MSc Eng in Applied Chemistry 2023

Civilingeniør, cand. polyt. (Anvendt Kemi)
Master of Science in Engineering (Applied Chemistry)

About the Programme Specification

This programme specification revised by 1 September 2023 applies to all students enrolled in the programme. 

Students enrolled from 1 September 2023 will find their curriculum in the paragraph "Curriculum".
Students enrolled prior to 1 September 2023 may find additional information on the curriculum in the paragraph "Curriculum, previous admission years.

The programme specification also includes the course descriptions in DTU's course database, which lay down rules for the courses, compulsory and optional, which according to the study programme are part of the degree, as well as DTU's study rules which contain the most important rules that apply to all DTU's programmes.

Students are obliged to keep themselves informed about the rules, requirements and deadlines that apply to their education and, in addition, to keep up-to-date via study announcements on DTU Inside.

• Official title
• About the programme specification
• Duration
• General admission requirements 
• Academic requirements for this programme
• Competence profile
• Programme specific goals for learning outcome
• Structure
• Programme provision
• Study lines/focus areas
• Curriculum
• Curriculum, previous admission years
• Master's thesis
• Master's thesis, specific rules
• Study activity requirements and deadlines
• Rules for teaching
• Exam rules
• Credit transfers and exemptions

DTU lays down the programme specifications in accordance with Ministerial Order on Full-Time University Programmes No. 2285 of 1 December 2021, Ministerial Order on the International Education Activities of Universities No. 247 of 13 March 2015 and Ministerial Order on the Grading Scale and Other Forms of Assessment of Study Programmes Offered under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (the Grading Scale Order) No. 114 of 15 February 2015. Following DTU’s regulations section 11 (8), the curricula have been approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies, authorized by the President.

Duration

The Master of Science in Engineering programme is a 2-year programme equivalent to 120 ECTS points (European Credit Transfer System).

General admission requirements

Only applicants holding a relevant Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a Bachelor in Engineering (diplomingeniøruddannelse) or a Bachelor of Natural Science degree can be admitted to a Master of Science in Engineering programme. The bachelor's degree must be less than ten years old.

The individual MSc Eng programme states in detail which bachelor programmes qualify and whether applicants must complete supplementary educational activities.

Requirements for supplementary educational activities can equate to up to 30 ECTS credits and are specified as a list of courses under the individual MSc Eng programmes.

The specific requirements must be met before graduating from the bachelor's programme or in connection with conditional admission to a particular MSc Eng programme. The courses must be passed prior to the commencement of studies within one year from the conditional admission.

Supplementary educational activities in connection with conditional admission to an MSc Eng programme do not form part of the MSc Eng programme, and tuition fees are charged. If the supplementary courses have not been passed within the specified deadlines, the conditional admission to the programme is withdrawn.

The Master of Science in Engineering programmes are offered in English. Therefore applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English (B-level, IELTS, TOEFL, CAE) https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/admission-and-deadlines/language_test_requirements

DTU offers an Honours Programme as part of all MSc  Eng. programmes. The admission requirements are described at https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/honours-programmes

Specific prerequisites for the Industry MSc Eng Programmes

The prerequisites are similar to the specific ones that apply to the 2-year-programmes, but in addition, the applicant must have a job relevant to the studies with a workload of at least 25 hours a week, or the applicant may be self-employed in a start-up company. Read more about the rules on https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/industry-master-of-science-in-engineering

Academic requirements for this programme

Applicants for admission to the MSc Eng programme in Applied Chemistry are expected to have a strong basic knowledge of chemistry and likewise in mathematics and natural sciences. This can be obtained by a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, chemical technology or related fields.

For applicants holding a degree from DTU, the specific programmes with direct admisssion are listed below as well as a group of DTU studies which can give admission provided certain DTU programmes have been passed.

For international students essentially the same competences and knowledge is required, see at the bottom of the page.

National Applicants (holding a Bachelor from Denmark)

Academic Requirements, MSc Eng 
The following Bachelor of Science in Engineering programme from DTU gives students the legal right of admission to the MSc Eng programme in Applied Chemistry.

• Chemistry and Technology

The following Bachelor of Science programme from DTU has access to the MSc Eng programme in Applied Chemistry.

• Human Life Science Engineering
• Life Science Engineering
• General Engineering (Future Energy)

It is recommended, to select chemistry courses in the bachelor programme to obtain  a broad background in chemistry.  This can be achived in several ways, but generally chosing the three DTU courses below is recommended.

It should be noted, that this can also be achieved by following similar courses, e.g., for Human Life Science Engineering  or Life Science Engineering, 26202 - Physical Chemistry for the Biological Sciences or 26211 - Biophycs and biophysical chemistry can replace Physical Chemistry 2. If you are in doubt contact the head of studies.

The following Bachelor in Engineering programme from DTU give students access to admission to the MSc Eng programme in Applied Chemistry.

• Chemical and Bio Engineering
• Chemical Engineering and International Business

BSc Engs, BScs (Natural Science) and B Engs from other institutions in Denmark may be admitted based on a concrete assessment by the head of study. A broad chemistry background is expected and levels corresponding to the three courses at DTU listed above.

Applicants from other Danish institutions than DTU are required to fill in a pre-mapping of competencies, (no GPA conversion is needed).

International Applicants (holding a Bachelor from outside Denmark)

Applicants for admission to the MSc Eng programme in Applied Chemistry should hold a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, chemical technology , or related fields. Admission is based on a concrete assessment by the head of study. A broad chemistry background is expected and levels corresponding to the three courses at DTU listed above.

To see which subjects the applicant is expected to have insights in this can be seen in the learning objectives of the three courses listed above or in the premapping of competencies,  This will also have to be filled in as part of the application.

Competence profile

The Master of Science in Engineering programme has two central objectives:

• Academic cutting-edge competencies which are the result of a clear study progression and which are unique to the graduate. The academic competencies contain elements of actual research and are manifested in the final master thesis
• Polytechnic holistic competencies that, in addition to identity-creating professionalism, also include being able to gain an overview of a complex technical problem and being able to think in technical terms in sustainable, societal and economic contexts

An MSc in Engineering programme from DTU is a research-based education at the highest technological level, which qualifies the holder to take on knowledge-intensive positions in the business community and society that is distinguished by a high level of scientific development. Moreover, the MSc in Engineering qualification allows the holder to continue their education in the field of research (research-based programmes, PhD).

The holder of an MSc in Engineering has the competencies required to analyse, synthesise and evaluate theory and experiments relating to complex and complicated engineering systems, issues, and solutions for the benefit of society. 

Goals for learning outcome of the MSc Eng programme
The goals for the learning outcome of the MSc Eng programme comprise the shared academic goals for the learning outcome of the entire MSc Eng programme at DTU and the programme-specific goals for the learning outcome of each MSc Eng programme.

Shared academic goals for learning outcome
 
Knowledge and understanding
A graduate of the MSc Eng. programme from DTU

• has a solid understanding of and a firm base of knowledge in natural sciences and technological principles, possesses comprehensive knowledge within a given subject area and is familiar with the current development trends and opportunities within the academic area
• can identify and reflect on technical scientific issues and understand the interaction between the various components of an issue
• possesses knowledge about sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship  
• can, based on a clear academic profile, apply elements of current research at an international level to develop ideas and solve problems
• has insight into and understanding of the interaction between the various engineering domains and other competencies in connection with solving specific engineering problems

 
Skills
A graduate of the MSc Eng. programme from DTU

• masters technical scientific methodologies, theories, and tools, and can take a holistic view of and delimit a complex, open issue, put it into a broader academic and societal perspective and, on this basis, propose a variety of possible actions while considering sustainability
• can develop relevant models, systems, technologies and processes aimed at solving technological problems
• can communicate and mediate research-based knowledge both orally and in writing
• can discuss technological issues with various types of stakeholders
• is familiar with and can seek out leading international research within his/her specialist area

 
Competencies
A graduate of the MSc Eng. programme from DTU

• masters technical problem-solving at a high level through cross-disciplinary teamwork, and can work with and manage all phases of a project – including preparation of timetables, design, solution and documentation
• can work independently and reflect on own learning, academic development and specialization
• can independently combine their technological knowledge with knowledge about sustainability, business, management, organization and project work

The MSc Eng. programme qualifies the graduate to hold positions in the private and public sectors and the consulting industry or to apply for research training with a view to earning a PhD.

