The courses of the open university of the University of Eastern Finland are open to everyone, regardless of their background or basic education. In addition, all of our English-taught courses are free of charge until 31.7.2024 if you have the status of temporary protection from the Finnish Immigration Service. (With the exception of those few courses that have a fixed admissions quota, listed separately below.)
This applies to everybody who wants in, but we originally made this choice to help the victims of the war in Ukraine by offering them what we could: study opportunities, most of them online. We are happy to extend this offer as wide as we can.
To register for a course, please fill in our Webropol form and attach a proof of your status of temporary protection.
If you need more guidance, please send a message to our general study guidance e-mail at jok-ohjaus@uef.fi, and we will get back to you.
Free courses for those with the status of temporary protection
This list has now been updated for courses starting in the academic year 2023-2024. As there are many courses, please see their individual pages for more information. The size of each course is measured in ECTS credits; one credit corresponds to 27 hours of work.
Finnish Language Courses:
- Autumn 2023:
- Finnish 1A: Introduction to the Finnish Language, 2 credits, registration 8.8.–23.8.2023
- Finnish 1B, 2 credits, 3 separate groups, registration begins 8.8.2023
- Finnish 3, 4 credits, registration open 8.8.–24.8.2023
- Finnish for Work, 2 credits, registration open 8.8.–24.8.2023
- Spring 2024:
- Finnish 1A: Introduction to the Finnish Language, 2 credits, registration open 22.11.2023- 5.1.2024
- Finnish 1B, 2 credits, registration open 22.11.2023-4.1.2024
- Finnish 2A, 2 credits, registration open 22.11.–27.12.2023
- Finnish 2B, 2 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–25.3.2024
- Finnish 4, 4 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–4.1.2024
Business and economics:
- Consumer Behavior in Tourism, online studies, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.–21.9.2023
- Data Analytics for Accounting and Audit, online studies, 6 credits, registration open 15.12.2023–17.3.2024
- Digital Tourism Business, online studies, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.–21.9.2023
- Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation, online studies, 6 credits, registration open 7.8.–27.11.2023
- International Business, online studies, 6 credits, registration open 11.12.2023–6.3.2024
- Introduction to Tourism Studies, online studies, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.–21.9.2023
- Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations, online studies, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.–21.9.2023
- Sales and buyer behavior in retailing, online studies, 6 credits, registration open 1.8.2023–10.3.2024
- Strategic Management, online studies, 6 credits, registration open 15.8.2023–31.3.2024
- Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Business, online studies, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.–21.9.2023
- Sustainable co-operative business model, online studies, 6 credits, registration open 7.8.–31.5.2024
Education:
- Assessment and Individual Support in Learning, 5 credits, autumn 2023, registration open 8.8.–5.9.2023
- Pedagogy in Basic Education, 3 credits, spring 2024, registration opens 22.11.2023
- Basic Studies in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development, 25 ECTS credits:
- Introduction to Education and Lifelong Learning, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–23.4.2024
- Adult Education Promoting Sustainable Development, 6 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–23.4.2024
- Finnish Education and Society, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–23.4.2024
- Current Trends in Education, 4 credits, registration opens 22.11.2023
- Active Citizenship and Non-Formal Education, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–23.4.2024
- Basic studies in Special Education:
- Orientation to the areas of special education, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.-5.9.2023
- Individual Development and Pedagogical Support, literature, 3 credits, registration open 8.8.-28.9.2023
- Individual Development and Pedagogical Support, online assignments, 2 credits, registration open 8.8.-24.10.2023
- Historical-philosophical foundations of education, 5 credits (spring 2024)
- Introduction to educational sciences, 5 credits (spring 2024)
- Education and Society, 5 credits (autumn 2024)
Environmental and natural sciences:
- Advanced Course on Environmental Data Mining, 5 credits, spring 2024, registration open 22.11.2023–25.1.2024
- Biodiversity.now A, 2 credits, spring 2024, registration open 22.11.2023–9.5.2024
- Climate Change -eLearning, 2 credits, registration open 7.8.2023–16.6.2024
- Circular Economy as Societal Change, 3 credits, registration open 8.8.–25.9.2023 and 22.11.2023–18.3.2024
