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Target Groups: Doctoral student

International Mobility Services

International studies and traineeships at UEF are coordinated by International Mobility Services which are part of Student and Learning Services and University Services.

The key services provided by the unit are:

  • advice and support for outgoing exchange students, information sessions on exchange possibilities, pre-departure orientations, welcome back orientations;
  • advice and support for incoming exchange students and international degree students, orientations and international tutoring;
  • coordination of the international mobility of teachers and staff;
  • coordination of UEF Summer School

Opening hours

Monday to Friday 10 am to 3 pm / 10:00–15:00 (from the beginning of June to the end of August: Monday to Friday 10 am to 2 pm / 10:00–14:00)
Email address: international(a)uef.fi / Summer School: summer.school(a)uef.fi

See below for staff contact information.

Campus-specific street and postal addresses

Joensuu campus

Street address: Yliopistokatu 2, Aurora building, entrance A, ground floor
Postal address: University of Eastern Finland, International Mobility Services, Joensuu Campus, P. O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland

Kuopio campus

Street address: Yliopistonrinne 3, Canthia building, second floor (Oppari)
Postal address: University of Eastern Finland, International Mobility Services, Kuopio Campus, P. O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland

Staff at International Mobility Services

UEF Summer School

UEF Summer School is usually organised as a two-week summer study option at Joensuu campus in August. All the courses are credit-bearing (3-5 ECTS), and the language of instruction is English. There is no course fee for the UEF degree students. You can participate in one course at the time: each course lasts two weeks and there are contact studies daily from Monday to Friday.

Participating in UEF Summer School

UEF Summer School will be held 11-22 August 2025 mostly at Joensuu campus (1 course is in Kuopio). More information on the courses will be published on the Summer School website.

UEF students are also required to submit applications for the courses! You can apply for Summer School courses by filling in the Summer School application form.

Accepted students will be added to the course in Peppi by Summer School administration staff. Students should not register for the course independently in Peppi.

The courses are listed on the front page, and you can read course descriptions by clicking courses. You can submit your application by clicking Apply now or Become an applicant. When entering the system for the first time, select Finland as your citizenship. This is only a technical feature of the system: selecting Finland leads you to the application form designed for UEF degree students.

If you have any questions about applying, please contact summer.school@uef.fi.

If you have any questions about course contents, please contact the coordinator of the course you are interested in. The course coordinator can be checked from the course description.

Forms and reporting for outgoing students

General information about forms and reporting

NB! On this page, you will find information for students who have already been selected for exchange studies or received a traineeship placement abroad. Instructions on how to apply for exchange and other information to read before you apply for exchange can be found on other pages, such as Applying for student exchange and traineeship abroad.

Studying abroad includes paperwork before the exchange and towards the end of it. International Mobility Services will send all outgoing students their specific instructions per exchange programme, which includes information about which forms are expected from students and when.

In general, before their exchange students are required to fill out the Learning Agreement, i.e. their study plan during their exchange, and the documents for accepting their mobility grant. Towards the end of the exchange, students must submit documents verifying their exchange and an exchange report (more information below).

Documents verifying your exchange

Towards the end of the exchange period, outgoing students are required to upload the following documents to the After Exchange tab of their SoleMOVE application:

  • Learning Agreement – if there have been changes to your study plan during your exchange, also fill out the Changes to Learning Agreement form
  • Letter of Confirmation to verify your exchange dates
  • Transcript of records from the host university

Forms

All outgoing exchange students (and trainees) receive the required documents and instructions via email well before the study abroad period begins.

Please note that the forms on this page are intended to be printed and filled in by hand. There are Webropol online forms available for non-Erasmus exchanges. Links to the forms will open in new tabs in your browser.

NB! If you use the Webropol forms for non-Erasmus Learning Agreement and Changes to Learning Agreement forms, please remember to print them for signatures and for safekeeping. It is not enough to submit the form in the Webropol system, you will also need to upload it to SoleMOVE as an enclosure.

