1. General provisions

1.1 The Rules for Calculating the Workload of Teaching of Academic Structural Units (hereinafter referred to as “the Rules”) lay down the basis for calculating the teaching workload of the academic structural units of Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “the university”). The workload of teaching comprises the workload of face-to-face teaching and the workload of supervision of doctoral theses (hereinafter referred to as “graduation thesis” or “graduation theses”).

1.2 The workload of teaching is one of the components of baseline and performance-based funding of an academic structural unit of the university. Other components of the workload of teaching shall be laid down by the structural units. The terms and conditions for baseline and performance-based funding and the procedure for shaping the university’s budget are laid down in the Financial Regulations established by the Rector.

2. Principles for calculating the workload of face-to-face teaching

2.1 The workload of face-to-face teaching shall be calculated for courses included in the study programmes and courses listed in the Rector’s directive that lays down free teaching of courses not included in the study programmes.

2.2 The workload of face-to-face teaching is calculated based on the total amount of academic hours of face-to-face teaching prescribed in the study programme for teaching a course that has been declared for the semester and entered in the timetable.

2.3 The workload of face-to-face teaching of an academic year is the total workload of face-to-face teaching in the autumn and spring semester multiplied by the coefficient 3.

2.4 “Face-to-face teaching” means studies conducted for the purposes of achieving the learning outcomes in the form of a lecture, practical training, practice session or e-learning, in which both the student and the teacher take part. “E-learning” means studies carried out fully or partially by using the tools of digital technology.

2.5 The data on the workload of face-to-face learning are obtained from the study information system.

2.6 The maximum number of hours of face-to-face teaching per semester in daytime studies, excluding in specialist practical courses of study programmes related to the Maritime Safety Act, shall be calculated in accordance with the workload prescribed in the study programme (in credit points, hereinafter referred to as “ECTS credits”) as follows:

If the workload (ECTS credits) of a course differs from the above, the hours of face-to-face teaching are calculated proportionately to the workload set out in this clause and the result is rounded to the nearest whole number.

L+H+P+E 64*M/6, where

L – hours of lectures (face-to-face teaching of students)

H – hours of practical training per semester (face-to-face teaching of students)

P – hours of practice sessions per semester (face-to-face teaching of students)

E – hours of e-learning per semester (face-to-face teaching of students)

M – course workload (ECTS credits)

2.7 The maximum number of hours of face-to-face teaching per semester in session-based studies forms up to 25% of the course workload and is calculated as follows;

1 ETCS credit = 26 hours of study in any form, from which up to 25% can be face-to-face teaching. The most common maximum numbers of face-to-face teaching hours corresponding to the course workload in session-based studies are the following:

2.8 If a course is taught in several languages or in several forms of study, the estimated workload of face-to-face learning shall be calculated separately for each language of instruction and for each form of study and the results shall be added together. In the case of both forms of study, the face-to-face teaching hours of daytime study in the syllabus are taken into account.

3. Calculating the face-to-face teaching hours of a course

3.1 The estimated face-to-face teaching hours of a course shall be calculated as follows:

3.1.1 If the number of students who have declared the course is higher than 8, the amount of face-to-face teaching hours of the course is calculated based on the following formula ( )

K – amount of face-to-face teaching hours

T – the number of students who have declared the course, excluding international students studying in a self-paid study programme taught in English who are not nationals of a European Union Member State; in the case of students enrolled in 2024 or later, the student whom the school has decided to exempt from tuition fees are also included in the number of students who reimburse tuition fees.

⌈ ⌉ – rounding up to the nearest whole number

3.1.2 If the number of students who have declared the course is equal to or less than 8, excluding in specialist practical courses of study programmes related to the Maritime Safety Act, the face-to-face teaching hours of a course ( ) are calculated based on the following formula;

In specialist practical courses of study programmes related to the Maritime Safety Act, if the number of students who declared the course is equal to or less than 8, the total face-to-face teaching hours for a course ( ) are calculated based on the formula set out in clause 3.1.1

3.1.3 The number of students who have declared the course referred to in clauses 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 is recorded as of the date following the end date of the face-to-face teaching period of the semester.

3.1.4 If the e-support of a course has been awarded level 2 in accordance with TalTech e-learning standard or the quality label of the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (EKKA), the number of the face-to-face teaching hours of the relevant course shall be multiplied by 1.15. If the e-support of a course has been awarded level 3, the amount of face-to-face teaching hours of the relevant course is multiplied by 1.3.

3.1.5 The amount of face-to-face teaching hours is accounted to the structural unit approved in the syllabus. If several structural units have been approved in the syllabus, the number of hours of face-to-face study teaching of the course shall be divided between the structural units according to the proportions of teaching indicated by the structural units. If the proportions have not been indicated, the workload of the course is equally divided between the structural units. An exception is the courses taught by several structural units including at least one regional college (Tartu, Virumaa or Kuressaare College), in which case the proportion of students, who have registered for the course and are studying in a regional college according to the study information system, shall be calculated and the studies in the college are considered as a separate course for which the face-to-face teaching hours are accounted separately.

4. Principles for calculating the workload of supervision of graduation theses

4.1 The workload for successful supervision of a graduation thesis at different study levels is laid down in the Academic Career Management established by a Senate’s Regulation and in the Work Procedure Rules established by a Rector’s directive.

4.2 The workload of supervision of a graduation thesis shall be accounted to the academic structural unit, where the supervisor of the graduation thesis was employed as of the end of the accounting period (30 June).

4.3 If a graduation thesis has several supervisors, the workload of supervision specified in the Regulation on Academic Career Management and the Work Procedure Rules shall be divided between the principal supervisor and a co-supervisor(s) according to the proportions indicated in the study information system, or if the proportions have not been indicated, 50% of the workload shall be accounted to the principal supervisor and the remaining 50% shall be divided equally between the co-supervisors.

4.4 If the structural unit of a co-supervisor has not been indicated in the study information system, the co-supervisor’s workload of supervision shall be accounted to the structural unit of the principal supervisor.

4.5 If the supervisor of a I or II level graduation thesis is a PhD student, who is not an employee of any structural unit according to the study information system, the structural unit of the PhD student’s principal supervisor shall be considered as his/her structural unit.

4.6 In the case of I and II level graduation theses, the graduation theses that were given a positive grade at the defence in the period from 1 July to 30 June shall be included in the workload of the academic year.

4.7 In the case of the supervision of PhD students, the graduation theses that were given a positive grade at the defence or passed attestation in the period from 1 July to 30 June shall be included in the workload of the academic year. If a PhD student who passed attestation was on academic leave for up to 6 months during the period, 50% of the workload of supervision in the academic year shall be considered as the workload of supervision; if the PhD student was on academic leave for more than 6 months, the workload of supervision for the academic year shall not be accounted.

4.8 Supervision is not accounted in the workload of supervision of doctoral theses, if:

a) more than 5 years have passed since the date of matriculation of the PhD student by the beginning of the accounting period;
b) the PhD student was exmatriculated in the accounting period for a reason other than graduation from the university.