Campus restaurants
Email
Viva Engage
Peppi
eLearn Moodle
DigiCampus
Lukari
Library
MOT dictionaries
Sykettä Sports
ISYY
UEF Connect
uef.fi
Peppi UEF
uef.fi
UEF Intranet
News
New students
Doctoral studies
Study communities
Support Channels for Students
Minor studies and other study opportunities
Study guides
Introduction to international studies
Recognition of prior learning
Study Coordinators
Academic calendar
Campuses, Faculties
Close

Refine your search

Target Groups: Student

Annual registration – enrolled degree students

NOTE! Citizens outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland studying in bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes are required to pay tuition. If you are required to pay tuition, you must pay the next instalment of the fee before you can register as present for the next academic year. If you have questions regarding the tuition fee, contact your programme coordinator.

The instructions for annual registration at the university apply to students who are already enrolled at the university. This means students that are in their second, third, etc., year of studies. If you are a first-year student, see registration instructions for new students.

Contents

Read all of the instructions on this page carefully. On this page you can find information on the following subjects:

Who is obligated to register

All students whose studies aim at a degree must register annually. Bachelor’s, master’s, licentiate and doctoral students are obligated to register for each academic year as being present or absent.

Registration period

The registration period for the academic year starts on 1 June and ends on 15 September.

The period for registering for the spring semester only is 1 November – 15 January.

Registration in the Oili registration service

You can register electronically through the Oili registration service (opens in a new tab). Log into Oili with username@uef.fi, i.e., without the word “student” which is in your email address. The Oili registration information will show in Peppi. You can only register in the Oili registration service during the registration period.

Registration is study right specific. If you have more than one active study right, you can register as being present or absent for all of them or, e.g., as present for one and as absent for another.

Registration is also term-specific. This means that you can register as being absent for one semester and present for another. Remember to take the normative duration of studies into consideration.

Registration is study right specific

In Peppi, registration is study right specific.

If you have more than one active study right at UEF, register as present or absent for each one in Oili. If you register as present for more than one study right, you only pay the student union membership fee once.

If you receive a new study right

If you already have an active study right at UEF, and you receive another degree study right, only register for the new study right in Oili. After this, contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service. In your message, state whether you want to register as being present or absent to your previous study right. Your registration for the previous study right will be saved by the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

If you register for your previous study right first, contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service. In your message, state whether you want to register as being present or absent to your previous study right. In this case, your registration for the new study right will be saved by the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

You can find the Student and Learning Services’ customer service contact information at the bottom of this page.

Registration as being present

Students generally register as present. Only those who register as present can participate in teaching and training, take examinations and complete a degree. In addition, only present students are eligible for student financial aid. Registering as present is also mandatory for any periods spent studying abroad as an exchange student.

According to the Universities Act, all university students who have been admitted to a programme leading to a bachelor’s or master’s degree belong to the student union. Therefore, bachelor’s and master’s degree students must pay the student union membership fee when registering as present. The Student Union membership fee for the full academic year 2025–2026 is 73 €. For just the autumn semester the fee is 36 €, and for just the spring semester the fee is 37 €.

For licentiate and doctoral students, the Student Union membership is voluntary. For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Student Union membership fee for licentiate and doctoral students in 56 €. For just the autumn semester the fee is 27,50 €, and for just the spring semester the fee is 28,50 €.

In Kamu you can find further information on the Student Union membership fees. Here you can find information on the student card and student benefits.

Registration as being absent

You can register as being absent if you do not intend to attend any courses, complete any studies or complete your degree during the academic year. You can also register as absent if you have a statutory reason for absence, i.e., participation in military or non-military service or being on maternity, paternity or parental leave. The duration of studies can be extended on the basis of a statutory reason for absence if the student registers as absent at the university for such a period of absence. If you register as absent with a statutory reason, you must provide a document regarding the statutory reason to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

Those who register as absent must also do so within the registration period either in the Oili registration service (opens in a new tab). Alternatively you can contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

You can only change your registration from present to absent during the registration periods. To do this, contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service. You can change your registration from absent to present during the registration period in Oili. Outside of the registration periods you can change your registration from absent to present at any point during the academic year by contacting the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

You can find the Student and Learning Services’ customer service contact information at the bottom of this page.

Here you can find detailed information on registering as absent and statutory absence.

Healthcare fee for students in higher education

All bachelor’s and master’s degree students who are registered as being present in a Finnish institute of higher learning are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) (opens in a new tab) and must pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education (opens in a new tab) to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) by the due date.

You will not be exempted from paying the fee even if you, e.g., do not use the services of the FSHS, do not receive student financial aid or are studying abroad. You must pay the fee even if you are studying remotely and are not based in Finland.

However, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, from Switzerland, or from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In this case, you must still contact Kela. Despite not paying the fee, you can use the FSHS’s services.

Visit the Kela website for information on how to proceed if you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab).

Kela will not send you a bill for the student healthcare fee. You must pay the fee on your own initiative in the Kela e-service for each academic term. Find out how to pay the student healthcare fee (opens in a new tab) on the Kela website.

