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Target Groups: Student

Unsuitability to study – the SORA legislation

In order to promote the safety of minors, patients and customers, restrictions have been implemented to student admittance from the beginning of 2012. An admitted student may be requested to provide an excerpt from his or her criminal record for the purpose of assessing his or her capacity to study.

Restrictions to student admittance

In order to promote the safety of minors, patients and customers, restrictions have been implemented to student admittance from the beginning of 2012. Correspondingly, a right to study already granted may be cancelled.

The restrictions apply to the following fields: medicine, dentistry, logopedics, psychology, pharmacy, and social work and teacher training. These fields involve a requirement that the health and functional capacity of persons admitted as students are sufficient for the practical tasks or training related to the studies. A limitation related to health or functional capacity is not an obstacle to admittance if its effects can be eliminated through reasonable measures, such as special arrangements. The intention is also not to raise unnecessary obstacles to the admittance of those who are disabled or have other physical or mental limitations. Indeed, the restrictions to admittance are applied for only when the applicant has a serious illness or disruption of functional capacity of such nature that it is obvious that he or she may not participate in the studies.

Obligation to present an expert form the criminal record and drug testing during studies

A student admitted in 2012 or later may be requested to provide an excerpt from his or her criminal record for the purpose of assessing his or her capacity to study. The excerpt may be requested from only those students whose practical training or other duties related to their studies require working with minors, and it will be requested before the beginning of the practical training or duties. In order to promote the safety of minors, it is necessary to know that a student entering practical training does not have an entry in his or her criminal record for certain serious offences (indecency and sexual offences, murder, manslaughter, homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery and serious narcotics offences). With certain additional conditions, being guilty of these offences constitutes grounds for the cancellation of the right to study, if the studies require working with children.

In certain very limited cases, the student may also be obligated to present a certificate of a drug test. Such cases mainly involve situations where testing is necessary in order to determine the student’s functional capacity and where certain additional conditions defined in detail in the law are fulfilled.

Guidelines of the University of Eastern Finland for the students’ excerpts from criminal records.

Transferring Campuses within the Faculty of Science, Forestry, and Technology 

Transferring campuses within the Faculty of Science, Forestry, and Technology is possible no earlier than after the first semester of studies. Changing your major or campus is only possible during bachelor’s studies and can only be done once. 

You must have a valid study right during the application period and the following semester. The application period is flexible. 

Computer Science, Joensuu and Kuopio 

Within the Faculty of Science, Forestry, and Technology, you can apply for a campus transfer if you have the right to study for a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in the faculty in Computer Science and are studying in Joensuu or Kuopio. There is no minimum requirement for the extent of completed studies. 

The application must include a transcript of records and a motivation letter explaining your reasons for wanting to transfer campuses. The motivation letter should describe your interest in the field, previous studies, reasons for transferring to another campus, and how and on what schedule you plan to complete your studies in Joensuu or Kuopio. A suitable length for the motivation letter is about one page. 

Application Attachments: Transcript of records and motivation letter 

Application is done using the form available in the university’s service portal (requires login).

Registration after being absent for your first year

These instructions are for you if you have been admitted to the University of Eastern Finland (Bachelor’s or Master’s level) and you registered as absent for your first academic year (or for more years) due to a statutory reason, and you will start your studies after this absence period (for example, one year after you received your right to study).

Before you register

Familiarise yourself with the new student materials and participate in orientation, if possible. You can find further information on the New Students’ orientation page.

Academic year and registration period

At the University of Eastern Finland, the academic year begins on 1 August and ends on 31 July. Under the Finnish Universities Act (558/2009), you must register each academic year as either present or absent.

You must register within the registration period. The registration period starts on 1 June and ends on 15 September.

If you do not register within the registration period, you will lose your study right and you have to apply for reinstatement.

Here you can find more information on annual registration.

How to register

Register as present or absent using the electronic registration form (link opens in a new tab). If you are unable to use the electronic registration form, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page).

If you register as present

If you register as present, you must pay the Student Union membership fee. You will find the payment instructions on the registration form.

The Student and Learning Services Customer Service will confirm the completion of your registration by email.

Registering as absent

You can also register as absent. If you register as b absent, you do not pay the Student Union membership fee. While you are registered as absent, you cannot participate in teaching or complete studies during.

Further information on registration

If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service:

Theses

All degrees conclude with a supervised written paper called a thesis. The following is a list of theses at UEF:

  • Bachelor’s Thesis (Bachelor’s degree)

  • Master’s Thesis (Master’s degree)

  • Licentiate Thesis (Licentiate’s degree)

  • Doctoral Dissertation (Doctoral degree)

The students get support to their thesis writing process in the form of seminars in which the participants typically present their work and comment on each other’s thesis plans at various stages. This way all participants receive feedback and support for their own writing process from both the thesis supervisor and the other seminar participants.

