Flexible right to study
The flexible right to study, i.e. the right to complete JOO studies, refers to the possibility to apply for the right to study at another Finnish university to complete a study module or individual courses, for example.
Who can apply for JOO studies?
Students completing a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree at a Finnish university can apply for the flexible right to study if their home university has approved their plan for studies at a different university. By granting their approval, the home university commits to paying for the student’s JOO studies (€50 per credit). The right to study is granted for no more than two academic years.
You must be an attending student at your home university to be able to apply for the flexible right to study and to complete JOO studies. A student completing JOO studies does not have the right to complete a degree at the host university.
The content and scope of the JOO studies must be included in the student’s degree and promote their professional competence and increase their knowledge and skills. The studies must be integrally included in the student’s personal study plan (PSP). Discuss JOO studies in good time with your PSP adviser or professor.
The JOO right to study is only granted for students who want to complete studies that are not available at their home university.
Departments and degree programmes grant approvals for JOO study rights if their resources allow it.
How can I apply for JOO studies?
Apply for your university’s approval for studies
The application process for JOO studies has two phases.
In the first phase, you must apply for your home university’s approval for the studies by using Uniarts Helsinki’s JOO application form. You must submit the form to Uniarts Helsinki no later than a month before the end of the JOO application period of the host university.
Fill in the JOO application form in Lyyti and share a link to your studies via the My Studyinfo service. You can create the link by following these instructions:
- login to Studyinfo at https://opintopolku.fi/oma-opintopolku/
- select “My studies” from the green navigation bar, after which click on “jaa suoritustietoja” (share data”)
- select the studies you want to share and click on “jaa valitsemasi opinnot” (“share the selected studies”). The system creates a link that you can share with others. Copy the link in the correct field in the application form.
You will be sent a copy of your application to your email. The contact person for JOO studies will forward the application to the correct department or degree programme.
A department or a degree programme that gives their approval for JOO studies commits to paying for the student’s JOO studies. This is also when the university makes sure that the studies in question are included in the degree. Students are notified of the approval by email.
Validity of the right to study
In principle, the approval for the right to study is granted for the academic terms when the teaching that the student applies for takes place. The right to study can be granted for no more than two academic years. The host university determines how long the right to study is valid.
The right to study only applies to specific courses. The right to study will expire at least by the time that the student graduates.
Apply for the JOO right to study from the host university
After receiving Uniarts Helsinki’s approval for your application, you can apply for the right to study at the host university by following the instructions and application schedule of the university in question. The approval notice is forwarded to the host university by the home university, and the student does not have to submit a separate proof of the approval to the host university unless specifically requested in the application instructions of the host university. The host university will make the final decision on granting the JOO right to study. Students are notified of the decision by email.
Universities have two different application procedures for JOO studies:
- two application periods each year, one ending on 30 April and the other on 31 October (if the last day of the application period falls on the weekend, the application period will end on the first weekday after the weekend)
- a rolling application procedure, in which case applications are processed throughout the year.
Submit your application to the host university by the end of the application period. You need to have been granted the approval by your home university before submitting the application.
If the host university follows an application period schedule, students can apply for studies starting next autumn by submitting their application by 30 April and for studies starting next spring by submitting their application by 31 October.
If the host university has a rolling application procedure, students should apply for the home university’s approval in good time and make sure that the approved application reaches the host university early enough before the beginning of the studies. Students are advised to apply for studies starting in the next academic term during the previous academic term. Also take holiday periods into consideration in the schedule.
Check the application periods and practices for language centre courses by reading the university’s instructions or contacting a coordinator.
Registration of credits at the home university
Students are personally responsible for making sure that credits for their studies are registered in the student register of their home university. Ask for the official transcript of records from your host university and submit it to the academic affairs office of your home academy for credit transfer.
JOO application coordinators
Academy of Fine Arts
Crista Sinisalo
crista.sinisalo@uniarts.fi
tel. 0469221321
Sibelius Academy
Planning officer of your department
Theatre Academy
Hannele Ylönen
hannele.ylonen(at)uniarts.fi
tel. 040 079 2002
Aalto ARTS
The Theatre Academy has signed a cooperation framework agreement with the Aalto University’s Department of Film. The department offers courses in scenography and film studies for the Theatre Academy’s degree students.
You can find the application form and course instructions in connection with the course list.
More information on Aalto ARTS:
Study Coordinator
ILONA VIRTANEN
MA programme in Film and Television /
MA programme in Animation / ELO-TEAK Mobility Studies
tel: +358 50 315 2150
email: ilona.virtanen@aalto.fi