Sibelius Academy individual teaching

Published 12.6.2024 | Updated 20.6.2024

Your degree programme at Sibelius Academy includes studies in which you receive individual teaching (one-to-one teaching). These instructions describe the Academy’s common principles, according to which you can receive individual teaching during your studies. In addition, degree programmes/departments may have their own detailed instructions. You can find out about these from the planning officer of your own degree programme/department.

Individual teaching refers to instrument, vocal and other similar instruction, such as in composition and conducting as a major subject. Individual teaching does not refer to individual guidance (e.g. supervision related to a written thesis or pedagogical studies).

Registration for teaching and specifying wishes for a teacher

Each academic year, you can register for studies that include individual teaching in Peppi during the separately announced registration period. Check the registration periods here. In connection with registration in Peppi, you can also specify your wishes for a teacher.

Decision on teaching and assignment of a teacher

The decision on granting teaching and the number of hours of teaching is made by the head of the degree programme/department organising the teaching. They also decide on the assignment of teachers. The primary aim is to assign a lecturer, art teacher, university teacher or professor to serve as your individual teacher. In some cases, a part-time teacher may also be assigned to serve as your teacher.

Granting teaching

You will receive compulsory individual teaching included in your degree for a maximum of the normative duration of your degree, i.e.

• 3 years of attendance (6 terms of attendance) for a Bachelor’s degree
• 2.5 years of attendance (5 terms of attendance) for a Master’s degree
• Total: 5.5 years (11 terms of attendance) in a 5.5-year degree programme

Any other individual teaching granted to you must fit within the scope of the degree (Bachelor’s degree 180 ECTS credits, Master’s degree 150 ECTS credits).

Your degree’s normative duration and, consequently, your right to individual education also include

• all academic terms in which you have registered as a attending student at the university (including academic terms during which you are an exchange student abroad, or you do not receive individual teaching for some reason)
• any failure to register for the academic year (i.e. not registering as present or absent)

After your last compulsory examination (Level A performance examination/Master’s concert), you will no longer be able to receive individual teaching in the major subject (classical music instrument and voice performance).

Delay in studies

Access to individual teaching requires forward progress in other studies:

• If the studies included in your degree programme have not progressed within the normative target time, individual teaching may be interrupted by a decision made by the head of the degree programme/department.
• If you have completed the Level B artistic performance examination within the normative target time and have used all the individual teaching for a Bachelor’s degree, you may already begin the individual teaching for your Master’s degree. If you do not earn your Bachelor’s degree during the next academic term, the individual teaching for a Master’s degree will be interrupted until you have earned your Bachelor’s degree. Within the total 5.5 years of degree studies, teaching may be granted for the maximum normative duration of studies, i.e. 5.5 years. The normative duration for completing the degree and the right to individual teaching for a Master’s degree also includes any interruption in teaching.
• If you have not completed the compulsory Level B artistic performance examination within the normative target time and there is no health-related or other reason for the delay in the Level B performance examination, and you have used the individual teaching lessons included in your Bachelor’s degree, the individual teaching for a Master’s degree cannot commence until you have earned your Bachelor’s degree. Within the total 5.5 years of degree studies, teaching may be granted for the maximum normative duration of studies, i.e. 5.5 years. The normative duration for completing the degree and the right to individual teaching for a Master’s degree also includes any interruption in teaching.

Cancellation of teaching and compensation for cancelled lessons

In some cases, your teaching may be cancelled due to impediments affecting your teacher or you yourself. If the lesson is cancelled due to something other than a long-term illness or other difficult life situation, you can primarily agree on what measures to take directly with your teacher. If any problems arise, the head of the degree programme/department decides on the matter. 

If a student cancels a lesson at least a week before the set date, the teacher may, if possible, reschedule teaching. However, the teacher is not obligated to do so. If the teacher cancels a lesson for personal reasons, they are obligated to reschedule the lesson at another, separately agreed time.

Student illness

• If you fall ill, please notify the teacher of your illness as early as possible. 
• If you are unable to participate in individual teaching due to a long-term illness, you will lose your teaching for two weeks. You can send an email to the head of the degree programme/department to request that the lessons lost beyond two weeks be returned. The application should be submitted without delay and a doctor’s certificate must be attached. Lessons will be deducted from the amount of teaching granted to you during the academic year in question, unless the degree programme/department can provide you with the same teaching. In this case, you will not lose your teaching – it will merely be postponed. You can find the issued decision in Peppi under My Studies -> Agreements.

Teacher illness

• If the teacher falls ill for a longer period of time, you will lose the teaching granted for two weeks. Lost teaching time exceeding two weeks will be arranged for you at another time by decision of the head of degree programme/department. 
• If the teacher is repeatedly absent during different periods in such a way that their absences significantly hinder your study process, you can send an email to the head of the degree programme/department to request that the lessons lost be returned during the current academic term. However, it may not be possible to reschedule the lost teaching during the same academic year.

Additional teaching

• If you have an illness or other difficult life situation during your studies that you have no control over and you need additional teaching to complete a compulsory Level B or A artistic performance examination, you can apply for additional teaching by e-mail from your own degree programme/department head. If necessary, a doctor’s certificate must be attached to the application.
• Additional teaching can only be provided for a special reason. For example, other studies, exchange studies, work or changing the major subject/instrument are not grounds for receiving additional teaching.
• Additional teaching may be provided for a maximum of 3-5 hours during one academic term.
• If completion of the Level B performance examination has been delayed for a justified reason and you have received additional lessons for completing the examination, the individual teaching for a Master’s degree cannot commence until the Level B performance examination has been completed. In such cases, the right to individual teaching for a Master’s degree does not take effect until after completion of the Level B performance examination.