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Target Groups: Continuous studies student

Data protection guide for students

Do you process personal data in your assignments or thesis?

Personal data means all information relating to a natural person that makes it possible to directly or indirectly identify the person. Direct identifiers include a person’s name, personal identity code, photo, video footage, voice recording, email address containing the person’s name, and handwritten signature. A person may be indirectly identifiable if a sufficient number of indirect identifiers is known to allow the person to be identified without unreasonable effort. For example, if a person’s job title and employer or position (such as the chair of a specific city government) is known, identifying the person may be fairly straightforward.

The processing of personal data is governed by data protection legislation (EU General Data Protection Regulation [EU GDPR 2016/679], Finnish Data Protection Act [1050/2018] and special legislation). Personal data processing means all activities performed on personal data, including viewing, collection, recording, organisation, storage, alteration, pseudonymisation, anonymisation, erasure or destruction.

Students may occasionally process personal data in connection with their thesis or in various study assignments.

As a rule, the author of a thesis collects and processes personal data if the thesis concerns living persons. The EU GDPR does not apply to deceased persons. Despite this, it should be kept in mind that a deceased person’s personal data may contain references to living descendants who may be identified even if they are not the subject of the thesis. Data protection legislation does not apply to pre-anonymised research data from sources such as the Finnish Social Science Data Archive. Data protection legislation also applies to published personal data, such as those collected from online sources.

Students can collect personal data in a number of ways, including

  • survey forms (such as Webropol)
  • interviews
  • observations
  • by collecting personal data from online sources (social media, websites of businesses and public figures, etc.)

An interviewee’s voice recording, photo or video are personal data. Even in an anonymous survey, personal data are processed if the information that is collected can be used to identify a respondent directly or indirectly. Even collecting background variables may be enough to identify a person (such as age, sex, place of residence, job title, employer). Identifiability does not mean that a large group of people can identify a person; the person is identifiable even if only by close friends and family or the researcher.

The processing of personal data in various study assignment (not the thesis) can be considered as purely personal processing (so-called household activities), the EU GDPR does not apply to the assignment. Even in this case, personal data should be processed appropriately (see Edinburgh Univerity: If your research is strictly for domestic purposes related to your own personal academic use whilst studying at the University, then your research may be exempt from the Data Protection Laws. However, you should still work as if the legislation applies as it also aligns with ethical best practice). In contrast, the processing of personal data collected for a thesis cannot be considered as personal or household activities.

What do I need to take into consideration before processing personal data?

Before you begin processing personal data:

  1. Describe in as much detail as possible (in the research plan, for example) what personal data you plan to process, how and for what purposes.
  2. Describe in your research plan (or other comparable written document) how you plan to process and store personal data needed for your thesis/research. Keep in mind that you may not collect any redundant/unnecessary data (data minimisation). Also keep in mind that you may process the data only for its stated purpose (purpose limitation).
  3. Identify who is the controller of personal data. The controller is the party that determines the purpose and means of the processing of personal data In general in theses and scientific studies, the purposes and means of processing personal data are determined in the research plan (research questions = purposes of processing personal data, research methods =means of processing personal data). If you are the sole author of the study and use a research plan that you yourself have written, you are the controller. If the student and another party (such as another student or the University or hospital) together determine the purposes and means of processing personal data, they are considered joint controllers. In this case, the data must be stored according to the University’s data protection policies (in other words, you may not store the data on your personal computer). If the student writes a thesis as part of a research project using the project’s research data and questions and the thesis is included in the research project’s publications, the controller is usually the party that is otherwise the controller of the research project’s data. In individual, commissioned studies (typically for a private-sector organisation or business), the client may determine the purposes and means of processing personal data and act as the controller. In this case, the student must follow the client’s instructions on data protection.
    When determining who is the controller of personal data collected for a thesis, discuss the following questions with your supervisor: who decides (source for the questions: memo by THL Data Protection Officer Jarkko Reittu on the controller of personal data, 8 May 2020):

