If you are in a situation where you cannot follow the rules and regulations, that apply for your education, you can apply for an exemption. Exemptions are approved deviations from rules stipulated in ministerial legislation, IT University rules or rules in the curriculum.
The rules to deviate from
Below you can find examples of the rules that students are most likely to apply for an exemption from. The list is not exhaustive, and each application is handled based on its specific situation.
From Monday of the third week in a semester, registrations for study activities are binding and the student must complete the course and sit for the examination.
If you due to special circumstances cannot complete a course, and you want to deregister the course, you will need to apply for an exemption.
Very important
You always have to complete your mandatory courses.
If you have used exam attempts in a course, an exemption from the rule is very unlikely, since you must document that extraordinary circumstances apply to your situation.
All bachelor students must pass exams corresponding to 45 ECTS no later than by the end of their first year of studies. If you due to special circumstances cannot meet the requirement, you can apply for an exemption from the rule.
If you have credits transferred from previous studies to your ITU programme, these credits will not count as part of the fulfilment of the first-year exam.
More information about the first-year exam.
The Bachelor of Science (BSc) programme must be completed within four years for students enrolled autumn 2015 or later.
The Master of Science (MSc) programme must be completed within three years for students enrolled in autumn 2015 or later.
If you due to special circumstances cannot complete your education within the maximum programme duration, you will need to apply for an exemption to postpone the deadline for when you must have completed your education.
Please note that you always have three attempts to pass a study activity (course, project or thesis). If you have exceeded your maximum programme duration and you have not yet had the opportunity to have three attempts, we will adjust your maximum programme duration and ensure that you will have the opportunity to have three attempts. You do not have to apply for an exemption.
The progression requirement is a rule outlining how many ECTS you must pass each study year in order to be considered an active student.
As a general rule, you must pass a minimum of 45 ECTS each study year. However, please be aware of the specific requirements for progression each study year:
BSc programmes
• after your 2nd semester: You must have passed 45 ECTS
• after your 4th semester: You must have passed 90 ECTS
• after your 6th semester: You must have passed 135 ECTS
• after your 8th semester: You must have passed 180 ECTS
MSc programmes
• after your 2nd semester: You must have passed 45 ECTS
• after your 4th semester: You must have passed 90 ECTS
• after your 6th semester: You must have passed 120 ECTS
If you due to special circumstances cannot meet the requirements of the progression requirement, you can apply for an exemption to lower the number of ECTS, you must have passed each study year.
If you due to special circumstances are not able to meet a project or thesis deadline, you can apply for an exemption to postpone the deadline.
You have three attempts to pass your exam. If you do not pass your exam using the three attempts, you can apply for a fourth exam attempt.
When is an exemption a possibility?
The university can grant you an exemption if you can document that special circumstances apply to your situation.
The special circumstances must relate to you as a student and must be externally imposed and something that you could not anticipate or plan for. This could for instance be illness affecting yourself or illness in your immediate family - or other personal special circumstances.
Look here more information about How to apply for an exemption.
What is special circumstances?
Examples of what can qualify as special circumstances:
- Documented illness or an accident affecting yourself
- Documented illness in your immediate family (a spouse/partner, a sibling, a parent or a child)
- Death in your immediate family (see below)
- Childbirth
- Pregnancy-related complications
- A worsening of a chronic illness
- Or other special circumstances related to you individually which you could not anticipate or plan for
Examples of what cannot qualify as special circumstances:
- Vacation
- Challenges or problems with attending classes and/or exams because of work
- Exams or courses scheduled at the same time or close to each other
- Academic challenges
- Lack of knowledge of rules and deadlines
- The fact that you will be delayed in completing your studies is not in itself a special circumstance
- The fact that you plan to start a master’s programme as a direct extension of your bachelor programme is not a special circumstance.
There can also be other circumstances, which are not special, but can provide a basis for an exemption:
- Civic duties as a lay judge or member of a jury
- Athlete of elite sports
- Entrepreneurship of a certain scale
Please note that the special circumstance, you describe in your application, must have taken place at a time and been of a duration that corresponds with the exemption you are applying for.
Death in the immediate family
Death in the immediate family includes a spouse/partner, a parent, a sibling or a child. You can document this special circumstance with a copy of a death certificate.
If you lose someone who is not your immediate family (see above) but someone you are very close to, you can apply for an exemption, if the death affects your ability to study. You must submit medical documentation which describes the close relationship with the person as well as how the death affects you and your ability to study.
This page was last updated August 2024