- Regulations for Doctoral Studies
- I. General provisions
- II. Doctoral Studies
- II.1. Learners in doctoral studies
- II.2. Supervision
- II.3. Filling a vacant student place
- II.4. Organisation of study
- II.4.1. General principles
- II.4.2. Period of study, suspension of doctoral studies and changes to the period of study of doctoral students matriculated to doctoral programmes opened from the 2022/2023 academic year
- II.4.3. Workload, academic leave and extending the period of study of doctoral students matriculated to doctoral curricula opened before the 2022/2023 academic year
- II.4.4. Individual plan
- II.5. Progress review
- II.5.1. Progress review schedule
- II.5.2. Progress review committee
- II.5.3. Documents required for progress review
- II.5.4. Progress review meeting
- II.5.5. Decisions of the progress review committee
- II.5.5.1. Decisions of the progress review committee regarding learners in doctoral studies in doctoral programmes opened from the 2022/2023 academic year
- II.5.5.2. Decisions of the progress review committee regarding learners in doctoral studies in doctoral curricula opened before the 2022/2023 academic year
- II.5.6. Repeat progress review and appealing a progress review decision
- II.6. Exmatriculation
- III. Applying for Doctoral Degree
- III.1. Completion of the doctoral programme
- III.2. Council awarding doctoral degrees
- III.3. Requirements for doctoral candidate
- III.4. Requirements for doctoral thesis
- III.4.1. General requirements for doctoral thesis
- III.4.2. Doctoral thesis as an integrated collection of research publications
- III.4.3. Doctoral thesis as a monograph
- III.4.4. Requirement for research publications and the introductory chapter
- III.4.5. Requirements for patents, patent applications and applied solutions
- III.4.6. Structure of the doctoral thesis
- III.5. Allowing a doctoral thesis to be defended
- III.6. Publication of the doctoral thesis
- III.7. Defence of the doctoral thesis
- III.8. Applying for doctoral degree and defence of the doctoral thesis under a joint supervision agreement
- III.9. Contesting and overruling the decisions of the council awarding doctoral degrees
- III.10. Preservation of the doctoral thesis
- IV. Implementing provisions
- Study Regulations
- I. General provisions
- II. Courses and modules
- III. Following the curriculum
- IV. Assessment
- V. Completion of studies
- VI. Filling vacant student places and rematriculation
- VII. Additional rights and obligations of students
- VII.1. Notification
- VII.2. Counselling
- VII.3. Making adaptations in studies
- VII.4. Giving feedback
- VII.5. Studying at other higher education institutions in Estonia
- VII.6. Studying at higher education institutions abroad
- VII.7. Academic leave
- VII.8. Extension of studies
- VII.9. Good academic practice
- VII.10. Contesting decisions concerning the organisation of studies
- Annex 1. Studying as a visiting student or external student
- Annex 2. Intensive study of Estonian
- Annex 3. Recognition of prior learning and professional experience
Regulations for Doctoral Studies and Study Regulations
Annex 2. Intensive study of Estonian
Annex 2. Intensive study of Estonian
1. The level of Estonian language proficiency is determined based on the level descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages developed by the Council of Europe. Upon taking up studies in an Estonian-taught curriculum, students who have graduated from a school where the language of instruction is other than Estonian or who have taken the state exam in Estonian as a second language must, before registering for first-year courses, take the test of Estonian as the language of instruction at the university, unless their command of Estonian is B2 or above or they have scored at least 80 points in the state exam in Estonian as a second language.
2. If a student taking up studies in an Estonian-taught curriculum does not have previous Estonian language skills, the student must participate in the intensive Estonian language courses in the volume of 60 ECTS. Students whose result in the test of Estonian as the language of instruction is below 30% must take intensive Estonian language courses in the volume of 30 ECTS, if the result is below 40% in the volume of 18 ECTS, if the result is below 60% in the volume of 12 ECTS, and if the result is below 80% in the volume of 6 ECTS. Students who score more than 80% in the test of Estonian as the language of instruction do not have to take an intensive Estonian language course.
3. Based on the result of the test of Estonian as the language of instruction, the student is assigned to an intensive Estonian language course by the directive of the vice rector for academic affairs and the student undertakes to complete the Estonian language programme approved by the council of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures in the prescribed volume of 6, 12, 18, 30 or 60 ECTS. The teaching of Estonian is organised by the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures in cooperation with the student’s faculty. For students studying at Narva College, the teaching of Estonian is organised by Narva College.
4. The teaching of the Estonian language is organised in parallel with the student’s curriculum unless the student has no previous Estonian language skills. Students with no previous Estonian language skills (taking intensive Estonian language courses in the volume of 60 ECTS) are not required to follow their curriculum in the first study year; by the end of the second study year, they must have completed the compulsory courses of their curriculum to the extent of at least 30 ECTS (15 ECTS in part-time studies) and by the end of the third study year, to the extent of at least 60 ECTS (30 ECTS in part-time studies). Students taking intensive Estonian language courses in the volume of 30 ECTS are not required to follow their curriculum in the first semester, but in the second semester, the students must complete courses of their curriculum to the extent of at least 15 ECTS.
5. When calculating the workload of full-time and part-time study according to clause 39, and completing the minimum prescribed volume of the curriculum as defined in clause 41, the courses of the Estonian language programme are also taken into account for students assigned to intensive Estonian language studies.
6. The volume of intensive Estonian language studies determined based on the proficiency level must be completed by the end of the standard period of study (before defending the graduation thesis). The faculty council may establish an earlier deadline for the completion of intensive Estonian language studies. A student assigned to intensive Estonian language studies has completed the curriculum if, in addition to the number of credits prescribed by the curriculum, the required volume of intensive Estonian language courses has been completed. If courses of the intensive Estonian language programme are included in the student’s curriculum, the student is not required to take them in addition to the Estonian language courses prescribed in the curriculum. The courses of the intensive Estonian language programme may be used to complete the volume of the optional courses module of the curriculum.
7. The end date of the student’s study period is postponed by the time spent on the Estonian language studies depending on the volume of the language studies completed. If the volume of language studies is 6–30 ECTS, the standard period of study is extended by six months; if the volume of language studies is 60 ECTS, the standard period of study is extended by one year. The extension of the standard period of study is effected by the directive of the vice rector for academic affairs after the full completion of the Estonian language programme at the end of the standard period of study of the curriculum.
