Applying for additional time

Even without the statutory (legislative) reasons for extension of study time, it is possible to apply for additional time to the study right. Additional time is applied from your Faculty.

The most important prerequisite for granting additional time is a graduating-oriented personal study plan (PSP/HOPS).

• The studies yet to be taken and the estimated date of their completion must be stated in the plan. Some faculties accept an updated PSP in Peppi.
• In addition, the reasonableness of the granting will be judged: additional time is granted if the student is able to complete his/her degree in a reasonable time.
• The more studies are missing, the better you need to justify your application.

The following matters are taken into account while making the decision:

• the amount and extent of studies already completed
• studies yet to be taken in comparison with the targeted completion time of the degree
• possible additional time granted earlier
• Additional time is granted if you have the conditions to complete the degree within a reasonable time.
• If you have a study right to a bachelor's and a master's degree and you have not completed the bachelor's degree by the end of your study time, your PSP should aim to complete the bachelor's degree first.
• The assessment will take into account the number and extent of studies completed and remaining in relation to the target time for the degree, as well as any additional time previously granted.

The basis for the Personal Study Plan is that the remaining studies continue with a rate of at least 30 ECTS per academic year.

• If you wish to compile a study plan with a slower rate of study, attach an explanation regarding the underlying reasons.
• Please read also the following chapter of life situation
• Also, please notice that applying for additional time will be chargeable from 1 Jan 2025 onwards. This application processing fee will apply to all applications submitted on or after 1 January 2025. Because of the fee, please pay carefully attention to the duration of the additional time you are applying for, also taking into account what is advised about the personal study plan in this section.

Life circumstances may be taken into account when making the assessment. If you have specific reasons for delaying your studies, a statement of these reasons will also be required with your application.

• Factors that may justify an additional time to be granted include illness or other difficult life circumstances, societal activity during your studies, participation in an international student or trainee exchange, and systematic top-level sport.
• If you are supporting your application with reasons related to your life situation, you should include documentation supporting the existence of the reason (e.g. a medical certificate stating the cause of the delay, not the diagnosis per se). However, attachments containing medical information may not be attached to the electronic application but must be submitted separately, see below for more detailed instructions.
• An acceptable reason for slower progress may be, in addition to one of the above-mentioned life circumstances, a reason in educational arrangements that the student could not influence.
• There should be a connection with this reason and the delay of your studies.
• Working alone is not a valid reason for not progressing in your studies.

Additional time may not be granted

• If you have not started your studies or you do not have a reason for delay (for example a personal reason), the decision can be negative.
• Additional time is only granted for completing your degree.
• If you have already been granted additional time, but you have not made progress with your studies, there usually will be a negative decision for your new application.

Decision

• The Faculty will inform you of the decision.
• Possible statutory reasons for absence (compulsory and voluntary military services, family leaves) are taken into account also during the additional time as long as you notify the Student Centre Disco according to the instructions.

The electronic application form is used for applying additional study time. If you don’t have an active utu-ID or access to Suomi.fi identification, please use the pdf application form instead. The PDF form, along with its attachments, is submitted to the faculty's study affairs 

Before submitting the application form

1. update your Peppi study plan (PSP) to show what degree requirements are still missing and when you intend to complete your degree (scheduling). Alternatively, if you don´t have an active UTU-ID, you can use a separate paper form (separate document) 
    
2. attach necessary documents to the application (see the above instructions for all faculty students for more information on required attachments).
    

3. If your thesis is unfinished, you are required to provide a statement from your thesis supervisor. The statement can be for example an email from the supervisor.

   The statement should include:
   - The state of the thesis at the moment
   - Has the thesis progressed during a possible previous additional time
   - Estimated completion time of the thesis

4. If the thesis is the only remaining requirement of the degree and you have not started it yet, a plan for completing the thesis (a short research plan, including a schedule) must be attached.
    
5. If a medical certificate or other health-related document is required as an attachment to the application, it must be sent to the Head of Academic and Student Affairs by email: mari.broberg@utu.fi or by mail: Mari Broberg, Faculty of Education Study Office, 20014 University of Turku.

Before returning the form, you can, if necessary, contact the guidance staff and book a personal guidance session for creating the study plan:

Turku: opoedu@utu.fi

Rauma: opoedu-rauma@utu.fi 

 

Together with the application for additional time the student needs to fill in personal study plan (docx) including courses and a schedule of how the degree is going to be completed.

