For help and support in applying these instructions in practice, you may turn to the vice dean for education for your school and your school’s Learning Services staff.
When teaching a course, the language(s) used depends on the language of the programme that the course belongs to, and on whether the programme has an educational responsibility to offer the instruction in Finland’s official languages (Finnish and Swedish). Therefore, when planning the language of instruction and language of study attainments (suorituskieli, or ‘language of learning’ in Sisu) for your course, you need to know which programmes or majors your course belongs to and what obligations the programme may have in terms of specific languages to provide the course in. If you need help in determining this, you can contact the director of the degree programme, your school’s vice dean for education, or the manager of academic affairs.
At the course level, the implementation of the new Guidelines on the Languages of Degrees and Instruction will take place in two stages, corresponding to the two curriculum periods.
The languages of instruction and study attainments for the academic years 2024–25 and 2025–26 are confirmed in the curriculum. They may be checked in Sisu under the course description, if necessary. If you are willing to receive study attainments in other languages as well, please contact your unit’s Learning Services.
For the curriculum period that begins with the 2026-2027 academic year, the languages used will be specific to the programme or major, as planned by the director of degree programme or the head of major during the curriculum design work. The position of the course in the programme and/or major affects what languages should be used in the course or course implementation. For details, see Languages of instruction and study attainments according to course position
The possible languages of study attainments for a course (i.e. the languages in which students may complete e.g. their exams and coursework in a course implementation) are confirmed in the curriculum. One language will be confirmed for every course as the primary language of instruction. Every course will also have a confirmed language or languages of study attainments as well as any confirmed supplementary languages of instruction. Different implementations of a course may have different sets of languages, if that makes sense from a flow-of-studies and use-of-resources standpoint.
If multiple languages are used in a course implementation, the language of instruction and supplementary languages of instruction are decided according to what is sensible from the standpoint of the teaching and assessment methods. The language of instruction is the primary language of the course implementation. In addition, supplementary languages of instruction will be offered corresponding to the core content of the teaching in order to ensure that students may complete the learning outcomes and learn the central concepts.
The language of instruction and any supplementary languages of instruction are at the same time languages of study attainments. Conversely, a language of study attainments may enable other languages of instruction to be used, if the teacher so decides.
The course’s position in the programme can be checked in the degree requirements published in the Student Guide. Also the course descriptions in Sisu often specify which target groups a course is intended for. The languages of Aalto study options can also be found on the pages for applicants to Aalto University and on the Studyinfo site.
If you are unsure of your course’s position, you can ask the director of the degree programme or the head of major for support, as they are responsible for the designing of the curriculum.
The language of instruction is the language you use for teaching your students, for example, the language used to give lectures, or the language used in student practice groups. The language used for teaching must be a confirmed language of instruction.
Every course in the 2024–2026 curriculum period shall have one assigned language of instruction. In all course implementations, the assigned language of instruction is the language the implementation uses primarily. Student practice groups, for their part, may be organised in other languages.
From the 2026–2027 academic year on, a single course may have different implementations in different languages of instruction. The language of instruction in a course implementation is chosen from among the languages of study attainments defined for the course. The course implementation may also include supplementary languages of instruction. If an implementation is provided multilingually, the teaching will be given in the language of instruction and also, as a rule, in supplementary languages; supplementary languages may be offered by using real-time translation subtitling that is of good quality or by organising student practice groups that use the supplementary language(s). The supplementary language of instruction should be offered to correspond to the core content of the teaching in order to ensure that students may complete the learning outcomes and learn the central concepts.
Students may perform their complete study attainments in the confirmed language of study attainments. The teacher may not accept study attainments completed in other languages. Examples of study attainments are written assignments, examination answers and oral presentations. Course teachers must be able to accept for processing and grading all study attainments in all of the languages of study attainments that were confirmed for the course and that affect the grading.
The practical guidelines for students on course implementations will be produced (e.g. in MyCourses) in the language of instruction and in possible supplementary languages of instruction relevant to the implementation.
If information about the languages of study attainments for a course is essential for organising the course, the teacher should collect information about the possible languages from the students already at the beginning of the course.
A student’s study attainment will include information on the language(s) they used as their language of study attainments. If a student completes their study attainments in various different languages, the language of study attainments will be the language in which the student performed the greatest amount. If the amount performed between the different languages was equal, the teacher will decide which one to record as the student’s language of study attainments.
For Finnish/Swedish course implementations, the learning material – such as textbooks, articles and other reading, or lecture slides and materials for assignments or exercises – may be in Finnish, Swedish or English.