- Circular Economy as Societal Change, essay, 2 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–26.5.2024
- Critical Geography of the European Union, 5 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–13.5.2024
- Environmental Health for International Students, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.–10.10.2023
- Environmental Data Mining, 5 credits, autumn 2023, registration open 7.8.–30.9.2023
- European Forest Bioeconomy, 5 credits, registration open 7.8.2023–1.5.2024
- Fundamentals of medical device approval process, 2 credits, taught in September, February and May; registrations open 7.8.–18.8.2023, 22.11.2023–19.1.2024 and 22.11.2023–24.4.2024
- Introduction to mathematical modelling of biological systems, 3 credits, registration open 11.8.2023–16.6.2024
- Introduction to remote sensing and geoinformatics MOOC, 3 credits, registration open 7.8.2023–17.6.2024
- Landscape Geography and Collaborative Knowledge Creation, MOOC, 2 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–17.6.2024
- Mining, Society and Sustainability, 3 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–8.1.2024
- Molecular biology, 5 credits, spring 2024, registration open 22.11.–31.12.2023
- Polymers, Part I: Introduction to polymers and plastics, 3 credits, spring 2024, registration open 22.11.2023–1.1.2024
- Photonics and Optics Fundamentals, 4 credits, registration open 7.8.–2.9.2023
Health sciences:
- Epidemiology I, 2 credits, registration open 1.8.–4.9.2023
- Food and Culture, 2 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–12.4.2024
- Biostatistics 1, 3 credits, registration open 1.8.–21.9.2023
- Biostatistics in Epidemiology I, 2 credits, registration open 1.8.2023–30.4.2024
- Biostatistics in Epidemiology II, 3 credits, registration open 1.8.2023–30.4.2024
- Intercultural competence and professionalism, 5 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–5.2.2024
- Introduction to Health Promotion, 5 credits, registration open 1.8.–22.9.2023
- Introduction to Finnish Health and Social Services System, 5 credits, registration 8.8.2023–15.6.2024
- Foundations of Public Health, 5 credits, 1.8.2023–28.8.2023
- Global and Local Public Health Issues, 5 credits, 1.8.2023–16.10.2023
- Public Health in Humanitarian Crises, 5 credits, 1.8.2023–17.10.2023
- Public Health and Vulnerable Groups, 4 credits, 22.11.2023–11.3.2024
- Post-Soviet Public Health, 5 credits, spring 2024
Social sciences:
- Basic Studies in Social Sciences, 25 ECTS credits:
- Introduction to Sociology, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–1.4.2024
- Introduction to Social and Public Policy, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–1.4.2024
- What is Society? 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–1.4.2024
- Society in me and us, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–1.4.2024
- Contemporary social sciences, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–1.4.2024
Other courses:
- Basics of Finnish Working Life - self-study course, 1 credits, registration 8.8.–24.10.2023 and 22.11.2023–22.2.2024
- Career planning - self-study course, 1 credits, registration open 8.8.–24.10.2023 and 22.11.2023–22.2.2024
- Job seeking self-study course, 1 credits, registration 8.8.–24.10.2023 and 22.11.2023–22.2.2024
- Essay for History Minor, 1 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–12.3.2024
- History of Ideas and Cultural History, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–31.5.2024
- History of global environmental change, 5 credits, registration open 8.8.2023–31.5.2024
- Major developments in world history from the 17th century up to today, 5 credits, registration 8.8.2023–31.5.2024
- The Principles of Digital Pedagogy in Instruction and Teaching MOOC, 2 credits, registration open 1.8.2023–15.6.2024
If you need guidance in making your decision, you can write to jok-ohjaus@uef.fi to arrange a consultation by video call (Teams, Zoom), e-mail, telephone or on-campus meeting in Kuopio or Joensuu. You can also contact the course’s coordinator, as given on each course’s page.
We know your situation right now can be difficult, and starting studies in a different place can be intimidating. If you have questions, please contact us to work out what we can do to help you.
Non-free courses
The following courses are taught in English but have admissions quotas, and thus are not free; they cost our usual price of 15 e/credit.
- Academic and Professional English for Educational Sciences, 3 credits, registration 22.11.–5.1.2024
- Academic and Professional English for Law, 4 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–2.3.2024
- Academic and Professional English 1 for Theology 2 credits, registration 8.8.– 9.10.2023
- Academic and Professional English 1, 2 credits, registration open 8.8.–5.10.2023
- Academic and Professional English 2, 2 credits, registration open 22.11.2023–15.1.2024
- English for Business Studies, 3 credits, registration open 8.8.–15.9.2023
- German 1, 3 credits, registration open 22.11.2023-3.1.2024
- Russian 1, 3 credits, 22.11.2023-3.1.2024