Learning Agreement

Erasmus+ Exchange

Digital/Online Learning Agreement (=DLA/OLA) is used for Erasmus+ exchange. Please find instructions from the page Learning Agreement instructions for outgoing exchange students.

Other Exchange Programmes and Bilateral Exchange (not Erasmus)

Learning Agreement (pdf) // Webropol form for LA

Changes to Learning Agreement (pdf) // Webropol form for Changes to LA

Letter of Confirmation

All Exchange Programmes

Letter of Confirmation (pdf)

Erasmus+ Training

Learning Agreement for Traineeships (doc)

Reporting your exchange

The exchange report and the documents that verify the exchange are submitted via the online application system SoleMOVE. Please upload the required documents on the After exchange tab of your original exchange application and answer the questions regarding your student exchange on the Feedback tab. The Feedback tab will open after you have started filling in the information fields and started uploading documents in the After Exchange tab, it may also require logging out and logging back in.

Those who have attended Erasmus+ exchange or training must fill in the EU Survey form whose link is sent to the students via email.

The transcript of academic records of your exchange period must also be submitted to your department/school in order to get the studies credited to the UEF degree. Inclusion of studies is not an automatic process!

University of Eastern Finland

UEF Information Sheet (Pdf opens in a new tab.)

JOO – flexible study right studies

The forms of teaching cooperation between universities are increasingly diverse, in addition, there are a number of cross-institutional study agreements between Finnish higher education institutions at present. These increase the possibilities to choose studies from other universities. As a result, the Finnish universities have jointly decided to withdraw from the JOO flexible study right agreement as of 1.1.2026.

The flexible study rights (JOO) already granted to students are valid until the end of their duration. Students may also be granted new study rights under the current flexible study right agreement during the spring semester 2025. These study rights are also valid until the end of their duration.

According to the agreement, the undergraduate and postgraduate students of all the Finnish universities have the opportunity to include in their degree minor subject studies from the offering of other Finnish universities regardless of the university in which they have the right to complete their degrees.

General instructions

On this page, you can find instructions for students of the University of Eastern Finland who are applying for a flexible study right (JOO) in another Finnish university. Instructions for students of other universities applying for a flexible study right in the University of Eastern Finland can be found on the Hae yliopistoon website (in Finnish).

Contact information of the approval processors by faculty

Philosophical Faculty: Tuula Nissinen, Joo.filo@uef.fi

Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology: Maarit Merimaa-Piirainen, Joo.lumet@uef.fi

Faculty of Health Sciences: Noora Hanhineva, Joo.TT@uef.fi

Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies: Anni Pietarinen, Joo.yhka@uef.fi

Applying for a flexible study right

Your application is processed in both your home university and target university. You should reserve a sufficient amount of time for the JOO application process (around one-and-a-half to two months). First submit your application to your home university for approval. The application periods of the University of Eastern Finland for support processing end on 31 March (for studies beginning in the following autumn) and 30 September (for studies beginning in the following spring), and for admittance processing on 30 April (for studies beginning in the following autumn) and 31 October (for studies beginning in the following spring).

The stages of the application process:

  1. Prepare a study plan according to the instructions of your home university and include the JOO studies as part of your personal study plan.
  2. Examine the JOO study offering of the target university and include the schedule of the JOO studies you chose in your study plan.
  3. Examine the JOO instructions of the target university and check the application periods of the JOO studies or, in case of admissions open throughout the year, the time the studies begin.
  4. Submit the paper application form to your home university for approval.
  5. Without approval, your application will not be processed by your target university. When your home university supports your application, it approves your planned JOO studies as part of your degree.
  6. If you receive the right to study in the target university, register for the studies according to the instructions of the target university. You must also be an attending student in the University of Eastern Finland during your JOO studies. After completing your studies, deliver a transcript of records to your home university so that your studies can be entered in its study register.