For course implementations in English, the learning materials must be in English. In addition to the English material, material may be provided in Finnish and/or Swedish that parallels or supplements the English material.
The teaching may also include material in some other language if there are justifiable grounds for doing so and if the entire group has a command of the language in question.
The material may also be provided in multiple languages.
Multilingualism can be realised in various ways, for example:
Read more in the page Tools and tips for multilingual teaching.
Read more in the page Tools and tips for multilingual teaching.
Educational leaders of your School (such as programme director and vice dean for teaching and learning) and Learning Services (LES) will help you as needed.
Read more in the page Tools and tips for multilingual teaching.
Aalto University aims to deliver a multilingual and inclusive educational experience for students as well as for all who take care of teaching duties. Teaching at Aalto is organised in Finnish, Swedish and English. This page gives you ideas for implementing teaching multilingually, information about language-aware pedagogy, and guidelines for using the available digital services that support multilingual teaching.
Languages are planned at the programme level: therefore, teachers do not carry the sole responsibility for defining the languages of a course; conversely, they may not change the languages of a course without a programme-level review. The languages to be used in teaching are specified in the curriculum. The curriculum specifies the language information on courses as well as study modules. The language of the programme affects what language(s) may or must be used in the courses and study modules. A programme may also be multilingual. In a multilingual programme, the languages of the study options that lead to the programme also affect which languages may be used in the programme.
The table below shows how the languages of instruction and of study attainments of a course are defined according to the study module and programme to which they belong.
| Course position | Language(s) of instruction | Language of study attainments | Languages specified for practical instructions, assignments and communications, unless otherwise indicated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Finnish/Swedish programmes |
||||
|
Finnish/Swedish OR English, with an adequate amount of Finnish/Swedish as a supplementary language of instruction |
Finnish/Swedish; English if teacher decides to include OR English, and an adequate amount of Finnish/Swedish |
Language on instruction and supplementary languages of instruction | |
English programme |
||||
|
English | English | English | |
Multilingual programme |
||||
| Core studies of a bachelor’s programme |
|
Mainly Finnish/Swedish OR English, with mainly Finnish/Swedish as the supplementary language of instruction |
Finnish/Swedish, English if teacher decides so OR English, Finnish/Swedish |
Language on instruction and supplementary languages of instruction |
|
English | English | English | |
| Major studies | Finnish major |
Mainly Finnish/Swedish OR English, with an adequate amount of mainly Finnish/Swedish as a supplementary language of instruction |
Finnish/Swedish; English if teacher decides so OR English, and an adequate amount of Finnish/Swedish |
Language on instruction and supplementary languages of instruction |
| English major |
English | English | English | |
| Finnish/English major |
Finnish/Swedish; or English, given the following: 1) an adequate amount must be provided mainly in Finnish/Swedish OR if the language of instruction is English, the supplementary language of instruction must be mainly Finnish/Swedish 2) an adequate amount must be provided in English OR if the language of instruction is Finnish/Swedish, the supplementary language of instruction must be English |
Finnish/Swedish; or English, given the following: 1) an adequate amount must be in Finnish/Swedish 2) an adequate amount must be in English |
Language on instruction and supplementary languages of instruction | |
| Core studies of a master’s programme (in programmes with no structure for a major) | Compulsory studies |
Mainly Finnish/Swedish, with English as a supplementary language of instruction OR English, with Finnish/Swedish as a mainly supplementary language of instruction |
Finnish/Swedish English | Finnish/Swedish, English |
| Alternative studies |
Mainly Finnish/Swedish or English, providing the following: 1) an adequate amount must be provided in mainly Finnish/Swedish OR if the language of instruction is English, the supplementary language of instruction must be mainly Finnish/Swedish 2) an adequate amount must be provided in English OR if the language of instruction is Finnish/Swedish, the supplementary language of instruction must be English |
Finnish/Swedish or English, providing the following: 1) an adequate amount must be in Finnish/Swedish 2) an adequate amount must be in English |
Language on instruction and supplementary languages of instruction | |
The structure of the studies included in the bachelor’s and master’s degrees are defined in the Degree Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. The studies in the programmes consist of study modules, such as basic studies, major studies or core studies of the master’s programme
The contents of each study module are defined in the curriculum. A study module may contain both compulsory and alternative courses.
No. A major or other study module may include courses with different languages of instruction or languages of study attainments, depending on the position of the study module or course. See in detail on the table above.