Programme specific goals for learning outcome

A Master of Science in Engineering (Applied Chemistry)

• can describe chemical reactions and identify synthesis methods for the production of chemical compounds
• can select and apply analytical (instrumental) methods for characterizing chemical substances and measuring chemical and physical properties of different materials
• can interpret physical-chemical and mechanical properties of chemically or biochemically based materials, and relate them to their structure and applications
• can work independently or in teams in the areas of product development and quality assurance, including contributing to the analysis of user requirements, generating and selecting the best product concepts, and shaping a recipe for making a product on laboratory scale
• can work with theoretical—including computer-based—tools as experimental methods for the synthesis, characterization and design of molecules, materials and/or products
• can collaborate with other professional groups, such as other chemists, chemical engineers and pharmacists on the basis of the specialization achieved
• can independently execute an experimentally or theoretically based research projects in the field of applied chemistry, and can present the results and put them into perspective for colleagues—both orally and in writing

Structure

The MSc Eng programme is a research-based technological programme at the elite level aimed at qualifying the graduate for a knowledge-intensive position in the industry, the business sector and society in general. Graduates obtain the title of Master of Science in Engineering in the given engineering field

The MSc Eng has a workload of 120 ECTS credit points. From September 2023 the programmes comprise four categories of courses: The Polytechnical foundation, Programme-specific courses, Elective courses and Master's thesis. If students choose more than the required credits in the groups with mandatory courses, the credits count as elective courses.

The Polytechnical foundation 
The polytechnical foundation of the MSc programme ensures that you learn computational models for creating sustainable solutions. You will also acquire knowledge about innovation processes - including teamwork, entrepreneurship, and business acumen - all related to specific academic or interdisciplinary contents in your study programme.

Programme-specific courses
The programme-specific courses ensure that you gain an understanding of the core elements in your subject area and that you acquire the latest technological knowledge and competencies in your subject area.

Elective courses
The Elective courses include all MSc courses at DTU and similar courses at other universities if these courses have been pre-approved. They provide an opportunity for master students to either focus even more on their chosen area of specialization or supplement the academic specialization with general disciplines/competencies. Master students may choose as many as 10 credit points among the bachelor courses at DTU and courses at an equivalent level from other higher institutions. Master students may also choose as many as 10 credit points within the general engineering courses category (meaning courses that do not have technical-scientific content but fall within the learning objectives of the study programme). However, bachelor courses and general engineering courses may not exceed 10 credit points in total.

Master Thesis 
The Master Thesis is the final project of the course of study. In many cases, it will be possible for the Master Thesis to include collaboration with a company. The Master Thesis must, at minimum, equal 30 ECTS credit points, but may be 32½ or 35 ECTS credit points. Please read the chapter “Master Thesis” for more information.

Study Lines and Focus Areas
Within an MSc programme, there might be one or more study lines.  A study line is a suggested combination of courses geared towards a specific aspect of a discipline. The specialization title will - when approved by the head of studies - be added to the diploma. 

Focus areas are exclusively descriptive and will not be added to the degree diploma.

Before 2023  the categories of the Polytechnical Foundation and Programme-specific courses were not part of the structure. Instead, it comprised of the categories of General Competence courses and Technological specialization courses. 

General competence courses
The General  competence courses have a broader scope than the specialist competencies. The primary purpose is to ensure that a series of competencies – in association with the individual specialization – are obtained by all candidates. The following three considerations must be emphasized:  

• A generalist point of view, where technology is combined with economics, management, organization and project work, and where the key is to have a technical approach in a commercial and societal perspective
• A synthesis point of view concentrating on working with an open problem where teamwork and cooperation, especially interdisciplinary work, are a key element 
• Normative technical skills that formulate a common academic identity for the degree program and/or indicate the academic point of departure and level of the program  

The polytechnic holistic competencies that are cited as one of the two central objectives for the MSc program can be obtained in many ways, but the contents of the study program’s General Competencies outlined here ensure that the central aspects of these competencies are part of the course of study, depending on how the Technological specialization courses and the MSc thesis are undertaken.

Technological specialization courses
The Technological specialization courses and MSc Thesis together represent the basic foundation for achieving cutting-edge academic competencies. The Technological specifializaion courses are dynamic and will constantly reflect (potential) technological developments.

Programme provision

In order to obtain the MSc degree in Applied Chemistry the student must fulfil the following requirements:

• Have passed Polytechnical foundation courses adding up to at least 5 ECTS
• Have passed Programme specific courses adding up to at least 55 ECTS
• Have performed a Master thesis of 30 ECTS points within the field of the general program
• Have passed a sufficient number of Elective courses to bring the total number of ECTS of the entire study to 120 ECTS

Study lines/focus areas

The MSc Eng programme will make it possible to obtain a broad knowledge of chemistry, engineering and related fields. Alternatively, there is a possibility of specialization in 5 areas of high technological and scientific interest, specifically (i) polymers, (ii) catalysis and sustainable chemistry, (iii) pharmaceuticals and other complex organic molecules, (iv) protein chemistry and (v) physical chemistry. In addition to the study lines, the programme includes education within a variety of disciplines like analytical, materials chemistry, femto-second and structural chemistry based on advanced spectroscopic methods.

Curriculum

Polytechnical foundation courses (5 ECTS)

The following course is mandatory

Students with advanced innovation competences may take one of the following courses as an alternative to 42500/42501/42504

Programme specific courses (55 ECTS)

Innovation course II - choose 5 ECTS among the following courses - if you take more than 5 ECTS in this group they will count as electives: 

The extra ECTS points in this group will automatically be a part of the overall ECTS points of the programme specific courses.

Elective Courses

Any course classified as MSc course in DTU's course base may be an elective course. This includes programme specific courses in excess of the minimal requirements. Master students may choose as much as 10 credit points among the bachelor courses at DTU and courses at an equivalent level from other higher institutions. In addition, it is possible to take MSc-level courses at other Danish universities or abroad.

Curriculum, previous admission years

Master's thesis

• Prerequisites for starting a master’s thesis
• The content and learning objectives of the thesis
• The supervisor
• Start time for the master’s thesis
• Project agreement and volume
• Project period
• Deadline
• Submission of the master's thesis
• Illness after the submission but before the oral defence
• Assessment and examination
• Exam certificate

The master's thesis is the final assignment of the programme. The objective of the master's thesis is to give students the opportunity to independently apply the knowledge they have acquired to a larger project that concludes with a written report. The thesis must document skills in applying scientific theories and methodologies to a clearly defined academic topic.

It is also possible to do an entrepreneurial thesis with a supervisor or co-supervisor from the Centre for Technology Entrepreneurship. Read more about the content and how to apply on their website: https://www.entrepreneurship.dtu.dk/education

Prerequisites for starting a master’s thesis
The master’s thesis can only be commenced when the student lacks no more than 15 ECTS credits besides the thesis.

If the student wishes to start their master's thesis at an earlier stage, they must submit an application to DTU’s Board of Exemptions. The application must be accompanied by an academically justified statement from the main supervisor and a statement from the Head of Studies. Read more about submitting an application at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity leave'/Exemption'. If the student begins their master's thesis without all prerequisites being met and without an exemption being granted, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs may choose to cancel the student's project report in the system.

The content and learning objectives of the thesis
The content of the thesis is to be agreed upon with a supervisor. Find more information on the supervisor below in the section ‘’The supervisor’.

The thesis may contain a combination of experimental work, fieldwork, theoretical studies, synthesis, modelling, and analysis. All theses must include elements of literature studies and criticism. In addition, the thesis contains the following overarching learning objectives:

A graduate of the MSc programme from DTU:

• can identify and reflect on technical scientific issues and understand the interaction between the various components that make up an issue
• can, based on a clear academic profile, apply elements of current research at an international level to develop ideas and solve problems
• masters technical scientific methodologies, theories, and tools, and can take a holistic view of and delimit a complex, open issue, put it into a broader academic and societal perspective, and, on this basis, propose a variety of possible actions while considering sustainability
• can develop relevant models, systems, technologies, and processes aimed at solving technological problems
• can communicate and mediate research-based knowledge both orally and in writing
• is familiar with and can seek out leading international research within their specialist area.
• can work independently and reflect on own learning, academic development, and specialization
• masters technical problem-solving at a high level through cross-disciplinary teamwork, and can work with and manage all phases of a project – including preparation of timetables, design, solution, and documentation

Further learning objectives exist for the entrepreneurial thesis: https://www.entrepreneurship.dtu.dk/education 

The supervisor
A master's thesis agreement must be concluded between the student and a supervisor, and it must be done well in advance of the starting day of the thesis. The main supervisor for a master's thesis must

• be an employee at DTU as a VIP with research obligations and one of the following job categories: assistant professor, associate professor, researcher, senior researcher, senior adviser, or professor,
• hold a permanent position (with the exception of assistant professors and researchers)
• have completed DTU's course 'Supervision of larger projects at DTU' or similar pedagogical competence development at the university level e.g. a course in PhD supervision; for assistant professors, however, it is sufficient that one is in the process of UDTU, and
• have in-depth knowledge of the study conditions at DTU.

