Doctoral students

If you have completed your master's degree at Hanken using Sisu - the basic functions of the study plan are still the same as for master's students, but the way the study plan is built, and the contents are a bit different.

The biggest difference for you as a doctoral student from other degree students is that a big part of your studies is completed outside of Hanken, and you need to go through the study plan annually with your degree supervisor.

Basic functions in the study plan

What is a primary study plan?

You will always have one study plan as your primary plan connected to your study right. If you have several study rights you should create a primary study plan for each of them. If you have created only one study plan, this will automatically be your primary plan. The primary plan is recognised by the text reading Primary plan to the right of the heading My study plan on the Structure of studies page.

Sisu has several functions which you can only perform with your primary study plan and which you cannot move to another study plan. Such functions include the following:

• Creation of new content or content that deviates from the predetermined structure of the study plan
• Graduation requests and graduation
• Requests for the recognition of prior learning and related decisions
• Applications for an extension of the right to study and related decisions

It is therefore important that you keep your primary study plan updated. If you wish to have another study plan as your primary plan, click on the button with three black dots in the upper right corner of the page.  A drop-down menu will appear; click on “Select as the primary plan”.

Creating a study plan

1. Start creating your study plan by opening the Structure of studies -page from the navigation pane.
   
2. Click on the button “New study plan” at the top of the page.
   
3. Select My educations from the pop-up window which appears. On this tab, you can select the study plan template that applies to your right to study. If you have several study rights, the Learning opportunity drop-down menu will display a list of all study plan templates that correspond to the study rights that you have been granted.
   
   
4. Please select the curriculum period 2020-2023. This also applies, for technical reasons, if you started studying before 2020.
5. If you wish, you can name your study plan. The default name is “My study plan” and the date of creation. If you create several study plans, you should name them clearly, so that you can tell them apart later.
6. Finally, click on the button “Create a plan” at the bottom of the pop-up window. Your new study plan will open and be ready for editing

Editing a study plan

The study plan is built according to the requirements of the degree, and will support you in keeping track of how many credits you have completed in your degree. The contents of the study plan directly reflect the contents of your degree certificate. All the changes in the study plan are saved automatically, and you are able to make changes to it at a later stage too.

When you create your study plan it will look approximately like this (Marketing used as an example).

To graduate, you need to have a minimum of 240 credits selected and completed in your study plan. Sisu helps you keep track of this with the State and Credits columns.

The doctoral dissertation and a mandatory course are already added to the plan. The section you mainly need to make changes to is the Electives section. By clicking on the heading (the text, not the arrow), you can see the courses in the subject offered at Hanken. Click the symbol next to the course if you want to select it. Please note that you should only add courses you have agreed upon with your degree supervisor to the study plan.

If you want to select another course offered at Hanken, search for it with the course code in the "Add to the plan" search field. Make sure to select the correct course if there are several courses with similar course codes.

When you want to include courses completed elsewhere to your study plan, you need to apply for inclusion or substitution of the courses to transfer the credits to Hanken. Please see the instructions further down this page for that.

Preparatory steps

To be able to register for courses at Hanken you need to have selected the course in your study plan. Start by opening the study plan in Sisu and clicking the course code you want to register for.

Go to the Completion methods tab. Make sure that the completion method is selected by checking that it says selected below in green. If not, click on the button saying "Select this method". After that you should click the blue button saying "Select" on the same row as the teaching you want to register for. Please note that you have not yet enrolled for the teaching, that is done in the next steps in the study calendar.

In the future you can do these preparatory steps whenever you find teaching for the courses in Sisu. This means you can choose the completion method and the teaching before the enrolment opens.

Registration in the study calendar

Please note that you need to do the preparations described above to be able to register for the teaching.

The actual registration is done on the Study Calendar page.

On the right hand side of the page you'll find a black panel with three menu tabs:

• Under the tab Teaching not selected you'll find a list of the courses for which you haven't selected the teaching yet.
• Under the tab Enrolment you'll find the teaching you've selected in your study plan.
• Under the tab Finished and discontinued you'll find teaching that has ended and courses you've discontinued your participation in. You cannot register again for courses you've discontinued.
• The filters below the tabs help you find your enrolments and see for example whether you've enrolled in all courses you've selected in your plan or if you still need to enrol.