The due date for paying the student healthcare fee is determined based on the date on which you register as present, i.e., attending.

On the Kela website you can find information on the healthcare fee and the due dates as well as the payment instructions (opens in a new tab).

If you are unable to register in the Oili registration service

Registering through Oili is the primary means of registration. If you are unable to register through the Oili registration service, contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information below).

If you are a bachelor’s or master’s degree student, and wish to register as present, you can ask for the payment details for the Student Union membership fee from the Student and Learning Services’ customer service and pay the fee at your bank or through mobile banking. Alternatively, you can pay the fee at the Student Union offices (opens in a new tab). If you register this way, you must present the receipt for the payment to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service either in person or by email/postal mail (contact information below).

If your UEF account password has expired, you cannot register through Oili. Make sure to change your password before it expires! Here you can find the instructions for changing your password (opens in a new tab).

Studying abroad and registration

Students who study abroad must register as present at UEF for the duration of their studies abroad. This is because the courses they will complete abroad are included in their degree studies at the University of Eastern Finland.

Double degree and joint degree students’ registration

Double degree and joint degree students are obligated to register annually just like other degree students. They too must register as present for the whole duration of their studies. The degree programme may apply for an exemption from paying the Student Union membership fee from the Student Union for the semesters the student is studying abroad in another partner university.

Students who are required to pay tuition

Students who are required to pay a tuition fee must do so before they can register as present for the academic year. A student’s annual registration can be revoked if they have not paid the tuition fee by the deadline. The tuition fee payment deadline is 31 August.

Here you can find further information on tuition fees.

If you forgot to register

Students who do not register as present or absent at the university during the registration period must apply for reinstating their right to study before they can continue their studies. Readmission is granted based on an application submitted to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service. In addition, a handling fee of 50 € is charged from students who register after the registration period has ended. The collection of the handling fee is stipulated in the Ministry of Education decree 1082/2009.

Read more about reinstating study right.

Student and Learning Services’ customer service contact information

Registration as being absent

Each student must register as being present or absent for each one of their active study rights in the Oili registration service annually within the registration period.

NOTE! Remember to register as being present or absent for each one of your active study rights!

You can find the registration instructions here:

Registration instructions for new students

Annual registration – enrolled students

On this page you can find information on the following subjects:

Registration as being absent

A student may register as absent if they do not intend to complete any studies at the university during the semester they register as being absent for. Students registering as being absent must also register within the registration period. Students registering as being absent cannot take any courses or sit any exams during the semester or academic year in question. Those who register as absent do not pay the Student Union membership fee or the healthcare fee for students in higher education. Absent students are not entitled to student benefits or the services of the Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS).

Students who register as absent have limited access to the UEF electronic services. Absent students have access to Peppi and the student email and are allowed to use the library’s remote e-resources. You can find more information on the UEF account and user rights from the IT Services’ website (opens in a new tab).

According to the Universities Act, a student can register as absent for two academic terms (i.e., one full academic year) without the period of absence using up the duration of studies. For study rights that started before 1 August 2015, the maximum period for registering as absent without the the period of absence using up the duration of studies is four academic terms. You may register as absent for more than two (four, for study rights that begun before 1 August 2015) semesters. However, periods of absence exceeding the stated maximum do not further lengthen the study right duration but rather use up the duration of your study right the same way registering as being absent does. Here you can find information on the normative duration of studies.

In addition to regular absences, there are statutory absences as defined by the Universities Act. Absences due to military service, non-military service or women’s voluntary military service as well as absences due to requiring leave from one’s studies in order to take care of one’s child due to birth or adoption are statutory absences. Such absences may lengthen a student’s study right duration and are recorded in the student register on the basis of documentation provided by the student within a given deadline (you can find information on the required documents in the following section). Absence for a statutory reason lengthens the study right duration even if the periods of “regular” absence have already been used up. However, if the student has received an extension to their study right, absence due to a statutory reason will not lengthen the study right duration.

If you have been granted an extension to your study right, registering as absent will not lengthen your study right duration further (incl. statutory absences).

Registering as absent due to a statutory reason

If a student registers as being absent due to a statutory reason for absence, as defined by the Universities Act, their study right duration may be lengthened. The student must prove they have a statutory reason for absence with a document. The deadline for sending or bringing the document to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page) is 30 September for the full academic year or autumn semester only / 31 January for the spring semester only. If you know you will receive your document only after the deadline, please contact the Student Services by email before the deadline so that we know we need to wait for the document. You can find information on the accepted documents below on this page.

The duration of studies can be lengthened on the basis of a statutory reason for absence only if the student has registered as absent at the university within the registration period and provided the required document proving the statutory reason for absence by the deadline. You cannot register as absent nor can your registration be changed from present to absent after the registration period has ended. A statutory reason for absence cannot be recorded for a student who is registered as present. Here you can find information on how statutory absences affect the normative duration of studies.

You can register as being absent for a semester due to a statutory reason if the statutory reason covers at least one day out of the semester.

The documents verifying a statutory reason for absence may be in Finnish, Swedish or English.