    • whether or not personal data are processed (begins the processing and benefits from it)
    • why the personal data are processed (purpose of processing)
    • what personal data are processed
    • how long the personal data are processed/stored/archived
    • who has access to the personal data and where are they transferred
    • how the personal data are processed (means of processing)
  4. Write a privacy notice in which you answer the questions above. A privacy notice should be written even if you do not collect direct personal identifiers and the risk of identifying a person indirectly is very low. Store the privacy notice in case you need to demonstrate your compliance with data protection legislation. If you want, you can include it in your thesis as an appendix (if you are the controller, remove your contact information from the published privacy notice and leave only your name).
  5. Write an announcement for your research subjects about your study. Think about how you should handle communication with research subjects.
  6. If you collect personal data from official sources, for example, you may need a permission to conduct the study. Include the privacy notice with the request for a permission.
  7. Make sure that you do not need to transfer the data to third parties or to third countries outside the EU or EEA. Transferring personal data to third countries is prohibited unless the safeguards defined in the EU GDPR are taken. If you use free cloud services on your mobile device or computer, for example, the data may be transferred outside the EU/EEA.
  8. If your thesis makes extensive use of so-called sensitive personal data (such as health data, racial origin, religious beliefs or political opinions, trade union membership or sexual orientation), you may also need to perform a data protection impact assessment in which you evaluate the risk posed by the processing to the research subjects. You can find out whether an impact assessment is necessary by first performing an advance assessment of data protection.
  9. The supervisor and student together decide on the need for an advance assessment of research ethics. The general rule at the University of Eastern Finland is that student theses are not reviewed by UEF’s Committee on Research Ethics. The topic of the thesis should be chosen so as to not require an advance assessment of research ethics.

Purpose of processing personal data, legal basis for processing and requesting consent

The purpose of processing personal data and the legal basis are not one and the same. The purpose of processing means that personal data are collected only for a specific purpose (such as managing an employment or client relationship, maintaining membership records, planning and monitoring treatment of a patient, writing a student thesis, undertaking scientific or historical research, compiling statistics, archiving in the public interest). The purpose of processing must be determined separately for each scientific study or student thesis because each research plan defines a specific set of research questions (= purpose of processing personal data) and research methods (= means of processing personal data)

There must be always be a legal basis for processing personal data that is established before processing begins. The legal basis cannot be changed once the processing has been associated with a specific legal basis. The legal basis governs what rights research subjects have relative to the controller. In scientific research, the legal basis for processing is usually public interest (processing is necessary for a task carried out in the public interest, more specifically for scientific research purposes).

The legal basis must be defined in the privacy notice and communicated to research subjects. If the research plan for the thesis (Bachelor’s thesis) does not meet the scientific criteria of the field of study, the legal basis for processing cannot be scientific research in the public interest. In such cases, the legal basis must be the research subject’s consent, for example.

All research subjects from whom personal data are collected directly must be asked to consent to participate in the study (so-called informed consent for research, not the same as consent to personal data processing). Informed consent can be obtained from participants in writing, verbally before an interview or in a separate field in the survey form after the research subject has received a separate notice describing the research.

  • Example: In Webropol surveys, the author of the thesis can include a separate introductory paragraph [=notice to the research subject] that provides general information about the study and a detailed description of how personal data are processed (information to be disclosed to the data subject under the EU GDPR). Alternatively, the information can be behind a link or in a separate document, provided that it can be read before giving consent and is separate from the consent request. The information can also be given separately before responding to the survey when recruiting research subjects by email, for example. The survey must include a consent request checkbox that the research subject can accept before accessing the survey. Be sure to delete any data you have collected from Webropol after completing the study at the latest.
  • You can also ask for consent verbally at the start of an interview, provided that the research subject has received information about the study and personal data processing in writing or verbally before you ask for consent.
  • Consent can also be requested in writing. However, keep in mind that in this case, the written consent form includes the research subject’s signature, which is a direct identifier and forms a part of a data file of personal data.
  • If you use consent as the legal basis for processing personal data, remember to also ask research subjects for their consent to personal data processing (for the purpose you have described).

Templates prepared by UEF that you will need:

  • Privacy notice
  • Informing research subjects
  • Consent to participation in a study
  • Consent to personal data processing and participation in a study
  • Advance assessment of data protection
  • Data protection impact assessment

Store the documents for at least the period of time that you store your research data.

You can find the templates on the Intranet (requires login).

Ensure adequate data protection

In order to protect the privacy of research subjects, you should pseudonymise (remove all direct identifiers and store then separate) or anonymise (delete all personal data in a way that ensures that it is impossible to revert to identifiable data) the data you use in your thesis. You must store the data in a secure location on a platform provided by the University or your personal computer and make sure that the data are sufficiently protected.

A personal data breach or data security anomaly means that personal data are lost or disclosed to outsiders. If you suspect a personal data breach, report it to [email protected] or [email protected] immediately for further instructions. Situations in which a device used to store data is lost or stolen (such as a phone or computer) are also considered data breaches.

