Extending the degree study period
According to the UT Study Regulations, full-time students can apply for an extension of studies to eliminate academic lagging. This means that the final date of the study period can be postponed for up to 12 months so that the student can make up for insufficient academic progress. Part-time students can extend studies by up to the length of time spent studying part-time.
The application of extension must be submitted before the end date of study arrives:
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities: Dean’s Office, hv.dekanaat@ut.ee
- Faculty of Social Sciences: student adviser dealing with the curriculum
- Faculty of Medicine: Dean’s Office, med@ut.ee
- Faculty of Science and Technology: Dean’s Office, ltt@ut.ee
Students following a part-time curriculum where the planned study period exceeds the standard period of study do not have to submit an application to extend their studies during the planned period of study. The planned period of study is agreed upon in the contract for reimbursement of study costs. Please note that this does not apply to students of full-time curricula who have taken up part-time studies or dropped to part-time studies. They will still need to submit an application to extend their studies.
Before the study period can be extended, the percentage completion of the curriculum is assessed. Based on this, the student will be transferred to the extension year either as a full-time or part-time student. The study load cannot be changed during the extension period.
The nominal period of study will be extended by the semesters spent at a foreign university if the student has completed the courses at the foreign university to a value of at least 15 ECTS per semester. The nominal period of study is extended after returning from the foreign university.
The nominal period of study for students who were assigned intensive Estionian learning will be extended pursuant to the volume of language learning. The extension will occur at the end of the initial nominal period of study.
NB! If you take academic leave during the extension, you must always submit an application to continue the extension before academic leave ends.
The extension of studies can be granted to studies abroad or for some other reasons. Students who hold a TRP for studies, and who are considering the extension of the TRP, need to know the following:
1. Students can apply for an extension of the TRP only in specific study-related circumstances, for example when the study period has been extended for a year, not half a year, due to study abroad. For a TRP extension the student needs to study with a full-time workload after the extension of studies (having collected at least 75 % of the maximum credit load by the time your studies are extended). Please note that after the expiry of the TRP, students have a legal basis to stay in Estonia for an additional 270 days (9 months) to finish studies or for any other arrangements. Students who are unable to graduate within the additional 9 months need to apply for a new D-type visa.
As for the process itself, the TRP can be extended only after your study period in SIS (ÕIS) has been extended and a renewed date for the end of your studies is in the SIS. For an extension of studies, students need to contact their dean’s office or institute. Please note that an extension of studies can only be registered in SIS once all the courses for a particular semester have been completed and the results are available.
As an extension of studies is usually registered in SIS in August, you will have less than a month until your current TRP expires. There is no reason to worry, since everyone having their TRP expiring on regular basis (just ending on time) can have an extended time of stay of up to 270 days in Estonia, as describd above. The 270-day extension of stay is given automatically, no additional application is required. If you need to travel during the this extended period of stay, please apply for the relevant sticker for your passport which allows you to travel and indicates that you have a legal basis to stay and return to Estonia (the sticker acts like a visa).
Further information on an extended time of stay is here.
For a TRP extension, please fill in the following form, but do not do that before the extension has been registered in SIS.
2. If the student continues with a part-time workload after the extension of studies (having collected 50-75% of the maximum credit load), a TRP extension is not possible. Once studies have been extended and a part-time workload has been assigned (also indicated in SIS), please inform us by sending an email to studentvisasupport@ut.ee. Students studying with a part-time workload cannot have a TRP. We advise you to apply for a D-type visa, although you can also use your extended time of stay (the 270-day period given after the expiry of the TRP) for staying in Estonia. As an extension of studies is usually given for a year, this 270-day period is not sufficient and a D-type visa should be applied for.
If you decide to use your extended time of stay to complete your studies at UT, please apply for a sticker to make sure you can travel.
The procedure is described here. The D-type visa application process is described here. Make sure you have a certificate confirming you are a UT student (from the dean’s office) when visiting the PBGB. Please also inform us of your D-type visa application by writing to studentvisasupport@ut.ee.
