Registration as a student and study entitlement

Right to study

Students have the right to pursue studies leading to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a university of applied sciences in the manner laid down in the degree regulations and curriculum of the university of applied sciences. The scope of studies is based on ECTS credits. The average amount of work required during an academic year to complete the studies, 1,600 hours, is equivalent to 60 ECTS credits. Normative duration of studies refers to the time in years equivalent to the scope of the studies i.e., 210 ECTS credits is equivalent to 3.5 years and 240 ECTS credits to 4 years. The scope of studies in degree programs leading to a Master’s degree at a university of applied sciences is 60 or 90 ECTS credits. The maximum duration of studies for a degree is one year more than the normative duration.

Students must register in the university of applied sciences at the beginning of every semester as attending or non-attending students. Students must register for the entire academic year. Right to absence is further defined, see below.

If students do not register before the deadline, they will lose their right to study. In order to regain their right to study, students must apply for re-registration of their study right. The application processing fee is 50 euros (A1440/2014, 3 §).

• Continuing students who are liable to pay tuition fees shall register for the academic year by using an e-form at a time between 1 March – 31 May. The tuition fees must be paid or exempting document must be delivered before registration. Further information on registration has been sent by email.
• Continuing students (citizens of EU/EEA countries) who are not liable to pay tuition fees shall register as a student for the whole academic year at a time between 1 March –  31 May using the student interface Peppi.
• The registration period for the spring term is 1 November – 31 December (does not apply to those who have already registered for the whole academic year)
• A student who has been granted a discretionary extended time to complete his/her studies is not allowed to register as non-attending student.

Attending students have a right to pursue studies, to apply for financial aid to students and to purchase meals at a subsidised price and to student association membership benefits (e.g. travel discounts).

Non-attending students may not participate in teaching or graduate, and no study attainments can be accepted from them. Students registering as non-attending must cancel their financial aid and other study-related benefits. Students returning to studies after a period of absence must observe any changes made to the curriculum during their absence. Before continuing studies, they should go through their personal study plan with a study counsellor.

The student can change their registration information after the actual registration period by contacting opiskeluoikeus@seamk.fi. Changes to registration data during the autumn term must be applied for by 10 September and the spring term by 10 January. Changes to the deadline may be made if the Head of the degree programme confirms that the student has realistic prerequisites for graduating during the current term. After hearing the Head of the degree programme, the Head of Student Affairs decides on the discretionary modification of registration information.

Students subject to the obligation to pay tuition fees may change their registration information by 10 September / 10 January. The tuition fee may be refunded if the student changes their registration data from attending to non-attending. If the student changes their registration data from non-attending to attending, the tuition fee must be paid by 10 September / 10 January. The request for a change notification is made by contacting tuitionfees@seamk.fi.

First-year students may only register as non-attending students due to statutory grounds, i.e. completing military service, non-military service or women’s voluntary military service, or when the student needs time off his/her studies to take care of a child in regard to the child’s birth or adoption (14.1.2022/52), or if they are unable to begin studies owing to a medical condition or disability (Section 29 of Amendment 325/2015). If student registers as non-attending student in the first semester due to a medical condition or disability, this will be included in the right to absence for one academic year (i.e. two semesters).

Students must always provide proof of absence when they register as non-attending due to statutory grounds. A personal notification is not considered adequate proof.

Documents for providing proof are:

1) When in active service in accordance with the Conscription Act, the Non-Military Service Act or the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act

• order to report for service or a copy of a valid military passport

2) When the student needs time off his/her studies to take care of a child in regard to the child’s birth or adoption

• Kela’s certificate regarding maternity, paternity or parental allowance period or, if the certificate has not yet been received, a medical certificate regarding the pregnancy (or corresponding certificates from the authorities of other countries regarding statutory parental leave).

3) When unable to begin studies owing to a medical condition or disability (only applicable to first-year students)

• sickness allowance decision, or if such decision has not been issued, a medical certificate. The medical certificate must indicate that the medical condition or disability prevents the person from beginning their studies.

Documents regarding the cause of absence must be delivered by email to tuitionfees(at)seamk.fi (use word SALATTU in the title of the email to secure to email) or to SeAMK Student Services (2nd floor service desk).

The student may lose the right to study for the following reasons:

• the student fails to register as an attending or non-attending student by the deadline (Section 29 of Amendment 932/2014)
• the student fails to complete the studies within the normative duration (Section 30 of Amendment 932/2014) or within the potential discretionary extension (Section 30a of Amendment 932/2014)

In such cases, no separate decision will be made regarding the losing of the study right. The student will be marked as having left the UAS in the student management system. Instructions on how to apply for the re-registration of the right to study can be found below. As an alternative for applying for the reinstatement of the right to study, the student can also apply to the UAS again.

To regain their right to study, students must apply for the re-registration of the study right. The application processing fee is 50 euros (A1440/2014, 3 §). When you submit form, you will be forwarded to the online payment service. You cannot submit the application without paying.

Applications for the re-registration for the autumn semester must be made by 10 September, and by 10 January for the spring semester.

Application periods:

• 1.11.–10.1. (for the spring semester)
• 1.6.–10.9. (for the autumn semester)

It is possible to re-register students’ study right if they have statutory duration of studies remaining.

The semesters during which students have no right to study because of neglected registration will be included in semesters that use up their right to absence. Once students have used up their right to absence (2 academic years if they began before 1 August 2015 and 1 academic year if they began after the date), any absence due to neglected registration will be deducted from their duration of studies. Please note: Students must provide proof of the cause of absence if the non-attendance is due to statutory reasons (Section 29 of Amendment 325/2015).

Students who have already used their non-attendance semesters can not register as non-attending. The application will be rejected if student has not semesters left.

A former student of the university of applied sciences who has started their studies on or after 1 August 2015 and have not completed their degree during the period of the right to study and during the additional period of discretion may apply to the university of applied sciences for the right to be reinstated as a student without taking part in student admissions (L325/2015, section 32). A fee is charged for processing the application in accordance with the decree (section 3 of A1440/2014).

Application periods:

• 1.11.–10.1. (for the spring semester)
• 1.6.–10.9. (for the autumn semester)

​​​​​​​Students subject to the obligation to pay tuition fees may apply for the right to re-apply for study after the end of the period of study entitlement or discretionary grace period according to the aforementioned schedules. In addition to the processing fee, those liable for tuition fees must pay the tuition fee before the application is processed.

The Head of Student Affairs decides whether the right to study is granted again (after the end of the period of study entitlement or discretionary extension) after consulting the Head of Degree Programme. In practice, it is a question of granting an additional period for an old right to study (not a new right to study). The right to study may be granted again if no studies leading to a Bachelor’s degree have been completed by a maximum of 60 credits or no studies leading to a Master’s degree by a maximum of 40 credits. The right to study is granted again for a maximum of two terms from the beginning of the following term.

A person who has been granted the right to study again does not have the right to be absent or the possibility of an additional period of discretion. If more than 60 credits are missing from the Bachelor’s degree or more than 40 credits from the Master’s degree, the student is directed to complete the missing studies at an open university of applied sciences and to apply for the right to study again only when the number of studies missing from the degree is equal to or less than the recommended level.

The student will lose the right to study if student decides to leave the UAS and give up the study place. Students who are thinking of leaving should first contact their study counsellor.

Students will be marked as having left the UAS as of the date on their notice, but at the earliest on the day the notice to leave was received at the university of applied sciences. Students leaving the UAS must cancel all study-related benefits and hand back any property of the UAS (such as parking passes, electrical access cards, keys, etc.).

If you want to withdraw from Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, please use the form below.