Keep in mind that you may not discuss confidential information shared by research subjects with outsiders. Under the non-disclosure obligation, you may not show or disclose documents to outsiders (confidentiality of documents), disclose contents of confidential documents or unrecorded information which, were it recorded in a document, would be confidential (obligation of confidentiality), or use confidential information for the benefit or detriment of yourself or another (prohibition of use). If necessary, you can go over your research data with your thesis supervisor as they are not an outsider to your thesis and you have named them in the privacy notice. However, note that if you are the controller, you may not usually disclose the data to the University for some other purpose (other than scientific research).

What happens to personal data after the thesis is finished?

After your research has ended, any research data that contains personal data must usually be destroyed in a secure manner that ensures that the data are not disclosed to outsiders. Do not throw out written materials in a public recycling bin! The University has locked trash bins for secure recycling of written documents. Files saved on network drives and Webropol must be deleted and any other data destroyed in a secure manner. It is especially important that the lifecycle of data is managed appropriately. Personal data processing has a beginning and an end. In some case after a study has ended, research data can be stored in the Finnish Social Science Data Archive or Language Bank of Finland, for example.

Further information

Privacy protection (in Intranet requires login) and Information security (in Intranet, requires login)

Guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK)

Guidelines by the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman for scientific research

For guidance and advice, contact the University of Eastern Finland Data Protection Officer: [email protected], tel. +358 50 576 0282.

Accessibility in studies – aids and facilities

Accessibility refers to the design of physical, psychological and social environments so as to allow everyone to function as equals despite their individual characteristics. At the university, accessibility is something that concerns all students and staff members; however, it is of particular importance to those members of the academic community who have a disability, who are ageing, or who belong to a cultural or linguistic minority.

Accessibility includes the following aspects:

  • Studies-related matters such as Finnish entrance examinations, study counselling, teaching arrangements and practices, and examination practices.
  • Physical environments such as facilities, routes, parking areas, lighting, signposts.
  • Accessibility of communication such as web pages, other written materials and the language used.

Requesting individual study arrangements

Individual study arrangements refer to measures previously known as special arrangements. Students who have an impediment or a disability can request individual arrangements. Individual arrangements can pertain to (Finnish) entrance examination and/or to the completion of studies. If you already are a student at the University of Eastern Finland and you need individual arrangements for your studies, you can request them by filling out the Individual Study Arrangements Form.

If you need further assistance or advice on how to request individual study arrangements, please get in touch with the accessibility contact person of your campus or faculty, or with your personal study plan counsellor.

Individual Study Arrangements Form (docx)

Pandemi Korona: Guidelines to Students in Risk Groups for Severe Coronavirus Disease: Arrangements on Completing Courses in the 2021.

Submitting the Application and Required Attachments for individual study arrangements

Application and required attachments for individual study arrangements must be submitted electronically via the secure email website to your own Faculty.

Go to the secure email website (choose language “in English”) and type your own email address (and, to prevent junk mail, an alternating code on the form).

To the email address you give, the system will send a message with a link enabling you to send the secure message itself. Click the link and type the email address of you own Faculty to the receiver slot (To:).

Next, type the message itself on the secure email form and attach the needed enclosures. Finally, press the send button.

Guidance and Contact Information:

  • Philosophical Faculty: Amanuensis Emma Hahl
  • Faculty of Science and Forestry: Head of Academic Affairs Kaisa Laitinen
  • Faculty of Health Sciences: Head of  Student and Learning Services Susanna Järvelin-Pasanen
  • Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Joensuu Campus: Amanuensis Minna Paronen
  • Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Kuopio Campus: Amanuensis Heli Kemppainen

E-mail addresses: first name.last [email protected] / UEF Connect  (opens in a new tab).

Examples of individual study arrangements

Individual study arrangements can involve, for example:

  • the opportunity for additional time or lighting, a separate exam room or other arrangements regarding premises.
  • the opportunity to use special aids (such as a computer, braille display or induction).
  • material arrangements (such as the opportunity to have exam questions in a larger font size, providing lecture materials in advance, audio books, or streaming or recording lectures).
  • services (the opportunity to use an assistant or interpreter, Please note! the university is not responsible for obtaining an assistant or interpreter; it is the responsibility of the applicant/student).
  • an alternative way of completing a study module or course exam (such as an oral exam, completing the course with learning assignments rather than an exam, completing the course in parts)

Accessibility aids

There is a portable induction loop system for students to borrow at the Joensuu and Kuopio campuses. The induction loop system can be borrowed at Oppari’s service desk (located in the campus library in Joensuu and in the Canthia building in Kuopio). Furthermore, there is a fixed induction loop system in the larger auditoriums at the Joensuu Campus (for example in auditoriums AU100 and AU206 in the Aurora building).Electric height adjustable desks can be found in the library (two desks, located closest to the staircase) and in Atrium (one desk).