For assistant professors and researchers, however, there is an additional requirement that an associate professor, senior researcher, senior adviser, or a professor (docent, ingeniørdocent or professor) must be connected to the project as co-supervisor, so that the assistant professor/researcher does not have sole responsibility for the project.

The head of department can approve that a VIP who for a number of years has gained extensive experience in supervising final projects can be the primary supervisor without having completed the course 'Supervision of major projects at DTU' or equivalent.

The supervisor must confirm that the student has the requisite academic qualifications for undertaking the master's thesis. The student must document their qualifications and level in the form of a list of courses they have completed.

The supervisor must regularly follow the progress of the thesis and ensure that the master's thesis falls within the academic focus area of the MSc programme.

Start time for the master’s thesis
The thesis must be started immediately following the previous study activity (a course). If the last study activity finishes on a day within the semester (e.g. project course), the start time of the thesis must be the first working day after this last study activity.

Alternate start dates may apply for academic reasons and if the supervisor approves. Students and thesis supervisors may always agree on earlier start dates. For a delayed start, the project registration must always contain a justification for the delayed start.

In determining the project's start date, the supervisor's 3-week summer vacation in June, July, or August must be taken into account in order not to come into conflict with the 10-day deadline of the oral defence, cf. below under ‘Assessment and examination’. The project plan should also reflect this.

Project agreement and volume
The master's thesis must have a scope equivalent to 30, 32½, or 35 ECTS credits. It is not possible to get an exemption for a thesis larger than 35 ECTS credits. 

The project period should be specified in connection with the formulation of a project agreement. 

A master's thesis must be undertaken as a full-time course of study, and the stipulated time is:

• 30 ECTS credits = 5 months
• 32½ ECTS credits = 5½ months
• 35 ECTS credits = 6 months

Specific rules apply for the Industry MSc Eng Programmes. These programmes combine work with studies and are part-time studies.

Therefore their master's thesis may be undertaken as a part-time course of study and the stipulated time is

• 30 ECTS credits = 10 months
• 32½ ECTS credits =11 months
• 35 ECTS credits =12 months

The master's thesis must be written in English and include an abstract. As an exemption, the supervisor of the master's thesis can decide that the thesis may be written in Danish. This decision can only be made due to professional, academic reasons. The Head of Studies for the study programme must accept this exemption.

The master's thesis may be prepared either individually or as a group project with a maximum of four students.

The master's thesis may be undertaken in collaboration with a company. Find more information regarding projects in cooperation with a company at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’/’Teaching’/’Project courses’.

The master's thesis may be prepared abroad if the general requirements are met. The supervisor, also being the examiner of the project, still has to be an employee at DTU. The external examiner has to be appointed by the Corps of External Examiners for the engineering programmes (www.censornet.dk).

Formalities regarding report length, content, structure, and duration of the oral defence, etc., are agreed upon between the student and the main supervisor. In the event of disagreement, the board of studies at the department where the main supervisor is employed may be involved.

The student's agreement with the supervisor must be reported in the Project Reporting System well in advance of the start of the project. The supervisor makes the report. Upon registration, the Head of Studies is automatically informed of the thesis and can, within 14 days, reject the project if this does not fall within the programme’s technical and scientific field. The student will be contacted if the project cannot be approved. Notwithstanding the academic approval, however, the project work must not start until the student receives an e-mail with the approved project agreement from the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs. This also applies if the master's thesis is completed in whole or in part outside DTU.

Project period
Before the project period
The master's thesis agreement is binding and counts as an examination attempt from the time when the master's thesis, according to the agreement, begins. The master's thesis agreement may be cancelled until the start date of the master's thesis, in which case it will not count as an exam attempt.

As a general rule, no parallel activities are conducted in this period. Nevertheless, to not prolong the study programme's total time, the period may be extended with 3 weeks of study for every 5 additional ECTS credits from course activity.

Before the project start, the project period may also be extended by up to 3 weeks due to documented impairment. If the project is carried out as a group project, this extension will be given to all group members. Read more about this on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Special Exam Conditions'. If the project is carried out as a group project, any extension of the project period will apply to all group members. The project supervisor allocates the extra time when the project is reported in the Project Reporting System.

When determining the project's start date, the supervisor's 3-week summer vacation in June, July, or August must be taken into account to avoid conflicting with the 10-day deadline for holding the oral defence, cf. below under ‘Assessment and examination’. The project plan should also reflect this.

After the start of the project
During the project period, the supervisor may extend the project by one week for every course the student plans to complete as a re-exam during the project period. The student shall present their study plan to the supervisor and possibly documentation of the final exam registration. The supervisor must report the new deadline of the project to the project registration system.

An extension of the submission deadline for the project must be noted in the final version of the project plan. That applies to all types of extensions of the submission deadline.

Project plan
During the first month, the student is to submit/upload a project plan to the thesis, outlining the objective of the thesis. In the project plan, the student is also to take into account the overarching learning objectives listed under "The content and the learning objectives of the thesis". 

The student receives an autogenerated email with information about the submission deadline for the project plan, just as there is a link to an overview of all the student's submissions at DTU Inside ('My assignments'). Upload takes place via the group created for the master’s thesis. In the project plan, the student is also to take into account the overarching learning objectives listed above.

When submitting the thesis, the student is to enclose a separate document presenting the original project plan and a revision of the same, where appropriate. In addition, the document is to include a brief auto-evaluation of the project process.

Extension of the project period via the Board of Studies
If there are extraordinary, unforeseen circumstances in relation to the project (e.g. in relation to collaboration with a company, change of supervisor, extraordinary technical problems) or in relation to the student's situation (e.g. illness, death in close family, maternity leave), the Department Board of Studies has the opportunity to grant from one up to six weeks extension of the project period. Project extension must always be supported in writing by the main supervisor.

The student must submit an application to the Department Board of Studies where the main supervisor is employed. The application must be accompanied by documentation of the special circumstances (e.g. a medical certificate) and a revised project plan stating when the extraordinary circumstances occurred. An overview of the chairmen of the department board of studies can be found at DTU Inside under 'Academic offers and guidance'/'Board of Study, chairmen'.

The application must be submitted no later than one month before the applicable submission deadline for the project unless the special circumstances are urgent and could not have been foreseen at an earlier time. The application deadline is important in view of the Board of Studies' ability to process the application before the applicable submission deadline.  

If the student's application is approved, it is the responsibility of the Board of Studies/main supervisor to change the submission deadline for the project in the Project Reporting System. If the project extension extends beyond the student's maximum duration of the study programme, the project extension takes precedence. If the application is not accepted, the student has the opportunity to submit an application to the Board of Exemptions according to the procedure below.

Extension of the project period via the Board of Exemptions
An application for an extension of the project period beyond six weeks will, in principle, not be granted, and the student is referred to use a further exam attempt.

If the student can document that there are such unusual circumstances that the project period should be extended beyond six weeks, and this is supported in writing by the main supervisor, who believes that the project can withstand this postponement, the student can submit an exemption application to the Board of Exemptions (CMDU). 

Exemption is applied for at www.dispensation.dtu.dk. The application must be submitted no later than one month before the applicable submission deadline for the project unless the special circumstances are urgent and could not have been foreseen at an earlier time. The application deadline is important in view of the Board of Exemptions' ability to process the application before the applicable submission deadline. The rules for submitting an exemption application are described in more detail at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity leave'/'Exemption'.

Illness during the project period
Students who become ill during the project period but before the submission deadline for the project can apply for an extension of the project period via the above options with the department board of studies or the Board of Exemptions.

The student can also apply for a leave of absence during the project period. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity leave'/'Leave of absence'.

Commencement of a new project with a new project period
If the student wishes to abandon his/her thesis and start over within a different field of study with a new deadline (5, 5½, or 6 months), this must be approved by the (new) supervisor. The (new) supervisor must inform the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs and the Head of Studies whereafter a new project agreement must be made within the new field of study and with a new ordinary deadline (5, 5½ or 6 months). However, the student will have used one examination attempt on the abandoned project which will get the registration EM (not met). It is the student's responsibility to inform the former supervisor that he/she abandons the thesis.  

Deadline
The agreed project period must be observed. Failure to observe the deadline means the student will have used an exam attempt. The student and the supervisor must then make a new project agreement for the thesis but with a modified problem formulation within the same field. The new thesis must be submitted within 3 months of approval of the project. This procedure also applies if the student fails his/her exam. 

If the student wishes to reuse already submitted elements or larger parts of the project, this must be clearly stated in the project, as otherwise there will be self-plagiarism and thus a violation of the rules for the exam. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Examination'/'Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.

Submission of the master's thesis
The master's thesis must be submitted electronically. The student automatically receives an email with information about the submission deadline for the project, just as there is a link to an overview of all the student's submissions at DTU Inside ('My assignments'). Submission takes place via the group that has been created for the master's thesis.