If a statutory reason for absence arises after the registration period has ended, and the student has already registered as present, the registration will not be changed to absent. However, the statutory reason may be taken into account if the student needs to apply for an extension to their study right.

Additional instructions for first year students who register as being absent

  • If a first year student registers as being absent but does not bring or send a document proving grounds for statutory absence to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page) by the deadline (30 September for the full academic year or autumn semester only / 31 January for the spring semester only), the student forfeits their right to study. In order to re-activate your study right later, you will need to apply for having their study right reinstated. Having your study right reinstated does not require you to take part in the student admission process.

  • A first year student has the right to be absent for the full academic year even if the statutory reason for absence covers just one day out of the academic year. If the statutory reason for a first-year student’s absence covers just the spring or just the autumn semester, the student may register as being absent for the full academic year or as present for the one semester and as absent for the other.
    • Note, however, that only the semester the statutory reason for absence actually covers will be marked as statutory absence. If, for instance, the statutory reason for absence only covers the autumn semester, you may register as being absent for the spring semester as well, but the spring semester absence will be marked as “regular” absence, not statutory absence.

  • Please note that if you do not have any of the three statutory reasons defined in the Universities Act, you must register as being present during your first year. You must also register as being present if you cannot travel to Finland and start your studies. In these cases, registration will be done remotely by sending the required documents (a copy of passport, registration form and the receipt of the Student Union payment) to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page).

Statutory reasons for registering as absent as defined by the Universities Act and the required documents

1. The student is in active service in accordance with the Conscription Act (1438/2007), the Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act (194/1995)

Required documents:

  1. Before the service starts, the student must bring or send a copy or a picture of their call-up order (only Finnish) showing that the service takes place during the academic year in question to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page).

  2. After the service ends, the student must also bring or send a copy/picture of their service certificate or military passport to the Student and Learning Services customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page).

2. The student requires leave from their studies in order to take care of their child due to birth or adoption

Required documents:

  • A medical certificate regarding the pregnancy (international students only)

  • Copy or picture of Kela’s certificate regarding maternity, paternity or parental allowance period or corresponding certificates from the authorities of another country regarding statutory parental leave

  • Paternity leave can only be verified with a certificate from Kela

3. A first-year student is unable to start their studies due to the student’s own illness or injury

Required documents:

  • Sickness allowance decision or, if no decision exists, a medical certificate. The medical certificate must state which illness or injury the student suffers from, and that this condition prevents the student from beginning their studies in their first year. A copy or a picture is enough.

  • Obstacles caused by the practical arrangements required by the illness or injury: an adequate clarification, e.g. a certificate from the student housing foundation that the student is on the waiting list for an apartment required by their injury. The student’s own notification is not an adequate clarification.

  • If you register as absent due to illness or injury, you cannot complete any studies even if you receive sickness allowance for students (which allows some studying, i.e., about 40 % of the regular amount of credits).

  • Registering as absent due to illness or injury does not extend the study right. A first-year student may register as absent due to illness or injury but their study right will not be extended as is the case with the statutory reasons above. Registering as being absent due to illness or injury will use up regular periods of absence excluded from the normative duration of studies.

  • NOTE! Illness or injury is only considered as a statutory reason for registering as absent for first-year students.

Changing registration status from absent to present in the middle of the academic year

Registration as absent can be changed to present at any time during the academic year.

  • During the registration period, the change can be made by paying the student union membership fee in the Oili registration service (opens in a new tab) using one’s personal online banking codes.

  • Outside the registration period, the student can request the payment details needed to pay the Student Union membership fee from the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page). The student must provide proof of payment of the Student Union membership fee to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service in person or by email.

Changing registration status from present to absent in the middle of the academic year

You can only change your registration from present to absent during the registration periods (for the whole academic year or the autumn term only, between 1 June – 15 September; or for the spring term only, between 1 November – 15 January). You cannot change your registration status from present to absent in the Oili registration service; you must contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service by email or phone or visit the customer service desk (contact information at the bottom of the page).

Any requests for a refund of the student union membership fee must be submitted by the end of September (whole academic year or autumn term) or by the end of January (spring term). See the Student Union ISYY website for a membership fee refund application (opens in a new tab).

Student and Learning Services’ contact information

If you have questions related to registering as being absent, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

Introduction to international studies

As a UEF degree student, you can go on student exchange, get a traineeship abroad, and/or internationalise yourself at your home campus.

University of Eastern Finland is involved in a number of international exchange programmes including hundreds of universities across the world. In addition, our university has signed co-operation agreements with dozens of universities across the world. More detailed information on student exchange programmes is available under the heading Exchange options and exchange destinations.

In addition to interesting courses, exchange students gain new experiences, friends, language skills, and confidence. Your studies will be recognised by your home university, so studies abroad do not normally postpone your graduation.

The Applying and Practical Arrangements section discusses matters related to, for example, applying for studies abroad, financing your studies, and the recognition of studies completed abroad. The section also contains the required forms and various useful checklists, so you should read it carefully when planning your studies abroad.