Facilities

A large part of the university’s facilities are accessible and can be used by people with different disabilities. The newer the building, the easier it has been to implement modern accessibility solutions and regulations. The campuses have parking areas for accessible parking, and accessibility has also been taken into consideration in the outdoors routes on campus, for example in structural solutions and winter-time maintenance. The main entrances of the buildings have accessibility ramps and, as a rule, the doors can be opened by pressing a door opening button. In the university buildings, coat racks with storage possibilities are available at accessible heights. Braille buttons are available in the elevators, and some elevators also have voice guidance. All buildings except for the Haltia building have elevators and accessible toilets that are indicated with signs. The largest lecture rooms have induction loops in them, and there are also portable loop systems that can borrowed. Baby care tables can be found in the accessible toilets.

Campus maps

NB! Lecture room maps (Kuopio Campus only) can be found on the intranet.

Restaurants and dining

There are several restaurants at the Joensuu and Kuopio campuses. All of these restaurants are practically accessible; however, there is a low metal doorstep by the door of the Carelia restaurant at the Joensuu Campus, which may pose difficulties for those using a wheelchair. The doors of the Carelia restaurant are kept shut due to fire safety reasons. In other campus restaurants, there are no doorsteps or closed doors, and there is a wheelchair lift in the restaurant in the Snellmania building at the Kuopio Campus.

If you need someone to help you, for example, to carry your tray, the restaurant staff will be happy to assist you. Should you have any special dietary restrictions, it is wise to contact the restaurant you intend to eat in beforehand.

Contact information and locations of the campus restaurants

Special exam facilities

Both the Joensuu and Kuopio campus have special exam facilities. See Special exam facilities and practices.

Facilities are at the disposal of the students who have the right to special arrangements. Special exam facilities are equipped with two computers of which the other is a regular computer and the other for electronic examinations. In the facility one can submit an electronic examination, provide answers with a regular computer or conduct a paper examination. Upon request, computers can be equipped with special software or other aids, such as speech synthesizer or braille display.

How to use special exam facilities

Individual arrangements at the UEF Open University

Accessibility contact persons

A contact person for matters relating to accessibility has been appointed for each campus. These contact persons are tasked with giving common accessibility-related guidance and they also lead accessibility-promoting work at the faculties and academic departments.

  • Joensuu Campus: Mrs Erja Widgrén-Sallinen
  • Kuopio Campus: Mrs Tuija Pasanen

A contact person for matters relating to accessibility concerning studies at the faculties:

  • Philosophical Faculty: Mrs Emma Hahl
  • Faculty of Science an Forestry: Mrs Kaisa Laitinen
  • Faculty of Health Sciences: Mrs Susanna Järvelin-Pasanen
  • Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies: Mrs Minna Paronen (Joensuu Campus) and Mrs Heli Kemppainen (Kuopio Campus)

For contact information, see UEF Connect (opens in a new tab).

Links

Aviris- aids for visually impaired
Celia – accessible literature and publishing in Finland
ESOK – meeting the needs of diverse student body in higher education
Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities – Invalidiliitto
Kuuloliitto
Threshold Association – Kynnys ry
Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired – Näkövammaisten keskusliitto
Opi oppimaan – help for learning difficulties
Joensuu areas special learners – Joensuun seudun erilaiset oppijat

Distance exam and study facilities

You can book a quiet space to participate in a distance exam or teaching

Teamwork rooms at Oppari

There are teamwork rooms in both Joensuu and Kuopio campus. Teamwork rooms are equipped with computers and cameras (either fixed or loaned ones). The students can reserve the rooms via Tuudo or Peppi. Read more about room reservations in UEF Intra (the link opens to a new window). You can also contact Oppari help desk (Support Channels for Students –> Oppari) to book a room.

Seminar rooms and other teamwork rooms

Students of the University of Eastern Finland can book university’s facilities for study-related purposes. The reservation rights allow for making facility reservations in Peppi or the Tuudo mobile application on separately specified workspaces and seminar halls. 

