Right to Study and Duration of Studies

If you have been admitted to study for both the lower and higher university degree, the goal is that you finish your degree in five years. Your right to study is valid for an additional two years, so in total you can study for seven years.

If you have been admitted to study only for the higher university degree, the goal is that you finish your degree in two years. Your right to study is valid for an additional two years, so in total you can study for four years.

Students can see when their right to study expires on the Student's desktop in Peppi. You will be notified by e-mail when your right to study is about to expire.

You may apply for an extension of the right to study if you have not completed your degree within the required time.

The duration of the right to study includes the time you are registered as attending. This includes possible exchange studies or internships. If you fail to register as attending or non-attending by the deadline, the time in which the registration is missing is also counted into the duration of studies.

The duration of the right to study does not include leave due to

• voluntary military service
• conscription
• maternity, paternity or parental leave (a so-called legal reason).

All absence for a maximum of two terms is not counted if you have registered as non-attending. Other absence of longer than two terms is included in the duration of studies. 

If you have a certificate of a legal reason for absence (leave due to voluntary military service or conscription or maternity, paternity or parental leave), you do not have to apply for an extension of the right to study.

You have to fill in the form Notification for extending the time to complete a degree and submit it to your student counsellor with the required enclosures. Submit the form if your right to study is about to end or if you are changing to another institution of higher education. 

Extensions are granted as academic terms.

• Legal absences that started before 1 August 2016
  The duration of studies will be extended based on the duration of absence regardless of the number of academic terms with which the period of absence overlaps. For each five (5)-month absence, an extension of one academic term is granted. If the absence lasts less than five months, an extension of one academic term is granted. If the absence lasts five to ten months, an extension of two academic terms is granted; if the absence lasts 10–15 months, an extension of three academic terms is granted, etc.
• Legal absences that started on or after 1 August 2016
  The duration of studies will automatically be extended only if the student has registered as non-attending for the academic term in question. The duration of studies will be extended by one term if the student has registered as non-attending for that term and the period of absence applies to at least one day of that term.

The new expiration date of the right to study is saved to the student register based on the documents submitted by the student.

The most important document when applying for an extension to the right to study is a detailed and feasible plan for completing your studies.

Reasons for granting an extension are: 

• sickness during your studies or other life situations, beyond your control, that influence the studies 
• societal engagement
• participation in international student or trainee exchange and 
• professional sports. 

If you are applying for an extension based on one of these reasons, the detailed documentation must be provided with the application (e.g. medical certificate).

If you have completed none or very little of the studies of your degree programme and do not have any of the above-mentioned valid reasons for the slow progression of studies, an extension cannot be granted.

When applying for an extension for the first time, the extension is granted if you have:

• progressed in your studies with a minimum of 15 ECTS / term and 
• completed approximately half of your degree. 

For valid special reasons (see above), the progression of studies can also be slower. 

When applying for an extension for the second or third time, the extension is granted if you have:

• progressed in your degree studies with a minimum of 15 ECTS / term during the first extension period OR
• made significant progress on your master's thesis.

If the studies have progressed slower and you have no valid reasons as mentioned above, no further extensions are granted.

The dean of the school grants the extension of the right to study.

In accordance with the Government Decree (199/2024, Section 4), a processing fee of 50 euros will be charged for extension applications as of January 1, 2025. This processing fee does not apply to applications submitted during the autumn semester by December 31, 2024.

If the right to study expires on 31 July, the application for an extension must be submitted by 30 April. If the study expires on 31 December, the application must be submitted by 31 October.

Fill in the application for extension of right to study.

You need to enclose the following documents to your application:

• a detailed personal study plan for completing the studies in the application. 
  • The personal study plan should contain the remaining studies and a schedule for completing them. You are expected to complete approximately 30 ECTS each academic term. Please note that extending the student’s residence permit usually requires that you can show sufficient progress in your studies.
• a clarification and certificates of the reasons which have caused the delay in studies.

When applying for an extension for the second time or more, the application must also include

• Report on the studies completed during the previous extension period and the progress of the thesis. If your studies have progressed according to the original plan, no further report is needed. If your studies have progressed more slowly than the original graduation plan, you must update your plan and provide reasons why the studies have not progressed as expected. The updated plan will be evaluated using the same criteria as the original graduation plan. If you have completed studies not included in the graduation plan during the previous extension, they will not be considered when evaluating the need for a new extension.
• A realistic, scheduled implementation plan for the thesis, which the student has agreed upon with the thesis supervisor.
• If you wish to invoke individual reasons in your application, describe your personal circumstances in the application. An acceptable reason must have a clear connection to the delay in your studies. You may be asked to provide attachments, such as medical certificates or similar documents, via email if necessary.

If the original right to study expired before the application was submitted or you did not follow the instructions about the application period and the right expired before an extension was granted, a re-registration fee (EUR 35) will be charged from the student.

Further information: Academic year and registration

An extension of the right to study is granted as academic terms. An extension is granted for a minimum of one term and a maximum of four terms at a time.

Even if the completion of studies would be estimated to take more than four terms in the accepted plan for completing the remaining studies, an extension of the right to study is granted for a maximum of four terms at a time.

The decision will be sent to the applicant by email or mail.

If the decision is positive, the student should register for the academic year as instructed by the university. For more information about registration, please see Academic year and registration.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision, you may submit a request for rectification to the school in writing within 14 days of the day that the decision was served. Mail the request for rectification to the following address: 

University of Vaasa, Registrar’s office, P.O.Box 700, FI-65101 Vaasa, Finland 

or by e-mail: kirjaamo(at)uwasa.fi.

An appeal against a decision in a rectification procedure may be lodged with an Administrative Court within 30 days of the day the decision was served. 

A student may renounce their right to study for a degree entirely with a form that is sent to Education Systems services (edusys(at)univaasa.fi). Ask your student counsellor for the required form.

The right to study for a degree will be marked as terminated from the date of the notification. The right to study can be regained only through the normal application process.

Further information on applying is available on the web pages for applicants.