Flexible study rights (JOO)

Finnish universities have concluded an agreement on the JOO flexible study right scheme, which allows undergraduate and postgraduate students to include studies from other Finnish universities in their degree. The scheme enables students to incorporate into their degree suitable studies offered by other universities and to benefit from the expertise and specialist fields of those universities.

The universities will withdraw from the national Flexible Study Right (JOO) agreement starting from January 1, 2026. The last opportunity to apply for JOO studies at the University of Helsinki is during the spring semester of 2025: the application period for undergraduate students is from April 1 to April 30, 2025, and for doctoral researchers, the application period is continuous until July 31, 2025.
University of Helsinki as a host university

JOO flexible study right instructions for UH students.

The University of Helsinki has no separate course catalogues for JOO students. More information about courses available on following websites: Course selection and Optional studies.

NB! If you apply flexible study right on courses offered by two separate faculties at the University of Helsinki, please submit two separate applications. For example courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Language Center can not be combined on one application. 

It is not possible to apply JOO study right to the following studies:

  • Advanced studies in Educational sciences
  • Advanced studies in Home economics
  • Bachelor's programme in Logopedics
  • Bachelor’s programme in Psychology
  • Basic and intermediate studies in Biology
  • Degree Programme in Dentistry
  • Degree Programme in Medicine 
  • ExpREES - Russian and Eastern European study programme
  • Intermediate studies in Geography
  • JOO study right to the courses of the Faculty of Law can only be granted to students who have already done studies in law.
  • Language Centre courses stipulated in the Decree on degrees in a foreign language (English) and in the second national language (Swedish)
  • Language Centre courses stipulated in the Decree on degrees in native language (Finnish, Swedish)
  • Language Centre exemption tests in Arabic, Danish, Estonian, Portuguese
  • Language Centre exemption tests in English and in the second national language (Swedish)
  • Language Centre exemption tests in native language (Finnish, Swedish)
  • Master's Programme in Logopedics
  • Master’s programme in Psychology
  • Master's Programme in Social and Health Research and Management
  • Master's Programme in Urban Studies and Planning 
  • Optional modules at the Faculty of Educational Sciences (Esi- ja alkuopetus, Kuvataidekasvatus, Liikuntapedagogiikka, Musiikkikasvatus)
  • Studies for teacher qualifications at the Faculty of Educational Sciences

The JOO study right can be granted only for studies available at the University of Helsinki and supported by the home university.

Decisions on granting the JOO study right are based on the following criteria:

  • The student does not hold the right to complete a degree at the University of Helsinki.
  • The JOO study right can be granted for the completion of modules or courses to be incorporated into a degree at another university.
  • The home university must support the planned studies and the schedule for their completion.
  • The amount/content of the applicant’s previous studies, the applicant’s academic performance and the reasons given by the applicant for needing the right to study will all be taken into account. 
  • The teaching resources of the degree programme applied for will be considered in relation to the number of students applying for a fixed-term right to study.

NB! Being granted the JOO study right does not guarantee access to a course (e.g., if the course uses a preliminary examination, competence test, priority order or participant quota in which participants are selected on a first-come, first-served basis). For the JOO right to be granted, the student must have sufficient knowledge and skills to complete the course. If the course has no separate quota, the decision whether to grant the right to study will depend, for example, on whether the university’s facility and equipment resources allow the acceptance of JOO students and whether the course can accommodate the students.

Studies at the University of Helsinki’s Open University are not included in the scope of the JOO scheme.

Application periods

For bachelor and master level students there are two application periods during the academic year 2024-2025:

  • 1.10. - 31.10.2024 for studies starting in next spring term
  • 1.4. - 30.4.2025 for studies starting in next autumn term

 Applications submitted after the closing date cannot be considered.

The application for JOO studies has two stages. Applicants must first apply for an endorsement for JOO-studies from the home university and take into account the time required for processing of the application at the home university. Endorsed applications must arrive from the home university to the University of Helsinki by the closing date for applications.

Doctoral students can submit their application year-round until July 31st 2025, but make sure to apply before the course begins. Processing time for the applications is four weeks. 

NB! New study rights for JOO studies will not be granted after 31 July 2025. This deadline also applies to applications for extensions to complete unfinished study modules. All study rights granted before this date will remain valid until the end of the granted study period.

Duration of the flexible study right

The JOO study right is always granted for a fixed term (up to two years), and the student can complete only the studies for which the right was granted. If the student’s home university supports an application for a term shorter than two years, the home university’s decision will be followed. The JOO study right will expire if the student graduates from the home university.

Processing time

Applicants for JOO studies at the University of Helsinki will receive information about the decision on the right to study approximately one month from the closing date for applications/submission of application (Doctoral students). If the right to study is granted, students will get an email and instructions for embarking on the JOO studies (e.g., course registration and user accounts). The student should read these instructions carefully.

The recognition of studies (credit transfer) takes place according to the home university’s instructions. Students are responsible for submitting information on completed JOO studies to their home university’s student register.

After completing your JOO-studies, please follow these instructions to order a Transcript of Records.

If you need more information, contact primarily International Exchange Services at joo@helsinki.fi