Illness after the submission but before the oral defence
A student who becomes ill during the period from the submission of the project to the oral defence or on the day of the defence must inform the supervisor about this as soon as possible. If the student sends documentation of the illness to their main supervisor within 14 days from the original scheduled oral defence date, a new date for the oral defense can be agreed upon, without this counting as a new exam attempt.

Assessment and examination
Learning objectives are an integrated part of the supervision.

The master’s thesis is assessed according to the 7-point grading scale with an external examination based on the report and an oral defence with the participation of the supervisor, any co-supervisors, and an external examiner appointed by the Civil Engineering Corps of External Examiners. This also applies to projects fully or partially completed abroad.

The evaluation of the report and the oral defence are based on an overall assessment. A submitted report without an oral defence is assessed with 'Not met' (EM).

When assessing a master's thesis, the main focus is on the academic content. The student's formulation and spelling ability count for a small but nonetheless significant weight of the assessment. DTU can grant exemptions for students who document a relevant disability.

If more than one student writes the thesis, each student will be examined individually. However, the assessment of group projects may also include a group exam with the participation of the entire group. In this case, the individual oral exams are carried out after the completion of the group exam. In addition to the examinee themselves, only those group members who have already been examined themselves may be present. A student in a group project always has the right to deselect a group exam. In that case, the duration of the individual exam must be adjusted accordingly.

In consultation with the student, the supervisor will set a date for the oral presentation and defence.

The oral defence must be held no later than ten work days after the scheduled submission date of the thesis. In exceptional circumstances, the head of department can approve a later exam date. If the project period has been extended after the start of the project as a result of the Board of Studies’ or the exemption committee's decision, the 10-day deadline must, as far as possible, continue to be complied with. A later exam date due to the changed conditions, e.g. due to the supervisor's 3-week holiday in June, July or August, can be determined without approval from the head of department. Find more information on DTU Inside under 'Study rules/Exam/Deadlines for grading'. 

The oral defence of projects carried out in a company may, due to company secrets referred to in the project, be held behind closed doors by agreement with the supervisor. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Forms of examination' under 'Oral exam'.

Exam certificate
When the student has completed the education at DTU, DTU issues a diploma/exam certificate. Information about how and when the diploma is received is available on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Examination'/'Exam certificate'.

Master thesis, specific rules

Study Activity Requirements and Deadlines

Programme Deadlines
Students must meet the study activity requirements and deadlines set out below. If students do not meet the requirements, they can only continue on the study programme if granted an exemption.

Study Activity Requirement of 5 ECTS 
Students must have passed at least 5 ECTS credits in a continuous period of one year, calculated in two full semesters, to comply with DTU's 5-point study activity requirement. It is of no importance in this context how many exam attempts the student has used.

Maximum Duration of Study
The MSc programme is a two-year programme. The entire MSc course of study must be completed no later than three years after admission.

The Industry MSc Eng Programmes are four-year programmes. The entire Industry MSc Eng course of study must be completed within five years.

The maximum duration of study is reduced by one semester for every 30 ECTS credits the student has been granted in pre-commencement credit transfer.

Completion Requirements
The student must earn 120 ECTS under one of DTU’s MSc programmes to earn an MSc degree. The courses and the thesis must be passed. 

Completion Guidelines for Late Students
If students exceed the prescribed period of study by 6-12 months, they will be offered special guidance in the form of an information meeting. If students are more than 12 months late, they will be offered a personal guidance interview with a study counsellor.

SU  (State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)
Students must be aware that the above requirements and deadlines are DTU's study rules. Other requirements and deadlines apply to SU. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'SU'. Questions regarding SU must always be directed to the SU office.

Study Programme Rules

• Language of teaching
• The academic year
• Public lectures
• Recording of teaching

The study programmes at DTU consist of courses that include lectures, seminars, classes, practical exercises, projects, etc. A course can have a duration of more than one teaching period.

It is allowed to use online elements in the teaching where it supports the quality. Pure online courses are not allowed unless it is done as part of an international collaboration about offering online courses or the courses are offered as part of Digital Twin University (D.T.U.)..

Language of teaching
BEng and BSc courses are usually taught in Danish. A limited number of courses can be offered in English on other BSc and BEng programmes. Courses on the English-language BSc programme in General Engineering are offered in English.

All MSc courses are taught in English.

The academic year
The academic year is divided into six teaching periods:

• Two 13-week periods in the autumn and spring semesters.
• Four 3-week periods followed by exams in January, June, July, and August.

In addition, there are

• Three exam periods, each lasting just over two weeks (May, August, and December).

The order and scheduling of mandatory courses, academic content, teaching and working methods, and any prerequisites are specified in the programme specifications for each study programme and the individual course descriptions. Mandatory study elements can generally not be taught in July/August exclusively.

Public lectures
Lectures at DTU are generally open to the public. However, a lecturer can deny access to the public due to considerations of space or order and can hence reject listeners who are not registered for the course. Only students registered for the course may participate actively in the class.

Recording of teaching
If a student wishes to do a sound or video recording of teaching sessions at DTU, the lecturer must approve this in writing before the recording. Recordings are only for personal use unless the lecturer has allowed publication of the recording, including what kind of publication. Only the teaching itself must be admitted and not fellow students' comments during instruction unless they have also given consent for the admission.

As for the possibilities for the lecture to record/stream the teaching, information can be found at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Academic year'/'FAQ streaming equipment in the auditoriums' and here (only in Danish so far).

Regarding course descriptions

• Changes to course descriptions

Course descriptions contain the following information:

• Language
• ECTS credits (workload)
• Course type (BEng, BSc, MSc, Ph.D., part-time diploma, or part-time MSc)
• Scheduling, location, and duration of the course
• General course and learning objectives
• Teaching and learning methods
• Attendance requirements, if any, e.g. laboratory exercises, presentations, or opposing to other students' work
• Mandatory or recommended academic prerequisites for attendance, if any
• Evaluation (the use of internal or external examiner and the use of the 7-point grading scale or pass/fail)
• Type of assessment
• Exam requirements, if any, for example, submission of mandatory written assignments as a prerequisite for exam participation
• The weighting of part-exams assessed by using part grades, or information that part-exams are assessed as a whole
• Courses with which the course is not applicable if any*
• Scheduling of exam
• If the course is not suitable to be offered for re-exam (see DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Re-exams'.)
• Limits to admission, if any

*Two courses can have such a large academic overlap that they will block each other in terms of ECTS credits. This means that a student cannot be allowed to register for courses that in the course database are registered as not applicable to courses that the student has already passed or is bound by, and these courses block each other. Not applicable courses do not mean per definition that the courses are identical.

If the student cannot find the above information in the course description, the course coordinator and/or the relevant chairman of the department board of studies can be contacted. An overview of chairmen of the board of studies at the individual departments can be found at DTU Inside under 'Academic offers and guidance'/'Board of Study, chairmen'.

Changes to course descriptions
Significant changes to the course descriptions must be available no later than:

• 25 June for the 13-week period in autumn
• 1 November for the 3-week period in January
• 25 November for the 13-week period in spring
• 15 April for the 3-week periods in June, July, and August.

In exceptional cases, significant changes can be made after the abovementioned deadlines during the teaching period. This has to be approved by the course coordinator, the department board of studies, and the students.

The following procedure applies in case of significant changes to the course description after the above deadlines:

1. Proposed changes must be formulated in writing and sent to the department board of studies for approval.
2. If the proposal is approved, the proposal is sent as a bulletin via DTU Learn to all registered students. The bulletin must clearly state that the change is a proposal that will be implemented unless objections are raised by one or more students. Students are given at least 14 days to object to the change.
3. If no objections are received, the course coordinator posts a new bulletin announcing that no objections have been raised against the change, and the change will hereby be adopted.

Approved changes are updated by the course coordinator/the board of studies in the course descriptions on DTU’s website: www.kurser.dtu.dk.

Course registration

• Course registration in the first semester
• Course registration in other semesters
• Registration for final projects, internships, and special courses
• Registration for courses under the transitional procedure for the master's programme
• Rules for choice of courses
• Elective courses
• Students who have completed MSc courses on their Beng or BSc programme
• Cancellation of courses

Registration for and withdrawal from courses are made via the Study Planner. No teacher or professor can register/enroll a student for a course.

Students must be registered for a course to attend classes - including laboratory exercises - to participate in group work, and obtain course information via DTU Learn as well as teaching material (notes, etc.). Students who are not registered for the course can contact the lecturer to access the course group. Still, access to this group does not entitle the student to hand in assignments or participate in the exam.

Course registration in the first semester
BEng and BSc students are automatically registered for courses in the first teaching period (13-week period) in the first semester of their study programme. Students must register for all other courses through the Study Planner.

