Right to study and target times to complete the degree
Duration of study right
You have to complete your degree during the duration of your study right. The duration of the study right begins when you have accepted your study place, we have registered you as a student and you have registered for attendance for the first time.
Please remember to keep your contact information up to date in the student administration system during your studies.
NB: The duration of study right and normative duration of studies are not the same.
The normative duration of your studies depends on the extent of your degree. The normative durations of bachelor's degrees are:
- 3.5 years in 210-credit degrees
- 4 years in 240-credit degrees
- 4.5 years in 270-credit degrees.
The extent of the degree can be exceeded if the extent of some course demands it.
You have to complete your bachelor’s degree in at least a year after the normative duration of the studies, ie during the duration of your study right.
Retraining and upgrading of qualifications also have to be completed in at least a year after the planned duration of the studies.
If you cannot graduate during the normative duration of the studies, you have to present an account on the missing studies on an e-form by 30 November or 31 May. Please include a plan on completion of the studies and a completion schedule for the studies. Before filling in the form you have to check your study plan with the teacher tutor or student counsellor. The teacher tutor or student counsellor has to approve your study plan.
The application for extension can only be submitted in the last existing term of study right.
Right to be absent
If you are absent due to a statutory reason, the absence is not counted into the duration of your studies. It does not affect your right to be absent for an academic year. (If your studies began before 1 August 2015, you have the right to be absent for two academic years.)
The statutory reasons are completion of the national service, non-military service or voluntary military service for women as well as a leave to care for a child at birth or adoption. In your first study year, you can also register for non-attendance if you are unable to begin your studies due to an illness or disability. Please note that sick leave affects your right to be absent later.
Transfer students
If you are a transfer student, the duration of your study right includes the attendance and non-attendance periods you have used in the previous university of applied sciences.
Master’s degree programmes
You have to complete your master's degree in at least a year after the normative duration of the studies, ie during the duration of your study right.
The normative duration of your studies depends on the extent of your degree:
- 1 year in 60-credit degrees
- 1.5 years in 90-credit degrees.
If you cannot graduate during the normative duration of the studies, you have to present an account on the missing studies on an e-form by 30 November or 31 May. Please include a plan on completion of the studies and a completion schedule for the studies. Before filling in the form you have to check your study plan with the teacher tutor or student counsellor. The teacher tutor or student counsellor has to approve your study plan.
Professional teacher educations
In professional teacher education you have to complete your studies during the duration of your study right, which is three years.
You may postpone beginning of your studies for a year. If the ground is not statutory (see above), the absence is counted into the duration of your study right.
If you cannot complete your studies during the duration of your study right, you can apply for a semester of extension time (6 months). The extension time can only be granted for minor studies if graduation is realistic during the extension time.
Before filling in the application, discuss with the teacher of your group and make a plan on completion of your studies. Remember to apply for the extension time on an e-form during the duration of your study right, ie by 31 May or 30 November. Please attach a receipt on the fee.
Extension time is only granted once.