When planning the language selection of a major or other study module, care must be taken to ensure compliance with the obligations regarding the language of instruction arising from the language of the programme and the study option. In practice, this means that all compulsory studies must be organised in accordance with the obligations arising from the languages set for the programme and its study options. In the case of alternative courses, some may be organised in the national languages of Finland and some in English, so that each student has a real opportunity to complete the module in the language of their choice.
In addition, it is necessary to ensure that students admitted through Finnish/Swedish-language study options in all Aalto fields of education learn the key concepts and terminology in the national languages of Finland.
The information regarding the languages of majors and other study modules is included in the curriculum and can be found in the Student Guide and the study modules’ details in Sisu. All study modules are assigned a language of study attainments (‘language of learning’ in Sisu).
The language of study attainments of majors and other study modules cannot be changed during the curriculum period. Any changes will be prepared under the direction of the programme director/professor in charge of the minor and vice dean for education in conjunction with curriculum design. See under Education portfolio for details.
If the language of study attainments of a study module is changed, students must be given an appropriate transition period. In practice, students who have already gained admission to a programme must have the opportunity to complete their degree in the languages originally specified for their study option for the duration of their right to study.
The study module can be completed in the language of study attainments. In practice, this means that all the compulsory courses and an adequate number of alternative courses of the study module are to be organised in this language. See the table above for details.
A person responsible for a study module has various duties that can be performed regardless of the language of the module. Developing the alignment of teaching and discussing the learning outcomes, teaching methods and assessment policy of the major with other teachers are all examples of duties that can be performed in some other language than those defined for the major.
However, students do have the right to expect guidance and advice in the language in which they, for example, pursue the courses towards their major. If you are responsible for a multilingual major that has a language of study attainments that you are not proficient in, it is important that you have arranged for someone else to advise and direct students in major-related questions in that language. If necessary, you can contact the programme director or Learning Services.
Aalto University provides education in three languages: Finnish, Swedish and English, and it has statutory educational responsibilities in certain disciplines. In its areas of educational responsibility, Aalto University is obligated to offer students an opportunity to complete their studies mainly in Finnish. In the fields of technology and the arts, Aalto has an obligation to offer teaching and study completion opportunities also in Swedish.
Aalto University has educational responsibilities in the field of arts as well as in that of economics and business administration, and in several fields of technology. The schools ensure that students are given the opportunity to study in the national languages of Finland in all fields of study where Aalto has educational responsibilities. When planning the implementation of the language guidelines during 2024, the Aalto schools will recognise which programmes they will organise completely in the national languages of Finland and how opportunities for studying in the national languages will be offered in the other programmes. At the school level, the responsibility for this work rests with the vice dean for education and the directors of the degree programmes offering courses taught in the national languages.
The Aalto schools will plan the implementation of the language guidelines during summer and autumn 2024. This process will include planning for any changes needed to degree programmes in order to strengthen the position of the national languages. The goal is for all fields of education to offer opportunities to study in the national languages, either in Finnish-medium degree programmes or in multilingual programmes where students are provided with adequate opportunities to study in Finnish or Swedish.
In autumn 2024, the schools will prepare a description of how the different degree programmes will cover the university's educational responsibilities, while also preparing a plan for the changes needed to the programmes’ languages of degree. The planning process is the responsibility of each school’s vice dean for education. Decisions to change the languages of degree of programmes will be made by the Aalto University president on a proposal by the dean of the school. Any changes to the languages of study options will be confirmed by the president in connection with the annual decision on the student places to be made available in each option
Aalto University's educational responsibilities are defined in the Ministry of Education and Culture's Decree on specifying the educational responsibilities of universities (1451/2014) (available in Finnish only).
In the above fields of study, Aalto University has an educational responsibility, which means that the university is required to offer students the opportunity to complete their degrees mainly in the national languages of Finland. In broad areas of educational responsibility (e.g. economics and business administration or the arts) students must be offered several options to complete a bachelor's and master's degree in Finnish/Swedish.
During 2024, the schools will prepare field-specific descriptions of how the Aalto University programme portfolio should be designed to cover the various educational responsibilities set for the university. The responsibility for this rests with the vice dean for education of each school.
The language of the programme and the study option has an influence on the languages in which studies must be offered and may be offered in the programme. The impact of the programme and study option languages on the languages of instruction and study attainments is described in the table under Curriculum in these instructions.
The language of degree of each programme is included in the programme’s basic information in Sisu . The languages of each study option can be found in their descriptions and on the Studyinfo.fi site.
