Completion of curriculum
This page explains how the completion of a University of Tartu student's curriculum is assessed and to what extent the curriculum must be completed in order to continue studies free of charge. The student is obliged to complete the curriculum he or she has started, with performance being assessed. Depending on the completion of the curriculum, the student can study either full-time or part-time. For those students who are not fee-paying, curriculum completion will define whether they need to start paying.
Completion of the curriculum is assessed either on the basis of the year system or the course system. In most University of Tartu curricula, teaching takes place using the course system, except some curricula in the Faculty of Medicine, where teaching uses the year system:
Year system
When study uses the academic year (English Medicine programme, some Estionian programmes in the Faculty of Medicine), a student must, by the end of the semester, complete 100% of the compulsory courses specified in the curriculum. In these curricula it is possible to study only full-time.
Course system
When studying other curricula, study takes place using the course system. Here students can take the courses prescribed in the curriculum in the order of student's own choice, taking into account the prerequisite course requirements established in the curriculum. Before postponing completion of a course that forms part of a curriculum, you must find out whether the course will be available in the coming semesters and academic years. You can get information about courses in the Study Information System or from an academic affairs specialist.
In the course system, completion of the curriculum is monitored according to the following aspects:
1. Completion of the curriculum to the extent of the required minimum
Completion of the curriculum to the extent of the required minimum is evaluated only in the case of first-year students. By the end of the autumn semester (studied semester) of the first year, curriculum courses must be completed at least to the extent of 15 ECTS (except Doctoral studies), otherwise the student will be deleted from the matriculation register. This applies to full-time studies.
2. Completion of the curriculum to the extent required to remain a full-time student
At admssion students choose whether to study full-time or part-time. Thereafter, students may be transfered to full-time or part-time study depending on the percentage of the curriculum they have completed. Completion of the curriculum to determine study load (full- or part-time) is evaluated at the end of each academic year (after two studied semesters). Credit points are calculated in total across the entire period of study (not separately per semester).
For full-time study, 75-100% of the total courses specified in the curriculum must be completed each year:
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at least 45 ECTS by the end of the first year;
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at least 90 ECTS by the end of the second year;
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at least 135 ECTS by the end of the third year.
Those who fail to fulfil the requirements for full-time study are transferred to a part-time student place. Part-time studies the TRP will not remain and the tuition-waiver student place will be lost.
With part-time study, 50-75% of the total of the courses prescribed by the curriculum must be completed:
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at least 30 ECTS by the end of the first year;
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at least 60 ECTS by the end of the second year;
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at least 90 ECTS by the end of the third year.
Those who fail to fulfil the requirements for part-time study by completing the minimum amount of the curriculum are exmatriculated due to lack of progress.
3. Completion of the curriculum for studying free of charge (students who have a tuition-waiver student place or students of Estionan curricula)
Completion of the curriculum for studying free of charge is evaluated in Estionian curricula and for students of English currucula who have a tuition-waiver student place at the end of each semester of study as of the date preceding the start of the following semester. In order to continue without paying students must have completed the required amount of curriculum.
The prescribed study load is 30 ECTS per semester. Credit points are calculated cumulatively for the entire period of study. The acceptable academic deficiency that does not lead to a requirement to pay a tuition fee is a total of 6 ECTS across all previous semesters. Should the deficiency be greater, the difference must be paid on the basis of the credit point price.
The minimum completed ECTS from the student's own curriculum to continue studying free of charge are:
1st semester: 24 ECTS
2nd semester: 54 ECTS
3rd semester: 84 ECTS
4th semester: 114 ECTS
5th semester: 144 ECTS
What you should know about the evaluation of curriculum completion
The curriculum completion amount is evaluated in the context of the study programme and depends on the module choice and completed courses. Only the courses of the study programme are taken into account in curriculum completion (i.e. the modules and courses the student has selected from the programme). Click the link for more information about curriculum composition and module choice. If you make changes in module choice, then the curriculum completion percentage will be updated on the next day. The prescribed study load is 30 ECTS per semester and credit points are calculated cumulatively for the entire period of study, not separately per semester. Study results up to the day preceding the new semester are taken into account. Courses trasfered by RPL are taken into account for the semester in which the RPL decision was made; courses delivered according to the study plan are taken into account for the semester in which the results were submitted.