Open university: Natural sciences

Studies in the field of natural sciences at the Open University are open to everyone, regardless of prior experience. We offer a wide range of courses within the field with diverse content and learning methods. On this page, you can learn more about the field, explore our study offering in natural sciences and read about the open university route studies.

Subjects

  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Geology and mineralogy
  • Chemistry
  • Geography
  • Mathematics

Explore the field

Natural sciences studies will help you strengthen your scientific thinking while developing transferable skills for various careers. At the University of Oulu, our areas of expertise include ecology and genetics, regional change and people in changing environments, space physics and astronomy, and climate change. We offer studies in on-campus, blended, and online formats. Teaching methods vary depending on the course.

Relevant picks

Principles of Sustainable Development

Conservation of Biodiversity

The open university route

The open university route offers an alternative pathway to degree studies at the University of Oulu without an entrance exam. If you are interested in applying through this route, we recommend you start planning your studies by familiarising yourself with the subject specific routes and requirements. At the moment, there's no English route studies available in natural sciences.

Enrol or apply

From the education listings below you can see what courses are currently open for registration, as well as the upcoming, ongoing, and past studies. Please note that these listings only include courses delivered in English. By changing the language of the page to Finnish, you can see all available courses within this field.

Registration open

Advanced water treatment chemistry (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027,
Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
In this course you will learn more about Legislation concerning to the municipal domestic water and wastewater treatment and physical, chemical and biological unit operations as a treatment method

Catalysis (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027,
Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Independent study
Education is organized by University of Oulu
In this course, student will learn the most important preparation methods of heterogeneous catalysts

Nature conservation: a geographic perspective

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027,
Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Independent study
Education is organized by University of Oulu
Set out to explore what the diversity of nature is really about and why its conservation is important.
Course is full

Upcoming educations

Conservation of Biodiversity

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027,
Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
Learn the basics of conservation biology. What factors are causing populations to decline and species to go extinct.
Course is full

Principles of Sustainable Development

3-5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
Principles of sustainable development gives an overview of dimensions of sustainability and connections between. It also describes, what implications this has on individuals and societies.

Ongoing educations

Sustainable Development Study Module (OPEN UNI)

25 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027,
Open university studies

Course study period: -

Varies by course unit
Education is organized by University of Oulu
University of Oulu responds to global challenges with multi- and interdisciplinary expertise educating future pioneers to build a more sustainable world. By studying these courses, you can learn sustainability and responsibility from the perspectives of d

Tourism, development and sustainability

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2026-2027, 790161A
Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
Can tourism drive sustainable development? This course explores the potential and challenges of sustainable tourism in the context of Global South.

Past educations

Advanced water treatment chemistry (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2024-2025,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
In this course you will learn more about Legislation concerning to the municipal domestic water and wastewater treatment and physical, chemical and biological unit operations as a treatment method

Advanced water treatment chemistry (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
In this course you will learn more about Legislation concerning to the municipal domestic water and wastewater treatment and physical, chemical and biological unit operations as a treatment method

Bio-data (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2024-2025, 740394A

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Education is organized by University of Oulu
Learn coding and the basics of programming with R

Catalysis (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Independent study
Education is organized by University of Oulu
In this course, student will learn the most important preparation methods of heterogeneous catalysts

Climate.now

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
This course provides the basic information that every student - and each civilized person - should know about the topic

Conservation of Biodiversity

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
After this course, you will know the central concepts of biodiversity, threats to it globally and locally, and basic theory and applications for the conservation of biodiversity

Data mining and data-based models (OPEN UNI)

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2024-2025, 740393A

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Education is organized by University of Oulu
Find and analyze big data online and learn how to beat diseases!

Life at small scale (OPEN UNI)

2 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2024-2025, AY740160P

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Education is organized by University of Oulu
How are complex networks around us built from microscopic building blocks? Join this course to figure that out!

Nature conservation: a geographic perspective

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Independent study
Education is organized by University of Oulu
What is biodiversity and geodiversity? How are they related to nature conservation and how is nature conservation connected to climate change? Welcome to this online course!

Principles of Sustainable Development

3-5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
This course provides basic knowledge on sustainable development as a concept and its ecological, social, economic and cultural dimensions, their connections and trade-offs; also UN sustainable development goals are discussed.

Sustainable Development (OPEN UNI)

25 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026,
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Varies by course unit
Education is organized by University of Oulu
University of Oulu responds to global challenges with multi- and interdisciplinary expertise educating future pioneers to build a more sustainable world. By studying these courses, you can learn sustainability and responsibility from the perspectives of d

Tourism, development and sustainability

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2024-2025, 790161A
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
The course focuses on the idea of sustainable tourism and sustainable development with emphasis on tourism in Global South.
Course is full

Tourism, development and sustainability

5 ECTS credits, Academic Year 2025-2026, 790161A
Continuous learning, Open university studies

Course study period: -

Registration period: -

Web-Based Studies
Education is organized by University of Oulu
The course focuses on the idea of sustainable tourism and sustainable development with emphasis on tourism in Global South.
Course is full

Questions?

Can't find what you are looking for, or do you still have questions? If so, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to provide you with the answers.

Contact us

Contact information for natural sciences

External link