Flexible study right (universities JOO-studies)

Based on Flexible Study Rights JOO agreement, students studying for a degree in other Finnish universities or in Turku University of Applied Sciences or Novia University of Applied Sciences, can be accepted to the University of Turku to study minor subject study modules or individual courses.

The University of Turku withdraws from the agreement on flexible study rights between universities (JOO agreement), which was signed on 11 June 2003 and entered into force on 1 August 2004, with effect from 1 January 2026. The JOO study rights already granted to students will remain valid until their expiry. Students may also be granted new study rights under the current JOO agreement during the spring semester 2025 (1.1.2025-31.7.2025). These new study rights will be valid until the end of their duration.

For postgraduate studies, there are separate instructions and electronic forms, more information from the Graduate School's webpages.

Applications for JOO studies at other universities must be made in the manner required by the host university.​​You can get more information about JOO studies, application periods and procedures by contacting the study counsellor at your home university or at the host university.

 

General information on applying

Please use the JOO application form when applying to studies

  • You can find our courses from the Study Guide. The University of Turku has no separate course catalogues for JOO students and not all studies are available as JOO studies. Studies at the University of Turku's Open University are not included in the JOO procedure.
  • Only a paper application form is in use (pdf and word) in undergrduate studies. The only exceptions to this are students from Åbo Akademi University and Turku University of Applied Sciences, please read the separate instructions below.
  • For doctoral studies, please see the instructions from the Graduate School's webpages
  • Applications are handled mainly around the year, but please check our faculties' application periods and recommendations about submitting the applications (Application periods and addresses).

Who can apply?

  • You must be enrolled as an attending student at your Finnish home university.
  • Usually the studies applied for are not offered at your home university and the study modules or courses are meant to be incorporated into your degree at your home university.

Your home university must support your application

  • The home university must support the planned studies and the schedule for their completion.

JOO student arriving at the University of Turku

  • Please note that obtaining a JOO right is not the same as registering for a course. You must still register for the course according to your faculty's policies. At the University of Turku, you register for all courses in Peppi system.

     

Application periods and addresses

Faculty of Education

  • Application period: Continuous application period
  • Address for the supported applications: By e-mail: mari.broberg@utu.fi (undergraduate studies) or by post: Faculty of Education, Office for Academic and Student Affairs 20014 University of Turku.

 

Faculty of Humanities

  • Application period: Continuous application period
  • Address for the supported applications: By e-mail: hum-info(a)utu.fi (undergraduate studies) or by post: Faculty of Humanities, Office for Academic and Student Affairs, 20014 University of Turku.

 

Faculty of Law

  • Application period: There is a continuous application process to JOO studies, but applications must be received at least one month before the start of the course.
  • Address for the supported applications: Faculty of Law, 20014 University of Turku.

 

Faculty of Medicine

  • Application period: There is a continuous application process to JOO studies, but applications must be received at least one month before the start of the course. The application must include the name and code of each course applied for. The necessary information can be found in the Faculty's study guides.
  • Address for the supported applications: Applications approved by the home university should be sent preferably by e-mail, for undergraduate education to henriikka.salminen(a)utu.fi, or
    by post to the address: Faculty of Medicine, Henriikka Salminen, Medisiina Service Point, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20014 University of Turku. Envelope marked 'Application for JOO studies'.

 

Faculty of Science

  • Application period: Continuous application period. The application must be submitted one month before the course starts.
  • Address for the supported applications (undergraduate education): By e-mail: oposci(a)utu.fi or by post: Faculty of Science, Office for Academic and Student Affairs, Natura, 20014 Turun Yliopisto.

 

Faculty of Social Sciences

  • Application period: Continuous application period. The application must be submitted 1½ months before the course starts. 
  • Address for the supported applications: By post: Faculty of Social Sciences, 20014 University of Turku or scanned: hanna.erola(a)utu.fi (undergraduate studies).

 

Faculty of Technology

  • Application period: Continuous application period. The application must be submitted one month before the course starts.
  • Address for the supported applications (undergraduate education): By e-mail: opotech(a)utu.fi or by post Faculty of Technology, Office for Academic and Student Affairs, Natura, 20014 Turun yliopisto.

 

Turku School of Economics

  • Application period (for undergraduate studies):
    • by 8 August for teaching beginning in period I
    • by 15 September for teaching beginning in period II
    • by 15 November for teaching beginning in period III
    • by 31 January for teaching beginning in period IV
    • (continuous application perdiod for doctoral studies but application must be submitted one month before the course starts)

Please begin the application process early enough so that your home university has time to process the application and forward it to TSE by the above dates. Therefore, make sure that the application has been received by TSE by the above date.

  • Address for the supported applications (undergraduate education): By post: The Office for Academic and Student Affairs/JOO-application, Turku School of Economics, 20014 University of Turku. By e-mail: tseopintotoimisto@utu.fi

 

Centre for Language and Communication Studies

  • Application period: The application period ends in mid September for courses starting in the Autumn an in mid January for courses starting in the Spring.
  • Address for the supported applications: Centre for Language and Communication Studies, 20014 University of Turku.

