Purpose: This study, based on self-determination theory (SDT), investigates the effect of business students' future time perspective (FTP), directly and indirectly (mediated by deep learning approaches), on quality of university life. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 547 business students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was surveyed via a two-wave process to collect data to validate the measures and to test the hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings: The results produced by SEM demonstrated that FTP had no direct effect on quality of university life and that deep learning approaches fully mediated the impact of FTP on quality of university life. Practical implications: The study findings provide business educators with a better understanding of the role that FTP can play for business students. Increased awareness of this issue may help nurture the FTP of business students, which in turn directs them to pursue deep learning approaches to achieve a higher level of quality of university life. Originality/value: This study is among the first to empirically investigate the overarching role that FTP plays in both deep learning approaches and quality of university life.