International traineeships offer students the chance to acquire useful contacts, gain work experience and language skills, and learn the customs and corporate culture of the destination country.

Tutoring international students is a fantastic way to internationalise yourself at UEF – to gain international experience without leaving your home university.

More information: International Mobility Services staff (international(a)uef.fi) and departmental coordinators of international matters.

The information has also been compiled into the downloadable PDF guide titled Student Exchange for the International UEF Degree Students.

Student Union membership fees

ISYY, the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (opens in a new tab), looks after the students’ rights and interests. ISYY operates on both the Joensuu and Kuopio campus.

On this page you can find information on the following subjects:

Bachelor’s and master’s degree students’ fees

Under the student union act, all bachelor’s and master’s degree students are required to join the Student Union and must therefore pay the student union membership fee annually as they register as present.

A student who simultaneously has a valid bachelor’s and/or a master’s degree study right as well as a doctoral or licentiate study right is required to be a member of the Student Union. Student Union members must pay the Student Union membership fee when they register as present.

If a student has more than one study right of the same level (bachelor’s or master’s), they pay the Student Union membership fee only once, even if they register as present to more than one study right.

As members of the Student Union, bachelor’s and master’s degree students can get a student card (opens in a new tab) and are entitled to various membership benefits (opens in a new tab) such as discounts on long distance train tickets and bus fares as well as in student cafeterias on campus. Students may also use the student card in Tuudo.

NOTE! If you are a first-year bachelor’s or master’s degree student, you are obliged to register as present and to pay the Student Union membership fee for the whole academic year. A first-year student may only register as being absent if they have a statutory reason for registering as being absent. You can find more information on registering as absent in the first year in Kamu.

Bachelor’s and master’s degree students’ membership fee amount

In the 2025–2026 academic year, the fee is:

  • Full academic year (from 1st of August to 31st of July): 73 €
  • Autumn semester only (from 1st of August to 31st of December): 36 €
  • Spring semester only (from 1st of January to 31st of July): 37 €

Student healthcare services and healthcare fee for students in higher education

All bachelor’s and master’s degree students who are registered as being present in a Finnish institute of higher learning are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) (opens in a new tab) and must pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education (opens in a new tab) to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) by the due date. NOTE! International exchange students are not entitled to student healthcare services.

You will not be exempted from paying the fee even if you, e.g., do not use the services of the FSHS, do not receive student financial aid or are studying abroad. You must pay the fee even if you are studying remotely and are not based in Finland.

However, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, from Switzerland, or from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In this case, you must still contact Kela. Despite not paying the fee, you can use the FSHS’s services.

Visit the Kela website for information on how to proceed if you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab).

Kela will not send you a bill for the student healthcare fee. You must pay the fee on your own initiative in the Kela e-service for each academic term. Find out how to pay the student healthcare fee (opens in a new tab) on the Kela website.

The due date for paying the student healthcare fee is determined based on the date on which you register as present, i.e., attending.

On the Kela website you can find information on the healthcare fee and the due dates as well as the payment instructions (opens in a new tab).

Exchange students’ membership fee amount

Exchange students studying at UEF are welcome to join the Student Union, but are not obliged to do so. To become a member, you must pay the Student Union membership fee. For the 2025–2026 academic year, the voluntary fee is:

  • Full academic year (from 1st of August to 31st of July): 73 €
  • Autumn semester only (from 1st of August to 31st of December): 36 €
  • Spring semester only (from 1st of January to 31st of July): 37 €

NOTE! International exchange students are not entitled to student healthcare services.

Doctoral students’ membership fee amount

For doctoral students and licentiate students who register as present the Student Union membership is voluntary. For the 2025–2026 academic year, the voluntary fee is:

  • Full academic year (from 1st of August to 31st of July): 56 €
  • Autumn semester only (from 1st of August to 31st of December): 27,50 €
  • Spring semester only (from 1st of January to 31st of July): 28,50 €

The fee can be paid upon annual registration during the registration period in Oili or later on by contacting the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page).

Licentiate and doctoral students are not entitled to subsidized meals or student health services. The membership entitles you to use the services of the student union and to join events organized by the Student Union. You can also get student discounts in, e.g., various shops, theatres, hotels and restaurants. Contact the Student Union for information on student benefits for postgraduate students (opens in a new tab).

Postgraduate students are eligible for a student discount from VR. In order to get the discount, you must have a valid student card with VR logo in it. Frank, Slice and Tuudo have the VR logo on their digital student cards for postgraduate students.

The Tuudo student card for postgraduate students works without the Student Union membership fee as long as the student has registered as being present.

To use Frank or Slice (opens in a new tab), you must pay the Student Union membership fee.