Application form for a flexible study right JOO

University of Eastern Finland as the home university

Application for a flexible study right and its processing

University of Eastern Finland no longer accepts electronic application. As of 1 January 2015, applications are submitted on paper forms. The application periods of the University of Eastern Finland for support processing end on 31 March (for studies beginning in the following autumn) and 30 September (for studies beginning in the following spring), and for admittance processing on 30 April (for studies beginning in the following autumn) and 31 October (for studies beginning in the following spring). The student must find out the application periods of the target university, as they may vary.

Approval processing

You must submit the paper application to your own faculty’s processor (see below for the contact information). You must attach an approved personal study plan and transcript of records to the application electronically.

Criteria for approval

  • The JOO studies or equivalent studies applied for must not be offered by the University of Eastern Finland.
  • The JOO studies applied for must not exceed the minimum number of credits required for the student’s degree together with the student’s other studies, and they must be included in an approved personal study plan.
  • Students may not apply for JOO studies during their first year of studying at the Bachelor’s stage.
  • The student must have completed a minimum of 50 ECTS credits that are from studies that are a part of his or her degree, and the credits must include the basic studies of the major subject.
  • At least 25 ECTS credits of the studies must have been completed during the calendar year before the application date.
  • The student may apply for a flexible study right for studies not exceeding one basic study module, or around 25 ECTS credits. This number may be exceeded only for an extremely well justified reason.
  • The faculty will support only one study module at a time, even if the student had applied for several study modules. In exceptional cases, individual courses may be supported.
  • When approvals are being considered, students completing a bachelor’s degree have priority. An application by a student completing a postgraduate degree is supported only in exceptional cases.
  • When considering its approval, the faculty may also use the employment effect of the degree as a consideration, i.e., assess how purposeful the JOO studies applied for are with regard to the degree as a whole from the perspective of the student’s employment prospects.
  • The faculty may also use, for example, financial criteria as grounds for its support decision.
  • The faculties of the University of Eastern Finland may have separate agreements concerning the exchange of studies with other universities outside the JOO system. These agreements are mentioned in the study guides of the faculties in question.

Duration of the approved right to study

The approval of the JOO application remains valid for no more than two (2) years from the date of approval.

Application delivery address

A paper application is delivered to your faculty’s processor.

Delivery of an approved application to the target university

The University of Eastern Finland delivers the approved paper applications to the target university and returns unapproved applications back to the applicants. The approval decision may not be appealed.

Inclusion of completed JOO studies in the degree

The student must deliver a transcript of records of the target university for the completed JOO studies to his or her own faculty in his or her home university in order to have the studies entered in the study register.

Studies at the University of Eastern Finland after graduation – alumni study right

Students that have completed their Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or postgraduate degree at the University of Eastern Finland have the right to complement their studies after graduation with the alumni study right.

Students entitled to the alumni study right:

  • Students who have completed a Master’s degree on 1.8.2019 or thereafter.
  • Students who have completed a Bachelor’s degree that does not grant them the right to complete a Master’s degree on 1.8.2019 or thereafter. Students who graduate from one of the following degree programmes only complete a Bachelor’s degree and may activate the alumni study right when they complete the Bachelor’s degree:
    • Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Lifelong Learning and Sustainable Development
    • Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Social Sciences
    • Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Sustainable Forest Bioeconomy
    • Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Information Technology
    • Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Urban Sustainability Studies
    • Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy (farmaseutin koulutusohjelma, programme in Finnish)
    • Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Early Childhood Teacher Education (varhaiskasvatuksen opettajan kandidaattikoulutus, programme in Finnish)
  • Students who have completed a postgraduate degree i.e. their licentiate or doctoral degree on 1.1.2020 or thereafter.

The alumni study right is defined in the Education Regulations (15 §).

What can you study when you have an alumni study right?

Students who have activated their alumni study right may complete minor subject studies that are free to take or minor subject studies that are restricted but for which the student has received the right to study during their degree studies. Check the list of minor subjects at the university. Any restrictions on education participation are specified in the curricula.

A student with an alumni study right is entitled to get an official transcript of academic records on the studies they have completed.