MSc students and visiting students must register for courses through the Study Planner.

New MSc students and visiting students must confirm that they accept DTU’s code of honour to be able to register for courses via the Study Planner. See also at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’ /’DTU’s code of honour’.

Course registration in other semesters
Students are responsible for ensuring that their course registrations have been registered correctly in their study plan and that registration for the courses has been made within the applicable registration and withdrawal deadlines.

Registration and withdrawal deadlines for courses can be found at DTU Inside under Study rules/Registration deadlines for courses and examinations.

In the supplementary course registration period, a decision on limited admission to a course can be made on the grounds of the capacity of facilities or academic reasons. See DTU Inside under ‘Participation in limited admission courses’ under ‘Teaching’. Therefore, students must be aware that participation in a course may not be possible if the student registers for the course in the supplementary course registration period, even if limited admission is not noted in the course description.

Registration for final projects, internships, and special courses
Students cannot register for final projects, internships, or special courses themselves. Registration takes place via the Project Reporting System, and the supervisor of the final project and special courses and the internship supervisor can register students via this system. Once the supervisor has registered the activity in the project reporting system, the student will receive an email in their study email when the activity is approved.

Registration for courses under the transitional procedure for the master's programme
Information on how to register for courses under the transitional procedure can be found at DTU Inside under Study rules/Transferring to an MSc programme.

Rules for choice of courses
Students cannot register for a course they have already passed. A course has been passed if the grade 02 or the assessment ‘Pass’ has been awarded. Reregistrations for passed courses will be rejected.

Students can register for courses that form part of their curriculum. All other courses must be pre-approved by the Head of Study before registration. The Head of Study shall send this approval to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via email: studadm@adm.dtu.dk. 

BSc students may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BEng level as part of the Elective Courses in their bachelor's programme.

MSc students may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BSc level.
MSc students are not allowed to register for BEng courses. Neither the Head of Studies nor the Board of Exemptions can exempt from this.

Some courses are only provided for students in selected study programmes. That will be stated in the course description. Students who do not attend these study programmes will not be granted access to the course.

Students must not register for courses above the prescribed total ECTS credits for the study programme and must always try to plan their study according to the prescribed total ECTS credits for the programme. Also, see DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’/‘Credit transfer’/‘Credit transfer during the study programme’.

Elective courses
BEng students
In the BEng programme, lists of optional courses that the student can freely choose from are available in the individual curricula, and all the courses have already been pre-approved by the head of studies. If a student wants to take a BEng or BSc course that is not on the list, it must be approved in advance by the head of studies. Documentation for the head of study's approval must be sent to the Study Administration. MSc courses may not be taken. Exceptions are MSc courses that are pre-approved for inclusion at the bachelor's level in the individual BEng programme. These courses will appear in the curriculum.

BSc students enrolled in study programmes/curricula valid before September 2023
In the BSc programme, the student can choose freely from all courses at DTU at the bachelor's and master's level. It is also possible to choose from all BEng courses, but these may not exceed 10 ECTS credits in total. Courses cannot be taken at PhD level.

Both BEng and BSc students, enrolled in study programmes valid before September 2023, who are bound by a master's course they have not passed can request to be released from the course by writing to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk via their student email with a reason and stating which other course they wish to take instead. The student must register for the new course. Read about the general rules on binding courses at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Binding courses'.

BSc students enrolled in study programmes/curricula valid from September 2023
In the BSc programme, the student can choose freely from all courses at DTU at bachelor's level. It is also possible to choose from all BEng courses, but these may not exceed 10 ECTS credits in total. MSc courses may not be taken. Exceptions are master's courses that by the Head of Studies are pre-approved for inclusion at the bachelor's level in the individual BSc programme. These courses will appear in the curriculum.

MSc students
In the MSc programme, all courses at the master's and PhD levels at DTU are pre-approved. All bachelor's courses at DTU will also be pre-approved but may not exceed 10 ECTS credits in total. It is not allowed for MSc students to take courses at the BEng level. Neither the Head of Studies nor the Board of Exemptions can exempt from this.

Courses outside DTU: Rules for this are specified at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Credit transfer/'Credit transfer during the study programme'.

Students who have completed MSc courses on their Beng or BSc programme
MSc students who, as part of their qualifying BEng or BSc education, have passed a course corresponding to courses in either the general competence group or the technological specialization group for the MSc programme must take a different course that contributes to the overall learning outcomes of the programme in question. That also applies if the student otherwise has acquired academic knowledge and competencies.

DTU courses
If the course belongs to the general competence group, students must choose a different course from the general competence group (GC) or the technological specialization group (TS). In the latter case, students must contact the Study Administration via studadm@adm.dtu.dk. An approval from the head of studies must be attached, after which the student can take a TS-course instead of the GR-course, which the student has passed on his/her BEng or BSc programme.

If the course belongs to the technological specialization group, students must choose a different course in the technological specialization group.

Non-DTU courses
If it is not possible to choose a different course in line with the above rules or if the course is not from DTU, students must obtain approval from the head of studies to take another course that supports the academic profile of the study programme. The head of studies contacts the Study Administration. When in doubt about the programme level of the course or the conversion of the credits from abroad to ECTS credits, the head of studies or the student is welcome to contact merit@adm.dtu.dk.  

Cancellation of courses
A non-mandatory course may be cancelled if less than ten students have registered for it. Other rules for minimum participation must be specified in the course description.

Mandatory courses and courses from the mandatory groups cannot be cancelled. With only a few registered, the course coordinator can, with the approval of the Department Board of Studies, decide that the course is run in an alternative way, e.g. as a study group. Questions about this should be directed to the course coordinator.

A student who is bound to a course can be released from the binding if the course is cancelled during the teaching period in which the student had planned to take the course. Requests to be released from the course must be made via e-mail to studadm@adm.dtu.dk and must be submitted in the same semester as the course has been cancelled. However, the student must still observe the curriculum of the study programme. Find more information on binding courses at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Binding courses'.

Binding courses

If the student does not withdraw from their first exam attempt in a course before the deadline, the course registration is binding, an exam attempt has been used, and the course becomes part of the student’s programme specification, cf. the rules for registration and withdrawal from exams on DTU Inside under Study rules/Exam'/'Registration and withdrawal. The student must pass the course to complete their programme.

In the case of documented illness at the examination and the subsequent registration 'ill', the student is still bound by the course.

On DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/'Exemption' you can read about the possibility of applying for cancellation of an exam registration if the student has not participated in the exam and about the rules of applying for an exemption to be released from a binding course.

Students can find the deadlines for exam registration and deregistration on DTU Inside under Study rules/Exam’/‘Registration deadlines for courses and examinations.

The rules regarding when an exam attempt has been used can be found on DTU Inside under Study rules/Exam/Assessment form and Gradings. 

Special rules apply to project courses. Find more information at DTU Inside under Study rules/Teaching/Project courses.

Students cannot have pre-approved or credit-transferred courses that are to replace one or more courses the student is bound by. The head of studies cannot grant the student an exemption from this rule.

Both BEng and BSc students, enrolled in study programmes valid before September 2023, who are bound by a master's course they have not passed can request to be released from the course by writing to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk via their student email with a reason and stating which other course they wish to take instead. The student must register for the new course.

Courses no longer offered
If a course is no longer offered, a student who has exam attempts in the course, but has not passed the course, will be released from the course by contacting the Study Administration via student email to studadm@adm.dtu.dk. That applies regardless of how many examinations attempts the student has used in the course and whether a re-exam is still offered in the course. Used exam attempts are not transferred to a new course unless the terminated course is identical to a new course the student registers for. Read about 'blocked courses' at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Regarding course descriptions'.  

However, the student must still observe the curriculum of the study programme. If the terminated course is compulsory in the curriculum, the student will be bound by the course which replaces the terminated course, and the exam attempts are transferred if the two courses are identical, cf. above. If it is not stated in the curriculum which course the student must take as a replacement for a discontinued compulsory course, the Head of Study must be contacted.

The above also includes courses that get a new course number but are actually offered again, merely with a new course number. 

Read about the option for being released from a binding course if the course is cancelled at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Course registration'.

Academic prerequisites for course participation

• Mandatory prerequisites
• Recommended academic prerequisites

Prerequisites and rules for course participation are specified in the course description. 

Lecturers are responsible for ensuring that exercises and other laboratory and workshop activities take place under safe conditions. They must therefore provide thorough instructions. The lecturer may expel students who fail to understand or respect the lecturer’s safety instructions from the activity. Find more information on DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’/'Disciplinary measures towards students'.

Mandatory prerequisites
Mandatory prerequisite courses are only used if a course must have been passed - for security reasons or similar weighty reasons - before participation in a subsequent course. Students may only register for the course and, if relevant, take part in a drawing of lots if they have passed or are registered for the exam in the mandatory course.

