Graduation

There are several practical issues related to the graduation process that should be taken into account in order for the process to run smoothly. This page contains information and advice for students about how to complete their Bachelor's or Master's Degrees.

Obtaining a Degree Certificate

A degree certificate must be applied for in writing from the school in question. When ready, the certificate will either be issued from the Registrar's Office upon collection or sent by post according to what the student has agreed with the faculty. Before applying for a degree certificate the student should ensure that all completed study modules have been registered by the relevant units. Those graduating will be issued a Diploma Supplement for international use free of charge along with their degree certificates. There is no specified time for issuing degree certificates. In other words, they can be issued at any time during the academic year.

Applying for a Degree Certificate and Enrolment in the University

To be able to apply for a degree certificate, you should still be enrolled in the University. Having enrolled as absent is sufficient. If, however, you have enrolled as absent, no more completed course units or study modules can be entered into your register (including the grade for your thesis). You should therefore remain enrolled as present until all the course units and study modules you have completed have been registered. If the academic semester ends before you can apply for a degree certificate, it is sufficient that you enrol as absent for the following semester. In this case you do not need to pay the Student Union fee for the following semester.

Diploma Supplement (DS)

The Diploma Supplement (DS) issued by the University of Tampere follows the model developed by the European Comission, Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES. It  is an attachment to the degree certificate intended for international use. The English-language supplement provides a description of the nature, level, content and status of the qualification in the national system, and gives information on the professional status the qualification confers. Diploma Supplement is a part of the Europass-portfolio.

A Diploma Supplement (DS) together with Transcript of Records is granted to everyone graduating from the University of Tampere automatically and free of charge. Both documents are issued in English.

Graduation Ceremony

A joint graduation ceremony for graduates of University of Tampere is organised twice a year in June and in December. For the dates, please see the Academic Calendar. The ceremony is conducted in Finnish. As signing in for the ceremony differs from school to school, please contact your own school for further information.

Registration and Degree Certificates

Your last day of being registered as a student at the University is the day your degree certificate has been dated with. The following day you are no longer a student at the University of Tampere. After graduation, you can still request the following documents from the Registrar's Office:

• Transcripts of Records
• Diploma Supplement
• Certified copies of your Degree Certificate.

Student Union Membership and Student Card

Although you are no longer registered at the University after you have been issued a degree certificate, you still remain a member of the Student Union. You will retain you Tamy membership as long as you are entitled to according to the membership fee you have paid. For example, if you graduate in September and have paid the membership fee for the whole academic year, you can retain your membership until the end of the academic year, i.e. until the end of the following summer. You can therefore make use of all the student benefits normally for the duration of your membership.

However, if you have paid the Student Union membership fee for the whole academic year but graduate during the autumn semester, you can request the spring semester fee to be refunded. You can request a refund until the end of your graduation year (calendar year) and in the first days of January. Tamy decides whether a refund will be given or not. If you do get a refund, you can no longer get any of the student benefits during the spring semester . In this case the sticker for the whole academic year will be removed from your student card and replaced with a sticker for the autumn semester only. Forms for applying for a refund of the Student Union fee are available from the Registrar's Office.

Your student card is yours to keep even after you graduate. You can nevertheless only enjoy the student benefits until the sticker on the card runs out.

IT Services

Your Basic User Account and, as a result, your University of Tampere e-mail account remain functional for four months after the date your degree certificate has been issued. The beginning of a new academic year presents an exception to this rule: The Basic User Accounts of all those students who have not enrolled as present for the new academic year will be discontinued on 10 September. Therefore, if, for example, you graduate in July, your Basic User Account will become defunct on 10 September, not in October as would normally be the case.

You should prepare for the closing down of your Basic User Account in time, especially with regard to your e-mail account. It is also important to note that you can only obtain an electronic Transcript of Records via NettiOpsu as long as your Basic User Account is functional.

The University Computer Centre can provide more information on the IT services for graduating students.

Library Card

The University Library services are available for graduates, too. Graduates are also entitled to retain their library cards. Some of the library services are nevertheless determined by the status of the library card user. The possible statuses are student, staff and other. When you graduate, your status will change from "student" to "other". Further information on the library services is available on the University Library website.

Student Financial Aid

In case you are entitled to the Finnish student financial aid, it is important to check the effects graduation has on your aid well before graduating. Please consult the Student Financial Office or KELA for further information.

Postgraduate Studies

If you are interested in postgraduate (Doctoral) studies, please see the University of Tampere Doctoral School website for contact information.

Moving on to Working Life

Information for graduates is produced by UTA Career Services. Please see the Career Services website for useful links and further information.

The UNIPOLI Tampere  pages also include information on working in Finland and job seeking.

Alumni of the University of Tampere

If you wish to retain contact with the University after you graduate, you can become a member of the Alumni of the University of Tampere. As a member of the Alumni, you will receive information on current issues and activities at the University. The Alumni also organise lecture series, other events and trips. Becoming a member of the Alumni may be a good way to meet academics already in the working life. Furthermore, as a member you also get to keep your University e-mail account for a year longer than usual after you graduate.