Right to study

Published 9.6.2022 | Updated 4.2.2026

In connection with first‐ and second‐cycle admissions, students are granted the right to pursue both the bachelor’s and master’s degree or one of these degrees.

A student admitted to third‐cycle education is granted the right to pursue a doctoral degree.

A student may, at any given time, have only one right to pursue a degree at Uniarts Helsinki. When accepting a new right to pursue a degree at Uniarts Helsinki, the student forfeits any prior study right at Uniarts Helsinki.

The academies decide on the conditions on which a student with the right to complete both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree can pursue master’s studies before completing the bachelor’s degree.

Degrees at Uniarts Helsinki

Uniarts Helsinki offers bachelor’s, master’s, licentiate and doctoral degrees.

Changing the right to study

Students can apply for a change in their right to study within the academy or between different academies. Changing the subject area internally within the Academy of Fine Arts is a simpler process and has its own guidelines.

If the student is already completing master-level studies in the degree programme, it is no longer possible to apply for a change of their right to study for bachelor-level studies. In other words, change of their right to study must occur before the student graduates as a bachelor, or as a master’s student if the student changes to a different master’s degree programme.

The new right to study will be valid from the beginning of the academic term that follows the decision. If the student’s right to study changes from bachelor’s to master’s studies within a degree programme on the basis of the rolling application procedure, the right to study changes already on the day of the decision.

Change of degree programme

If the student’s target degree stays the same, the term used is change of degree programme.

Internal transfer

If the student applies to pursue a different target degree at a different academy or within a different field of study at the same academy, the term used is internal transfer.

A student’s acceptance of a new right to study will be recorded in the national Studyinfo portal. Students who accept a right to study through transfer will lose their potential first-time applicant status in accordance with section 36B(1) in the Universities Act.

Change of study right within the same degree programme (from bachelor- to master-level)

In addition, students may apply for a change in their right to study within their degree programme (from bachelor- to master-level studies in the 5-year or 5.5-year programme). The academies provide more detailed instructions on how students apply for a change in their right to study.

The old right to study becomes invalid

If a student is in the bachelor’s stage of studies and changes their right to study from a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programme to a three-year bachelor’s degree programme, they no longer have a valid right to study for a master’s degree, which was included in the old right to study.

If a student completing bachelor-level studies has completed a university degree or a sufficient amount of studies outside Uniarts Helsinki that qualify the student to pursue master’s studies according to the academy’s admission criteria, it is possible to apply for a change of degree programme to pursue master’s studies directly. Subsequently, the student will lose the previous right to study towards a bachelor’s degree.

Admissions criteria

The academies define the requirements for who is eligible to apply in the admissions criteria for their bachelor’s and master’s programmes. The same eligibility criteria apply to those seeking to change their right to study, but the applicants will be reviewed as their own separate groups. The heads of admissions can, if they so choose, exempt the groups from participation in some parts of the entrance examination. The academies make the decisions on students’ admissions to degree programmes.

If a student is applying for a change in their right to study but they have not finished their bachelor’s degree yet at Uniarts Helsinki, the change in the student’s right to study can be accepted conditionally. In this case, the deadline for completing the degree in question is on the last day before the new right to study becomes valid, contrary to the admissions criteria for bachelor’s and master’s education.

The number of transfer students is not included in the intake quota defined by the university board.

The normal appeal procedure for admissions is applied to applications for changing the right to study.

Applying for a change in the right to study

Students can apply for a change of degree programme by filling in Uniarts Helsinki’s online form within the application period for bachelor’s and master’s programmes.

Applicants must submit any advance assignments and certificates required for admissions when applying. These documents must be submitted by the required deadline. 

Non-attendance during the first year of studies

Students who have changed their right to study may register as non-attending during their first year of studies only if the academy has granted them the right to postpone the start of their studies. The right to enrol as non-attending must be applied for in writing on or before the date announced annually by the academy.

Validity of the right to study

The start date of studies does not change when students change their right to study. Instead, the time that the student has already used is counted in the maximum duration of studies. When granting possible tuition fee waivers, the target graduation time is considered the date connected to the original right to study. If the student is liable to pay the annual tuition fee, the amount of the annual tuition fee is determined based on the date when the student’s original right to study became valid.