Recommended academic prerequisites
Recommended academic prerequisite courses form the basis for the teaching, and students are expected to know about the topics covered by the courses. Students who do not have the necessary prerequisites are not entitled to extra academic counselling and may be expelled from the class if the student's presence is inconvenient to the general teaching.

Participation in limited admission courses

• Guidelines for fully booked courses
• You can lose your place in a course with limited admission 
• Priority in case of drawing lots
• Non-priority in case of drawing lots

Some courses at DTU have participant restrictions due to laboratory or workshop exercises or similar. It is stated in the course description if there is a participant restriction in a course. During the post-enrollment period for courses, participants may be restricted to a course based on room capacity or academic conditions. 

Guidelines for fully booked courses
If a course is fully booked, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs will draw lots among the students registered for the course to determine who gets to participate in the course. No later than one month before the start of the teaching period, a study announcement will be sent out with information about the procedure for drawing lots in the event of fully booked courses.

All students who have registered for a course for which participation will be determined by drawing lots will receive an email after the draw with status information. There are three status types:

• Place on the course guaranteed
• On the waiting list
• Lost draw

You can lose your place in a course with limited admission 
Students, who have been granted a place in the course, but who do not attend classes when the course starts and fail to notify and get approval from the lecturer of subsequent attendance will not be permitted to keep their place in an overbooked course after the dates stated below:

13-week period: after the end of class on the first day of teaching in the course
3-week period: four hours after course commencement

The place will be given to the next student present with the lowest number on the waiting list. 

Priority in case of drawing lots
It may be stated in the course description that students enrolled in specific study programmes have priority in a drawing of lots. Students who have registered for a course within the deadline will be assigned a place or participate in drawing lots according to this priority. If nothing is stated in the course description, all full-time students who have registered within the deadline will participate in the draw equally.

• Full-time students who have registered within the deadline and students on the flexible master’s programme (part-time programme) have priority over guest students and students on continuing education in any drawing of lots.
• Students for whom the course is mandatory or forms part of one of the mandatory groups have priority over students for whom the course is not mandatory. If a student for whom a course forms a mandatory part of the programme loses a draw, the student in question will be guaranteed a place if he/she registers for the course the next time the course is offered.
• Guest students studying at DTU under one of DTU's international joint programmes and for whom the course constitutes a mandatory programme element or part of the mandatory group take precedence over full-time students for whom the course is not mandatory as well as over other guest students and part-time students.
• Students enrolled on part-time programmes for whom a course constitutes a mandatory programme element take precedence over students on part-time programmes for whom the course is not mandatory. 
• Guest students and students in part-time programmes who have registered within the deadline will be assigned a place in overbooked courses and have priority over full-time students who register after the deadline.

Non-priority in case of drawing lots
The following situation is not a priority in the case of drawing lots:

• Students who are bound to a course, cf. the rules on binding courses, do not have priority in the case of drawing lots. That is also the case even if a student is about to exceed their maximum study duration.

Mandatory participation in class and exam prerequisites

• Mandatory participation in class
• Mandatory exam prerequisite assignments etc.
• Illness or other legitimate reasons for absence from mandatory activities

Mandatory participation in class
Attending classes is generally not mandatory. However, some courses (for example practical courses and laboratory courses) require active participation to pass the course. In courses with projects, giving presentations and acting as a critic in relation to presentations given by other students may be mandatory. If class participation is mandatory, it must be specified in the course description. 

Mandatory exam prerequisite assignments etc.
A course coordinator may decide that the submission and approval of written assignments, oral presentations, etc., during the course are a prerequisite for the students being allowed to take the course exam. This kind of assignment etc., is called exam prerequisites. It must be stated in the course description if a course has exam prerequisites.

An exam prerequisite must meet the learning objectives for the course in terms of form and content, and it is expected that the course coordinator provides the students with some feedback. The individual course coordinators decide on the criteria for approval of the exam prerequisite and inform the students. Exam prerequisites are not included in the assessment of the course.

It counts as an exam attempt if the student does not meet any exam prerequisites and the deadline for registering for the exam has been exceeded. The student will then receive the registration IG (not approved). Read more about IG at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Assessment forms and grading'.

Mandatory prerequisite assignments in relation to re-exams are described in further detail at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exam'/‘Re-exams’.

Illness or other legitimate reasons for absence from mandatory activities
Students who are prevented from participating in mandatory teaching modules or completing laboratory or workshop activities due to illness or other legitimate reasons are obligated to notify the lecturer responsible as soon as possible.

The student can agree with the lecturer to retake the mandatory activity or have it replaced by a similar activity. The student must be able to document the reason for being absent if requested by the lecturer. If it is not possible to retake the mandatory activity in the current semester, the student is entitled to take the activity again the next time the course is offered. If the student can document illness, they have the right only to retake the missing activities the next time teaching in the course is offered.

If the student is unable to participate in the exam in the course due to a legitimate absence, the student must submit documentation for the reason for the absence. If the student does not submit documentation, the exam will count as an exam attempt. See DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’/‘Exam‘/‘Illness in connection with exams’.

Deadlines for publication of teaching material and syllabus

Information about the course material for the first teaching session and the framework of the course (e.g. working method, expected meeting times, preparation for the first sessions, submission deadlines) must be available to the students on the course no later than one week before the start of the course.

Information about material forming part of the exam syllabus must be available on DTU Learn/DTU Inside no later than three weeks before the end of the teaching period, together with a description of the syllabus or other reading guidelines.

Project courses

The content of a project course is agreed upon between the student(s) and a DTU supervisor. The DTU supervisor registers the project course in the project registration system (Projektindberetningssystemet).

The supervisor for B Eng students must be an employee holding a permanent position at DTU; assistant professors are exempt from this.

As for BSc and MSc students, the supervisor must be a member of the scientific staff with research obligations and hold a permanent position at DTU (assistant professors exempted). An exemption from the requirement for research obligation may be granted by the relevant BSc or MSc Head of Studies.  

The ECTS credit for a project course ranges from 5 to 30 ECTS credits with intervals of 2.5 credits. 5 ECTS credits correspond to around three weeks of full-time study. In exceptional cases, it is possible to take a project course corresponding to 2.5 ECTS credits, for example, if the course constitutes the final element of the programme. In such a case, the lecturer must contact the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs to register for the course.

The student must always be aware of whether there are restrictions in the curriculum for the student's field of study on how many ECTS credits can be used for project courses.

The project period for a project course cannot extend six months. The agreement regarding a project course is binding on both parties. Still, it can be changed according to an agreement between the parties. The project course must be documented in a report or similar.

If a student does not pass a project course, a re-exam of the course can be offered. That is agreed upon between the supervisor and the student. In the event of a disagreement as to whether a re-exam is to be held, the department board of studies must decide the case after an inquiry from the student or supervisor. The student can always plead for the right to three examination attempts in the course.

Projects in cooperation with a company (project-based exams)
A project course can be carried out entirely or partially with a company in Denmark or abroad (called a project-based exam). The academic content, learning objectives as well as the form of assessment and grading must be agreed upon with a DTU supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the project has a sufficient academic/theoretical level. The ECTS credit total is based only on the expected project workload, which means that the duration of a possible internship with the company is not credit awarding.

The students are responsible for finding a company, but many departments have contact with several companies. Students can visit DTU Career Hub which is a matchmaking site that makes it easier for businesses, students, and DTU employees to get in touch with each other.

In connection with an unpaid project-based course, BSc and MSc students may receive recognition from appreciation from the company of a maximum of DKK 3,286 a month (2022-level). It is voluntary for the company to give an acknowledgment. The acknowledgment is not granted as a predetermined income, which the student can expect to receive in the same way as a salary. The student must not be included as a labourer during his/her stay in the company. 

Project proposals
Students are recommended to draw up a project proposal to be signed jointly by the student, the supervisor, and the company since all three parties must agree on the project.

The project proposal should describe the most important aspects related to the project: project title, specific project tasks, expected work effort and hours/time of arrival, duration of the stay in the company, whether the student will be provided with office space, what equipment will be made available, etc. If the company requires confidentiality and rights to use the project, the company can write separate agreements with the student and DTU.

At each department, there is a person responsible for contracts whom the project supervisor can contact. The project supervisor can find an overview of persons responsible for contracts at each department on DTU Inside under https://www.inside.dtu.dk/en/medarbejder/forskning-innovation-og-raadgivning/forskningssamarbejde-jura-og-kontraktforhold/for-forskere. The contract responsible at the departments can find templates for different contract types on DTU Inside, i.a. a collaboration agreement for exam projects and a declaration from students participating in a research project.

Insurance
During an internship with a company in connection with a project, the insurance taken out by Polyteknisk Forening (PF student association) does not provide cover. See DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Insurance for students’.

