Enrolment for the Academic Year 2012 - 2013

New international students are welcome to pick up the enrolment papers and the Orientation Package from the International Office (room A129) in the Main Building.  The enrolment takes place at the Registrar's Office.

1. Enrolment requirement
2. Rights and duties to do with enrolment
3. Academic year and enrolment periods
4. Right to study and target times for degree completion
5. Enrolment alternatives and changes in enrolment
6. Membership of the Student Union and fees
7. The enrolment of an old first or second cycle degree student
   
   1. 7.1 Enrolment as "present"
   2. 7.2 Enrolment as "absent"
8. Enrolment of a new first or second cycle degree student
9. Enrolment of a postgraduate (third cycle) student
   1. 9.1 Enrolment of an old postgraduate student
   2. 9.2 Enrolment of a new postgraduate student
10. Enrolment of a professional postgraduate student
11. Enrolment of a non-degree student
12. Enrolment of an exchange and visiting student taking a degree abroad
13. Suspension of studies
14. Renouncing the right to study
15. Regaining the right to study

1. Enrolment requirement

Each student at the University of Tampere is required to enrol at the University annually in order to make use of his/her right to study. If a student does not enrol as present or absent by the deadline given, he/she will lose his/her right to study (please see Regaining the right to study below).

2. Rights and duties to do with enrolment

A student who has enrolled as present can earn credits and receive student financial aid if eligible. A student enrolled as absent cannot earn credits.

A student who has enrolled as present has the right to use the University information technology services. A student enrolled as present can use his/her basic user account and email account, and access other electronic services required in studies. Only students who have enrolled as present can enrol for courses and examinations in NettiOpsu. If a student does not enrol as present by the deadline, he/she will lose the right to use the information technology services. Please see the IT services' Student Services site for further information.

The Registrar’s Office must be notified immediately of changes of name, home municipality and address. Students must produce official proof of a change of name. Changes in the home municipality and address can be notified in NettiOpsu, via email aktuaari@uta.fi or fax +358 3 3551 6013.

A degree certificate can only be issued for a student enrolled either as present or absent. If a student has completed all the studies required for the degree but is yet to receive his/her degree certificate, he/she may enrol as absent for the semester the certificate is to be issued.

3. Academic year and enrolment periods

The academic year begins on 1 August and ends on 31 July.  In the autumn semester 2012, teaching begins on 3 September and ends on 14 December.  In the spring semester 2013, teaching begins on 7 January and ends on 17 May.

See Opening hours and contact information of the Registrar’s Office

4. Right to study and target times for degree completion

A student can have only one valid right to study for the same lower, higher or postgraduate university degree at the University of Tampere. No new right to study for a degree with similar content will be granted to a degree or study module in a corresponding subject which the student concerned has already completed unless the selection criteria decree otherwise.

A student who has been granted the right to study for a lower or higher university degree after 1 August 2005 has the following target time for degree completion:

• lower university degree (Bachelor) three academic years
• higher university degree (Master) two academic years, except for Master of Psychology two and a half academic years
• Licentiate in Medicine six academic years

A student admitted to study for both the lower and higher university degree has the right to complete the degree in a time exceeding the aggregate normative duration of studies by a maximum of two years.

The duration of studies does not include leave due to voluntary military service or conscription, or to maternity, paternity or parental leave. The duration of studies does not include an absence of a maximum of four terms for which the student has registered herself or himself as absent. Failure to enrol at the university will reduce the time left for degree completion.

Each student is obliged to keep track of the time used. The information is available in NettiOpsu in Personal Data, or at the Registrar's Office.

For further information, please see Right to study and target times for completion.

5. Enrolment alternatives and changes in enrolment

The enrolment alternatives are

• enrolment as present for the entire academic year
• enrolment as absent for the entire academic year
• enrolment as present for one semester and absent for the other semester
• suspension of studies (12 months) and
• enrolment after suspension of studies

If the student pays half of the yearly Student Union fee, the enrolment is by default registered as present for the autumn semester and absent for the spring semester. If a student wishes to enrol as present for the spring semester instead of the default autumn semester, he/she must notify the Registrar’s Office of this by 31 August 2012.

Enrolment can be changed from absent to present at any time during the academic year.

Enrolment can only be changed from present to absent during the enrolment period, and for the spring semester no later than 9 January 2013. 

A student may also suspend his/her studies for 12 months, as described in Section 13. In order to retain his/her right to study, a student must enrol at the university at the latest during the enrolment period following the end of the suspension of studies. A student can enrol at the university immediately after the suspension has ended.

Refund of the Student Union fee can only be applied for before the end of the enrolment period, and for the spring semester no later than 9 January 2013. The related form is available at the Registrar’s Office. The application must be submitted in person to the Registrar’s Office and the student must present his/her student card.

Students, who have already paid the Student Union fee to another university, can apply for a refund of the Health Care fee until 30 September 2012, and for the spring semester until 31 January 2013.

6. Membership of the Student Union and fees

According to the Universities Act (558/2009), all the university students who have been admitted to programmes leading to a lower or higher university degree, with the exception of students in made-to-order education, shall belong to the Student Union. The membership is optional for postgraduate students. Postgraduate students are not entitled to travel discounts or Student Health Services even if they pay the Student Union fee.