What is the alumni study right?

The alumni study right is a non-degree study right.

The study right can be activated once the degree is completed and your graduation date has been saved in Peppi. The student has the right to complement their studies free of charge during the academic year of completing their degree and during the following two academic years by activating the alumni study right. The study right always terminates two years after the last day of the academic year on which you graduate. The alumni study right is thus valid for maximum of three years. For example, if a student graduates at any point during the 2024–2025 academic year (1 August 2024 – 31 July 2025), the alumni study right will be valid until 31 July 2027.

You cannot apply for an extension to the alumni study right.

How can I apply for the alumni study right?

You can apply for the alumni study right with an electronic application form after your graduation has been saved in Peppi.

If you are unable to fill the electronic form, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer services (contact information at the bottom of the page).

Annual registration

Students who have activated the alumni study right do not need to register annually. The attendance is marked automatically for the full duration of the alumni study right.

UEF account, access rights

Students who have activated the alumni study right have the same UEF account and access rights they had as a degree student. The access rights are valid for the full duration of the alumni study right.

Student union membership

Students who have activated the alumni study right may join the student union, the membership is voluntary. However, students whose only acitve study right is the alumni study right are not entitled to the services of Finnish Student Health Services (YTHS) and as thus need not pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education to KELA (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland). The alumni study right also does not entitle the student to student discounts on public transportation, student priced meals at the university campus restaurants or Sykettä sport services. More information on the benefits offered by the student union membership.

If you want to join the student union as a student with the alumni study right, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service in order to receive payment innstructions. You can do this when you activate your alumni study right or later.

Frequently asked questions

Who is entitled to the alumni study right?

  • Students, that have completed their PhD or Master’s degree, or a Bachelor’s degree with no right to complete a Master’s degree at the University of Eastern Finland (Education regulations 15 §)
  • Students that are studying or have studied with a non-degree study right are not entitled to the alumni study right.

Can a student with an alumni study right apply for recognition of prior learning?

  • Depends on the studies and the nature of recognition of prior learning.
  • Inclusion? In most cases recognition of prior learning by inclusion is not possible.
  • Substitution? Depends on the content of studies.

Can a student studying with an alumni study right complete a traineeship abroad or study as an exchange student?

A student cannot complete a traineeship abroad or study abroad as an exchange student with the alumni study right. Exchange programmes, networks and bilateral agreements of the University of Eastern Finland are only for degree students who wish to complete a traineeship abroad or study as an exchange student.

Can a student with the alumni study right take courses that are available for degree students, but are organised by another higher education institution (cross-institutional studies)?

Often yes, but there might be restrictions in the curriculum or in the cross-institutional studies agreement. Consult your UEF coordinator or amanuensis.

Can a student have a degree right and an alumni study right at the same time?

As a rule, no, but there might be some exceptions.

A course’s number of participants is limited, and it has quotas for different student groups. Is a student with the alumni study right always accepted to the course?

Check the limitations in participation in the course curriculum.

Can a student take courses of their former main subject, optional or not optional?

If the number of participants on the course is limited, then no. If there are no limitations, then yes.

Can I study languages with the alumni study right?

You can take courses in the Language Centre with the alumni study right. You have to choose from optional courses. You cannot take courses that are a part of a degree, because they are not a part of any minor subject.

For further information:

For further information on studies, contact your study coordinator or:

Philosophical Faculty: Riikka Myllys
Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology: Maarit Merimaa-Piirainen
Faculty of Health Sciences: Susanna Järvelin-Pasanen
Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies: Annikki Honkanen and Anne Korhonen
Language Centre: Lauri Tolkki and Satu Karhapää-Puhakka

You can find the contact information in UEF Connect.

For further information on registration and applying for the study right contact the Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service:

Renouncement of right to study

You may give up your right to study by submitting the form Renouncement of right to study (docx) on Kamu’s page of Forms. Download, fill in, print and sign the form. Return the form personally, by post or as an attachment to email to Student and Learning Services (contact information in Support channels for Students).

