Metropolitan Area Sports Academy Urhea is an official elite sports academy approved by the Finnish Olympic Committee. Urhea works in close cooperation with the Finnish Olympic Committee and its unit for elite sports (huippu-urheiluyksikkö). Urhea is a foundation supporting the daily training of athletes, helping them to combine sports and education and bringing expert coaching services to the everyday life of athletes and their coaches.  Its operations are intended for young athletes who aim for or have already attained the highest level of performance in their sport. For more information, please see Urhea's website.

Urhea contact persons in each Aalto school 

Virpi Riissanen

Coordinator
School of Engineering

Heidi af Heurlin

Coordinator
School of Chemical Engineering

Tiina Kerola

Planning officer
School of Science

Piia Ylitalo

Coordinator
School of Electrical Engineering

Virva Sointu

Planning officer
School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Sami Itani

Professor of Practice

Elina Nykänen

Planning officer
School of Business

Read Urhea news:

Painija, kauppatieteiden yo Arvi Savolainen

School of Business has a great Olympic representation at the Paris Olympics

As many as four Aalto University students competed in the Paris Olympics 26.7.–11.8.2024

News
Freestyle meloja Miika Sorjonen, Aalto CHEM

Joint action between business, sport and athletes will be more important in the future

This time, Aalto and Haaga-Helia's students with Urhea status met in a joint branding event

News
Aallon Urhea-opiskelijoiden syystapaaminen, 2023. Kuva: Terhi Ollikainen

Aalto Alum and Sports Director Jyrki Louhi offered financial knowledge to Aalto's competitive athletes

The Urhea meeting attracted 30 students to the network's autumn meeting

News
Kuvituskuva: SCIn kristallikukat

URA foundation scholarships to 19 Aalto athletes

The scholarship amount is either 1 500 or 3 000 euros for one academic year

News
Muodostelmaluistelujoukkue Team Unique'n aaltolaiset luistelijat

Five Aalto students belong to the Finnish Championship winning synchronised skating team Team Unique

The skaters studying at different Aalto schools are Aalto’s Urhea athletes

News
juoksurata, sports field

From triple jump to submission wrestling – Aalto supports students in combining sports and studies

Aalto University and Urhea have a partnership agreement. Whether your sport is basketball, synchronized skating, or something else, you get encouragement and support to combine practicing and studying

News
Urhea-opiskelijoita ja -kumppaneita

A recent audit confirms: The School of Business is a top athlete-friendly higher education institution

The School of Business systematically promotes the prerequisites of top athletes studying at the university to complete their studies alongside their sports career

News
Football field / Jalkapallokenttä. Kuva: Aleksi Poutanen

Football player Tim Väyrynen and basketball player Helmi Tulonen are among Aalto University’s URHEA students

‘Aalto University has supported us in combining professional sports and studies in accordance with the principles of Urhea.’

News

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