To enrol to the teaching, begin with clicking on the Enrolment tab if it isn't activated already. Make sure that the filter Waiting for enrolment is activated. If you come to the study calendar directly from the "Continue to enrolment" link in the study plan, you will automatically be taken to the right enrolment.

Scroll down to the teaching you want to enrol in. You can see the name and dates for the teaching as well as information about the enrolment period. Register for the course by clicking the blue "Enrol" button.

You can confirm your enrolment directly in this popup window unless it asks you to answer extra questions. At Study right you can select which study right you want to enrol with if you have several study rights. Make sure to select the study right for which you created the study plan with the course in it.

You have now confirmed your enrolment and Sisu informs you right away if you were selected for the teaching with a message at the top of the screen.

If you were not selected for the teaching Sisu informs you about that as well. You can find the reason in the same place as where you made the enrolment.

The picture above means that the student did not fulfil the requirement "Attending", which means the student was not registered as attending for the academic term.

You can check your enrolments either in the study calendar, or on the My profile page under the tab Enrolments.

Canceling your registration

If you want to cancel your registration to a course, do so in the Study calendar.

Make sure these filters are turned on in the panel to the right, to find the courses you are registered to.

Click on "Cancel registration" and then on "Confirm" in the pop-up window that opens.

General information about credits in Sisu

You can see your completed credits in two places in Sisu, in the study plan and on the page My profile. Please note that the first page in Sisu only shows the amount of credits placed in your study plan. This does not mean the rest of the credits are missing from Sisu.

On the My profile page, under the tab Completed credits you can see all of your completed credits, also the ones not found in the study plan. Here you will also be able to print an inofficial transcript of records. See further instructions on official transcripts on the page Study services.

The default view only shows passed credits. You can check your failed and expired credits by clicking Passed credits and changing the selection in the drop down menu.

Note! Since the transfer of completed degrees is still being corrected, older credits included in completed degrees can incorrectly show as expired for a while. This will be corrected once correction is completed, you don’t need to do anything yourself. If a credit in your current degree has expired you need to fill in the form to reactivate it, found on this page Forms.

Add credits to your study plan

On the left side of the Study structure page you will find a blue button with the text “Add to the plan”. When you click on it you will see all of your credits not yet found in your study plan.

By clicking on the arrow next to the course you can add the course to the Electives heading in your study plan.

After clicking the arrow next the course, click on Select at the heading Electives and confirm the selection in the panel which opens to the right..

Do this for all the completed courses so that they can be found in your study plan. Completed courses can be recognised by a grade and a wreath at the course found in the study plan. 

Before creating an application, please carefully read the principles governing credit transfers on our page Transferring credits. It is your own responsibility to make sure that you know the rules for transfer of credits, and that you provide the documentation needed for processing your application.
There are two different ways of applying for transfer of credits in Sisu: inclusion and substitution. 

You need to apply for inclusion if you have completed a course at a foreign institution of higher education or a course completed at another Finnish institution of higher education that is not directly equivalent to a course at Hanken.

You need to apply for substitution if you have completed a course at another Finnish institution of higher education that is directly equivalent to a course at Hanken. In all other cases you should apply for inclusion.

Instructions for applying for inclusion

Follow these instructions only if you have completed a course at a foreign institution of higher education or a course completed at another Finnish institution of higher education that is not directly equivalent to a course at Hanken.
If you have already added the course you are planning to include to your study plan via a study draft, you can make the application through your study draft. Then your transferred course will be shown in your study plan directly in the section where the study draft was before.
You can also apply for inclusion without making a study draft first. Then you need to remember to add the transferred course to your study plan yourself after your application has been approved.

Applying for inclusion through a study draft

1. Open your study plan in Sisu on the Structure of studies page and scroll down to where you have added your study draft for the course you want to include.
2. Click the link Study draft. A pop-up window opens. Click on Suggest credit.
   