NOTE! The form cannot be accepted unless it has been officially signed. You must print and sign the form.

The renouncement of the right to study is binding. After the renouncement, the student can no longer complete studies and the only way to regain the right to study is by applying for admission through the normal student admission procedure.

If you are an Open University student, contact avoinyliopisto@uef.fi about renouncing your right to study.

Reinstating study right

  • A degree student (Bachelor’s, Master’s or doctoral) has to apply for reinstating their study right, if they have lost it for one of the following reasons:
    • A student has failed to register as absent or present during the registration period
    • A first-year student has registered as absent, but has not submitted documents proving the legal grounds for absence by the deadline
    • a student who is required to pay a tuition fee fails to pay the fee by the deadline
  • If more than a year has passed since the student’s last registration as present or absent, the Student and Learning Services shall consult the faculty before reinstating the student’s study right. The student is required to update their study plan. The student updates their personal study plan with their study coordinator before applying for reinstating the study right. You can find the contact information in UEF Connect (opens in a new tab).
  • A student applies for reinstating their study right with an online form and pays the handling fee (50 euros). The payment information for the handling fee can be found on the form.
    • If a student applies to have their right to study reinstated at the same time as they apply for an extension to their right to study, only one handling fee will be collected (50 euros). You can find further instructions on the form.
  • A student must also register as present or absent when applying for having the study right reinstated.
    • If a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree student registers as present, they must also pay the student union membership fee. The payment information for the student union membership fee for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree student can be found on the form.
    • For doctoral students the student union membership fee is optional. If you are a doctoral student and you want to pay the student union membership fee, please contact the Student and Learning Services (contact information on the bottom of the page.)
  • If your study right has already ended, you must apply for an extension to your study right first. Apply for having your study right reinstated only after you have been granted the extension.
    • NOTE! If your study right was still active in the previous semester, and you were registered as present or absent, you will only need to apply for having your study right reinstated, if you do not register for the following semester within the registration period.
      • If a student whose study right has ended on 31 July is granted an extension and registers for the autumn semester within the registration period by 15 September, they do not need to apply for having their study right reinstated.
      • If a student whose study right has ended on 31 December is granted an extension and registers for the spring semester within the registration period by 15 January, they do not need to apply for having their study right reinstated.
  • NOTE! If you are registered as absent and you want to change your registration to present, you do not need to apply for having your study right reinstated, but you can change your registration by contacting the Student and Learning Services.
  • Changing your registration from present to absent is only possible during the registration periods.
  • You cannot change the registration status of a semester that has already ended.

NOTE! You should register to all your active study rights as either present or absent in the Oili registration service during the registration period. If you register for all of your study rights, you will not lose your study right and will not need to apply for reinstating your study right.

With one application and one payment of the handling fee, you can have all of your study rights reinstated at once. If you apply for having several study rights reinstated with one application, you will not need to make a separate payment for each study right. State on the application form which study rights you wish to have reinstated and whether you wish to register as present and or absent for each one.

You can find the instructions for annual registration in Kamu.

Reinstating study right – application form

Apply for reinstating your study right with the online application form for reinstating your study right (opens in a new tab). The form does not require you to log in with your UEF account. The form does not import the information directly to Peppi. An employee of the Student and Learning Services’ will handle the application. You will receive a confirmation by email once your study right has been reinstated. Your UEF account will start working within a day of receiving the confirmation.

If you cannot use the online form, contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service. If needed, the Student and Learning Services’ customer service will provide a paper form.

The amount of the handling fee for reinstating a study right is set in the Government Decree on Fees for University Services 1082/2009 (in Finnish) (opens in a new tab). Please note, that payments are not refunded. The university will only issue a refund if the application was submitted and the payment paid due to reasons attributable to the university.

