Individual arrangements support studies

Individual arrangements constitute individual support for learning, which you may need because of a long-term illness, disability or impediment. The arrangements can be based on, for example, the following elements hindering your studies and their progress:

• learning disorder (eg. dyslexia)
• mental health issues
• musculoskeletal disorder
• nervousness and anxiety
• neuropsychiatric disorder (eg. ADHD, autism spectrum)
• neurological disease (eg. migraine, MS disease, narcolepsy)
• sensory impairment.

Individual arrangements can also be granted on a fixed-term basis when the condition caused by injury or illness is temporary, for example, due to an accident. Individual arrangements are not granted in cases of typical short-term illnesses (such as influenza, norovirus, common cold).

Individual arrangements are practical arrangements pertaining to teaching, supervision and guidance, and examinations. The content and implementation of the arrangements depend on your individual needs and circumstances. Possible arrangements include:

• Additional time in examinations or for returning assignments
• Permission to use a computer in examinations
• A quiet or separate examination room
• Alternative methods of completing studies. 

The purpose of these arrangements is to support you in achieving the objectives and learning outcomes set for your degree and courses. These can include practising communication and interaction skills, making it impossible to complete courses independently through written assignments alone. It is important that you develop these skills as part of your studies, in which individual arrangements can support you. Individual arrangements can vary from one course to another.

Individual arrangements do not affect assessment: your skills are always assessed according to the same criteria. You can be exempted from any compulsory degree components for extremely pressing reasons only (e.g., deaf individuals completing listening comprehension examinations in language courses). In the first instance, alternative completion methods are always agreed. 

Usually, one or more course implementations (e.g., lectures, an examination or a seminar) are offered during each academic year. The aim of various implementation options is to increase the accessibility of studies and reduce the need for individual arrangements. If the methods of completing a course are not accessible to you, you can apply for individual arrangements.

The earlier you initiate communication on the individual arrangements you need before the relevant courses or examinations, the better. To obtain the right to individual arrangements, you need a certificate from a doctor or relevant specialist, such as a psychologist, speech therapist or physiotherapist. Certificates on difficulties in reading or writing can also be provided by special needs teachers.

Specialist certificates must indicate the following:

• Person to whom the certificate applies (your name and personal identity code)
• Grounds for individual arrangements: the illness, disability or impediment in question and its effect on your studies
• Specialist certificates should also indicate the concrete arrangements you could benefit from.

If you need individual arrangements for a specific course, you can agree on the matter directly with the teacher. Please reach out to the teacher well in advance before the beginning of the course. Teachers have the right to request a specialist certificate or a recommendation provided to you by the University, indicating the need for individual arrangements. Teachers cannot take copies of your specialist certificates. If you need individual arrangements on a recurring basis, or don’t want to show your specialist certificates directly to the teacher, please apply for a recommendation for individual arrangements in accordance with the instructions in the following section.

In any questions you can contact the University’s accessibility contact people in: specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s. Please note that messages can only be sent from a helsinki.fi address to an address ending in .s.

The accessibility contact person can also direct you to study advising to get help in drawing up a study plan that lays down a study pace as well as course completion methods and an order of completion appropriate to your circumstances. Individual arrangements do not allow course completion in an exceptional order if the learning outcomes of your degree require completion in a specific order.

Individual arrangements can also be made for examinations. In the case of examinations organised in connection with teaching, you can agree on any arrangements with the teacher. In such cases too, the need for individual arrangements must be demonstrated with a specialist certificate. In the case of examinations not organised by the teacher, support for individual arrangements is provided by the University’s Examination Services. For more details, read about individual arrangements for examinations.

If you need aids provided by the healthcare services, a personal assistant or a guide dog, you can use them in teaching situations without a separate recommendation or certificate. However, such a certificate is required if you need a small group space or a separate examination room and use the equipment or have a personal assistant or guide dog present. In such cases, please write to specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.

This section applies to degree students. If you are a student in the Open University, please read the instructions in the following section.

If an illness, disability or impediment has a broader impact on your studies (or if you do not wish to present specialist certificates from healthcare professionals to teachers), you can apply for the University’s recommendation for individual arrangements. The application for recommendation should be submitted using the form, and a specialist certificate must be attached. Examples of such cer include those from a physician or a comparable professional, such as a psychologist, speech therapist, or physical therapist. These include certificates by a doctor or relevant specialist, such as a psychologist, speech therapist or physiotherapist.

Fill in your faculty’s form

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Educational Sciences

Faculty of Humanities

Faculty of Law: Helsinki

Faculty of Law: Vaasa

Faculty of Medicine

Faculty of Pharmacy

Faculty of Science

Faculty of Social Sciences

Faculty of Theology

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Swedish School of Social Science

If you need help filling out the form or are unsure what types of arrangements would be helpful for you, please contact the accessibility contact people at specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s. 

If the accessibility contact person cannot independently determine the need for individual arrangements in your case, they can direct you to a study psychologist for further assessment. They can also propose that you apply for a recommendation from the expert panel on individual arrangements.

The recommendation you receive only applies to education organised by the University of Helsinki. If you are completing studies at another higher education institution or other educational institution, please apply for individual arrangements from that education provider. Recommendations provided by other universities cannot be used to apply for individual arrangements at the University of Helsinki.