Students can make facility reservations for study-related purposes free of charge within the opening hours of the facilities, e.g., for independent study, group work, research interviews, or participation in remote teaching. 

You can find additional information on this in Intra (requires log in, opens in a new tab).

Support Channels for Students

Instructions for Appeal

Appellate authority

A party who is dissatisfied with this decision may lodge a written appeal against it with the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland. The appellate document shall be addressed to the appellate authority and submitted to the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland within the appeal period.

Appeal period

The time limit for appeal is 30 days from the moment the appellant was notified of the decision. The appeal period is calculated from the day following the date of service. If the last day of the appeal period is a holiday, Saturday, Independence Day, First of May, Christmas Eve or Midsummer Eve, the appeal may be submitted within working hours on the following weekday.

The date of service is calculated as follows:
• Regular service shall be effected by sending a letter to the addressee. The addressee shall be deemed to have received the service in seven days from the sending of the letter, unless otherwise is proven.
• In the case of regular electronic service, the addressee shall be deemed to have received the service in seven days from the sending of the message, unless otherwise is proven.

Contents of the appeal

The appellate document shall indicate:
• Which decision the appeal concerns (the decision subject to appeal);
• The parts of the decision that are being appealed against and what changes are demanded to be made to it (demands);
• Grounds for the appeal;
• What the right of appeal is based on, if the decision subject to appeal is not directed at the appellant themselves;
• The appellant’s name, postal address, telephone number and other necessary contact information, e.g., an e-mail address; and
• the postal address and any other address to which documents related to the court proceedings can be sent (process address).
If the appellant has appointed a legal representative, agent or legal counsel to speak for themselves or the appeal has been drafted by a third party, the appellate document must also indicate the name, postal address, telephone number, and other necessary contact details, e.g., an e-mail address, of such persons.

The Administrative Court must be notified of any changes in contact details without delay when the appeal is pending.

Appendices to the appeal

The appeal shall be accompanied by the following documents:
• The decision subject to appeal with appeal instructions, original or copy;
• Proof of when the appellant was notified of the decision or another indication of the date of commencement of the appeal period;
• The documents the appellant refers to in support of their appeal, unless the documents have already been delivered to the authority; and
• The power of attorney, unless otherwise is regulated in section 32(2) of the Administrative Judicial Procedure Act.

Delivery of the appellate document

The appeal may be submitted in person, by post, by electronic means or by using an agent or courier. If delivered by post or by electronic means, the appeal will be sent at the sender’s own risk.

The appeal must be submitted to the appellate authority during office hours before the end of the 30-day appeal period. The electronic document must all be available to the Administrative Court in a reception device or information system so that the message can be processed before 16:15 on the last day of the appeal period.

The office of the registry of the Administrative Court is 8:00–16:15 from Monday to Friday.
An appeal may also be lodged in the e-Services of Administrative and Special Courts at https://asiointi.oikeus.fi/hallintotuomioistuimet (in Finnish and Swedish).

Contact details of the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland:
Postal address: P.O. Box 1744, FI-70101 KUOPIO, FINLAND
Visiting address: Minna Canthin katu 64, Kuopio
Telephone: +358 29 56 42500 (switchboard), fax: +358 29 56 42501
Email: [email protected]

Court fee

A court fee will be charged for the processing of the matter at the Administrative Court in accordance with the Court Fees Act (1455/2015). The amount of the fee is EUR 270. The Court Fees Act contains separate provisions on cases where no charge is levied. The Court Fees Act can be found at https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2015/20151455 (in Finnish and in Swedish).

Equivalency certificate of teacher education

Based on section 26 of the Government Decree (794/2004), a university where a study attainment can be completed that forms part of the teacher education studies referred to in section 19 may issue a certificate on request indicating that the applicant has demonstrated acquisition of knowledge and skills corresponding to the study attainment otherwise than by means of the studies prescribed in statutory eligibility requirements. The university may require the applicant to complete supplementary studies as a condition of issuing the certificate.

The University of Eastern Finland issues equivalence certificates within the scope of its own educational responsibilities. The issuing of equivalence certificates is based on the learning outcomes and content of the teaching subject, which have been defined in the curriculum. For an equivalence certificate to be issued, the applicant’s most recent study module must, as a rule, have been completed at the University of Eastern Finland. For degrees completed abroad, an equivalence decision is, as a rule, issued by the Finnish National Agency for Education upon application.

