STUDENT RIGHTS
Here you can find helpful documents and answers to your questions!
State documents
The rights and obligations accompanying the student status are most broadly regulated by the Education Act and the Higher Education Act. For example, section 15 of the HEA states that students have the right to study-related and career counselling; they have the right to give feedback to the content of studies, quality of teaching and organisation of studies. They can also appeal decisions related to study organisation, elect representatives and be elected to collegial representative bodies. Additionally, it follows from clause 16 that public universities have the duty to allow students who study Estonian curricula and complete the necessary volume of courses attend university for free. The Higher Education Standard regulates the quality assurance requirements applicable to teaching. According to this law, the structure and content of the curriculum must meet the set objectives and learning outcomes. The Study Allowances and Study Loans Act states, among other things, that the interest rate for study loans is the 12 month Euribor + 2 per cent a year but no less than 5 per cent per year.
Important legislation
FAQ
What kind of other legal documents affect studies?
Navigating the bureaucratic university might be tricky because there are actually tons of documents regulating student rights. In addition to the good practices of teaching and learning, the Good Practice of Doctoral Studies is also in place. For students, the annually updated Admission Rules are also important – they regulate the criteria based on which applicants qualify for admission but they also lay down the timeline of the admission period and curriculum-specific criteria. The Statutes of Curriculum describe the criteria that govern internal assessment of quality. Following the act regulating Recognition of Prior Learning, you can transfer credits that you have completed in other higher education institutions. You´ll find a full list of bylaws here.
How can I appeal a grading decision?
All students have a right to appeal decisions related to study organisation – you have to turn to the person who made the decision and appeal either orally or in a written form within three working days. Students will be notified of the decision within three working days. If you are unhappy with the decision, you can appeal and take the matter to the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs within three working days. Appeals related to study level final exams will be initially reviewed by the Vice Dean. You can move and appeal to the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and then to the appeal committee that also comprises student representatives. You´ll find more info from the Study Regulations. In order to better navigate the difficult system, feel free to turn to the Student Union! Our legal advisor has experience in this field and we can surely help you out!
How many times can I sit one exam?
Short answer: four. Longer answer: in any given semester, you can take the same exam twice (regularly scheduled exam + re-sit). If both attempts fail, you have to take the course again the next semester, you are then given two additional attempts. Upon the fourth “fail” result, the student is deleted from the matriculation register. In 5- and 6-year medicine curricula, different rules apply: you can take one exam in all compulsory and elective courses, upon failing two re-sits. You are expelled with the third failing grade. You only have to get positive results in compulsory courses – if you fail an optional course, it will affect your average but you can still continue with your studies without re-sitting the exam. Read more here.
How are ECTS calculated?
In the integrated curricula of Medicine, students must complete 100% of the required courses. In other curricula, you must check for 1) minimal fulfilment of curriculum; 2) required fulfilment volume; 3) free curriculum volume. The minimal fulfillment criterion is only applicable to freshmen who have to complete 15 ECTS (1 ECTS = 26 hours) in their first semester – otherwise they will be deleted from the matriculation register. You can study full- and part-time at the university, in the first case, you have to complete 75%-100% of the curriculum each semester. Since the regular volume of studies per semester is 30 ECTS, you have to complete at least 45 ECTS by the end of the first year, 90 ECTS at the end of the second and 135 ECTS at the end of the third year. If the requirements are not met, the student will be registered as a part-time learner. In order to not pay tuition fees, you have to complete 30 ECTS per semester, the buffer is 6 ECTS (cumulative calculation, i.e. 24 ECTS in the first semester, 54 in the second, etc.). Note that only courses in your curriculum count! If you´ve completed a sufficient amount of optional courses, they will not count towards fulfilment of the curriculum. Since the system is cumulative, additional credits passed in one semester will count towards the fulfilment requirements of the next semester and you can allow yourself some rest. More info here.
Under what conditions do students get expelled?
Expulsion or forced deletion from the matriculation register can result from several things. Firstly, students are expelled if they don´t complete their exams within four attempts, if freshmen don´t complete 15 ECTS in the first semester or if the part-time learners fail to complete their courses (50%-75% of the full load). You can read more about these in the third and fourth section of this FAQ. A PhD student is expelled if they don´t pass their attestation. Additionally, academic fraud – cheating, copying, plagiarising – can result in expulsion. Usually a warning preceeds expulsion. Read more about this from the Study Regulations. You will also be deleted from the matriculation register if you have fully completed your curriculum. Therefore, if you get an “expulsion note” at the end of your studies, don´t panic, you´ve done amazing!
How can I extend my studies?
All students studying full-time can extend their studies for up to 12 months. During this year, students cannot apply for scholarships and allowances but other rights accompanying student status remain. Read more from the Study Regulations.
How can I study during academic leave?
Students have a right to go on academic leave voluntarily once per study level and for up to one year, additionally, you can go on leave to take care of a child, because of health reasons and upon being admitted to the Defence Forces. Students are allowed to participate in studies during the leave as well as take exams. The university cancels all registrations if you are on academic leave, unless you present a list of courses that you want to continue taking during the leave. If you go on academic leave voluntarily, you will not have health insurance anymore. To go on leave, you must submit an application to the Dean´s Office. More info here.
What kind of other legal documents affect studies?