Evaluation of teaching

At the end of the semester, the teaching in all courses is evaluated via DTU Inside. The students complete the evaluation forms anonymously. Evaluations are processed by the board of studies at the department.

The evaluation of a course comprises two forms:

Form A: Evaluation of the course in general, including free-text proposals (text fields where students can give feedback in their own words) 
Form B: Evaluation of the course coordinator/lecturers

Form A is available to everyone regarding the answers to the questions. A summary of the course evaluations is published on DTU's homepage.

Form B and the free-text proposals from form A are confidential as they may contain sensitive personal information. The evaluations may, however, be accessed by the following persons:

• The relevant head of department and managers with direct HR responsibility

• All members of the relevant board of studies, including substitutes in the event of permanent members' absence

• The course coordinator

• When the course comprises a mandatory programme element, the relevant head of studies.

Complaints regarding teaching and supervision

Students dissatisfied with the teaching in a given course or with the supervision received in connection with a project must contact the lecturer/supervisor concerned immediately to try to find a solution to the problem. If this does not solve the problem, the following rules for student complaints regarding teaching/supervision have been established:

• The complaint should be submitted as soon as possible after a possible prior dialogue with the lecturer/supervisor, and as a general rule before the course is offered again.
   
• Complaints must be justified in writing and submitted to the board of studies at the department offering the course. A list of study board chairpersons at the individual departments can be found on DTU Inside under ‘Academic offers and guidance'/'Study board chairmen’.
   
• The department Board of Studies informs the Head of Department/closest manager about the complaint if the complaint concerns personnel issues. All or parts of the complaint will be processed by the Head of Department /closest manager who will decide on any official measures in relation to the teacher/supervisor if the complaint gives rise to it. The student must not be informed of anything other than that the case/parts of the case have been handed over to the Head of Department.
   
• If the complaint does not relate to personnel matters, the department Board of Studies involves the lecturer/supervisor in the case. If the lecturer is not responsible for the course, the course coordinator must always be involved in the case. The Board of Studies is encouraged to anonymize the complainant's identity if it is not important for the processing of the case to know who the complainant is. In cases of a more personal nature, the student cannot remain anonymous to the lecturer/supervisor.
   
• When the Board of Studies has dealt with the complaint, a reply must be sent to the student(s) about how the board has handled the complaint. If the complaint has had a concrete outcome in relation to the course etc., this must also be informed, unless it is a matter of personal issues, cf. above., The Board of Studies sends a copy of the answer to the Head of Department if this is deemed relevant. 
   
• The reply to a teaching/supervision complaint is not considered a decision in legal terms and therefore cannot be appealed.

Exam rules

All courses and projects contain one exam or multiple exams, called part-exams. The exam may, for example, be a written exam (on campus), an oral exam, a written home assignment/report, or a practical exam. See examples of different exam forms at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Forms of examination'.

The exam's objective is to assess the extent to which the student meets the learning objectives defined for the course or project. The exam must reflect the overall course objectives, learning objectives, and content. 

Students are entitled to three exam attempts in each course or project. Students can apply for an exemption for further examination attempts. Find more information at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave, and maternity/paternity leave'/'Exemption'.

The assessment form type, examination date, the learning objectives, etc., can be found in the course descriptions at DTU Course Base.

Registration and withdrawal from exam

• How to register and deregister for exams
• Registration for the exam after the deadline
• When does a course become binding?
• Registration for second and third exam attempt
• Overlap of exams in time
• Exam in final projects, project courses, and internship
• Exam attempts
• Courses with part-exams
• Used up exam attempts

All activities that form part of the programme must be assessed. To obtain an assessment, students must be registered for the exam in the activity. Students may not participate in an exam or have, for example, a substitution paper assessed if they are not registered for the exam in the course.

Students cannot register for exams in courses that have already been passed (grade 02 or higher or ‘Pass’).

How to register and deregister for exams
All course registrations are automatically transferred to exam registrations. The transfer takes place before the registration period for the exam begins. Students are responsible for all other exam registration.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all exam registrations are correct, whether automatically transferred or not.

The student must be aware that registration and deregistration for the exam take place via www.tilmelding.dtu.dk. Course registration takes place via the Study Planner. Therefore, the student's check of whether the exam registrations are correct takes place at www.tilmelding.dtu.dk. That is also where the student can unsubscribe and register for exams in other courses than those that have been transferred from the course registrations, e.g. a re-exam.

Students can find the deadlines for exam registrations etc., at DTU Inside under Study rules'/'Exam'/‘Registration deadlines for courses and examinations’.

Registration for the exam after the deadline
Post-registration for the exam/re-exam can as a rule only take place for students who, due to special circumstances, have not been able to register for the exam during the ordinary registration period. Special conditions can be:

• The student has been awaiting a decision from the Board of Exemptions regarding an additional examination attempt or a decision regarding exam cheating. 
• Own illness or illness/death in the immediate family.
• Special permits from a course coordinator, e.g. in connection with exam prerequisites approved after the registration deadline.
• If the registration results in the student being able to complete the education immediately after the exam period.

An electronic application form can be found at DTU Inside after the exam registration deadline has expired under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Registration and deregistration deadlines'. The application must be accompanied by documentation regarding the special circumstances.

When does a course become binding?
Registration is binding after the deadline for exam withdrawal. An exam attempt has been used even if the student does not participate in the exam. Find information on illness at exams at DTU Inside on 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Ilness in connection with exams'.

If the student does not withdraw from his/her first exam attempt in a course before the deadline, the course registration is binding and the course becomes part of the student’s programme specification. Thus, the student must pass the course to complete the programme, cf. DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Binding courses'.

A student may apply for cancellation of an exam registration in a course, but the application may only be met if the student does not plan to participate in the exam or, if the exam has been held, has not participated in the exam. Find more information on this type of exemption at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/'Exemption'.

Registration for the second and third exam attempt
Students must register for and withdraw from any subsequent second or third exam attempt within the current deadlines. Find more information under 'Exam attempts' below. Similarly, students who have withdrawn from their first exam attempt in a course must register for a new exam in the course unless they register for the course once more.

Overlap of exams in time
If, after the publication of the dates for written exams, it transpires that a student has registered for two exams that overlap, the student is entitled to withdraw from one of the written exams and instead take the exam in question in the next (re-)exam period for the course. The same applies to oral exams if the student cannot arrange a different examination time for the oral exam with the examiner. The student must contact the Study Administration via student email to studadm@adm.dtu.dk before the exam is held.

Exam in final projects, project courses, and internship
BEng projects, BSc projects, and MSc theses also conclude with an exam (an oral defence), but registration is made by the main supervisor for the final project via the project reporting system. The same applies to project courses and internships.

Special rules apply for exam registration for guest students and students in part-time programmes. These rules are accessible on DTU's webpage.

Exam attempts
Students are entitled to three exam attempts in each course or project.

Even though several versions of the same course with different course numbers may be available, students only have three exam attempts. That also includes one or more exam attempts used under the vacant place scheme (vacant place on DTU’s courses offered to students as a part-time programme). Several versions of the same course both cover courses with different course numbers and/or titles and courses that are not applicable to other courses.

It counts as an exam attempt if a student does not participate in an exam and gets the grade EM (Not met). Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Assessment forms and grading'. The only exception is where the student can present documentation of illness. Read more about the rules at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Illness in connection with exams'.

It also counts as an exam attempt if the student does not meet any exam prerequisites, e.g. compulsory assignments, and the deadline for registering for the exam has been exceeded. The student will then receive the registration IG (Not approved). Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Assessment forms and grading'.

Courses with part-exams
Even if a student has passed one or more part-exams in a course, this does not count as an exam attempt if the student withdraws from the exam within the current deadlines. At the first (re)exam, already approved exam prerequisites or/and passed part-exams will continue to be valid. In addition, the general rules apply:

• that the student can only participate in an offered re-exam without having participated in the previous ordinary exam in a course, provided that the student meets the prerequisites for participation in the ordinary exam, and
• that in a course with part-exams, the re-exam is merely a repetition of the final part-exam in the course. 

If the student wishes to register for the course again, exam prerequisites/part-exams may be re-taken. The rules on re-exams can be found at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exam'/'Re-exams’. 

Used up exam attempts
Students who do not pass a third exam attempt are obliged to apply for an exemption to be granted an additional exam attempt immediately after the announcement of the grade for the third exam attempt. If they fail to do so, the student will no longer be entitled to be enrolled in the study programme and may be disenrolled in connection with one of the half-yearly rule checks made by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs. Rules on exemption can be found on DTU Inside under Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/'Exemption'.

Assessment forms

Students must be assessed individually. In connection with individual exams, group exams, and group assignments, an assessment must be made of each student's performance, and individual grades must be awarded. For group projects/exams, each student must be given their own grade or assessment; it is thus impossible to give a grade for the group as a whole.

