The Regulation is established on the basis of clause 5 (3) 1) of the Tallinn University of Technology Act.

Chapter 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 1. Purpose

The Study Programme Statute (hereinafter referred to as “the Statute”) lays down the structure, conditions and procedures for preparing, opening, evaluating, amending and closing of degree study programmes at Tallinn University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “the university”).

§ 2. A study programme and its structure

(1) Studies shall be conducted according to a study programme.

(2) A study programme serves as the basis for higher education studies and lays down the objectives, learning outcomes, nominal duration and workload of studies, the language of instruction, admission requirements, the list of courses, specialisation opportunities, and the conditions for the completion of studies.

(3) The study programmes provided under a cooperation agreement include joint study programmes and double degree study programmes. Under a cooperation agreement, the parties agree, at a minimum, on the degree title to be awarded to those who successfully complete the study programme, as well as matters related to the study programme management and financing (e.g., tuition fees, cost and income distribution between partners), student admission and selection procedures, student and staff mobility, and organisational issues (such as examination procedures, assessment, credit recognition, and awarding of degrees).
1) A joint study programme is a study programme jointly developed and managed by the university and one or more higher education institutions under a cooperation agreement. The modules and workload of a joint study programme may differ from the modules and minimum workload of courses specified in subsection 3 (3) of the Statute. Joint study programmes are opened, amended and closed in accordance with the Statute, unless otherwise laid down in the cooperation agreement between the parties.
2) A person who has completed a joint study programme in full will be awarded a joint diploma in the case of a joint study programme provided by the university in collaboration with another Estonian institution of higher education. In the case of a joint study programme offered by the university and a foreign institution of higher education, the graduate will receive separate graduation documents from both the university and the partner institutions abroad.
3) A double degree study programme is a study programme that may be offered based on a cooperation agreement between two or more higher education institutions. A prerequisite for concluding a cooperation agreement is that the participating institutions offer study programmes with similar courses, the full completion of which leads to the awarding of two or more graduation documents that are officially recognised in the countries where the respective higher education institutions are located. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(4) The nominal duration of a study programme is the designated period of time required to complete the programme.

(5) A study programme consists of courses. Courses are arranged into modules that either combine several courses into a cohesive set or consist of a single course.

(6) The workload of a study programme, module or course shall be calculated in academic workload units, i.e. European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits (hereinafter referred to as “ECTS credits”). 1 ECTS credit corresponds to 26 hours of student work.

(7) As a rule, the workload of a course is 6 ECTS credits.

(8) A study programme may include one or more main fields of study, i.e. areas of specialisation. “A main field of study” means a set of acquired professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable a graduate to commence work in the relevant field or to continue studies at the next academic cycle in the same or a related study programme. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(9) One or more minor fields of study may be formed from the courses of a study programme. “A minor field of study” means a set of professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable students who select this field of study to acquire additional knowledge and develop competencies for commencing work in the relevant field or for continuing studies at the next academic cycle. The workload of a minor field of study in the first and second cycle of higher education shall be at least 45 ECTS credits. If a minor field of study includes courses that are part of the student’s study programme, the courses shall be taken into account upon the completion of both the minor field of study and the study programme. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(10) The study programmes, their nominal duration and workload are as follows:

*In doctoral studies, the workload  is calculated in hours.

Chapter 2
BACHELOR’S, PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION, MASTER’S  AND INTEGRATED BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S STUDY PROGRAMMES

§ 3. Requirements for bachelor’s, professional higher education, master’s and integrated bachelor’s and master’s (hereinafter referred to as “integrated”) study programmes

(1) A study programme consists of the following modules:
1) general studies, the goal of which is to enhance the level of transversal knowledge and skills;
2) core studies, the goal of which is to provide basic education specific to the broad group of studies and field of study;
3) specialised studies, incl. internship, the goal of which is the acquisition of the knowledge and skills directly related to the field of study described in the study programme and required for commencing work in the relevant field or for continuing studies at the next academic cycle;
4) free choice studies, the goal of which acquisition of the competencies in courses that are not included in the study programme and can be freely chosen by the student;
5) a graduation thesis or final exam, while both may be offered as an option in a study programme version.

