On this page, you will find the most important rules for students taking a degree programme at the Faculty of Arts.
These rules make up the framework of your degree programme, so it is important you are aware of them. If you do not comply with them, it could result in you being withdrawn from the university.
If, during your degree programme, you find yourself in a situation that prevents you complying with the rules, you have the option of applying for dispensation.
On all Bachelor’s degree programmes and selected Master’s degree programmes at the Faculty of Arts, a commencement of studies exam is held before the end of September in the first semester of the programme.
When you start the first semester of your degree programme, you are automatically registered for the commencement of studies exam. If you do not pass on your first examination attempt, you will be automatically registered for the second examination attempt.
The result of your commencement of studies exam will appear in the self-service system (selvbetjening) by the end of September at the latest.
If you do not complete the exam, you will be withdrawn from the university with immediate effect and without further notice.
The commencement of studies exam is held i conjunction to one of the courses in the first semester. You will find information about which of the courses in the academic regulations of your degree programme.
In your academic regulations you get more information about your commencement of studies exam. Follow the link 'Exam details'.
If you have questions related to the commencement of studies exam, you can ask the teacher in the relevant course or your student counselor.
If you start a Master’s degree programme ain September, you must participate in a commencement of studies exam within the first weeks.
How the commencement of studies exam takes place
When you start the first semester of your degree programme, you will receive an email (sent to your AU email address) with a link to the commencement of studies exam. This exam consists of a questionnaire that you must complete by a specified date as well as a document to be completed and uploaded.
If you fail to meet the deadline, you will use your first examination attempt, and you will automatically be registered for a second examination attempt. This re-examination will consist of the same questionnaire with a new deadline. You only have two examination attempts.
All students taking a Bachelor’s degree programme must pass the first-year exam by the end of the first academic year.
The first-year exam is not just one exam but consists of multiple exams. Your academic regulations (studieordning) will state which exams are included in your first-year exam.
If you have not passed the exams in the first-year exam by the end of your first academic year, you will lose your right to a new examination attempt. This means that, even if you have unused examination attempts, you will lose the right to use them if the deadline has expired. You cannot request a deadline extension because of unused examination attempts.
If you do not meet the requirements for the first-year exam, you will be withdrawn from the university and can no longer be admitted to the same degree programme unless you are granted dispensation to extend the deadline to meet these requirements.
If there is any risk that you will be unable to pass, for example due to long-term illness or other exceptional circumstances, it is possible to apply for dispensation from the deadline.
You can find your maximum degree completion time on mitstudie.au.dk.
If you do not complete your degree within the prescribed timeframe, you will be automatically withdrawn from the university.
You will be withdrawn regardless of how many courses you still need to pass and regardless of whether you still have unused examination attempts.
Your maximum degree completion time will always expire on either 1 September or 1 March. You will be notified via e-Boks approximately 14 days before it expires. If you are waiting for the results of your final exams, please contact Study Centre Arts. If you are automatically withdrawn from the university, you will not receive further confirmation of your withdrawal.
In order to avoid being withdrawn as a result of exceeding your maximum degree completion time, we strongly recommend that you avoid falling behind during your degree programme. If you have any questions on how to structure your degree programme in the best possible way, you are always welcome to contact the Student Counsellors' Office.
You can apply for dispensation to extend your maximum degree completion time if you can provide documentation of exceptional circumstances.
As a student enrolled in a professional Master’s degree programme or the degree programme to become a teacher in Danish as a second language at the Faculty of Arts, you have a maximum of six years from enrolment to complete your degree programme.
(Special provisions may apply to certain degree programmes – check your academic regulations)
If you are unable to complete your degree programme within the six-year time frame, you can apply for dispensation.
As a general rule, you have three attempts to pass each exam in your degree programme.
If you fail to turn up or fail to pass the ordinary exam at the end of a course, you will have used one examination attempt. You will then have the opportunity to register for re-examination.
If you use all three examination attempts without passing the course, you will be withdrawn from the university. However, in exceptional circumstances you can apply for dispensation to be granted a fourth examination attempt.
Find out more about applying for dispensation
Exceptions to the rule
The possibility to use three examination attempts for each exam is limited by other rules such as those regarding the commencement of studies exam, the first-year exam and your maximum degree completion time.
For example, if you have not passed the exams included in the first-year exam by the end of your first academic year, you will lose the right to use the remaining attempts to pass the exams. This means that you lose the right to further examination attempts if the deadline has expired.
You are automatically registered for compulsory courses and exams on your degree programme.
You must check that you are registered correctly for courses and exams before the registration deadline. You can see your registrations in your study timeline on mitstudie.au.dk.
If you wish to change your registrations or withdraw from courses and exams, you can do so within the registration period prior to each semester. After this period, your registration is binding.
Registering for the re-examination
You are only automatically registered for the first examination attempt. This means that you are responsible for registering for the second and third examination attempt.
The Master’s thesis
You are automatically registered for the Master’s thesis in the final semester of your prescribed degree period on the Master’s degree programme.
Registration for the Master’s thesis is compulsory and binding. It is therefore not possible to withdraw from the Master’s thesis – even if you still need to pass exams from previous semesters.