If an illness, disability, or impediment affects your studies and you need individual arrangements for your Open University courses, please fill out the Open University form:

Open University

You must submit a specialist certificate as an attachment. Examples include a statement from a doctor or a comparable professional, such as a psychologist, speech therapist, or physical therapist.

On the form, list all the courses or exams you have registered for and for which you need individual arrangements. If you have submitted your application and later need arrangements for new courses or exams, please contact specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s. In your message, provide the following information about the course: 

• course code and name
• course dates
• the instructor’s name

Please always request individual arrangements well in advance, but no later than 10 days before the exam for which you need accommodations. If you need other arrangements during the course, contact the instructor well in advance of the start of the course.

If you need help filling out the form or are unsure what kind of accommodations would be beneficial for you, please contact the accessibility contact people at specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.

This section does not apply to persons completing open university courses.

Once you have received a recommendation for individual arrangements in studies, follow the instructions below. 

1. Courses or examinations organised by teachers: 

   Present the recommendation provided to you to the teacher (either via encrypted email or by meeting the teacher in person) well in advance of teaching to enable the necessary arrangements. At the beginning of the course, agree on individual arrangements for the examination with the teacher. If necessary, the teacher can direct you to submit a request for additional time by writing to specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.

   When permitted by course learning outcomes, teachers can also propose alternative methods of completion. 

2. Other examinations (eg. general examination or Examinarium examination):

   Before attending your first examination, send the recommendation you have received to specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.

   The next time you take an examination, read instructions on Individual arrangements for exams page.

   Remember to announce your individual arrangement needs well in advance, no later than 10 days before the examination! Please also remember to cancel the individual arrangements you have requested if you are unable to attend the exam!

This section does not apply to persons completing open university courses. The expert panel only issues recommendations to degree students.

If the teacher or accessibility contact person is unable to resolve your need for individual arrangements, they can direct you to apply for a recommendation from the expert panel on individual arrangements. You can also apply for a recommendation from the expert panel if you experience problems with obtaining individual arrangements.

• The expert panel can issue recommendations with sufficient grounds and which it considers to be in your interest.
• For example, recommendations on independent completion methods instead of attending contact instruction are justified only when necessary for health reasons and possible from the perspective of the course learning outcomes.

Use the secure form (RedCap) to apply for a recommendation from the expert panel. Complete the application carefully and include all the necessary attachments. The expert panel does not process applications that do not contain the requested information. 

If you wish to submit an application but cannot use the form due to accessibility issues, complete this application (pdf). Submit the application with its attachments in an encrypted email to erityisjarjestelyryhma@helsinki.fi.s. For detailed instructions on how to encrypt your email, see the IT Helpdesk website.

When requesting a recommendation from the expert panel,  according to the instructions. Please send the application with attachments via email using secure email connection erityisjarjestelyryhma@helsinki.fi.s.

The next meetings of the expert panel:

• 30 January 2026, applications must be submitted by 20 January 2026
• 13 March 2026, applications must be submitted by 3 March 2026.
• 17 April 2026, applications must be submitted by 7 April 2026.
• 5 June 2026, applications must be submitted by 26 May 2026.

Accessibility contact persons will advise you on questions related to both teaching and examinations: specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s. In your message, indicate your faculty or whether you are completing open university courses.

Individual support is also available for Sisu. If you are unable to use Sisu because its accessibility is deficient, please write to an accessibility contact person: specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.

Please note that only the helsinki.fi address can be used to send a message to the address ending in s. Always use a secure email connection when communicating about individual arrangements. For detailed instructions on how to encrypt your email, see the IT Helpdesk website.

When facing challenges related to indoor air, follow these guidelines:

1. Report the issue through an indoor air questionnaire.
2. If you have symptoms possibly linked with the indoor air quality of a teaching facility, contact the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). FSHS will then set up a meeting with you and, when needed, organise, for example, a PEF monitoring in the facility in question. Examinations are primarily conducted through FSHS but you can also contact other health services. Present the medical certificate to the teacher with whom individual arrangements are to be agreed.
3. If you have already been diagnosed through health service with symptoms occurring in teaching facilities, the primary solution is to agree on an alternative mode of completion with the teacher in charge of the course. If you cannot resolve the situation with the teacher, you may contact the campus accessibility liaison: specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s. 

If the need for individual arrangements affects the completion of your degree extensively, please contact the campus accessibility liaison (specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s) and your study track’s education coordinator.

Details pertaining to individual arrangements are secret. At the University, they are only processed by individuals who need the information to plan or carry out individual arrangements.

Read more about information security practices and the processing of students’ personal data in the University of Helsinki’s data protection statement.

Useful links within the University:

• Information about accessibility at the University’s teaching facilities
• Individual arrangements for using library services
• Groups and courses in support of fitness for study
• Language Centre courses on language anxiety and diverse learning
• Healthcare Services for Students

More information about various support services via the links below.

• Assistive devices (Kela)
• Disability or care allowance (Kela)
• Celia Library Services for university students (Course books as audio books)
• Rehabilitation Foundation (Provides timely and customer-oriented rehabilitation services that improve ability to work, study and function)
• Guide dogs and service dogs
• Interpreter service