If your study right has started on or after 1 August 2005, restrictions apply to the duration of studies according to the following rules. No restrictions apply to study rights granted before 1 August 2005. Restrictions do not apply to study rights for doctoral studies, either.
You can check the start and end dates of your own study right in Peppi.
Normative duration of studies
- Bachelor’s degree: three academic years
- Master’s degree: two academic years (an exception to this is the degree of Master of Psychology, which is two and a half academic years)
- Licentiate of Medicine: six academic years
- Licentiate of Dentistry: five and a half academic years
- Doctor’s degree: four academic years
A student admitted to study for both a lower and upper university degree has the right to complete the degree in a time exceeding the aggregate normative duration of study by a maximum of two years (5 + 2 years, except for the degree of Master of Psychology, 5.5 + 2 years).
A student admitted to study for the degree of Licentiate of Medicine or for the Licentiate of Dentistry has the right to complete the degree in a time exceeding the aggregate normative duration of study by a maximum of two years (Licentiate of Medicine 6 + 2 years and Licentiate of Dentistry 5.5 + 2 years).
A student admitted to study for only the lower university degree has the right to complete the degree in a time exceeding the aggregate normative duration of study by a maximum of one year (3 + 1 years).
A student admitted to study for only the upper university degree has the right to complete the degree in a time exceeding the aggregate normative duration of study by a maximum of two years (2 + 2 years, except for the degree of Master of Psychology, 2.5 + 2 years).
Time included in the duration of studies
You can see the duration of your study time in Peppi and it is updated based on the registration information.
Time excluded from the duration of studies
- Registering as being present, or normal studies
- Other absence (not based on legal grounds) that exceeds four academic terms. With regard to study rights which started on or after 1 August 2015, this absence right has been shortened to two academic terms.
- Those academic terms that the student fails to register at all, in other words neglects the obligation to register.
- Registering after the student has been granted extension to study right (NOTE! Registering as absent on extended study right even on legal grounds does not extend your study right further).
The time for which a student has registered as absent at the university based on legal grounds for absence, or some other absence lasting no more than two academic terms (no more than four academic terms for study rights that started before 1 August 2015) will not be excluded from the duration of studies. More about these in the paragraphs below.
Extending the duration of studies due to reasons referred to in the Universities Act
As provided in the Universities Act (Section 41), absences due to
- a service under the Conscription Act, the Non-Military Service Act or the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act
- maternity, paternity or parental leave due to child’s birth or adoption
are excluded from the normative duration of studies. These are referred to as statutory absences or reasons for absence on legal grounds.
NOTE! Statutory absences are recorded in the student register by Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service on the basis of a document delivered by the student. A student on their first year can register as absent only on legal grounds!
Extending the duration of studies based on another reason for absence
Other absences lasting no more than two academic terms, for the duration of which the student has registered as absent at the university, are not included in the duration of studies. All other times, except periods of statutory absence (absence due to service under the Conscription Act, the Non-Military Service Act or the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act, or to maternity, paternity or parental leave due to child’s birth or adoption), are considered as other absences.