II.6. Exmatriculation

87. On the initiative of the university, a doctoral student is exmatriculated by the directive of the vice rector for research based on the proposal of the vice dean for research or the head of finance, or based on the decision of the council awarding the doctoral degree, for the following reasons:

87.1. completing the doctoral programme in full;

87.2. expiry of the end date of studies;

87.3. insufficient academic progress:

87.3.1. the doctoral student received negative assessment at the progress review or was not assessed;

87.3.2. the doctoral student failed to notify the committee of accepting the additional period specified in clause 79.2 or refused the additional period;

87.3.3. the doctoral student has received four negative exam results in the same course;

87.3.4. the degree was not awarded after a repeat defence;

87.4. the first-year doctoral student failed to submit the period plan specified in clause 53;

87.5. the doctoral student is matriculated to another curriculum or doctoral programme;

87.6. failure to pay the tuition fee by the due date specified in the Conditions and procedure of reimbursement of degree study costs;

87.7. expiry of the contract for the funding of the student place of the doctoral student, in case it was concluded for the entire period of study and the vice dean for research does not decide differently in justified cases;

87.8. expiry of the employment contract of the junior research fellow concluded for the entire period of study, unless the vice dean for research decides differently in justified cases;

87.9. the doctoral programme or the specialisation is closed and the doctoral student has not requested a transfer to another doctoral programme or specialisation by the time of closing;

87.10. the student studying under a joint curriculum or a cross-border curriculum that follows the principles of joint curriculum is exmatriculated from the university coordinating the joint curriculum;

87.11. the student who completed the previous level of study abroad fails to submit the documents certifying the previous level of education by the due date specified in the admission rules;

87.11.¹. . the international doctoral student who is not a citizen of a European Union member state, or the European Economic Area, or Switzerland, has no legal grounds for staying in Estonia, unless the vice dean for research decides otherwise in justified cases;

87.12. by resolution of the vice rector for research due to improper behaviour in the following cases:

87.12.1. academic fraud;

87.12.2. intentionally committed criminal offence while a doctoral student, upon the entry into force of a conviction by a court against him or her;

87.12.3. forgery of documents;

87.12.4. gross violation of generally recognized norms of behaviour or academic traditions.

88. Exmatriculation on the initiative of the university is generally effected within three weeks of the event specified in clause 87. Exmatriculation based on clause 87.3.3 is effected by the end of the semester during which the student received the last negative result. Exmatriculation based on clause 87.5 is effected before matriculation to a new student place. Exmatriculation based on clause 87.6 is effected within seven weeks of the due date specified in the Conditions and procedure of reimbursement of degree study costs. If the doctoral student has challenged the decision of the university on which the exmatriculation is based, the time limit for the formalisation of exmatriculation is suspended during the resolution of the dispute.

89. Exmatriculation on the doctoral student’s initiative takes place by the directive of the vice rector for research based on the doctoral student’s application. The university is entitled to ask the reason for the application and require the application to be approved by the supervisor and the head of the specialisation of the doctoral programme with the aim to offer counselling to the doctoral student.

90. The university exmatriculates the doctoral student by the directive of the vice rector for research based on the proposal of the vice dean for research in the case of the following events independent of the parties:

90.1. the court has appointed the student a guardian due to the student’s restricted active legal capacity;

90.2. the student has died.