Students who change their right to study will be credited for all their applicable prior studies as extensively as possible.

If the student is admitted to pursue master-level studies based on a bachelor’s degree completed at another university, the master’s degree must be completed in a period of time equal to the normative duration of a master’s degree but not longer. This means that the time allocated to bachelor’s studies cannot be used for pursuing a master’s degree.

Forfeiture of the right to study

If a student fails to enrol at the university during the specified time period, they forfeit the right to study. If the student wishes to continue their studies later, the student must submit a written application to the academy for the right to be re-admitted as a student. The student who is re-admitted will be charged a re-enrolment fee. Read more about the re-enrolment.

A student’s right to study expires at the end of the term during which the student has completed their degree.

The student loses their right to study in accordance with the time period pursuant to section 41 of the Universities Act, if the student does not apply for or is not granted an extension (Universities Act, section 43). The decisions concerning normative duration of studies are made by the dean of the academy (Uniarts Helsinki Regulations, section 19).

Restrictions regarding the duration of studies apply to students who have been granted the right to pursue degree studies on 1 August 2005 or thereafter. Regulations concerning the right to study are defined in sections 40–43 of the Universities Act 558/2009. The law applies to all Finnish universities. If a student has not completed their studies in the normative time frame or in the extended time granted to them or if a student has not been granted extension, the student forfeits their right to study.

Duration of the degree

Students who were granted the right to complete a degree on or after 1 August 2005 are bound by certain restrictions concerning their duration of studies.

• Target duration of studies = the time within which you are recommended to complete your degree
• Statutory maximum duration of studies = the time specified in the Universities Act as the maximum duration for completing the degree

Personal study plans are compiled for the target duration of studies, and the degree programmes ensure that teaching has been planned and organised in a way that makes it possible for students to complete their degree in the target time. In principle, tuition fee waivers are awarded only during the target duration of studies. If you do not graduate within the target time, you have the right to complete your degree within the statutory maximum duration of studies. When the statutory time for studies expires, you are only allowed to study if you are granted an extension for studies.

Please note that the information on your right to study in Peppi shows the statutory maximum duration of studies, not the target duration of studies.

Target and statutory durations of studies (years of attendance)

• Bachelor of Arts (Dance) and Bachelor of Arts (Art and Design) degree: Target duration 3 years. Statutory maximum duration 4 years.
• Bachelor + Master of Arts (Art and Design) or Arts (Theatre and Drama) degree: Target duration 5 years. Statutory maximum duration 7 years.
• Bachelor + Master of Fine Arts or Music degree: Target duration 5.5 years. Statutory maximum duration 7.5 years.
• Master of Fine Arts, Arts (Art and Design), Arts (Dance) or Arts (Theatre and Drama) degree: Target duration 2 years. Statutory maximum duration 4 years.
• Master of Music degree: Target duration 2.5 years. Statutory maximum duration 4.5 years.

In addition to the above-listed years of attendance, students can register as non-attending for a maximum of 1 years (= 2 academic terms, which do not have to be consecutive) without shortening their statutory maximum duration of studies. For students with the right to complete both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, the above-listed duration of studies includes the completion of both degrees. Students who have begun their studies before 1 August 2015 are allowed to register for non-attendance for a maximum time period of 2 years. After this, registrations for non-attendance use up students’ statutory maximum duration of studies, unless the non-attendance is due to a so-called statutory reason:

“The duration of studies does not include absence due to a service under the Conscription Act, the Non-Military Service Act or the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act, or due to a leave taken in connection with the birth or adoption of one’s child. As of 1 August 2016, these statutory grounds extend the student’s right to study only for the time the student registers as non-attending.”

If you fail to register, please note that the time during which you have not registered as attending or non-attending is taken into account when counting your duration of studies.

Applying for extension to the right to study

You can apply for an extension to your right to complete your degree if you do not expect to complete your degree before your right to study expires.