Non-degree students who can join the Student Union

As a rule, students completing non-degree studies (e.g. training for a specialization in medicine, flexible study right) cannot join the Student Union. However, the Student Union may choose to accept non-degree students as its members with an official decision. The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland has decided to allow the following student groups as its members, and students in these groups may join the student union if they so choose:

  1. The following students are not entitled to use the services of the FSHS, but are entitled to the Kela meal subsidy and student discounts in trains and long distance buses (Matkahuolto). The fee for them is 73 € for the whole academic year or 36 € for the autumn semester or 37 € for the spring semester.These students are completing studies full-time and are enrolled in one of the following programmes:
    • certificate program for special education teachers
    • certificate program for kindergarten special education teachers
    • certificate program for kindergarten teachers (the 75 credits program)
    • qualification studies for career counsellors
    • students who have a separate study right in the multidisciplinary study program in basic education.
  2. Students who have activated their alumni study right after graduation. These students are not entitled to the Kela meal subsidy or student discounts in trains and long distance buses (Matkahuolto), nor are they entitled to use the services of the FSHS. The fee for them is 56 € for the whole academic year or 27,50 € for autumn semester or 28,50 € for the spring semester.

Because students in these student groups are not entitled to use the services of the FSHS, they do not pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education to Kela.

If you wish to join the Student Union, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page) for payment instructions.

Voluntary fees

Sykettä sports services (opens in a new tab) are at your disposal after paying the sports fee at the ISYY office or on the SYKETTÄ webpage.

If you would like to support the development activities of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) (opens in a new tab), you can do this by transferring a sum of your choice to SYL’s fundraising account.

Bachelor’s or master’s degree study right in another university in Finland

If you have another bachelor’s or master’s degree study right in another Finnish institution of higher learning for which you have registered as being present and have paid the Student Union membership fee to, you still must register normally to the University of Eastern Finland. If you register as being present at UEF as well, you must pay the ISYY membership fee.

Student and Learning Services’ customer service contact information:

If you have questions regarding the Student Union membership fees, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service.

The examination and evaluation of the theses included in the advanced studies

Instructions and process

Student: Using Turnitin plagiarism detection software on Moodle prior to officially submitting your thesis for examination

Upload your thesis to Moodle for your supervisor to perform plagiarism detection on it.
Your supervisor will review the plagiarism detection report. If everything is OK, your supervisor will send you an email and gives you permission to officially submit your thesis for examination on UEF // E-services.
More information on Heimo: Turnitin for electronic plagiarism detection

Student: Submitting thesis for examination

Once your thesis has passed plagiarism detection, create a PDF/A file of it. See instructions on video Exporting a Word document to accessible PDF/A. Thesis file name: SurnameFirstnameYear.
Submit your thesis for examination by using UEF//E-services. If your thesis is a co-authored one, your co-author will receive a request to approve the thesis submission. The co-author must approve the request for the submission process to begin.
The system will notify you of the successful submission. If you don’t receive a confirmation e-mail, contact the thesis secretary in your department.
Enter the name and email address of the supervisor who performed plagiarism detection on your thesis (please, make sure that you have the right e-mail address) and add the names of other supervisors. Please follow the instructions given by your own faculty.
Fill out all the fields of the form. This information will be transferred to the official documents, so please make sure your spelling is correct.
Select the level of access to your thesis, the UEF Library recommends Open Access publishing. Further information in Publishing
If you select that the decision relating to the examination and grading of your thesis can be communicated to you electronically, you will receive workflow emails to your student.uef.fi email address from UEF//E-services (no-reply@uef.fi).

Supervisor: Presenting the examiners

The supervisor presents the thesis examiners, selects the numerical grading scale and the language of the decision to be used.
If the thesis is OK, the supervisor chooses: “the work can be taken for inspection”. By adding a decision-maker, the work will proceed to the examination process.
In cases where the thesis submitted for examination is deemed inadequate, the supervisor chooses
the option “The thesis examination process cannot be started” and the process will be suspended.

Head of the department/school: Decision on examiners

Head of the department/school may either approve or reject the supervisor’s proposal for examiners.
When approved, the system automatically sends the examiner decision and thesis to the examiners and student.

Examiners: Preparing a statement and a grade proposal

The examiners upload the statement to the system or send it to the thesis secretary. The statement is in PDF/A file format.

Student: Responding to the examiners’ statement and grade proposal.

Once the student is notified of the examiners’ statement and grade proposal, she/he responds via the form on E-services. If the student is dissatisfied, she/he includes a written statement (a rejoinder). The student has the following options to choose from: accept/suspend/rejoinder and in co-authored theses: dispute.
NB: The examination process will not proceed unless the student responds to the statement.

Thesis secretary: Preparing the evaluation decision

After the student has responded to the statement, the thesis secretary prepares the evaluation decision for the head of the department/school.

The Head of the department/school: Grading of the thesis

The head of the department/school shall judge the thesis based on the statement of the examiners or shall make a suspension decision if the student so requests. If the grade proposals are not consistent or the student does not accept the grade proposal, the head may, at her/his discretion, appoint a third examiner. The student will be notified of the decision on the grade by e-mail.
A student who is not satisfied with the evaluation decision may apply to the appeal board of the University of Eastern Finland for a correction in writing within fourteen days of the decision being notified.

Thesis secretary: Entering the thesis in the study register

The thesis secretary enters the graded thesis in the study register. The head of the department/school makes the final decision on the thesis evaluation and is thus marked as the assessor.

