If you become a parent and want to go on parental leave while studying, you have some options:
Most students apply for exemption. You can apply for exemption for your maximum period of study and for the active enrolment requirements.
You also have the opportunity of applying for special leave. Please note that you cannot receive grants and loans from The Danish Students' Grants and Loans Scheme (SU) during special leave.
Students at the Danish School of Education can apply to postpone the deadline for completing their degree programme by up to three semesters (18 months) if they want to take parental leave. Please note that it may be an advantage to take two rather than three semesters of parental leave. This is because taking three semesters means that you will be out of sync with your degree programme.
You can take either a partial or a complete break from your degree programme.
When applying for postponement of the deadline for completing your degree programme owing to parental leave, you must enclose a plan for the rest of this programme. Based on this plan, we will change your registration for teaching and exams in all the compulsory courses in your degree programme. The teaching for which you have been registered automatically can be seen in the student self-service system.
Read more here about registration for courses and exams
If relevant, also check the rules about SU
Depending on your progress in your degree programme, you may also need to apply for dispensation from other rules. So it is a good idea to talk to a student counsellor. They can also help you put together a plan for how to continue your studies when you return from your parental leave.
If you want to take parental leave during your thesis period, the deadline for submission can be postponed by up to 12 months. The deadline for completing your degree programme will be postponed by the same amount of time.
You cannot be in a Master's thesis group if you keep parental leave from your studies in the Master's thesis semester, because you will not have the same submission deadline as the other members of the Master's thesis group.
Students at the School of Culture and Society and the School of Communication and Culture who become parents (fathers and non-birth mothers included) are entitled to take up to 12 months of parental leave (two semesters).
The parental leave must be taken as whole semesters, including relevant exam period, and cannot be taken across semesters. You can only apply for withdrawal from courses and exams in the semester(s) in which you want to take parental leave. You can take either a partial or a complete break from your degree programme during this period.
Special rules apply to parental leave during the Master’s thesis period.
To be more specific, you can apply for the following types of dispensation in connection with parental leave:
Depending on your progress in your degree programme, you may also need to apply for dispensation from other rules.
Read more here about registration for courses and exams
If relevant, also check the rules about SU
So it is a good idea to talk to a student counsellor. They can also help you put together a plan for how to continue your studies when you return from your parental leave.
Parental leave during your thesis
If you want to take parental leave during your thesis period, in addition to the types of dispensation mentioned above, you can also apply for dispensation to extend your submission deadline by the number of months you want to take parental leave – up to 12 months for mothers, fathers and non-birth mothers.
You cannot be in a Master's thesis group if you take parental leave from your studies in the Master's thesis semester, because you will not have the same submission deadline as the other members of the Master's thesis group.
If you want to take parental leave during your degree programme, you must apply for dispensation from your board of studies.
In connection with your application for dispensation, you must enclose one of the following types of documentation:
Please check the Danish Agency for Higher Education’s rules about SU and paternity leave.
It is important to distinquish between parental leave and pregnancy. Pregnancy does not constitute an exceptional circumstance in itself, and therefore, it cannot give grounds for dispensation.
If you experience discomfort/illness during your pregnancy, you can apply for separate exemption for this.
This requires that it can be categorised as 'exceptional circumstances and that you can document these circumstances.