Staff for study services monitor the statutory maximums and send letters to students whose statutory maximum duration of studies is coming to an end at the end of the academic term (31 July or 31 December). The letters are sent well before the end of the academic term in order for the students to either graduate or, if necessary, apply for an extension and seek student counselling before the end of their statutory study time. You can apply for an extension during your last academic term before your right to study expires even if you have not received the letter yet.

How to apply

1. Pay the application fee of 50 euros (Payment information can be found below under the section “Payment information for the application for extension of study time”)
2. Fill in the electronic application form
3. Attach the receipt to the application form

A student applying for extension must present a target-oriented and feasible plan for the completion of studies, and the application must also include grounds for the delay of the studies. If the university needs you to provide documents or certificates explaining the reasons for the delay (such as a medical certificate), you will be contacted by the academic affairs team. Please do not attach any documents containing special personal data to the application form. Those processing the applications will assess the feasibility of the plan while also considering the student’s current situation as well as the degree programme’s circumstances. More information on how to compile a graduation plan is available by contacting your academy’s academic affairs staff. It is also a good idea for the student to discuss their progress with staff of their current degree programme/main subject before handing in the application. In this same context, the student can make sure that their credits and credit transfers in their transcript of credits are up-to-date and that none of their credits (such as their thesis plan) have expired.

Minimum and maximum extension

Students can apply for and be granted extension to their right to study only during the academic term when their right to study expires. The extension is granted for a minimum of one term and for a maximum of two academic years. The student is granted extension if the academy considers it possible for the student to complete their studies in a reasonable time based on the plan that they have submitted. Special reasons that favour granting an extension may be illness during the studies or other difficult life situations beyond the student’s control. A second extension can be granted to the student if they have shown progress in their studies during the first extension. If the student has not been able to complete their studies during two periods of extension, the reasoning for granting a third extension must be very strong (illness, difficult life situation, etc.).

Apply for extension only for the time when you can actively complete studies. If a student is granted an extension, it cannot be postponed for later, and registering as a non-attending student during the extension does not extend an already-granted extension.

If you register as non-attending due to statutory reasons (military or civil service, maternity, paternity or parental leave), you do not have to apply for extension, as the extension is granted automatically.

Payment information for the application for extension

Applying for extension to the right to study is subject to a fee from 1 January 2025. The application costs 50 euros. Attach the receipt to the application form. If you are simultaneously applying for both extension to the right to study and readmission as a student, the 50-euro fee is charged only once.

• Total: €50
• Recipient: Taideyliopisto
• Recipient’s bank details: OP Yrityspankki Oyj (PL 308, 00013 OP)
• Bank account number (IBAN): FI40 5000 0120 2882 37
• SWIFT/BIC: OKOYFIHH
• Academy-specific reference numbers: 9000 16 (Academy of Fine Arts), 9000 29 (Theatre Academy), 9000 32 (Sibelius Academy), 9000 87 (Open Campus)

Information on decision

If a student is granted an extension to their right to study, the extension will be recorded in the student register. The student will be informed about the extension by receiving a message to their uniarts email. If the decision is negative, the decision and rectification request instructions are sent to the student’s home address and to their uniarts email.

Renouncement of right to study

The student has the right to renounce their right to study. The reason for renouncing the right to study can be, for instance, the need to change the field of study to one that is more suitable for the student, or that, for some reason or another, the student’s life situation has changed in such a way that completion of a degree is no longer their goal. The student is instructed to submit their renouncement notice to the university in writing by delivering it their academy’s academic affairs staff. The notice of renouncement of the right to study is binding and cannot be revised after it has been submitted. If the student wishes to resume their studies later, they must reapply to the university for admission and participate in the standard entrance examination.

Continued right to study

The continued right to study allows our alumni to complement their studies free of charge at the Open University, through joint studies or through courses organised by their own academy.

If you have completed a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree at Uniarts Helsinki, you can be granted a continued right to study. The continued right to study does not lead to a degree, and it only gives the right to complete individual courses. It can be granted for four academic terms after graduation. It does not entitle to same kinds of student benefits as the right to complete a degree.