More information on reinstating your study right and registration in general:

JobTeaser portal

Jobs, internships and appointments to UEF career counsellors in JobTeaser

Job and internship offers for students and recent graduates can be found in the JobTeaser webservice. Students and staff members log into the JobTeaser UEF platform using their UEF credentials. You can continue using the service after graduation. JobTeaser is used in over 700 universities and institutions of higher education in Europe and job and internship offers spread throughout Europe.

You can book a personal appointment to a UEF career counsellor in JobTeaser. Guidance is available on both campuses and online.

You will also find a selection of various sorts of events organized by, for example, TE-Live, EURES, different projects and employer organizations. Many of the events are online. Thus, you can take part in interesting events elsewhere in Europe. There are also employer profiles and information of job opportunities in, especially, international companies and employers.

In JobTeaser, you will also find info about the UEF career services and courses on job seeking and career planning.

How to start using Jobteaser?

  1. Register to the service with your UEF username and password at uef.jobteaser.com.
  2. In the Course/Programme drop-down menu, select at least one field of studies. If your studies span more than one field, choose the on that is most relevant. The choice has no effect on what job advertisements you will see.
  3. On the next page, you can choose search criteria for job ads. These choices sort out what you see on the front page. You can modify these choices later or remove them to see all available posts.

When you are close to graduating and your UEF credentials and email are about to expire, you can continue to use JobTeaser by changing your email address.  Steps:

  • In your JobTeaser Account Settings, change your student.uef.fi e-mail address to the e-mail you will use after graduation.
  • Close the JobTeaser-window in the browser. Clear the browsing history OR open an incognito window OR open another browser. Open JobTeaser anew (uef.jobteaser.com).
  • Order a new password from the “Forgot your password?” function.
  • After changing your password, you can continue using your JobTeaser account with your new email.

If you have any questions, please contact Career Services, email: urapalvelut@uef.fi.

Updated 31.8.2023

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) refers to a set of practices and procedures that can be used to assess the prior learning of the student and to approve that learning as part of the student’s studies. Prior learning may be a result of the student’s earlier studies or it can have been acquired in some other manner.

The recognition of prior learning is based on the correspondence between the applicant’s competencies and the content and level of the pursued degree and its components, as defined in the learning outcomes.

Applying for recognition of prior learning

You must apply for RPL in the unit that is responsible for the teaching. The faculties and other teaching units have specifying guidelines for RPL. Therefore, contact your study coordinator or responsible teacher before submitting your application.

You can apply for recognition of prior learning in Peppi either through the ‘RPL applications’ tab of your PSP or through the ‘Studies’ drop-down menu on the menu bar at the top of the page. You can find the student’s instructions for applying for recognition of prior learning in the ‘Students’ section of the Peppi Handbook.

Send the application to

If you are not satisfied with the decision, you have the right to apply for rectification.

Terminology

  • Recognition of prior learning (RPL) refers to a set of practices and procedures than can be used to assess the prior learning of the student and to approve that learning as part of the student’s studies.

  • Identification refers to the assessment of prior learning in its different forms.

  • Recognition refers to the procedure by which a course, credit transfer or part of the above are entered in the student’s study register on the basis of his or her prior learning.

  • Credit transfer refers to the recognition of studies, training, work experience or other similar competence as part of the student’s pursued degree, study module or course. The forms of credit transfer are inclusion and substitution. Credit transfer is based on the learning outcomes defined in the curriculum.

  • Inclusion refers to the approval of a course or a study module completed in some other educational institution in the degree as such.

  • Substitution of studies means that a course or a study module included in the student’s curriculum is replaced with a course or a study module of a corresponding content and level, or on the basis of other competence.

  • RPL demonstration is a way for the student to demonstrate his or her prior learning in a manner than can be evaluated. An RPL demonstration is used when credit transfer by direct substitution is not possible, or when the recognition of the student’s prior learning otherwise calls for a separate evaluation, i.e. demonstration of prior learning.

Instructions and contact information

Further instructions are available in your Study Community.