The Library: Publishing of the thesis

The thesis will be published by the library with the level of access selected by the student. If you choose Open Access, the UEF Library makes the thesis publicly available online. The thesis can then be freely accessed (read, copy, print) by anyone. You can email the library a written request to change the level of access (electronic.publications@uef.fi).

Further information

Additionally, departments, schools and degree programmes may have guidelines and instructions regarding MSc thesis evaluation and commencement.

Faculty of Science and Forestry

Registration instructions for new bachelor’s and master’s degree students

These registration instructions are for new bachelor’s and master’s degree students starting their studies at UEF. If you are an exchange student, here you can find the registration instructions for exchange students.

The academic year at the University of Eastern Finland officially begins on 1 August and ends on 31 July. The autumn semester courses will begin from 1 September 2025 and the spring semester courses from 7 January 2026.

Contents

Read all of the instructions on this page carefully. On this page you can find information on the following subjects:

New bachelor’s and master’s degree students’ registration period

As a first year bachelor’s or master’s degree student, you must register as being present for the whole academic year, unless you have legal grounds for registering as absent. See chapter below: Registration as being absent as a new degree student.

If your acceptance at the University of Eastern Finland was conditional (e.g., tuition fee, degree certificate), you must meet the condition for your acceptance before your registration can be completed. If you have questions regarding this, please contact your programme coordinator.

The registration period starts on 1 June. Online registration ends on 22 August and registration in person on campus ends on 15 September. For students whose study right starts in the spring semester, the registration period ends 15 January.

You can register either remotely or in person at the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk.

Registration as being present as a new degree student

If you are obligated to pay tuition (only citizens outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland studying in an international degree programme), you must pay the tuition fee before you can register as being present. Here you can find further information on tuition fees.

Registration

To register as present, you must pay the Student Union membership fee and fill out the registration form.

You can register as present either online or in person on campus.

Register online

  • Log into My Studyinfo with the same confirmation link that you used to confirm your study place. Proceed to register in the Oili registration service. Register as present (i.e. attending). The registration period in the Oili registration service is open from 1 June to 22 August for students whose studies start in the autumn semester and 1 November to 15 January for students whose studies start in the spring semester.

  • Pay the Student Union membership fee online through the Oili registration service.

  • Fill out the online registration form (opens in a new tab).
    • If you are unable to fill out the online form, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page), and we will send you the registration form as a word document.

  • After you have submitted the registration form, you will receive an invitation to be strongly identified by the UEF Digital Services. Follow the instructions to get your UEF account working. NOTE! Don’t worry if you do not receive the invitation immediately after sending the registration form. It might take several days or some weeks before we are able to handle your registration and send you the invitation.

OR

Register in person on campus

  • If you cannot register online and your study right starts in the autumn semester, you can register in person at the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk (contact information at the bottom of the page) no later than 15 September.

  • If your study right starts in the spring semester and you want to register in person at the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk (contact information at the bottom of the page), you must do so by 15 January.

  • Pay the Student Union membership fee. You can find the payment instructions in the chapter ‘Student Union membership for new bachelor’s and master’s degree students’ below. Bring the receipt for the payment to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk (contact information at the bottom of the page).

  • Fill out the registration form in person at the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk.

  • Bring your ID to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk (contact information at the bottom of the page).

You must register as being present even if you cannot travel to Finland and start your studies.

Registration as being absent as a new degree student

Students registering as being absent will not take any courses or sit any exams during the semester/academic year in question.  Students who have registered as being absent will not pay the Student Union membership fee and thus are not entitled to any student benefits. Students registering as being absent must register within the registration period. First-year students may only register as being absent if they have a statutory reason for registering as being absent.

To register as being absent:

  1. Log into My Studyinfo with the same confirmation link that you used to confirm your study place.

  2. Proceed to register in the Oili registration service.

  3. If you are unable to register in the Oili registration service, you can register as being absent by contacting the Student and Learning Services’ customer service by email (contact information at the bottom of the page).

Statutory reasons for registering as being absent

According to the Universities Act, a first-year degree student may only register as absent for the academic year if they have one of the following statutory reasons:

  1. service under the Conscription Act (1438/2007), Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or Act on Women’s Voluntary Military Service (194/1995);

  2. the student requires leave from their studies in order to take care of their child following birth or adoption;

  3. the student cannot begin studies due to being incapacitated by personal illness or injury. (In this case, it should be made clear in your document that this entails incapacity for the entire semester or academic year.)

If you register as absent, you must prove the legal grounds for your absence. Documents proving that you have a statutory reason for absence must be sent via email or postal mail to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information below) by 30 September for the autumn semester and 31 January for the spring semester.

NOTE! If you do not have one of the three reasons defined in the Universities Act as stated above, you must register as being present for your first year.

If you fail to register or you register as absent without a statutory reason

  • If you do not register for the academic year within the registration period as being present or absent, you will lose your right to study.

  • If you register as being absent for your first year but do not prove you have a statutory reason for registering as absent by the deadline, you will lose your right to study.