   
   
3. Select I am applying for an included course credit and click on Continue.
   
   
4. Check that you have given a logical name for your course in the draft stage. If not, change it to the name of the course you have completed at the other university. Then click on Continue.
5. Click on Add information on studies or other prior learning, choose Completed studies and click on Add.
   
   
   
6. Fill in information about the course you have completed: course name, course code, name of the other university, completion date, number of credits, language of instruction, grade, grading scale (i.e., 1-5 or pass/fail).
   You can choose if you copy the course description into the field Description or if you submit it as an attachment, for example in the form of a screenshot. The course description should include the objectives, level, content, and possible literature of the course. 
   Note that you should add the name of the course in the language that you have taken it in. You should also add a transcript of records from the other university, where the course name appears in this language. 
   
   
7. Add attachments by clicking Choose files or by dragging the files to the grey field that says Drop files to attach. Then click Continue.
   You always need to attach a course description and an official transcript of records from the university where you have completed the course you want to transfer to your application. Alternatively, you can add a link to the course description on the service My Studyinfo in the field Description. Please first check that the linked information is correct. Note! You also need to attach a confirmation from your degree supervisor that the course is accepted as a part of your study plan. The confirmation can be eg. an email or a copy of the study plan you’ve agreed on with the supervisor. If needed, also add other attachments that support your application.
   Your application will not be processed without a transcript of records or link to My Studyinfo and the course description, as well as the confirmation from your degree supervisor.
   
   
8. Choose that you want to be notified of the decision through Sisu only. We do not send the decisions by post. Click on Submit application.
   You will get a notification of the decision in Sisu. You can also see all your applications and the decisions under your profile on the tab Applications and requests. If your application is approved, the course will be shown as completed in your study plan.
   
   

Applying for inclusion without a study draft

1. Open your study plan in Sisu on the Structure of studies page and click the button with three dots in the upper right corner of the page. Select the option Request to have prior learning included in your degree from the menu.
   
2. Choose where in the study plan you are planning to include the course by clicking Select a place for the credit in your study plan, choosing the header you want to include the course in and clicking Ok.
   
   
   
3. Write the name of the course you want to include in the field Title of the credit. Then click on Continue. 
   
   
4. Click on Add information on studies or other prior learning, choose Completed studies and click on Add.
   
   
   
5. Fill in information about the course you have completed: course name, course code, name of the other university, completion date, number of credits, language of instruction, grade, grading scale (i.e., 1-5 or pass/fail).
   You can choose if you copy the course description into the field Description or if you submit it as an attachment, for example in the form of a screenshot. The course description should include the objectives, level, content, and possible literature of the course. 
   Note that you should add the name of the course in the language that you have taken it in. You should also add a transcript of records from the other university, where the course name appears in this language. 
   
   
6. Add attachments by clicking Choose files or by dragging the files to the grey field that says Drop files to attach. Then click Continue.
   You always need to attach a course description and an official transcript of records from the university where you have completed the course you want to transfer to your application. Alternatively, you can add a link to the course description on the service My Studyinfo in the field Description. Please first check that the linked information is correct. Note! You also need to attach a confirmation from your degree supervisor that the course is accepted as a part of your study plan. The confirmation can be eg. an email or a copy of the study plan you’ve agreed on with the supervisor. If needed, also add other attachments that support your application.
   Your application will not be processed without a transcript of records or link to My Studyinfo and the course description, as well as the confirmation from your degree supervisor.
   
   
7. Choose that you want to be notified of the decision through Sisu only. We do not send the decisions by post. Click on Submit application.
   You will get a notification of the decision in Sisu. You can also see all your applications and the decisions under your profile on the tab Applications and requests. If your application is approved, the course will be shown as completed in your study plan.
   
   

Instructions for applying for substitution

Follow these instructions only if you have completed a course at another Finnish institution of higher education that is directly equivalent to a course at Hanken. In all other cases you should apply for inclusion.