Instructions on the accessibility of theses have been prepared as a base file as a Word template file (opens in a new tab), which is applied in theses made at the university. The student is responsible for the accessibility of his / her thesis. In addition to the thesis instructions to be achieved, the student must follow the thesis instructions given by each faculties. See more about accessibility in studies (contain also word instructional video).

The goals, form, language, and grading criteria of theses are defined in the curriculum of the respective faculty and/or academic subject. More information can be found in syllabuses and Study Communities. For extended information about licentiate theses and doctoral dissertations, please check the Doctoral Education site at Kamu.

Examination and grading of theses

The examination and grading process vary depending on the level of thesis. A Bachelor’s thesis is graded by the teacher of the study module. Master’s theses are graded by the head of department, and their examination process is uniform throughout UEF.

The examination process and instructions for licentiate theses and dissertations can be found on the Doctoral Education site at Kamu.

As per the decision (18.12.2014) of the UEF rector, the originality of all theses is to be verified via the plagiarism detection system.

Should the student be dissatisfied with the grading of his or her thesis, they may appeal for a revision. Instructions for the appeal are included alongside the grading decision.

Publicity and publication of theses

Theses written by degree students are principally public on the basis of the Constitution of Finland (731/1999 12,2 §) and Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999 1§). The guide of the Ministry of Education states that universities are obligated to ensure that theses do not include confidential material and that they become public immediately upon approval (Ministry of Education guidelines: Publicity of theses 28.1.2004 Jnl No. 3/5000/2004).

A university degree prepares students for scientific research, one key principle of which is openness. The University of Eastern Finland is committed to supporting the principles of open science and research, and strongly recommends Master’s theses and licentiate theses to be published with Open Access. Dissertations are always published, and a publishing agreement is made for dissertations that are published as a part of the UEF publication series.

Every year, UEF Library raffles off a grant worth EUR 100 among UEF students who have made their master’s thesis publicly available. Sign up by submitting this electronic form once your master’s thesis has been published online.

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.

Thesis and maturity test

A thesis is a academic paper on research related to a degree. It also involves taking a maturity test. The maturity test is for demonstrating that the student is familiar with the discipline of the thesis.

Bachelor’s thesis

For a bachelor’s degree, a student must prepare a bachelor’s thesis as part of the intermediate studies of his/her major subject. The student prepares the thesis independently.
The bachelor’s thesis is written in Finnish. For a special reason, however, a student may write the bachelor’s thesis in English by written permission of a person in charge of the academic subject in question.

Maturity test required for the bachelor’s degree

The Government Decree on University Degrees of 19 August 2004 stipulates that for a bachelor’s degree, a student must complete a maturity test to demonstrate his/her knowledge in the field of the thesis and his/her proficiency in Finnish or Swedish.

When the student has received formal education in Finnish, the maturity test will be completed in Finnish.

The abstract of the bachelor’s thesis will then be accepted as a maturity test.

  1. A thesis supervisor accepts a Finnish abstract of a bachelor’s thesis as a Finnish maturity test when a student who has received formal education in Finnish writes his/her bachelor’s thesis in Finnish, Swedish or a foreign language.
  2. A thesis supervisor reviews the abstract with regard to both grammatical accuracy and content. The student will have an opportunity to edit the abstract based on feedback before submitting the bachelor’s thesis for a plagiarism check and to the thesis supervisor for final assessment.
  3. If you have received formal education in a language other than Finnish, read the faculty’s instructions on the maturity test (see the content below).
  4. If a student completes a separate maturity test for the bachelor’s degree (see the faculty-specific instructions below), the thesis must be submitted for assessment in good time before the maturity test.

Master’s thesis

For a master’s degree, a student must prepare a master’s thesis as part of the advanced studies of his/her major subject. The student prepares the thesis independently. The master’s thesis is written in a language specified in the curriculum. For a special reason, however, a student who has received education in Finnish may write their master’s thesis in English by written permission of the person in charge of the academic subject in question.

The originality of a completed master’s theses must be checked. The system currently in use is the Turnitin plagiarism detection tool.

Maturity test required for the master’s degree

If a student has completed a maturity test in connection with a previous bachelor’s or master’s degree, they can demonstrate their understanding of the subject of their master’s degree with an  abstract of their master’s thesis. For a master’s thesis written in Finnish, an abstract in Finnish and English has to be provided.

In master’s degree programmes that are lectured in English, a maturity test will be completed in the manner confirmed in the curriculum.