  • If you register as being absent for your first year but do not have a statutory reason for registering as absent, you will lose your right to study.

If you lose your right to study and later wish to start your studies, you must apply for having your study right reinstated. To have your study right reinstated, you must pay a handling fee (50 euros) and fill out a form. Here you can find the instructions for having your study right reinstated.

Student Union membership is mandatory for bachelor’s and master’s degree students

Student Union (ISYY) membership is mandatory for bachelor’s and master’s degree students who register as being present. Information on ISYY membership benefits (opens in a new tab).

The Student Union membership fee is 73 € for the full academic year / 36 € for the autumn semester / 37 € for the spring semester.

  • If you register online through the Oili registration service, you pay the Student Union membership fee with a credit card upon registration.

OR

  • If you register in person on campus, you can pay the fee in advance into the Student Union bank account using the payment details below or with a credit card or cash at the Student Union offices (opens in a new tab). Please note that the 50 € banknote is the largest banknote they accept. You need to pay the fee before your registration can be accepted.

NOTE! You are responsible for any possible transfer fees or service fees your bank may charge!

Payment details:

Recipient: Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
Recipient’s address: Yliopistonranta 15, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
Bank name: Osuuspankki/OP Bank/Pohjola Bank Pl
Bank address: Koskikatu 9, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland
IBAN: FI37 5770 0520 2461 63
BIC/SWIFT: OKOYFIHH
Message: Student’s name and date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
Fee: 73 € (full academic year) / 36 € (autumn semester only) / 37 € (spring semester only)

Activating your UEF user account for the university’s information systems

All UEF students must have a UEF user account. The user account is needed to log in to the university’s electronic information systems, to use your UEF email account and to sign up for courses and exams electronically.

Here you can find the instructions for receiving a UEF username.

Here you can find further information on activating your UEF account (opens in a new tab).

NOTE! Your UEF account will only start working when:

  • you have registered as present

  • your study right has started

  • you have activated the account

  • you have been strongly identified and

  • you have registered as an MFA user.

If you have any questions regarding activating your account, please contact the Digital Services (opens in a new tab).

Remember to pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education

All bachelor’s and master’s degree students who are registered as being present in a Finnish institute of higher learning are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) (opens in a new tab) and must pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education (opens in a new tab) to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) by the due date.

You will not be exempted from paying the fee even if you, e.g., do not use the services of the FSHS, do not receive student financial aid or are studying abroad. You must pay the fee even if you are studying remotely and are not based in Finland.

However, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, from Switzerland, or from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In this case, you must still contact Kela. Despite not paying the fee, you can use the FSHS’s services.

Visit the Kela website for information on how to proceed if you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab).

Kela will not send you a bill for the student healthcare fee. You must pay the fee on your own initiative in the Kela e-service for each academic term. Find out how to pay the student healthcare fee (opens in a new tab) on the Kela website.

The due date for paying the student healthcare fee is determined based on the date on which you register as present, i.e., attending.

On the Kela website you can find information on the healthcare fee and the due dates as well as the payment instructions (opens in a new tab).

Apply for a Finnish personal identity code

International students staying in Finland for longer than three months should obtain a Finnish personal identity code (henkilötunnus in Finnish). The code is the key to transfering data between the university and different services and authorities. For example, the online services of the Finnish Student Health Service, HSL and Studyinfo.fi will not work if you do not have the code in the student register. You also need it for, e.g., opening a bank account, and when you are in contact with different Finnish authorities.

Students from non-EU/ETA countries: When you are granted a residence permit or a residence card or your right of residence is registered by the Finnish Immigration Service, your personal information will in most cases automatically be registered in the Finnish Population Information System. You will also be issued a Finnish personal identity code (opens in a new tab). It is highly recommended you do it early!

If you were not issued a personal identity code together with your residence permit card, in order to get it later, you have to visit the local Digital and Population Data Services Agency offices (opens in a new tab) during the first three months of your stay. Ask to be registered in the Finnish Population Information System – this means that you are issued a personal identity code and your postal address in Joensuu/Kuopio is registered.

After receiving the identity code, it is very important that you inform the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information at the bottom of the page) about it as soon as possible so that we can save it to the student register Peppi. It takes several days after adding the code to Peppi before you are able to use the online services of before mentioned the Finnish Student Health Service, HSL and Studyinfo.fi. So please, do not wait until you actually need to, for example, make appointment with the Finnish Student Health Service to inform us about receiving a Finnish personal identity code, but let us know as soon as you get it. To save the ID code in the student register:

  • You can visit our office and present an identity card or another official document that displays the identity code.

  • If you are unable to visit our office in person, and/or wish to handle the matter via email, please contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service and request instructions for sending a picture of your identity card or another document that displays the identity code in an encrypted email message. Wait for instructions before sending the identity code, never send your code in open email.

How to get a student card

Students who have registered as present and have thus paid the Student Union (ISYY) membership fee may order a student card. There are several student card options you can use (Tuudo, Slice or Frank). Most students download a digital student card to their phones, but if you want, you can also order a plastic student card. You can order your student card from Tuudo, Frank or Slice (opens in a new tab).