Navigating the bureaucratic university might be tricky because there are actually tons of documents regulating student rights. In addition to the good practices of teaching and learning, the Good Practice of Doctoral Studies is also in place. For students, the annually updated Admission Rules are also important – they regulate the criteria based on which applicants qualify for admission but they also lay down the timeline of the admission period and curriculum-specific criteria. The Statutes of Curriculum describe the criteria that govern internal assessment of quality. Following the act regulating Recognition of Prior Learning, you can transfer credits that you have completed in other higher education institutions. You´ll find a full list of bylaws here.
How can I appeal a grading decision?
All students have a right to appeal decisions related to study organisation – you have to turn to the person who made the decision and appeal either orally or in a written form within three working days. Students will be notified of the decision within three working days. If they are unhappy with the decision, they can appeal and take the matter to the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs within three working days. Appeals related to study level final exams will be initially reviewed by the Vice Dean. You can move and appeal to the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and then to the appeal committee that also comprises student representatives. You´ll find more info from the Study Regulations. In order to better navigate the difficult system, feel free to turn to the Student Union! Our legal advisor has experience in this field and we can surely help you out!
How many times can I sit one exam?
Short answer: four. Longer answer: in any given semester, you can take the same exam twice (regularly scheduled exam + re-sit). If both attempts fail, you have to take the course again the next semester, you are then given two additional attempts. Upon the fourth “fail” result, the student is deleted from the matriculation register. In 5- and 6-year medicine curricula, different rules apply: you can take one exam in all compulsory and elective courses, upon failing two re-sits. You are expelled with the third failing grade. You only have to get positive results in compulsory courses – if you fail an optional course, it will affect your average but you can still continue with your studies without re-sitting the exam. Read more here.
How are ECTS calculated?
In the integrated curricula of Medicine, students must complete 100% of the required courses. In other curricula, you must check for 1) minimal fulfilment of curriculum; 2) required fulfilment volume; 3) free curriculum volume. The minimal fulfillment criterion is only applicable to freshmen who have to complete 15 ECTS (1 ECTS = 26 hours) in their first semester – otherwise they will be deleted from the matriculation register. You can study full- and part-time at the university, in the first case, you have to complete 75%-100% of the curriculum each semester. Since the regular volume of studies per semester is 30 ECTS, you have to complete at least 45 ECTS by the end of the first year, 90 ECTS at the end of the second and 135 ECTS at the end of the third year. If the requirements are not met, the student will be registered as a part-time learner. In order to not pay tuition fees, you have to complete 30 ECTS per semester, the buffer is 6 ECTS (cumulative calculation, i.e. 24 ECTS in the first semester, 54 in the second, etc.). Note that only courses in your curriculum count! If you´ve completed a sufficient amount of optional courses, they will not count towards fulfilment of the curriculum. Since the system is cumulative, additional credits passed in one semester will count towards the fulfilment requirements of the next semester and you can allow yourself some rest. More info here.
Under what conditions do students get expelled?
Expulsion or forced deletion from the matriculation register can result from several things. Firstly, students are expelled if they don´t complete their exams within four attempts, if freshmen don´t complete 15 ECTS in the first semester or if the part-time learners fail to complete their courses (50%-75% of the full load). You can read more about these in the third and fourth section of this FAQ. A PhD student is expelled if they don´t pass their attestation. Additionally, academic fraud – cheating, copying, plagiarising – can result in expulsion. Usually a warning preceeds expulsion. Read more about this from the Study Regulations. You will also be deleted from the matriculation register if you have fully completed your curriculum. Therefore, if you get an “expulsion note” at the end of your studies, don´t panic, you´ve done amazing!
How can I extend my studies?
All students studying full-time can extend their studies for up to 12 months. During this year, students cannot apply for scholarships and allowances but other rights accompanying student status remain. Read more from the Study Regulations.
How can I study during academic leave?
Students have a right to go on academic leave voluntarily once per study level and for up to one year, additionally, you can go on leave to take care of a child, because of health reasons and upon being admitted to the Defence Forces. Students are allowed to participate in studies during the leave as well as take exams. The university cancels all registrations if you are on academic leave, unless you present a list of courses that you want to continue taking during the leave. If you go on academic leave voluntarily, you will not have health insurance anymore. To go on leave, you must submit an application to the Dean´s Office. More info here.
For representatives
In representing students, Union members have certain rights and obligations. As members of a university decision-making body (institute council, faculty council, UT Senate), students have the right to be sent the corresponding materials within a reasonable timeframe, a right to participate in meetings and to vote. Due to this, they also have the duty to represent students to the best of their knowledge.
Representatives must familiarise themselves with the Representative Handbook and communicate with other representatives before council meetings. The Student Union follows its Statutes in all its activities.
The four faculties´s student council make up the University of Tartu student parliament which is the highest-decision making body of the Student Union. It is this parliament that elects the Union´s Board and has the power to hold a vote of no-confidence, that confirms the budget and has the right to strategically manage the Union. The parliament and other units within the Union follow the Statutes of the Union, the bylaws and the Election Rules. Besides this, at a national level, the Union´s activities are regulated by the Higher Education Act, the Education Act. The Union also abides by the Statutes of the University of Tartu, the most important act within the university.
You can get to know the UT bylaws here, additionally, the university follows its Strategic Plan and the University of Tartu Act.