The language of degree determines the language in which teaching and advising must be provided in the programme. In Finnish/Swedish-language programmes, teaching and advising must be organised mainly in the national languages of Finland, and in English-language programmes in English; in multilingual programmes, teaching and advising must be provided in both the national languages and English.
During 2024, the schools will prepare field-specific plans on how the Aalto University programme and study option portfolio should be designed to cover the various educational responsibilities set for the university at all degree levels. These plans include planning the degree programmes and majors for which new study options in Finnish/Swedish or English will be established. The language of the study options is decided by the president of Aalto University on a proposal by the school dean.
The language of each programme will be decided in connection with the establishment of the programme. When considering the programme languages, attention must be paid to field-specific educational responsibilities.
The languages of study options are decided by the president as part of the annual decisions on the numbers of student places to be made available in each study option. In programmes where the language of degree is either Finnish, Swedish or English, the languages of the study options are identical to the programme’s languages of degree. In multilingual programmes, consideration must be given to which languages are appropriate for different study options. The language of a study option may be either Finnish/Swedish or English.
If you are responsible for the preparations of a new programme or if the programme under your responsibility needs to change its languages of degree or those of its study options, you can turn to the school manager of academic affairs or vice dean for education for support.
At Aalto University, a programme’s language of degree may be 1) Finnish/Swedish, 2) English or 3) Finnish/Swedish and English (this is a multilingual programme). When deciding or changing the language of degree of a programme, attention must be paid to the university’s educational responsibilities: if the programme has a statutory educational responsibility in a given field of study, its language of degree must be either Finnish/Swedish or the programme must be defined as multilingual. In broad areas of educational responsibility (e.g. economics and business administration or the arts) students must be offered several options to complete a bachelor's and master's degree in the national languages of Finland.
The language of a study option is defined on the basis of the field-specific educational responsibility and the language of the programme. When deciding the languages of the study options of a new programme and changing the languages of existing study options, it must be ensured that, in all areas of educational responsibility defined by law for Aalto University, Aalto students have a chance to complete degrees at all levels in mainly Finnish or Swedish.
The languages of study options for programmes in different languages for studies starting on 1 August 2026:
Students who have gained admission to a bachelor’s programme through a Finnish/Swedish-medium study option must have the opportunity to continue their studies in a master’s programme offered either in Finnish/Swedish or in a multilingual master’s programme in all fields of study where Aalto University has statutory educational responsibilities.
If the master’s programme offered is a multilingual master's programme, a Finnish/Swedish-medium study path to that programme is considered equal to a Finnish/Swedish study option.
Course: A unit of study specified in the curriculum. It may consist of one or several study attainments. In Finnish, the terms opintojakso and kurssi are both used to refer to courses.
Curriculum: A confirmed overall description of the learning outcomes of the degree programme, the goals and contents of the study modules, course selection and the implementation of teaching in a given period of time. ‘Curriculum’ may also refer to an overall description of a study module leading to a licentiate or doctoral degree.
Educational responsibility: A responsibility set for the university on a national level to provide education in certain fields. Aalto University has educational responsibilities in the arts, in economics and business administration and in several areas of technology.
Implementation of teaching: A single instance of a course being given, i.e. what the student registers for when registering for a course. Each course may have multiple implementations, such as remote and contact teaching ones, or implementations for different target groups.
Language of degree: A general definition of the language(s) in which a degree may be completed.
Language of instruction: The language in which the teaching of the course or study module is provided.
Language of study attainments: The language in which students may complete study attainments. A study attainment is a written or oral examination, presentation, or artistic or other performance which is included in the university curriculum and evaluated separately.
Language of teaching arrangements: The language that is the language of instruction for the implementation OR in which a real-time and high-quality translation of the teaching is provided and in which the student may complete their study attainments and receive all practical information concerning the course.
Study option: Organisation of studies connected to a specific admissions process. At Aalto University, a study option may be either a degree programme or major.
Supplementary language of instruction: If during a single course implementation, teaching is given in more than one language, the supplementary language of instruction is a language in which, e.g. a real-time quality translation of the teaching is produced or parallel practice groups are organised or in which it is otherwise ensured that the student receives the key teaching relevant for attaining the learning outcomes of the course and learning the key concepts.
It is worth getting to know the Aalto University General Language Guidelines and the Guidelines on the Languages of the Degrees and Instruction, as they are the basis for the instructions given on this page.
Aalto University language policies and principles
Guidelines on the languages of the degrees and instruction ((in force from 1 January 2024)