Before you receive your student card, you can get a meal discount at the campus restaurants with your study certificate which you receive with the confirmation email once your registration is done.

Student and Learning Services’ customer service contact information

If you have any questions regarding registration, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Registration at the university comes under the provisions of the Universities Act (558/2009).

International matters in Viva Engage

Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) is a communication platform for UEF students and employees. You can log into the service with your UEF username and password.

NB! The links open up in a new tab.

UEF vaihtoon lähtevät vaihto-opiskelijat // UEF Outgoing Exchange Students: information for outgoing exchange students as well as informal discussions and sharing experiences between those planning on student exchange and those who are currently/have already been on student exchange

UEF opiskelijat//UEF students: information about student-related international matters such as application periods for outgoing exchange students

Kansainvälistymismahdollisuuksia opiskelijoille // Internationalisation offers for students: Are you interested in summer courses and other short courses offered by UEF’s partner universities? Are you looking for an internship? Would you like to know about upcoming international events? You can browse available international short-course and internship options and get information on different international events.

Tohtorinkoulutus//Doctoral education: information on postgraduate events and seminars in English

UEF kv-tuutorit: bulletins for and informal discussions between tutors of international students

UEF Summer School/Summer schools abroad: information on Summer School for UEF students and staff; the UEF Summer School Facebook group will be utilised in the external marketing, and students from other universities attending the UEF Summer School will be informed about relevant matters via email and in the Facebook group

Suspending the studies

The Unemployment Security Act’s provisions on the right to unemployment benefits if university studies are suspended for a minimum of one year have been repealed by the new Unemployment Security Act (1290/2002, Finlex database) that entered into force on 1 January 2013.

The university does not issue suspension certificates to students for unemployment benefit applications any more. You can prove the suspension of your studies with, for example, an official transcript of records.

Individuals who have demonstrably terminated their university studies, i.e. obtained a degree or given up their right to study, are entitled to unemployment benefits. Unless there is cause to believe otherwise, persons have demonstrably terminated their studies when:

  • they have graduated;
  • they have given up their right to study at the university;
  • they have lost their right to study or the right has been revoked; or
  • their studies have been demonstrably suspended for a minimum of one year.

Specialisation studies

Specialisation studies are a form of education, offered alongside degree studies and continuing professional education. They are intended for those who are in the working life, have completed a higher university degree or have otherwise acquired the equivalent competence. In universities, specialisation studies are primarily completed after a higher university degree. The extent of the specialisation studies is a minimum of 30 ECTS credits.

Specialisation studies are often offered in cooperation between two or more universities. Students are selected for a specific university (= home university) and they may also complete studies in other universities (= partner university).

Here you can find information on the specialisation studies the University of Eastern Finland offers (opens in a new tab).

Transcript of records and study certificate

The studies completed at the University of Eastern Finland are saved in the Peppi student and study register and will appear in your transcript of records. The transcript includes information about completed courses, grades and ECTS credits, teachers’ names, etc. The credits will appear in the transcript only after a course is completed and graded. This takes a few weeks, e.g. after an exam. Please note that only passed courses show in the official transcript.

If you are a student at the University of Eastern Finland or the Open University of Eastern Finland and you have a valid UEF user account, you can download your official digitally signed transcript of records and / or study certificate from Atomi, which you can find in Peppi. Each study right forms its own document.

If you need a signed and stamped paper transcript of records or study certificate, or you are no longer a student at the University of Eastern Finland (degree students are able to access Peppi for 180 days after their graduation and exchange students for 180 days after their study right is finished) and thus you do not have a valid UEF user account, you may request a paper version or a digitally signed one from the Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service (contact information below) or order at UEF E-services (opens in a new tab, requires logging in) Also remember to update your address in Peppi, documents are send to the address found in Peppi, if you do not give another address.

A student of the Open University of Eastern Finland should check the instructions on how to order a transcript of records from the page of the Open University of Eastern Finland (opens in a new tab).

Degree students who have completed all the required courses, the thesis and the maturity test are required to fill out a certificate application form and return it to the faculty office. Further information about degree certificates and graduation (opens in a new tab) can be obtained from the faculties.

Digitally signed transcript of records and study certificate

You can download your official digitally signed transcript of records and / or astudy certificate from Atomi, which can be found on the top of the page once entering Peppi. Before going to Atomi, please be sure you have selected the right study right to view under your name at the right top corner, for example your Bachelor’s or Master’s study right, and only then go to Atomi. If you need the document for more than one study right, download them separately. The documents are PDF documents equipped with a digital signature to confirm their authenticity and integrity. Both documents are available in Finnish and in English. You can save the document as a PDF-file and forward it as attachment to email. 

These digitally signed documents are official only in their digital form and not as paper-printed copies, for example. The files cannot be modified, as any change made to the file invalidates the digital signature.

Digital signatures are replacing handwritten signatures and stamps. The electronic documents should be a valid and primary alternative in all situations where signed and stamped paper documents have been used thus far.

Instructions on how to check the validity of the signature