If there have been special reasons for the delay of studies, the student should also send a clarification of them (e.g. medical certificate). NB! Do not attach a medical certificate to the electronic application. Send it by e-mail (from your utu account) or by post, please see instructions below.

The basis for the personal study plan is that the remaining studies continue at a pace of at least 30 ECTS per academic year. If the student wishes to compile a study plan with a slower pace of study, he/she will need to attach an explanation regarding the underlying reasons.

In case the student's master's thesis is not complete, the student must attach the thesis instructor's statement to the application. The statement can be an email from the thesis instructor, where the instructor states that the proposed schedule of thesis completion is feasible.

If the completion of the degree would require more than four semesters according to the study plan, additional time is nevertheless granted for a maximum of four semesters only. The remaining additional time must be applied separately.

Please, use the electronic form for study time application. If you don’t have an active utu-ID or access to Suomi.fi identification, use the paper form instead.

Medical Certificate can be returned to the Faculty of Law by mail:

Faculty of Law
Head of Academic and Student Affairs
20014 Turun yliopisto.

or by email: oik-opintopaallikko@utu.fi. In this case, please use your own utu-email for sending the attachment.  

The electronic application form is used for applying additional study time. If you don’t have an active utu-ID or access to Suomi.fi identification, please use the pdf application form instead.

The pdf application form along with the enclosures will be sent by e-mail to oposci@utu.fi. You may also deliver the application personally to the Faculty Office for Academic and Student Affairs or by post to the address: Faculty of Science, Office for Academic and Student Affairs, 20014 Turun yliopisto.

NB! The medical certificate will be sent by e-mail to Education Coordinator Päivi Rastas (pairit@utu.fi).

Personal study plan (PSP)

• The personal study plan must include the study attainments missing from your degree and the schedule how the degree is going to be completed.
• The personal study plan is done in the electronic system Peppi. On the ​Scheduling tab of the PSP you can create a timing plan for your studies. (instructions in intranet).
• You can use the paper form for PSP if you are unable to use Peppi.
• The personal study plan has to be approved by the teacher tutor in Peppi. If you use the paper form, the PSP has to be signed by the teacher tutor.
• The personal study plan can be attached to the application as a document or if your PSP has been accepted in Peppi, please mention that in your application.

Statement from the thesis’ supervisor

If you have started your thesis, the statement from your supervisor is to be enclosed with the application.

The statement should include:

• The state of the thesis at the moment
• In what way the thesis has progressed during the previous additional study time
• Estimated completion time of the thesis
• If the thesis is the only study attainment lacking from the degree, but you haven't started it yet, the scheduled plan approved by the supervisor is to be enclosed with the application.

Additional information from the Study Advisors at oposci@utu.fi.

Use the electronic application form for applying additional time. If you don’t have an active utu-ID or access to Suomi.fi identification, use the paper form instead.

NB! Make sure you have all required attachments before the deadline to be able to submit the application in time. For applying you need the transcript of records (pdf-transcript from Peppi), personal study plan (in the electronic personal study plan system or as a separate document), if your thesis is unfinished, also a statement from your thesis supervisor and a report on the situation of your thesis.

Students at Turku School of Economics must enclose the following documents to the application:

1. Personal study plan

• The study plan is done in the electronic personal study plan system (see the intranet for user instructions)
• If your study right has already expired, and you don’t have an active utu-ID, add the personal study plan as a separate file to your application
• The study plan must include the studies included in the degree as modules (major, minor, language studies, other studies) and also detailed information on the schedule for completing the remaining courses
• See the degree requirements from the electronic study guide

More information on the personal study plan: opotse@utu.fi.

2. Statement from your thesis supervisor

If your thesis is unfinished, you are required to provide a statement from your thesis supervisor. The statement can be for example an email from the supervisor.

It must include the following information:

1. situation of your thesis
2. has the thesis progressed during a possible previous additional time
3. estimate from the supervisor: is it possible to complete the thesis within the applied period of additional time

Return the statement to tseopintotoimisto@utu.fi

3. Report on the situation of your Master’s thesis

• name of your thesis supervisor/s
• information on participating in or completing the thesis seminar (group meetings)
• stage of your thesis and a schedule for completing the thesis (a short research plan, including the schedule)