UEF Library RPL process

Student and Learning Services

Europe: Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is the most extensive European student exchange programme funded by the EU. This page contains more information on the programme, along with a list of host universities by academic departments. University of Eastern Finland also has bilateral agreements with some European universities. In addition, the Nordic Countries are available through the Nordplus programme.

You can find Erasmus+ host universities sorted by faculty and subject via the links at the bottom of the page.

NB! Students must be registered as “present” in a degree programme at UEF throughout the exchange period. It is not permitted to graduate before or during the exchange and studies completed during the exchange must be included into degree studies at UEF. It is also not possible to go abroad for student exchange after graduating. This rule applies to all exchanges, i.e. long term (semester/full academic year) exchanges and short term exchanges in all exchange programmes. Exception: Erasmus+ traineeships for recent graduates are possible after graduation, as long as the traineeship grant is applied for a minimum of one (1) month before graduation and that the traineeship both starts and ends within a year of graduation.

Erasmus+ student exchange

Students can apply for student exchange, international traineeships or short-term exchanges through Erasmus+ programme. Student exchange is based on bilateral agreements concluded between academic departments at the participating universities. The countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme are the EU Member States and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. You can find more information on the Erasmus+ programme on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) (the link opens up to a new window). UEF’s partner countries in the Erasmus+ programme are United Kingdom and Switzerland. Read more about partner countries below.

For whom

The Erasmus+ student exchange program is open to Bachelor’s/Master’s/Doctoral level students of all fields. You can go for an exchange during your second year of study, but you can start the application in your first year. The Erasmus+ program includes numerous universities across Europe. Please find the field-specific host universities through the links at the bottom of this page.

List of Erasmus+ exchange options for doctoral students. NB! Changes are possible, always check the up-to-date list on the faculty/subject-specific pages.

NB! Students from outside the EU/EEA are advised to discuss with their study programme coordinator if exchange studies would extend their studies and/or affect their tuition fee.

NB! If you have an employment contract with UEF (for example as a 10 % grant researcher, trainee, research assistant etc.), your contract must expire well before your student exchange period begins. You cannot go abroad for student exchange as a member of staff – see instructions regarding staff exchange. It is permitted to apply for student exchange during a valid employment contract, but the contract must end/expire before the exchange period begins. Student mobility grants cannot be paid during a valid contract of employment, so the contract must end before the grant can be paid.

Duration

Erasmus+ student exchange lasts one semester or full academic year (usually 3–10 months, depending on the semesters of the host university). Physical exchange should be minimum 2 months in Erasmus+ student exchange. Completely virtual exchanges are not possible. NB! The actual dates and duration of the exchange depends on the host university’s academic calendar, not UEF’s.

Applying

The annual first call for applications for the following academic year is 1–15 February (autumn semester, spring semester, or full academic year). A second call for applications may be held on 1–15 May and a third call on 1-15 September if there are still places and grants available after the first call for applications. During supplementary calls, students can apply for exchange only for the following spring semester.

The application process has two stages: firstly, students apply for exchange internally to be accepted as UEF’s candidates for exchange (home department/school supports the applications); secondly, the selected candidates apply for the exchange to the host university according to their application process. The final decision on the acceptance will be made by the host university. For more information, see the section on applying for student exchange and training abroad. The UEF application is made in the SoleMOVE system. You can find the link to the system and instructions for completing the UEF application in the section SoleMove online application system.

Funding

The Erasmus+ grant is EUR 490/540 per month in the academic year 2024-2025, grants for the academic year 2025-2026 will be confirmed later (in May 2025). The precise amount is determined by the duration of the exchange and the host country. Grant will be only paid for physical exchange period. In addition, students will receive travel support for their mobility and two grant-funded travel days.

Students who have fewer opportunities on participating in the exchange (e.g. students with family, family carers, students with health problems, disabled students, migrant background) or who have special needs due to physical or mental health can apply for additional support for the exchange.