(2) A study programme version is the study programme entered in the study information system for admission in the corresponding academic year.

(3) Minimum workload of study programme modules (ECTS credits) [entry into force 01.01.2026]

¹Specialised studies and a graduation thesis/final exam are mandatory modules of master’s degree programmes with a nominal duration of one year. General, core and free choice study modules may be included as necessary.
² In master’s programmes with a nominal duration of 1.5 years (90 ECTS credits), the workload of core and specialised studies is proportionally smaller.
³In master’s studies, an internship is required where it is necessary to achieve the learning outcomes.
⁴In a professional higher education programme, an internship shall account for at least 15% of the workload of studies.
⁵In professional higher education programmes with a nominal duration of 3.5 years (210 ECTS credits), the workload of specialised studies is proportionally smaller.

(4) Elective courses shall account for at least 15% of the workload of a study programme. In each module containing elective courses, the workload of elective courses available shall be at least 1.3 times the workload of elective courses required for completion of the module.

(5) Bachelor’s, professional higher education and integrated study programmes shall comprise, among other things:
1) discipline-specific skills, including entrepreneurial, sustainable development, mathematical, digital and engineering skills, as well as transversal skills, including self-management, learning, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and ethical skills, the requirements of which shall be established by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs;
2) courses that incorporate interdisciplinary, as well as problem- and project-based learning;
3) English-language courses in the study programmes taught in Estonian;
4) Estonian language and culture courses with a minimum workload of 6 ECTS credits in the study programmes taught in English.

(6) Master’s study programmes shall comprise, among other things:
1) a compulsory or elective entrepreneurship course with a workload of 6 ECTS credits;
2) courses that incorporate interdisciplinary, as well as problem- and project-based learning;
3) English-language courses in the study programmes taught in Estonian;
4) Estonian language and culture courses with a minimum workload of 6 ECTS credits in the study programmes taught in English.

(7) Clauses (6) 1) and 3) of this section need not be applied to one-year master’s study programmes.

(8) The procedure for preparing syllabuses and study programmes shall be established by the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs.

(9) The conditions and procedure for the calculation of the teaching workload of academic units shall be established by the Rector.

(10) E-support shall be ensured in compulsory courses.

Chapter 3
DOCTORAL STUDY PROGRAMMES

§ 4. Requirements for study programmes

(1) Doctoral studies consist of doctoral studies with the workload of 30 ECTS credits, corresponding to 780 hours of studies and research, development and creative activity, including a doctoral thesis, corresponding to 5,460 hours of work and forming 87.5% of the total workload of studies.

(2) A doctoral study programme comprises the following modules:
1) the transferable skills module with the minimum workload of 12 ECTS credits;
2) the professional proficiency module with the minimum workload of 12 ECTS credits;
3) the research module.

(3) The transferable skills taught to doctoral students include the philosophy of science, ethics in science, organisation of research and education, didactics in higher education, career planning, the writing and management of research projects, entrepreneurial behaviour and innovation, and written and oral communication skills.

(4) In the professional proficiency module, a doctoral student shall choose discipline-specific courses based on the topic of the doctoral thesis.

(5) The research module includes the following research, development and creative activities: seminars, teaching and supervision, publication, presentations at research conferences, activities related to popularisation of science and the doctoral thesis.

Chapter 4
OPENING, AMENDING AND CLOSING STUDY PROGRAMMES

§ 5. Opening a study programme

(1) The prerequisite for opening a study programme is the existence of societal demand for specialised professionals and the availability of adequate academic and material resources.

