General information on exemptions

An exemption is defined as permission to be excused from the rules and regulations for a programme.  You may, for example, apply for an exemption to attempt an examination for the fourth time, to get more time for an examination, to take fewer courses in a semester than prescribed by your programme (curriculum) or to take courses in a different order than specified by your curriculum.

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 programme. Usually unexpected circumstances have to apply.

• 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 (special circumstances).
• Enclose relevant documentation or mention that you will forward it should you be unable to provide it at the time of application.

 The Study Board defines circumstances as special if they

• do not take place as a matter of routine and
• are are a consequence of something outside the student's control 
• are something which the student has not been able to anticipate and therefore could have made plans to avoid.

The special circumstance must have been decisive in relation to the need to apply for the exemption. This means that there must be a direct causal relationship between the circumstance and the issue of appeal. This, among other things, means that the circumstance must relate to a place in time so that it has hindered the student in adhering to the rule. This means that you in your application must account for when the special circumstance took place. Special circumstances must be documented and it must be described how the circumstance is a hindrance for following the rule concerned.

Special circumstances can be, for example, one´s own illness (read more about this below) or a close relative’s grave illness or death at the time of the exam. The illness must have taken place at a time and been of a length corresponding the exemption applied for.

 Study stay abroad or work is not regarded as a special circumstance. Extra ECTS due to the demand for enrolment for 30 new ECTS each semester is not a special circumstance. Finding a subject difficult or aptitude in other subjects are also not special circumstances. 

The exception to this are study abroad for which there is a preliminary approval of credit transfer. If there is documentation that such a study abroad hinders participation in the ordinary exam, the study board has praxis for approval of participation in the exam at the re-examination instead of the ordinary examination.

About illness

Illness must be documented by a doctor's note which must document that the illness hinders you or have hindered you in carrying out the tasks that are required to follow the rule that you seek exemption from. You can read more down below. 

If you suffer from a chronic illness, you are expected to be able to cope with the difficulties this entails. It is thus only sudden illness or illness, where you experience an attack in connection with or during an exam which is regarded as a special circumstance. If you have impairment in relation to the form of examination, you may apply for special examination conditions.

When applying for exemption, it is often a good idea to attach a plan on your future studyplans. A study plan is a note or visual representation, which gives the Study Board a chance to access whether or not you plan is possible. Please note: Applications to the Study Board of Business Economics must be attached with a study plan.

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.

1. The doctor's note must clearly state that you were or are still ill.
   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.
2. 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.
3. The doctor's note must specify, that you have been seen in the consultation and clearly state the docter has assessed that you are ill, it is not enough that it says they have been informed of your condition.
4. 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.
5. You should, also during sudden illness, consult with your doctor during your illness.
6. If you are applying for an extension of your bachelor or master thesis, the doctors note must include an alternative deadline.

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.

If you need guidance on your specific situation, please contact the academic student advisor.

If you have a question about an upcoming application, you also have the option to ask the Study Board Secretariat by contacting them by phone +45 6550 2291 (Monday – Friday 10:00 - 14:00) or in SPOC. Click on ’Study Board’. 

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 programme. Usually unexpected circumstances have to apply.

The first-year examination consists of a number of examinations that you must sit and pass during the first year of your programme.

You can read more about the first-year examination in your curriculum.

You must have been affected by special circumstances in order to postpone the deadline for sitting or passing your first-year examination.

You must provide a thorough explanation of these special circumstances in your application.

You must be able to provide documented evidence of these special circumstances, e.g. a doctor’s note. Many other forms of documentation may also be used depending on the specific situation.

You will almost always have three attempts to pass your examinations. There may be some examinations where you only have two attempts, so consult your curriculum to be sure. Being absent from an examination also counts as an attempt.

You must have been affected by special circumstances in order to be granted exemption for further examination attempts.

You must provide a thorough explanation of these special circumstances in your application.

You must be able to provide documented evidence of these special circumstances, e.g. a doctor’s note. Many other forms of documentation may also be used depending on the specific situation.

You must pass a minimum of 45 ECTS points in the academic year. This is an accumulated requirement which means that you may “save up ECTS” by doing more ECTS in one of more semesters.  Find further information here.

If you need to be exempt from the study activity requirements, you must provide authenticated documentation that you have been or are affected by special circumstances for a brief or extended period, such as e.g. illness.

In your application you must give a thorough explanation concerning these special circumstances.

You must indicate how many ECTS points you are able to take each semester, and you must enclose an individual study plan for your future course of study to your application.

The special circumstances must be documented through authenticated documentation, such as e.g. a doctor’s note. The doctor’s note must indicate whether your impaired work ability is permanent or temporary. It must also indicate how severe the impairment is. Other forms of documentation may also be used, depending on the specific situation.

As a student, you have the option to apply for special exam conditions if you have a mental or physical impairment such as dyslexia, a broken arm, etc. 

You should choose the form ‘Application for special exam conditions’ in spoc.sdu.dk under “study board” if you want to apply for special examination conditions for your exam, for example, if you wish to apply to have extended time for an examination.
The application must be due to a mental or physical impairment.

NOTE!

1. This type of application must be submitted to the Study Board no later than the 30 March for exams offered in the spring semester / and no later than the 30 October for exams offered in the autumn semester.
    
   For master’s degree students in Esbjerg there are other deadlines than mentioned above, because of your quarter structure. Please contact Student Services for more information. 
   
   Please be aware to apply in good time. 
   If you do not apply within this date, there is no guarantee that it will be practically possible to accommodate your requirement for special conditions for your upcoming exam. 
   
    
2. 2. The study board has the possibility to approve special examination conditions for your exams for the entire study or for a single semester. If your impairment is permanent, it is likely that you may be granted special examination conditions for the entirety of your study programme, but if your impairment may change during your time as a student, the dispensation will be valid for a shorter period of time. 
   
   Please be aware that a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree are considered two separate study programmes. When you change from bachelor to master’s degree, please remember that you will again need to apply for special examination conditions. 

If you choose to apply for special examination conditions due to an impairment, it is important that you:

1. Submit documentation of your impairment. This can be a doctor’s note, hospital journal, a report diagnosing dyslexia or similar.
2. Describe why your impairment means that you must have special examination conditions in this particular case and ofr how long you are expected have this need. In other words, it is not enough to refer to the fact that you are getting SPS support or that you have a diagnosis.

What is expected of you once you have received the decision from the Study Board for special examination conditions

For you, who has received a decision of special exam conditions:  

• If you have received a decision the Study Board will have inform the administrative examination coordinator that you are to have special examination conditions for your exams. *
  All you have to remember to do is to bring a copy of the decision with you to the exam, so that you can show it to the invigilator if the person asks to see it. 

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 special 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 special 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.

If you have fallen behind in your programme, the courses that you still need to take might not be offered anymore. Therefore, it may be a good idea to switch to the most recent curriculum.  When you switch to a new curriculum, credits for the courses that you have already passed will transfer over to the new curriculum. Most programmes have made credit application forms openly available that show how credits are transferred for courses. In some cases, you may lose ECTS points.

Once you have transferred, you can get an overview of your future course of study by creating an individual study plan.