In Erasmus+ programme, student can also apply for green travel support, if most of the travelled journeys to host country and back home or at least one direction of journey is travelled with low emissions (bus, train, carpooling) – ferry/ship is not considered as a form of green travel. When traveling green, the student is entitled to increased travel support and up to six grant-funded travel days.

More detailed information on additional support and the amount of travel support can be found from the section Funding your studies abroad.

12 months per degree level

Students may complete more than one Erasmus+ student exchange or traineeship during their studies. However, the total maximum duration is 12 months per degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate). Once the 12-month limit at a certain degree level is reached, the student can no longer participate in an Erasmus+ mobility period at that degree level. It should also be noted that the student must have enough months available when leaving on an Erasmus+ mobility period, meaning that the 12-month limit cannot be exceeded during the mobility period. The 12-month limit also includes the months that the student has used in previous studies at the same degree level and the time as a recipient of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Please note

Erasmus+ student exchanges are based on field-specific Erasmus+ agreements between departments/schools. Some agreements only cover Bachelor’s or Master’s studies (see the level of studies in the list of host universities 1=bachelor, 2=master, 3=doctoral). The number of students accepted each year depends on the individual agreement.

As a rule, students apply for exchange through the agreement of their major or minor subject. Students applying through minor subject agreements should be aware that students majoring in the subject are prioritized in selections. If applying through a minor, the minor should be started (i.e., the applicant should have completed courses in the registry for the subject) and the minor should be included in an approved PSP. It should also be noted that most universities do not accept students from outside the agreed field and the available exchange studies are limited to the field or faculty specified in the agreement. In addition, students majoring in the subject will take precedence if the number of applicants exceeds the number of available places.

Exceptions apply in these subjects:

  • Education – students in education fields (applied educational sciences and teacher education, educational sciences, adult education and career counselling, special education) may apply for all host institutions of all study fields in education as major subject students
  • Logopedics – students may apply for host universities in the list for Finnish language and Cultural studies, and as minor subject students for linguistics and psychology
  • Sustainable technologies – students may apply for host universities in the lists for chemistry, forestry, and computer science

OLS language courses and language test

Students selected for exchange can take Erasmus+ OLS-online language courses and language test before the exchange. The results of the language assessment will not prevent student from taking part in the mobility. In general, students cannot use the OLS language test result to prove their language skills to the host university in their application process. Students need to consult host university in case they want to use the OLS test result as a prove of their language skills.

Digital Learning Agreement

All students need to make a digital study plan, Digital Learning Agreement (DLA), for the exchange period before their study exchange period begins. According to the host universities processes, Learning agreement might be required in the second stage when submitting the application to the host university. Digital Learning Agreement can also be called as an Online Learning Agreement (OLA).

UEF Erasmus ID Code: SF KUOPIO12
UEF Erasmus Charter Number: 101011365
UEF Erasmus Charter (PDF file available below)
UEF European Policy Statement (PDF file available below)

Erasmus+ partner countries at the University of Eastern Finland

The Erasmus+ programme includes programme countries and partner countries. Partner countries are countries that are not a part of the EU and the Erasmus+ programme, but with which Erasmus+ cooperation may occur.

The University of Eastern Finland has currently prioritized United Kingdom and Switzerland as partner countries in the Erasmus+ programme. The university can select which countries to prioritize cooperation with and how funding is allocated. This is why each university may have different partner countries they have cooperation with.

At the moment, International Mobility Services is not allocating Erasmus+ funding for student exchange or traineeships to other partner countries except United Kingdom and Switzerland. The Erasmus+ programme has limited the amount of funding that can be allocated for partner country functions. In order to receive mobility grants for student exchange at host universities located in UEF’s partner countries, there must be an inter-institutional agreement between universities, so Erasmus+ grants are not available for exchanges without an agreement.

If you wish to apply for exchange to any university that does not have a bilateral agreement with UEF or is not among UEF’s partnership networks, students may apply for Freemover or Visiting Student exchange. In these exchanges, the student must arrange the exchange independently. For more information about Freemover exchanges, see Kamu.