 

University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS)

Flexible study right between University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University or Turku University of Applied Sciences

Applications for JOO studies at other universities must be made in the manner required by the host university.​​ The right to study is applied for by registering for a RIPA course from the student's own PSP or by applying using the online UTUForms application form, depending on the course being applied for. 

  • ​​​​​​From spring 2024, the University of Turku (UTU) will gradually switch to the cross-study service (ristiinopiskelupalvelu, RIPA), where enrolment for studies at other universities will be done via the students PSP at UTU Peppi system. 
  • If there is available registration via cross-studies for the studies applied for, this should be used instead of the UTUForms form.

Applying for a JOO study right between University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University or Turku University of Applied Sciences

  1. If the studies at another univeristy included in your UTU degree are included in the national cross-study service, you apply by registering for the studies in your PSP in UTU Peppi system.
    • ​Read more detailed application instructions here (UTU Intranet)
    • If you have a previously awarded JOO study right, whose study time has expired and whose studies are offered in cross-studies, please register according to these instructions. You do not need to apply for a separate extension to your old JOO study right.
    • The host institution is responsible for providing instructions on how to obtain a user ID and other practical arrangements for your studies.​​
       
  2. ​Apply using the UTUForms form if your studies are not included in the cross-study service.
    • ​The application between the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi or between the University of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences is made electronically using the UTUForms form, logged in with the home university's user ID.
    • If you have a previously granted a JOO study right, whose study time has expired and whose studies are not covered by the RIPA agreement, apply for an extension using the UTUForms form.
    • Note! You can change the language of UTUForms to Finnish from the top bar, in which case you will also receive the application messages in Finnish.
    • Exchange students can only apply between the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi (not Turku University of Applied Sciences). The application is made using the UTUForms form.

 

Please note that universities decide independently which courses to admit students from other universities. 

Before filling in the application, please check from the faculty/study office/teacher of the receiving university that the studies you're planning to take are available for you.

JOO study right at the University of Turku

After the faculty at the University of Turku has granted you a JOO study right, they will inform you about the decision. 

  • When a study right is granted, the Student Centre Disco will save the student's information to Peppi study system. The study right and attendance will be saved as marked in the decision.

The Student Centre Disco or Peppi support will inform you via email when you information is saved to Peppi.

  • We will also send you instructions on how to activate your UTU user account If needed). You need the user account to log into Peppi where eg. the course enrollments are done. Please notify that granting the JOO study right is not the same as the course enrollment. Student's must enroll to all courses in Peppi
  • For cross-study studies (RIPA), course registration has already been done in the home institution's Pepi/Sisu, and course registration in TY's Pepi is no longer required.

Please note that if you graduate during your JOO study right time, you can no longer continue with the studies, even if the study right period would have been granted for a longer period.

JOO studies in other universities for degree students of the University of Turku

As a degree student of the University of Turku, you can complete studies that are included in your degree at another university or university of applied sciences under certain conditions. Fexilbe studies (joustava opinto-oikeus, JOO) are free of charge for the student. In order to study at another university, you must apply for study rights at the university where you wish to study.

You can apply for flexible study right if:

  • ​you have a valid study right to complete a degree at the University of Turku
  • you are registered as an attending student
  • exchange students can apply for JOO studies only in Åbo Akademi.

Flexible study rights may be granted if:
 

  • equivalent courses cannot be studied at the University of Turku
  • the studies can be included in the minimum duration of your degree.
  • the studies are in line with the degree requirements of the degree to be obtained
There are some special conditions for each faculty, for example, a certain number of credits may be required before the JOO right is granted and the JOO right may be claimed primarily for studies at Åbo Akademi.​
 
JOO studies cannot be taken at an open university or after graduation. Living or working in another city is not a sufficient reason to qualify for a JOO.
 
Transferring study credits between universities

Student of the University of Turku, who has completed JOO studies at another higher education institution

  • For study rights applied for and granted through the sross-study service, the credits are automatically transferred to UTU Peppi system (with a delay of about 24 hours after the assessment has been recorded at the host institution). ​
    • The cross-study service will be introduced in phases from spring 2024, starting with mobility between universities in the Turku region.
  • Other courses completed in other universities are not transferred​ automatically into UTU Peppi system. For the transfer, you need to have transcript of records from the target university and apply for RPL with University of Turku's RPL form 

Student of a another university who has completed JOO studies at the University of Turku

  • Your studies at the University of Turku are recorded in the study register in Peppi.
  • In the case of study rights applied for and granted through the cross-study service, the credits are automatically transferred to the study register of the home university (with a delay of about 24 hours from the time the assessment is entered in UTU Peppi).
  • For other studies, the transfer of credits is not centralised between universities, but the student is responsible for the transfer of study credits for JOO studies to the home institution. Ask your home institution for instructions on how to transfer your credits!

Study guide