(2) The Dean or a person authorised by the Dean shall submit a pre-application to the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (or to the Vice-Rector for Research in the case of doctoral studies) no later than 1 March of the calendar year preceding the opening of the programme. The pre-application shall include at least the following: [entry into force 01.01.2026]
1) the rationale for opening the study programme, including its relevance and compliance with social developments and needs;
2) a draft of the study programme, including the preliminary structure at the module level;
3) the objectives and learning outcomes of the study programme, along with a comparison thereof with the learning outcomes laid down in the Standard of Higher Education, and if applicable, a comparison with the relevant occupational qualification standard;
4) the relationship of the study programme with the existing study programmes, a description of internal cooperation within the university; a description of the competitive advantages in comparison to study programmes in Tallinn University of Technology as well as in other institutions of higher education in Estonia and abroad;
5) an analysis of the potential labour market prospects of the target group and the graduates;
6) the planned number of students to be admitted;
7) a description of the resources of the study programme (incl. funding sources, the need to design new courses and the amount of the tuition fee, academic staff, potential cooperation partners, etc.)

(3) To open a joint study programme, the consent of the partner university/universities shall be provided, together with an agreement on the financing scheme and arrangements for student admission, in addition to the pre-application. If financing from sources outside the university is used to open a study programme, a pre-application, together with the consent of the partner(s), shall be submitted to the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs prior to the submission of the financing application. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(4) The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (or the Vice-Rector for Research in the case of doctoral studies) shall organise the evaluation of the pre-application within two months, in the course of which:
1) the Office of Academic Affairs reviews the pre-application for compliance with the requirements and provides initial feedback to the person who prepared the study programme;
2) where necessary, the person who prepared the study programme supplements the pre-application based on the feedback received and resubmits it to the Office of Academic Affairs;
3) the Office of Academic Affairs submits the pre-application that meets the requirements to the Committee for Academic Affairs (or to the Committee for Research in the case of doctoral studies);
4) the Committee for Academic Affairs (or the Committee for Research in the case of doctoral studies) reviews the pre-application, makes proposals and recommendations, and provides a rationale for the decision on whether the programme should be approved for opening; [ entry into force 01.01.2026]
5) the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (or the Vice-Rector for Research in the case of doctoral studies) makes the final decision regarding the development of the study programme after having heard the opinion of the Committee for Academic Affairs (also the Committee for Research in the case of doctoral studies).

(5) On the basis of a positively evaluated pre-application, the Dean submits a proposal to the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (or to the Vice-Rector for Research in the case of doctoral studies) by 5 September, appointing the members of the Programme Advisory Board and the Programme Director, whose responsibilities include preparing the study programme in the study information system, coordinating the programme’s launch, and submitting the admission requirements.

(6) The Programme Director shall coordinate the courses included in the study programme with the heads of the structural units responsible for teaching the courses. The Programme Director shall ensure that the necessary approvals are obtained and documented in a form that can be reproduced in writing. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(7) The Programme Director shall submit the draft study programme to the Office of Academic Affairs by 1 October, together with the following: [entry into force 01.01.2026]
1) a list of the lecturers responsible for teaching, including information on their qualifications;
2) a comparison of the learning outcomes of the study programme with those of the corresponding level of higher education laid down in the Standard of Higher Education;
3) an explanatory note setting out the rationale for opening the new study programme, together with an overview of the additional resources required for launching the study programme and the planned number of students to be admitted;
4) at least two expert evaluations of the study programme from professional associations and/or employers;
5) in the case of a joint study programme, a draft cooperation agreement that complies with the requirements set out in the Higher Education Act.

(8) The Office of Academic Affairs shall verify the compliance of the study programme with the requirements.

(9) The School Council shall decide whether to approve a study programme that meets the requirements and shall submit its decision to the Office of Academic Affairs. The Office of Academic Affairs shall submit the study programme that meets the requirements, together with the documents specified in subsection (7) of this section, to the Senate. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(10) The University Senate approves the study programme no later than nine months before the start of the academic year, after having heard the opinion of the Committee for Study Affairs (also the Committee for Research in the case of doctoral studies).

