The Regulation is established based on clause 5 (3) 1) of the Tallinn University of Technology Act. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

§ 1. General provisions

(1) These Regulations  lay down the fields, the principles of organising and assuring the quality  of continuing education and  the terms and conditions of accreditation of prior and experiential learning (hereinafter referred to as “APEL”) for completion of continuing education at Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “the university”).

(2) Continuing education courses may be conducted in all the fields of study specified in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).

(3) Continuing education shall be organised in compliance with the Adult Education Act, the Continuing Education Standard adopted by Regulation No 27 of 19.06.2015 of the Minister of Education and Research, Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020, the professional standards of the various fields, the Strategic Plan of Tallinn University of Technology 2021-2025, the Academic Policies established by Regulation No 6 of the university Senate and other legislation regulating the field of continuing education. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(4) Continuing education is part of lifelong learning, which provides self-improvement in the professional field or as hobby, incl. retraining. At the university continuing education is defined as follows:

1) education provided based on the continuing education study programmes (hereinafter referred to as “continuing education”);

2) education provided based on the courses of the degree level study programmes (hereinafter referred to as “open studies”).

(5) A continuing education student is a person studying in a continuing education course or open studies. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(6) The status and academic policies for continuing education students are laid down in this Regulation. Other legislation of the university applies to continuing education students in so far as this Regulation or a learning agreement entered into between the continuing education student and the university does not provide otherwise. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(7) A continuing education student is obliged to comply in particular with the requirements arising from this Regulation, other relevant legislation, generally accepted standards of conduct and good practice and to fulfil other obligations arising from the learning agreement. “Good practice” means conduct that complies with the university’s principles of academic ethics, the university’s values, the academic policies, the standards set out in legislation. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

§ 2. Planning and organisation of continuing education courses

(1) The field of activity of continuing education shall be led by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and coordinated by the Open University.

(2) Continuing education courses shall be organised in compliance with the general requirements of the university’s Academic Policies according to the continuing education study programmes or through completion of single courses of degree level study programmes in open studies.

(3) Continuing education services are provided by schools, departments, the Open University and other administrative and support units in compliance with the functions laid down in the description of the unit.

(4) The head of the department or unit organising continuing education or a person appointed by the head of the department or unit shall be responsible for the quality of the content of the continuing education study programme and entry of the data on the study programme in the continuing education information system TÕIS (hereinafter referred to as “TÕIS”).

(5) The Open University shall provide support services for continuing education in compliance with the structure and functions of the Open University established by order No 78 of 19 May 2016 of the Vice-Rector for Innovation and Business Relations. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(6) Study load is calculated in ECTS credit points (ECTS).

(7) Continuing education is organised in the form of a study day, a course or a course cycle. Continuing education can take place in the form of face-to-face teaching, e-learning, independent work or practical work.

(8) The continuing education service is provided in the Open University based on the civil law learning agreement for continuing education studies entered into between the continuing education student and the university. The standard form of the special provisions and the general provisions of the agreement have been approved by Rector’s directive No 1-8/29 of 26 June 2019 and the agreement shall be entered into in the study information system in a format which can be reproduced in writing. A continuing education student has limited access to the study information system until an agreement is entered with the university. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(9) Primary counselling of, entry into contracts with and issue of invoices to continuing education students commencing open studies shall be organised by the Open University. Consultancy regarding professional development shall be provided and issues regarding academic affairs shall be solved in the schools and departments of the universities.

§ 3. Registration for continuing education courses and storage of data

(1) The persons, who want to study according to a continuing education study programme shall, when registering in TÕIS, confirm that they have read the legislation governing studies at the university and their participation, in respect of which an automatic confirmation message is sent. The data of continuing education students are collected and stored in TÕIS.

(2) In open studies registration for degree level courses takes place in the study information system ÕIS (hereinafter referred to as “ÕIS”) pursuant to the terms and conditions and procedure laid down in the Academic Policies established by the University Senate until the deadline set out in the academic calendar. The data of the students are collected and stored and information concerning studies is exchanged in ÕIS. Official information (notices, study information, etc.) shall be sent to the student’s ÕIS account and the information shall be deemed to have been delivered to the student and it is deemed that the student has had a reasonable opportunity to acquaint himself/herself with it when three (3) working days have elapsed from sending the information. [entry into force 01.11.2019]

(3) The university may refuse to enrol a person as a continuing education student if the person does not meet the requirements laid down for continuing education or the conditions established in the syllabus of a course in degree level studies, the maximum number of participants has been reached or if the person has financial obligations to the university.

(4) If a continuing education student violates good practice or generally accepted standards of conduct, the violation can be considered, depending on the gravity of the violation, as a valid reason based on the assessment of the Head of Open University to extraordinarily cancel the agreement entered into with the continuing education student without giving advance notice. Upon extraordinary cancellation of the agreement, the amount paid by the continuing education student to the university before the extraordinary cancellation of the agreement shall not be refunded to the student and the continuing education student is obliged to compensate the university for the damage caused by extraordinary cancellation. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

§ 4. Continuing education study programme

(1) Continuing education shall be organised based on a continuing education study programme entered in TÕIS.