7. The enrolment of an old first or second cycle degree student

7.1 Enrolment as “present”

In order to enrol, the student is required

• to pay the mandatory and possible optional fees using the reference number on the bank giro no later than 31 August 2012. The information of the payment is also available in NettiOpsu under Enrolment. If necessary, the payment information can also be requested from the Registrar’s Office. A student who enrols as present for one semester and absent for the other semester shall pay half of the yearly Student Union fee (cf. Section 5). Only students who have enrolled as present, can enrol for courses and examinations in NettiOpsu. It takes 2-5 days for the payment information to register in the University information systems. If a student fails to use the personal reference number on the bank giro, the payment information will not register correctly. In this case, the student must present an official bank receipt of the payment.
• The annual registration sticker for the student card can be obtained once the payment information has been registered, yet no earlier than 1 August 2012. The stickers are available also after the enrolment period, throughout the academic year. The stickers can only be attached onto the card at the Registrar’s Office or Tamy Office in the Student Union building.

7.2 Enrolment as absent

An old student can enrol as absent without any further application procedures. A student enrolling as absent will not pay the Student Union fee and the health service fee included therein. He/she may not make use of the benefits of the Student Union membership. If a student who has been granted the right to take a lower or higher university degree after 1 August 2005 presents official proof that the absence is due to voluntary military service or conscription, or maternity, paternity or parental leave, the time given for degree completion will not be reduced. A student can enrol as “absent” in NettiOpsu, via email aktuaari (at) uta.fi or fax +358 3 3551 6013 or by sending the enrolment form to the Registrar's Office.

8. Enrolment of a new first or second cycle degree student

The enrolment instructions for new students are enclosed in the letter of acceptance.

9. Enrolment of a postgraduate (third cycle) student

9.1 Enrolment of an old postgraduate student

A student can enrol in NettiOpsu, via email aktuaari (at) uta.fi or fax +358 3 3551 6013, by sending the enrolment form to the Registrar's Office or by paying the Student Union fee no later than 31 August 2012.

Student Union membership is optional. Postgraduate students can join the Student Union by paying the Student Union fee using the reference number on the bank giro, also after the end of the enrolment period.

Postgraduate students who have failed to enrol as present or absent in the manner described in this decision must apply to the School in writing in order to regain their right to study (Section 15). Annual enrolment is of significance in the allocation of grants/scholarships.

9.2 Enrolment of a new postgraduate student

The enrolment instructions for new students are enclosed in the letter of acceptance.

10. Enrolment of a professional postgraduate student

Professional postgraduate students (Medical Specialisation Degree, Specialist in Medicine and Supplementary Training Programme for Medical Specialists) must enrol during the enrolment period from 1 June to 31 August 2012. A student can enrol in NettiOpsu, via email aktuaari (at) uta.fi or fax +358 3 3551 6013 or by sending the enrolment form to the Registrar's Office. Professional postgraduate students cannot join the Student Union.

11. Enrolment of a non-degree student

All non-degree students must enrol during the enrolment period from 1 June to 31 August 2012. A student can enrol in NettiOpsu, via email aktuaari (at) uta.fi or fax +358 3 3551 6013 or by sending the enrolment form to the Registrar's Office . Non-degree students cannot join the Student Union.

12. Enrolment of an exchange or visiting student taking a degree abroad

The enrolment instructions for international exchange and visiting students are enclosed in the letter of acceptance. Students taking a first or second cycle, usually a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at their home university must pay the Student Union membership fee for undergraduate students. If they choose to, students taking a third cycle degree at their home university may join the Student Union by paying the Student Union membership fee for postgraduate students.

13. Suspension of studies

According to the legislation on unemployment security, unemployment benefits will not be granted for full-time students. Before the suspension of studies can be registered at the Registrar’s Office, the student must discuss the matter with the employment office. The employment office assesses whether or not a suspension of studies is necessary in order to be eligible for unemployment benefit.

If the suspension of studies is deemed necessary, the student must notify the Registrar’s Office about the suspension in writing. The period of suspension is 12 months, and during this period the University does not register any credits for the student. The suspension cannot be done retrospectively, nor cancelled without a written account or proof from the employment office.

The suspension can be continued immediately after the end of the original 12 month period by a period of 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. When continuing the suspension, the student must submit a notification of the matter to the Registrar’s Office at the latest on the day the original suspension ends.

14. Renouncing the right to study

A student may renounce his/her right to study by notifying the Registrar's Office in writing. The right to study will be registered as having ceased as of the date the notification is received at the Registrar's Office.

15. Regaining the right to study

A student who has failed to enrol as present or absent or to suspend their studies in the manner described in this decision will lose his/her right to study. If such a student later wishes to continue his/her studies, he/she may apply for his/her right to study to be reinstated in writing. The application should be addressed to Student Services, or, if more than one year has elapsed since the previous date the student was registered, to the Dean of the School. The application form "Application for restoration of right to study" (pdf) is also available at the Registrar's Office.

Applicants will be informed of the decision by post. If the right to study is reinstated, the student must enrol at the university as present. When enrolling, the student must pay a re-registration fee in order to regain his/her right to study.

The obligation to apply to have their right to study reinstated concerns all students with the exception of postgraduate students (licentiate and doctorate degrees) at the Institute of Biomedical Technology, School of Medicine and School of Health Sciences and professional postgraduate students (Medical Specialisation Degree, Specialist in Medicine and Supplementary Training Programme for Medical Specialists). These students will have their right to study reinstated on the basis of their own notification at enrolment without separate application.