Frequently asked questions

I found a mistake in the course material or in a programming exercise

We would be very grateful if you'd let us know through the course support channels or via email to course maintainers at ohjelmoinnin-mooc@helsinki.fi. Thank you!

Why doesn't TMC show all parts of the course? How can I download the next part's exercises?

Next part's exercises can be downloaded once you've gained 25% or more of the previous part's exercise points.

Participating from educational institutions in Finland

The questions below are relevant mainly to participants who are enrolled in a Finnish university or other educational institution.

I don't know how to enrol, can I still start the course?

Yes you can! You do not need to enrol to start, or, in fact, even to complete the course. After the course is finished, you will be emailed instructions for receiving credits for the course.

Can I receive official study credits for this course?

At the end of the course you will need to take part in the course exam. If you receive a passing grade, you will be able to get study credits. See the Grading and exams page for more details about grading.

At the moment study credits are available only to students who are either a) enrolled at the University of Helsinki, b) have a Finnish social security number c) have a Finnish bank account with active online banking codes. Any one of the three should suffice.

We are working on making credits available to a wider audience, but in the meantime, you will receive a certificate for succesfully completing the course.

Can my study credits be transferred to my home institution?

If you obtain a passing grade for the course, you will receive study credits through the University of Helsinki. A transcript of your studies will likely suffice for credit transfer at your home institution, but please check this with the study counsellors at your home institution.

If you are unable to receive study credits for the course (see the question above), you will still receive a certificate for completing the course. Please check with the study counsellors at your home institution if they have a process for awarding credits based on the certificate.

Do I need to have a University of Helsinki user account?

No, you do not need a University of Helsinki user account to study on this course.

How do I cancel my course enrolment?

There is no need to enrol on this course, so you do not have to unenrol either. All you have to do is stop participating in the course.

Questions to do with the Finnish social welfare authorities

The questions below are relevant only to course participants dealing with the Finnish social welfare authorities.

Please guide them to this page:

Ohjelmoinnin perusteet on kaikille avoin ja ilmainen verkkokurssi. Kurssin käymistä voi verrata kirjan lainaamiseen kirjastosta. Kirjastosta lainattava kirja saattaa liittyä johonkin yliopisto-opintoihin liittyvään kurssiin. Aivan samalla tavalla kuin kirjastosta lainattava kirja, verkkokurssimme on luettavissa huvin ja itsensä sivistämisen vuoksi tai yliopisto-opintojen edistämiseksi.

Ohjelmoinnin perusteet vastaa Helsingin yliopiston 5 opintopisteen kurssia. Kurssin suorittajat eivät kuitenkaan automaattisesti ole Helsingin yliopiston opiskelijoita, emmekä pakota ketään suorittamaan kurssia opintopisteisiin johtavassa muodossa. Kurssin suorittamisesta voi kuitenkin halutessaan saada opintopisteitä. Kurssille osallistuminen ei oikeuta opintotukeen.

English translation:

Introduction to Programming is a massive open online course, free of charge and open to all. Taking the course is comparable to borrowing a book from the library. A book may be relevant to some university studies, but not all who borrow it are studying at a university. Similarly, this open online course can be taken just for fun and self improvement, or it can be a part of a university degree.

The Introduction to Programming course translates to a course worth 5 study credits at the University of Helsinki. However, course participants are not automatically University of Helsinki students, and it is possible to participate in the course in a way that will not result in study credits. If the participant so wishes, they may receive credits for this course. Participating in this course does not entitle the participant to a governmental study grant.

I'm currently receiving unemployment benefits in Finland. Can I still take this course?

Please take this up with your employment services office (TE-toimisto). Unfortunately, not all employment services offices treat this course in the same way. Some offices have withdrawn benefits for simply participating in the course, even if the participant is not aiming for a right to study or official study credits. On the other hand, some offices have even recommended this course without withdrawing benefits.