(2) A continuing education study programme shall meet the requirements for continuing education study programmes laid down in the Continuing Education Standard.

(3) To open a continuing education study programme, the person responsible for continuing education shall enter the data of the study programme in TÕIS.

(4) A continuing education study programme shall be prepared based on the learning outcomes and approved in the continuing education information system TÕIS by the head of the structural unit organising the studies or a person appointed by the head of the structural unit.

§ 5. Documenting the grading outcomes and recording documents

(1) Continuing education results shall be entered in the corresponding study information system (TÕIS, ÕIS).

(2) Assessment results shall be entered into the continuing education information system TÕIS or study information system ÕIS by the academic staff member conducting the studies or an employee appointed by the head of the structural unit. An assessment form shall be signed by the academic staff member conducting the studies. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(3) A notice or certificate certifying participation in and completion of a continuing education course shall be issued in compliance with the requirements established by the Continuing Education Standard. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

(4) A notice shall be issued to a person, who has registered for a continuing education course, participated in or completed the continuing education course, if the accomplishment of the learning outcomes was not assessed or if the person did not accomplish all the learning outcomes required for the completion of the study programme.

(5) A certificate shall be issued to a person, who has completed a continuing education course to its full extent, if the accomplishment of the learning outcomes was assessed and the person accomplished all the required learning outcomes for the completion of the study programme.

(6) A notice or certificate may, if necessary, be accompanied by an annex, which forms an integral part of the notice or certificate.

(7) A certificate, a duplicate, a notice and annexes thereto shall be prepared in Estonian. A certificate, a notice and annexes thereto may be prepared in English at the request of the continuing education student or by the decision of the head of the structural unit that organises the continuing education course.

(8) A certificate, a notice of continuing education and annexes thereto shall be issued electronically unless otherwise specified in the continuing education study programme. A certificate, a notice and annexes thereto may be issued on paper at the request of the continuing education student or by the decision of the head of the structural unit that organises the continuing education course.

(9) Digil documents shall be certified by the digital signature of the head of the structural unit that organises the continuing education course or by the university’s digital stamp.

(10) A continuing education certificate, notice and annexes thereto issued on paper shall be signed by the head of the unit that organises the continuing education course or by the Head of the Open University.

(11) To issue a duplicate certificate and its annex, an interested person shall submit an application to the Open University. A duplicate shall be issued on the certificate form with a notation “Duplicate”. A duplicate shall be signed by the Head of the Open University.

(12) The certificates and notices shall be entered in the register of certificates and notices in the university’s study information system. The Open University manages the register and coordinates issue of the certificates, notices and annexes.

§ 6. Financial management of continuing education courses

(1) Continuing education is a payable service provided by the university. The price of continuing education courses is formed in accordance with the rates and pricing established at the university.

(2) The terms of payment for and waiver of a continuing education course:

1) The person who registers is obliged to pay the tuition fee. The tuition fee shall be paid no later than four (4) working days before commencement of the continuing education course.

2) If the person who registered to a continuing education course waives the course earlier than four (4) working days before commencement of the continuing education course, he/she is not obliged to pay the tuition fee. [entry into force 01.09.2021]

3) If the person who registered to a continuing education course waives the course one (1) to three (3) working days before commencement of the continuing education course, the person has to pay tuition fee in the amount of 50% of the total amount of the tuition fee. [entry into force 01.09.2021].

4) If the person who registered to a continuing education course does not notify of continuing education course waiver in advance and fails to attend the continuing education course, the person has to pay tuition fee in the amount of 100% of the total amount of the tuition fee. [entry into force 01.09.2021].

5) If a continuing education course does not take place due to reasons attributable to the university, the university shall refund the tuition fee to the registrant in full.

(3) The terms and conditions for imposing VAT on the tuition fee of continuing education courses:

1) the university excludes any commercial purpose in the organisation of open studies and courses intended for schoolchildren and VAT shall not be imposed on the tuition fees;

2) VAT shall be imposed on other continuing education services when competing in the training market in the provision of the service with a continuing education provider who is a person liable to value added tax in the meaning of the Value Added Tax Act.

§ 7. APEL in continuing education

(1) A continuing education student may apply for APEL in accordance with the Procedure and Terms and Conditions for Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning established by the University Senate.

§ 8. Reporting

(1) The university’s continuing education reports are based on ÕIS, TÕIS and the register of certificates and contain data concerning the activity and performance indicators, including the financial volume, of the field of continuing education.

(2) The Open University shall prepare a continuing education report based on a calendar year and submit it to the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs.

§ 9. Repeal of Regulation

The TTÜ Council Regulation No 11 of 8 October 2013 “Procedure for Continuing Education Courses” is repealed.

§ 10. Entry into force of the Regulation

The Regulation shall enter into force upon signature.