From the next academic year, the amended Study Regulations will take effect (as of 4 September 2023). The main amendments have been listed below.
- A deadline has been set for confirming the dates of thesis defences so that students know the dates well in advance. Institutes/faculties must now confirm the dates of defences by the beginning of the semester.
- The deadline for submitting an application to fill a vacant student place is no longer set by the faculty but is the same for all faculties: the student must submit the application by the beginning of the semester.
- Students following a part-time curriculum where the planned study period exceeds the standard period of study no longer 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.
- The time limits for contesting decisions concerning the organisation of studies are amended. A decision concerning the organisation of studies can be contested within ten working days of the announcement of the decision, instead of the previous five working days. The grade of the thesis or final exam can be contested within three working days as before.
- The bases under which the vice dean for academic affairs may dismiss the external student’s application have been specified. For instance, the application to become an external student may be dismissed if the applicant does not meet the admission requirements or has not studied in the corresponding curriculum in the past.
- There are also changes in when the courses and continuing education completed at the University of Tartu can be recognised free of charge with RPL. While applying for RPL used to be free of charge if assessment of the compliance of courses or continuing education completed at the UT in 2001 or later was requested, then now only the assessment of courses or continuing education completed in UT up to 12 years ago is free of charge. Applying for RPL is also free of charge if the recognition of student mobility results (during the previous UT studies) is requested towards the completion of another curriculum.
- Students who need to complete intensive Estonian language studies now have an obligation to start the intensive Estonian courses in the first semester and complete at least 50% of the determined volume of language studies during the first academic year. The entire volume must be completed by the end of the standard period of study (before defending the graduation thesis) at the latest. As an alternative to completing the intensive Estonian language studies, the Study Regulations now include the option to prove the acquired level of Estonian by submitting a C1 level certificate.
In addition, we would like to remind you that in curricula where it was possible to apply for the EU-funded specialisation stipends, the payment of these stipends will end with the 2022/23 academic year. From the new academic year, applying for the EU-funded specialisation stipend will no longer be possible.
