Guidance and advice

At Haaga-Helia, all Haagahelians participate in their own role in study-related guidance and counselling. We provide our students with high-quality, equal and easily accessible guidance, counselling and information throughout their studies. We aim to support the progress of our students' studies and careers, as well as their well-being and learning. Career-oriented counselling, recognition of prior learning, and support for students’ self-direction and agency are the core concepts that define Haaga-Helia’s guidance and counselling activities.

The student's close contacts throughout the studies are course teachers as well as the study advisor and guidance counsellor appointed for the student. The student can contact them in all matters.

Guidance counselling

Each Haaga-Helia student has their own personal guidance counsellor. They provide a familiar and safe contact for students, supporting them throughout their studies. They support students in advancing their studies and careers, as well as in matters related to well-being and learning, providing both personal and group counselling. Guidance counsellors work in close collaboration with the entire Haaga-Helia guidance network so that students can contact them in any matter.

Students get acquainted with their own guidance counsellor at the beginning of their studies. The guidance counsellors organise the orientation days for new students and the Introduction to Studies course. They also support students’ team building in collaboration with student tutors.

Guidance counsellors guide students in the preparation of a personal study plan (PSP), the timing of studies and questions related to the completion of studies. At the beginning of studies, students can discuss with their guidance counsellor the possibilities of recognition of competence: credit transfer, work-based learning, and demonstration of prior learning.

Guidance counsellors actively support and monitor students’ study progress in the normative study pace. Guidance counselling at Haaga-Helia is career-oriented, so it always looks at studies in relation to long-term career goals. During studies, guidance counsellors guide students in career planning and further education. In accordance with Haaga-Helia's strategy, guidance counselling opens doors to future careers.

If you have questions about planning your PSP and enrolments, please read first the page Planning your studies and making enrolments for implementations. If you cannot find the answer you see, then contact your guidance counsellor.

Juho Pakarinen, Leading Guidance Counsellor, and Katja Komulainen, Vice-President, are responsible for the management, coordination and development of Haaga-Helia's guidance counselling.

Study Advisors

Study Advisors support students in Study Services. They provide information and advice on, for example, study-related practices, issues related to the right to study, and technical support and advice on making a personal study plan (PSP). Study Advisors also process students’ credit transfer forms.
Study Services for all Haaga-Helia students are available at Haaga, Malmi, Pasila, Porvoo and Vierumäki campuses. If necessary, you can also book an appointment with a Study Advisor.

• Study Services at your service

Course Teachers

Teaching at Haaga-Helia is based on a guidance-oriented approach. The course teachers support the development of students' learning and competences, as well as the management of work processes. They are students’ close contacts and, in their own role, support students’ professional development, career planning and employment.
Our teachers support students to progress in their studies and in potential challenges in the progress. If necessary, they refer the student to other guidance services.

Competence counselling teachers

Competence counselling teachers are subject area experts teaching the specialisation studies in Haaga-Helia’s degrees. They guide and advise students studying in degrees started in or after 2022. They also support staff in questions related to the specialisations. Please note that on the Vierumäki Campus you should contact your guidance counsellor about questions related to your specialisation studies.

Contact the competence counselling teacher when you

• need advice on the contents of specialisation studies.
• wish to select specialisation studies from your chosen or other specialisations in order to complement your competence profile.
• need advice or support to prepare for demonstrations or Work&Study in specialisation courses. 
• need help to come up with thesis topic ideas or to choose from amongst several topics.
• are planning specialisation work placement or combined basic and specialisation work placement 
• need more information about career and employment options, or are interested in developing your own entrepreneurial idea alongside studies.

Competence Counselling Teachers

Special Support

Have you been diagnosed with a learning disability? Have you begun to suspect during your studies that you may need special support in, for example, reading, writing, or attentiveness? Haaga-Helia's vocational special needs teachers provide special support on learning challenges. When necessary, you can ask them for an assessment on the special support arrangements you need (so-called reasonable adjustments based on the Equality Act 1325/2014). Special needs teachers also conduct reading comprehension tests when needed.

The most typical learning challenges are

• reading comprehension deficit
• mathematical learning difficulties
• attention deficit disorders (ADHD)
• autism spectrum disorders
• depression, anxiety and coping with everyday life
• physical limitations
• difficulties in cognitive control.

Special Needs Teachers

Read more about vocational special needs teachers.