The documents enclosed with the application must indicate the content of the studies in such a way that the equivalence can be assessed. The applicant must enclose a degree certificate and a transcript of academic records with the application. In addition, the applicant must enclose with the application course descriptions, unless the studies were completed at the University of Eastern Finland. The applicant is responsible for acquiring translations, if any are needed.

Equivalence certificates are only issued to persons who have completed a higher education degree.

The equivalence certificate of teacher education is electronic. Equivalence certificates are issued in Finnish.

Based on section 4.2 of the Government Decree (1082/2009), a fee of EUR 126 is charged for the equivalence certificate related to teacher education provided for in section 26(5) of the Government Decree on University Degrees or for a rejection decision made on an equivalence certificate application.

How to apply for the equivalency certificate?

The equivalence certificate of teacher education is applied for using electronic form (in Finnish).

Contact details:
Philosophical Faculty, Riikka Myllys, Academic Affairs Specialist, [email protected]

Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, Secretary Anita Oimasmaa, [email protected]

Faculty of Health Sciences, Susanna Järvelin-Pasanen, Head of Academic Affairs, [email protected]

Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Anne Korhonen, Academic Affairs Specialist, [email protected]

Guidelines for transitional provisions between the new and old curricula

At the University of Eastern Finland, curricula are usually confirmed for three academic years at a time. When the curriculum changes, transition rules are decided between the new and old curriculum.

You will find further information on transitional provisions on the education regulations and on the academic rector’s decision (pdf, requires registration).

Faculties may have their own practices, so contact your own department.

Education regulations

If a degree programme is discontinued, the faculties must provide students with the right to study in said degree programme with an opportunity to complete their studies, taking into account the target times for completing the degrees and the possibility to receive an extension for completing the degree. If the teaching of another subject is discontinued, the faculties must provide minor subject students who have started their studies in said subject with an opportunity to complete their studies within a reasonable timeframe. In both cases, the Faculty Councils shall decide on the transitional provisions. (Education regulations 6§)

Academic rector’s instructions

According to the academic rector’s decision the transitional procedures are clearly described in the curriculum. In most cases, it is also necessary to show the correspondence tables between the new and old curricula.

Aarresaari

Aarresaari is a network of Academic Career Services representing 13 Finnish Universities.

The network offers services for university students, graduates and employers, as well as for the universities themselves. At the same time the network builds bridges between students and employers.

Visit Aarresaari webpages (opens in new tab).

Digistartti for new students

The link to Digistartti in English 2025-2026 (opens in a new window).

In order to start your studies, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the UEF digital services with the help of Digistartti even before starting your studies. New students familiarise themselves with and complete the tasks of Digistartti on the Digistartti platform for the academic year 2025-2026.

Digistartti offers you an introduction to the digital study environments used at the University of Eastern Finland. We recommend that you complete the Digistartti assignments at the very beginning of your studies, preferably within two weeks after starting your studies.

Please note that you can complete the assignments only when you log in with your UEF account.

In order for your UEF user account to work, all the below conditions have to be met:

  • register as a present student at UEF.

  • Activate your UEF user account. The activation is possible as soon as you have received the activation email (how to activate your UEF user account, new tab).

  • Your study right must be valid (for most Master’s students the study right begins 1st of August and for most exchange students 2nd of September).

  • Registered as an MFA i.e. Multi-Factor Authentication user (done during the first login).

  • In addition, all students have to be strongly identified by the IT Servicedesk. This means that the IT Servicedesk have checked your passport and identity, usually via Candour ID.

Your UEF user account will work in approximately 4 hours after activation.

When logging into Digistartti, please select the UEF Login button, type your [email protected] and password.

Digistartti opens on the 1st of August. Digistartti is located on a Moodle platform in eLearn Moodle. We recommend you use a computer for completing Digistartti.

Digistartti is a compulsory part of the course Orientation for International Students, 1 ECTS.

Technical Problems?

  • If you have problems with the UEF username, eg. if the username or the password is not valid, or you receive an error message related to them:
    • Check the username (with @uef.fi suffix) and the password.

    • Note that you have to be registered as present.

    • Note that your study right has to be valid (for most Master’s students the study right begins 1 August and for most exchange students 2 September).

    • Note that login can succeed only four hours after activating the account.

    • Note that you have to be strongly identified.

  • If you receive a notification on an error on your password, change the password according to the instructions (please read the password requirements carefully).

  • Make sure you are not trying to login with another organization’s Microsoft 365 account. Use a private window if necessary.

  • If the problem persists, please contact the IT Servicedesk.