(11) [repealed – entry into force 01.01.2026]

§ 6. Amending a study programme

(1) A new study programme shall be opened in accordance with § 5 of the Study Programme Statute if the language of instruction, the nominal duration of studies, or the workload of the study programme is changed or if any substantial amendments are made to the objectives and learning outcomes of the study programme.

(2) A new version of the first- and second-cycle study programmes opened for admission shall be prepared for each academic year.

(3) To create a new version of a study programme, the Programme Director shall enter the draft new version into the study information system and submit the amendments to the study programme, together with the rationale, to the Office of Academic Affairs for approval.

(4) The University Senate shall approve amendments to a study programme version submitted by the Office of Academic Affairs in the following cases: [entry into force 01.01.2026]
1) when a main field of study is added or closed;
2) when the name of the study programme is amended;
3) when the title of the degree awarded is amended;
4) when the study programme classification is amended;
5) when the structural unit managing the study programme changes.

(5) Amendments not specified in subsection (4) of this section shall be approved by the School Council on the proposal of the Programme Director, unless no changes are made in the modules and the list of courses of the new version of the study programme compared to the previous version.

(6) If a new main field of study is added, the Programme Director shall provide additional information on the required resources and the planned number of students. The University Senate shall decide whether to add a main field of study on the basis of a proposal of the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (or the Vice-Rector for Research in the case of doctoral studies) and after having heard the opinion of the School Council.

(7) In previous versions of a study programme, where students have been enrolled for less than two years beyond the nominal duration of the study programme, single courses may be replaced by other courses with equivalent workload, new elective courses may be added and teaching an elective course can be terminated.

(8) The Programme Director shall submit the amendments listed in subsection (7) of this section, together with the rationale, to the Office of Academic Affairs for approval.

(9) The Programme Director shall coordinate all changes relating to courses, including their rearrangement in the standard study plan, with the heads of the structural units conducting the studies. The Programme Director shall ensure that the necessary approvals are obtained and documented in a form that can be reproduced in writing. [entry into force 01.01.2026]

(10) The deadlines for submission and approval of study programme amendments: [entry into force 01.01.2026]

*an explanatory note, the draft new version and/or new syllabuses in the study information system

§ 7 Closing a study programme

(1) Closing a study programme means that studies in the specific study programme are terminated. The university shall not issue graduation documents on the basis of a closed study programme.

(2) The University Senate shall decide whether to close a study programme on the basis of a proposal from the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs (or from the Vice-Rector for Research in the case of doctoral studies) and after having heard the opinion of the School Council.

(3) The closing of a study programme shall be preceded by the termination of admission. The Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs shall make a proposal to terminate admission, if during the last three years:
1) fewer than 15 students have been admitted per main field of in the case of first-cycle study programmes, and fewer than 10 students have been admitted per main field of study in the case of second-cycle study programmes;
2) the percentage of graduates is below 25% (excluding in the case of doctoral study programmes) compared to the total number of students admitted at the start of the nominal duration of studies in the study programme.

(4) Teaching according to the standard study plan of the study programme is terminated after the nominal duration of the study programme has elapsed since the last admission. The students shall be provided with an opportunity to continue their studies under a study programme in a similar field of study.

§ 8. Exceptions to the requirements laid down in the Statute

In justified cases, the University Senate may, when amending study programmes, allow exceptions to the requirements laid down in the Statute.

Chapter 5
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

§ 9 . Implementing provisions

(1) This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2025.

(2) Study programmes shall be brought into compliance with clauses 3 (5) 1) and 2) and clause 3 (6) 2) of this Regulation by the 2028/2029 academic year.

(3) Regulation No 2 of the Senate of 19 April 2016 “Curriculum Statute” is repealed.