You can apply for exemption from many of the rules that apply to your degree programme. The rules are set out in a number of ministerial orders: The study programme order, The admission orders, The examination order, etc. All ministerial orders can be found at www.retsinformation.dk. Other rules may be stipulated in the academic regulation for your degree programme – from which you in some cases also can apply for an exemption.
Examples of situations in which you must apply for an exemption:
Need for more than three examination attempts in a given exam.
Need to postpone the deadline for participating in/passing the first-year exam.
Need to postpone the maximum duration of study.
Need for extra time for the exam due to exceptional circumstances.
If you wish to deregister from an exam – exceptional circumstances must exist.
If you wish to postpone the submission deadline for your Master's thesis. Must always be substantiated by documented exceptional circumstances.
Too many exams or a tight exam schedule will not normally grant an exemption.
For the Board of studies to be able to process your application for exemption, you must submit the application via mystudies.au.dk. You can find the application module under "Apply to your Board of studies" and then "Apply for exemption". Please note that the application cannot be submitted until you have entered all relevant information and that you do not receive a receipt email. Therefore, remember to save your application.
Use the following rules of thumb when you write an application for exemption:
What is your reason for the application?: Here, you must clearly state the reason why you are applying for exemption from one or more rules. Please note that according to the academic regulation (and the current ministerial order), 'exceptional circumstances' must be present for an exemption application to provide a sufficient basis for an exemption. As a general rule, exceptional circumstances must be documented. You can find examples of exceptional circumstances on this page.
All exemption applications are normally processed within 6-8 weeks (July excepted). However, it may take longer if documentation or similar is missing. Please note that enquiries from the Board of studies will take place via your AU email address.
In special situations, you may be summoned to an interview in order to clarify your application.
Remember that your student counsellor can advise you on what an exemption application may contain and which rules you should be aware of. You are also welcome to contact Study Service or an employee of Nat-Tech Studies Administration If you are unsure about the rules and guidelines. |
Documentation requirements for exemptions in connection with COVID-19
Exceptional circumstances:
When you apply for an exemption, you must explain that the reason why you were unable to follow the given rule is exceptional circumstances. You must describe the circumstances surrounding the exceptional circumstances fully, and you must enclose relevant documentation that supports your account.
Conditions that lie within your control, or which you have the opportunity to plan for, cannot be described as unusual.
Examples of conditions that cannot be considered exceptional:
Conditions which are frequently or regularly found among students will not normally be considered exceptional.
If you apply for a leave of absence during pregnancy/maternity/paternity, you are not entitled to SU, and you cannot take classes and exams. In order to continue to be entitled to this, you must instead apply for an exemption to postpone the maximum duration of study (you must specify how much you want to postpone your maximum duration of study. In most cases, it will be a year, as it corresponds to a normal maternity/paternity leave).
You must also remember to make sure that your submission deadline for your Master's thesis is postponed when you are on leave.
Aarhus University offers special terms and conditions to students with physical or mental functional impairments.
Apply for an exemption as early as the beginning of the semester
This is how we process your application – APPLICABLE FROM FALL OF 2021
From the fall of 2021, the Board of studies begins a new process regarding how to process applications for special terms and conditions for exams.
It is important that you register for the right exams within the deadline
We assess your options for special terms and conditions for your exam(s) based on your exam registrations.
You need to do the following from now on:
You can read about the new process in the sections below here:
We grant exemptions for
Aarhus University can offer special terms and conditions for exams when we deem it necessary in order to ensure that the student is placed on an equal footing with other students in connection with a specific exam.
However, the level of the exam may not be altered by the special terms and conditions.
The practices of the Boards of studies at Nat and Tech in granting exemptions are as follows:
Please note that if you attend courses at other faculties and universities, there may be other practices for special terms and conditions for exams.
We do not grant exemptions for
The practices of the Boards of studies at Nat and Tech is that we do not usually grant exemptions for:
If you have any questions for the above, please contact us at:
Read more about exemption applications for illness in connection with exams in the menu under 'Examination' > 'Illness in connection with exams'.
You need a doctor's certificate if you fall ill in connection with an exam and in connection with some exemption applications.
You can read more about what you need to be aware of regarding a doctor's certificate here.