If a student completes a separate maturity test for the master’s degree (see the faculty’s instructions below), the thesis must be submitted for assessment in good time before the maturity test.

See Thesis submission and evaluation

Faculty-specific instructions concerning theses

You should first check if your Study Community has more detailed instructions.

Student well-being work and services at UEF

Physical, psychological and social well-being are prerequisites for good study and life. In addition to studies, it is very important to give time also to yourself, to your friends and hobbies.

The starting point for student well-being is pedagogical well-being built on communal and individual factors, which is created in teaching through teacher–student interaction (read more: Pedagogical well-being, opens in a new tab).

Ability to study means a student’s ability to work, and it’s a combination of several interconnected factors. Study progress can be improved by addressing all the different aspects of ability to study. This is the responsibility of all parties in the study community, including student healthcare, the university and student organisations – and the students themselves! Read more: Model for ability to study (opens in a new tab).

The main aim is to create a healthy and safe learning and study environment and to protect students’ mental health with the help of peer and individual support.

The most important well-being and health services for students are available in Kamu Databank and TUUDO wellbeing menu. More information also in Intranet: Teaching support/Support for guidance, counselling and student well-being (opens in a new tab, logging required).

Links:

Student health care

Emergency situations                  

The general emergency number is 112. Call 112 only in life threatening situations, such as

  • serious accident or injury
  • sudden severe illness
  • fire or immediate danger

Calls are free of charge and do not require an area code, even from a mobile phone.

If your emergency requires the help of the police, call 112. If the matter is not urgent, contact local police. More information: services of the police.

Health care options for students

Students in Finland may use one or more of the following health care sectors:

  1. Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS)
  2. Public Health Care
  3. Private Health Care
  4. Occupational Health Care

1. Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS)

Who can use FSHS?

FSHS services are available only to Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students who have paid the Healthcare fee for Students in Higher Education to KELA (opens in a new tab).

FSHS services are not available to exchange students or PhD students. Students that cannot use FSHS services are advised to use the public or private health services.

FSHS provides

  • Preventive health care
  • Medical care
  • Mental health care
  • Dental care

FSHS does not provide:

  • Emergency care
  • Hospital care
  • Maternity care

The services of Finnish Student Health Care Service (opens in a new tab) are limited and only available during the opening hours. FSHS runs health centres in 16 university towns, and the student can have treatment at any of the centres.

Practical notes

  • Appointments are required for each visit. See instructions (opens in a new tab) for booking an appointment.
    • Please note that the FSHS online services require that your Finnish personal identity code is correctly registered in the Peppi student register.
    • If your code is not under your personal information in Peppi, contact the Student and Learning services at [email protected].
  • If you are unable to keep the appointment, it must be cancelled no later than the day before to avoid a fee.
  • Nurses are available for consultation on weekday mornings without an appointment.
  • Dental appointments may involve long waiting times (except acute toothache).

The consultation fees for students at FSHS are very reasonable and services like consultation with a nurse or a general practitioner are free of charge. If you are referred to public health care or a hospital, normal public health care fees apply, and no student discounts are available.

2. Public health care in Finland

Who can use public health care?

Local services:

3. Private health care

Private health care is available to everyone and usually offers faster access, but you need to be able to afford more expensive fees than in public health care. If you have private health insurance, you might be able to cover the cost from your insurance.

Some private medical centres (links open in a new tab):

4. Occupational health care (UEF staff)

Occupational health care is available only to UEF staff members. Further information in Guide for International Staff.

Insurance and health coverage

EU citizens

  • Obtain a European Health Insurance Card before arriving in Finland and always carry it with you.
  • This card covers medically necessary treatment in Finland at the same price as local residents. It does not cover treatment outside Finland or medical transport to your home country, so you will also need a separate travel insurance.
  • If you do not have the card, please ask your own health insurance office to send it to you.
  • Finland has social security agreements related to health care with some other countries, but we advise you to carefully check the coverage of the insurance agreement and conditions on which benefits are available at your own health insurance office before arriving in Finland.

Non-EU citizens

  • A private health insurance with sufficient coverage is mandatory for a Finnish residence permit. Check coverage details carefully before arrival.
  • Further information on student insurance (opens a new tab).

Medical history, prescriptions, and medicines

  • Bring your prescriptions with you if you have an illness that requires regular medical treatment.
  • It is recommended to bring your medical history translated into English.
  • In Finland medicines are sold only in pharmacies (apteekki), not in supermarkets or grocery stores.
  • Pharmacies provide information on the nearest night‑time pharmacy.
  • No vaccinations are required for registration at the University of Eastern Finland.