If things do not go according to plan…
Should you be unable to live up to the requirements of your courses, you may apply for dispensation (exemption).
You may apply for exemption if there are circumstances that prevent you from being able to comply with the rules that are applicable for your studies. Usually unexpected circumstances have to apply.
An exemption is defined as permission to be excused from the rules and regulations at your programme or course. You may, for example, apply for an exemption to attempt an examination for the fourth time or to get more time for an examination.
- Choose the application form that covers the type of exemption you need
- Follow the instructions for filling out the application form
- Provide an explanation of the circumstances that you believe entitle you to an exemption (exceptional circumstances).
- Enclose relevant documentation or mention that you will forward if you should be unable to provide it at the time of application.
When you apply for exemption, you must give reasons as to why you believe you are entitled to exemption from the general rules.
This means that in many cases, you must provide an explanation of what “exceptional circumstances” you are being affected by and you must be able to document them with, for example, a doctor’s note.
Examples of exceptional circumstances:
- Illness
- Maternity leave
- Illness or death in your immediate family
- Disability, e.g. dyslexia
- Jury duty as a lay judge or juror
Examples of circumstances which are not normally considered to be exceptional:
- You have a holiday planned on the same day as your examination
- You work a part-time job while completing your studies and you can’t keep up with the courses required for a given semester
- The bus was running late on the day of your examination
A good explanation will meet the following three requirements:
- It describes how the exceptional circumstances are beyond your control. Thus it should not describe circumstances that could have been avoided by being more careful, that you should have been able to foresee or that are otherwise “your own fault”.
- Lastly, it describes how the exceptional circumstances significantly affected your ability to comply with the rule(s) and regulations that you are requesting exemption from.
Processing an application for an exemption always involves a case-specific assessment. Therefore, your job is to describe the exceptional circumstances in such a way that you provide the study Board with the best possible basis on which to assess your application.
Documentation as a rule, you must be able to provide documented evidence of the exceptional circumstances with a doctor's note, for example.
The information provided in the doctor’s note will influence how the Study Board assesses your application. The following checklist covers what information the Study Board considers to be of importance when processing your application, i.e. information that is helpful to have in your doctor’s note.
- The doctor's note must clearly state that you were or are not able to comply with the requirements due to illness.
The note should reflect that your doctor has assessed that you were or are still ill, that you had or still have an illness, or that you were or still are absent owing to illness. The note does not have to specify the illness. It is not necessary to include medical records, etc. to document the information contained in the doctor’s note either. - The doctor's note must specify, how your illness is relevant to your application for an exemption.
Show this by explaining how due to your illness, you have not been able to/cannot participate in study activities, reduced power of concentration or similar. - The doctor's note must state the time frame for when you were/are ill.
You must state whether your illness is likely to be temporary or permanent. For temporary illness, you must state the expected start and end date of the period of illness. The note should state whether the illness has caused you to be on long-term or part time sick leave. - You should, also during sudden illness, consult with your doctor during your illness.
You must send your application and documentation to the Study Board, and the Study Board will make the decision on your application. Once a decision has been made, you will receive a written reply from the Study Board via your student.sdu.dk-mail.
Doctor´s note in another language?
If you have a doctor´s note in another language than Danish or English, you must get it translated by a professional agency. In the application, you must both attach the original doctor´s note and the translated one.
You can read more about different types of exemptions here and then chose the right application form for you. You can find information on what information you will be asked to provide when filling out the application form.
Have you used your three examination attempts?
You will always have three attempts to pass your examinations. Being absent from an examination also counts as an attempt.
You must have been affected by exceptional circumstances in order to be granted exemption for further examination attempts.You must provide a thorough explanation of these exceptional circumstances in your application.
You must be able to provide documented evidence of these exceptional circumstances, e.g. a doctor’s note. Many other forms of documentation may also be used depending on the specific situation.
Do you need to alter the terms of an examination?
You must use this application form if you are applying to change your examination conditions, e.g. if you want to replace an oral examination with a written one or get a time extension for your examination. As a rule, there must be exceptional circumstances for you to be granted this kind of exemption.
You must also use this application form to apply for other changes to your examination conditions. Examples of changes to examination conditions include writing in English, lowering the ECTS point weighting of a course. In cases such as these, writing a thorough explanation of your academic situation will often be enough.
If your application refers to exceptional circumstances, you must be able to provide documented evidence of such circumstances, e.g. a doctor’s note. Many other forms of documentation may also be used depending on the specific situation.
Do you need to move an examination or postpone a deadline?
You must use this application form if you would like to apply to have the deadline for your examination assignment postponed or rescheduled if necessary. As a rule, there must be exceptional circumstances for this kind of exemption to be granted, but it is also possible in some cases to obtain exemption on academic grounds, e.g. due to study travel or other examinations being scheduled at the same time.
If your application refers to exceptional circumstances, you must be able to provide documented evidence of such circumstances, e.g. a doctor’s note. Many other forms of documentation may also be used depending on the specific situation. If your application refers to your academic situation as evidence for exemption, you must provide a thorough explanation of the situation.
Other exemptions
Do you want to apply for exemption, but can’t find the right form?
If so, you can use this application form. The form has space for you to write what you are applying for and you can enclose documentation such as a doctor’s note with your application.
If you need guidance on your specific situation, please contact the Student Counselling at the Faculty of the Humanities.