1. Open your study plan in Sisu on the Structure of studies page and scroll down to where you have added the course you want to substitute.
2. Click on the course code for the course you want to substitute. A pop-up window with the course information opens. Click on the tab Substitutions.
   
   
   
3. At the bottom of the page, under the heading Credit transfer you find the button View the application. When you click that the application opens in a pop-up window.
   
   
4.  Click on Add information on studies or other prior learning, choose Completed studies and click on Add.
   
   
   
5. Fill in information about the course you have completed: course name, course code, name of the other university, completion date, number of credits, language of instruction, grade, grading scale (i.e., 1-5 or pass/fail).
   You can choose if you copy the course description into the field Description or if you submit it as an attachment, for example in the form of a screenshot. The course description should include the objectives, level, content, and possible literature of the course. 
   Note that you should add the name of the course in the language that you have taken it in. You should also add a transcript of records from the other university, where the course name appears in this language. 
   
   
6. Add attachments by clicking Choose files or by dragging the files to the grey field that says Drop files to attach. Then click Continue.
   You always need to attach a course description and an official transcript of records from the university where you have completed the course you want to transfer to your application. Alternatively, you can add a link to the course description on the service My Studyinfo in the field Description. Please first check that the linked information is correct. Note! You also need to attach a confirmation from your degree supervisor that the course is accepted as a part of your study plan. The confirmation can be eg. an email or a copy of the study plan you’ve agreed on with the supervisor. If needed, also add other attachments that support your application.
   Your application will not be processed without a transcript of records or link to My Studyinfo and the course description, as well as the confirmation from your degree supervisor.
   
   
7. Choose that you want to be notified of the decision through Sisu only. We do not send the decisions by post. Click on Submit application.
   You will get a notification of the decision in Sisu. You can also see all your applications and the decisions under your profile on the tab Applications and requests. If your application is approved, the course will be shown as completed in your study plan.
   
   

Once all your courses are placed in the study plan, and they are registered as completed, Sisu will inform you that you can apply for graduation.

Note! Please acquaint yourself with the general information about completion of studies before making the graduation request in Sisu.

You can submit a request for graduation in Sisu on the Structure of studies page when:

• you have completed all studies included in your degree and they are correctly in your primary study plan, 
• you are registered as attending,
• your study right is valid. 

Please note

• You can submit a graduation request only in the primary study plan connected to your study right. 
• Changes made in your primary study plan after submitting a graduation request no longer have an influence on your graduation request or the content of your degree certificate. 
• If you have, for example, submitted a graduation request in the wrong degree programme or study track, your request will be rejected and you will be directed to edit your study plan to correspond with your study right. 

Submit the graduation request:

1. Go to your primary study plan and click either on the wreath next to your degree, or on the text parts completed. If you click on the wreath you can jump directly to step 3.
   

2. Click on the Request for graduation link in the panel to the right.

   
3. Confirm the request in the pop-up window by clicking the Request for graduation button.
   
4. Fill in the request as following:
   • First verify your personal details, such as your name and date of birth, at the top of the application. If any details are incorrect, please contact Student Services to correct them before you submit the request.
   • Verify your contact details. If you are not continuing your studies at the Hanken, add a secondary email address (not a hanken.fi address). You can edit the details by clicking on the Edit button next to your contact details. If your home address is outdated, go the page My profile -> Personal information, and edit your primary address there. It is unfortunately not possible to do it directly in the graduation request.
   • You can leave the Additional info field empty if there is no extra information you need to add to your graduation request.
   • Select "‘I will pick up the degree certificate from the university" as the delivery method for the certificate. Please note that you will only get one original of the certificate, which means that you will not get another one if it is lost in the mail. We therefore strongly recommend that you pick it up yourself from Hanken.
     
5. Click on Submit graduation request and confirm the submission in the pop-up window.
   

Processing of your graduation request

You graduation request is processed in the Student Services. Once your request has been approved or rejected, you will receive a notification on Sisu’s frontpage. The notification can also be seen as a message in Sisu’s black top bar. Please note that the notification is only visible in Sisu and there will be no separate email.

You will later get an email with information on how and when you can pick up your degree certificate.