To study at the university, you must have a right to study. This may be either the right to compete a degree or the right to complete studies which do not lead to a degree. A right to study must always be applied for separately.
The right to complete a degree (e.g., a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree) is granted for a specific degree programme and a specific degree title (e.g., the right to complete a Master of Arts degree in the Master’s Programme in European and Nordic Studies). Applications for the right to complete a degree must be submitted through the Studyinfo service.
If you have been admitted to a bachelor's degree programme, in addition to your first-cycle degree, usually your bachelor's degree, you have also been granted the right to complete a second-cycle degree, usually a master's degree. Exceptions to this are the students admitted to the kindergarten teacher study track in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Educational Sciences and some of the students admitted to the pharmacist degree programme, in which case the right to study is limited to a first-cycle degree. In addition, the students in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Swedish, Kandidatprogram i samhällsvetenskaper, are subject to their own special rules.
If you have been granted the right to complete both a first- and a second-cycle degree at the University of Helsinki, you must complete a first-cycle degree related to this right before you can complete a second-cycle degree. Even if you have completed a first-cycle degree in another degree programme at the University of Helsinki or another higher education institution in Finland or abroad, you cannot use it to transfer to a second-cycle degree alone.
The Universities Act has been amended so that, as of 1 January 2027, the student's study rights at the same and lower levels will be terminated if they accept a new study right leading to a higher education degree. Furthermore, if students accept a new study right leading only to a first-cycle university degree or an university of applied sciences degree, their right to study leading only to a second-cycle university degree or a second-cycle university of applied sciences degree remains valid.
For detailed instructions and answers to frequently asked questions, please see the Studyinfo website.
The amendment to the Universities Act does not apply to scientific research degrees, but at the University of Helsinki a doctoral researcher may at the same time have only one study right leading to a degree in the same doctoral programme.
The duration of studies for a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree is restricted. The remaining duration of your studies is indicated in Sisu. For more information on the normative duration of studies, please see the instructions on The normative duration of studies for degrees and How to apply for an extension to study right.
Studies not leading to a degree include the right to complete non-degree studies, cross-institutional studies (studies at another higher education institution in Finland), and exchange studies (studies at a higher education institution abroad).
The right to complete non-degree studies can only be granted for studies that cannot be completed as open university education. A student may hold several simultaneous rights to complete non-degree studies. The right is granted for two years at a time.
Students at the University of Helsinki can complete cross-institutional studies at other universities or universities of applied sciences in Finland within the cross-institutional networks of their own degree programme. Correspondingly, degree students from other Finnish higher education institutions can complete studies at the University of Helsinki within the cross-institutional networks.
More about cross-institutional studies
The right to study exchange studies means a fixed-term right to study at a higher education institution abroad. Correspondingly, a student at a foreign higher education institution may have a fixed-term right to study at the University of Helsinki.
You cannot permanently lose a right to complete a degree at the University of Helsinki, even if you have failed to register for the academic year (not registered for attendance or non-attendance) or if your study right has expired. If you would like to continue your studies, you must
The University may revoke the right to study in the case of SORA degrees in situations specified in the Universities Act. The studies in these degrees involve health and functional capacity requirements pertaining to the safety and security of minors as well as patient and client safety.
Your right to complete a degree terminates permanently by graduating or by waiving it voluntarily (see instructions on how to forfeit the right to pursue a degree). In addition, as of 1 January 2027, your right to study at the same and lower levels will terminate when you accept in the admissions process a new study right leading to a higher education degree (not applicable to postgraduate research degrees). For detailed instructions, see the Studyinfo website.