Grades and other assessments are confidential information that must not be communicated to anyone other than the student him-/herself unless the student has previously agreed to it. That also applies to group projects/exams unless otherwise agreed between the examiner and the students in the group.

In connection with their assessment, the external examiner and the primary examiner must take notes about the candidate’s performance and the grading for use in the event of a future appeal. The notes must be kept for at least a year and until the conclusion of any subsequent appeal.

The assessment consists of a grade based on the 7-point grading scale or the assessment ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’. Find a description of the scale in ministerial order no. 1125 of 04/07/2022 on the Grading Scale of Study Programmes Offered under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (the Grading Scale Order - only in Danish).

The assessment ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ can only be used for tests/exams accounting for up to one-third of the study programme’s ECTS credits. That does not apply to exams for which credits have been transferred from other universities. It is DTU's responsibility to comply with this requirement.

At least 1/3 of the total ECTS credits on the study programme must have been completed with external co-examination. That does not apply to exams for which credits have been transferred from other universities. It is DTU's responsibility to comply with this requirement.

In cases where an assessment cannot be made in accordance with the Danish 7-point grading scale or ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’, the following registration may occur in DTU's student system:

• SYG - ‘Ill’
  The registration is used if the student has been registered for the exam without participating - or has had to leave the exam due to illness without submitting an exam paper - and the student can present documentation for this. The documentation must be sent to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs at studadm@adm.dtu.dk. Only the Office for Study Programmes and Students Affairs can make the registration *Ill'. See DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/Exam'/Illness in connection with exams. 
   
• EM - ‘Not met'
  The registration is used if the student has been registered for the exam without taking the exam. It is registered that the student has used an exam attempt.
   
• IG - ‘Not approved’
  The registration is used when the student fails to meet exam prerequisites. It is registered that the student has used an exam attempt unless the student withdraws from the exam in the course. See DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Class participation and exam prerequisites’. 
   
• AB - 'Awaiting decision Passed'
  The registration is used when the student has been reported for suspected exam cheating, and a decision has not yet been made. The registration is equated with a passed grade/assessment in the study administration system but without the actual assessment appearing. The student will see the registration 'AFV B' in their transcript. It is registered that the student has used an exam attempt. Once a decision has been made in the cheating case, the registration will be changed to either 'SN' or the grade/assessment the student has received. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Examination'/'Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.
   
• AI - 'Awaiting decision Not passed'
  The registration is used when the student has been reported for suspected exam cheating, and a decision has not yet been made. The registration is equated with a failed grade/assessment in the study administration system but without the actual assessment appearing. The student will see the registration 'AFV IB' in their transcript. It is registered that the student has used an exam attempt. Once a decision has been made in the cheating case, the registration will be changed to either 'SN' or the grade/assessment the student has received. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Examination'/'Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.
   
• SN - 'Cheating' (Snyd)
  The registration is used if the student has had an exam performance/result for an entire course cancelled because of a violation of the exam rules (exam cheating). It is registered that the student has used an exam attempt.

Requirements for passing exams and part-exams

• Part-exams assessed with part grades
• Part-exams based on an overall assessment

A course has been passed if the student has been awarded the grade 02 or higher or the assessment ‘Pass’. Part-exams cannot be retaken if the course has been passed.

All part-exams on a course must be offered in the same course module unless otherwise stated in the course description. Find more information on part-exams in connection with re-exams at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Re-exams'.

Regardless of whether a student has completed one or more part-exams in a course, the student has the right to cancel the course and exam within the applicable deadlines and has thus not used an exam attempt in either the part-exams or the final exam.

In a course with part-exams, any re-exam is only a repetition of the final part-exam on the course. Part-exams scheduled in the teaching period will thus not be offered as a re-exam or will not be assessed in the period between the ordinary exam and the re-exam in the course. For more information, visit DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exam'/'Re-exams’.

A course with several part-exams can be assessed

• either by using partial grades in the assessment of the part-exams
• or based on an overall assessment of the different part-exams

It must be stated in the course description under 'Type of assessment' whether part-exams are assessed using partial grades or an overall assessment.

Part-exams assessed with partial grades
If official partial grades are used for the individual part-exams in a course, the students are informed about the partial grades after each part-exam, and the total final grade is the weighted average of the partial grades, rounded to the nearest grade in accordance with the Danish 7-point grading scale. The final grade is rounded up if the average is halfway between two grades.

However, a special pass requirement applies at DTU for courses with part-exams for which partial grades are used. The pass requirement is:

1) that the average grade of the part-exams must be at least 02 without rounding up, and
2) that no partial grade must be below 00.

For some courses, it may be relevant to deviate from the above rule or to establish additional requirements for partial grades. Such deviations must be approved by the Department Board of Studies and the Dean. The deviations must be stated in the course description.

If the student does not participate in a part-exam with a partial grade, the course cannot be passed, and the student must then be graded 'Not passed’, regardless of whether the course is graded according to the 7-step grading scale. This is to signal that no academic assessment has taken place. This also applies if other part-exams are passed. 

A student who has not participated in any of the part-exams and who has not deregistered for the exam must be registered with EM (Not met). 

Part-exams based on an overall assessment
When using overall assessment, no partial grades are given, and any indication of the weighting of the individual part-exams is only indicative. Students may only be informed of and receive one final grade for the course.

The course coordinator can decide that one or more part-exams must be completed/approved as a condition for receiving a grade or other assessment for the entire course based on an overall assessment. This means that the part-exam is mandatory and must be completed/approved in order to pass the course. In such a case, this must be stated in the course description. If it is not stated in the course description that one or more part-exams must be completed/approved in order to pass the course, an overall assessment must be made of the remaining part-exams that the student has completed. The student can thus pass the course on the basis of the remaining part-exams. However, non-completed/approved part-exans are included in the overall assessment.

A student who does not participate in/hand in any of the part-exams in a course and who has not registered for the exam must be given the assessment 'Not met'.

Forms of examination

• Change of the form of examination due to special circumstances
• Practical exams as part of the teaching or as a final test
• Oral exams
• Oral group exams
• Written assignments
• Group projects
• Written exams (written on-site exams)
• Exams conducted abroad
• Rescheduled exam for a cancelled written exam (on-site exam)

The exam in a course may be written, practical, oral, or a combination thereof, for example, a series of part exams during the course.

With the approval of course descriptions, the Department Board of Studies decides on the form of examination, including the type of part exams, to be used on the course.

Different rules governing the primary forms of examination are described below. The relevant Department Board of Studies can approve other forms of examination.

Change of the form of examination due to special circumstances
Students may contact the Study Administration via student email to studadm@adm.dtu.dk to apply for a change in the form of examination in a course (e.g. from written to oral exam) based on special circumstances, for example, special conditions in relation to a documented permanent functional impairment. If the student informs to have a functional impairment, the Special Educational Support (SPS) team in the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs and Students will always be involved. The Study Administration will contact the course coordinator for an assessment of whether, based on the learning objectives of the course, it is academically sound and whether it is practically possible to change the examination form. The SPS team (aus-sps@adm.dtu.dk) in the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs can assist in this assessment if required.

A precondition for allowing a change of the examination form is that the exam's academic level is not lowered. Find more information at DTU Inside on 'Study rules'/Exam'/'Special Exam Arrangements'.

Practical exams as part of the teaching or as a final test
Courses comprising exercises (laboratory courses, workshop courses, etc.) may be subject to continuous assessment or include a practical exam at the end of the course. The students must be informed of the criteria for the assessment at the beginning of the course if the exams are subject to continuous assessment. Each student’s contribution must be clearly stated so they can be assessed individually.

Oral exams
The student must bring his/her student card as identification to the oral exam.

As a general rule, all oral exams are open to the public but can be held behind closed doors under special circumstances justified, for instance, on the grounds of student needs. Projects which, entirely or partially, are carried out with private companies may, taking into account any information about trade secrets, know-how, etc., in the report, be treated as confidential and be held behind closed doors too.

Oral exams may extend over several days. Any dates in addition to the specified exam dates must be agreed upon with the students. Students who are unable to attend an examination on these additional days are entitled to participate in the exam on the exam date in accordance with the timetable or on another day, subject to agreement with the lecturer.

Oral exams must be taken before the end of the exam period unless otherwise agreed between the course coordinator and the students.

Due to legal rights, all oral exams must be conducted by two assessors. This also applies where the form of examination includes an oral element. The second assessor may be either an external examiner or a co-examiner/assessor from DTU.

Oral online exam
Oral exams, including oral defense of the final project, cannot generally be held as online exams, and both assessors and students must participate in the exam with physical attendance. Online courses and courses offered as part of digital programmes (D.T.U.) are exempt from this rule.

However, an oral examination can exceptionally be held as a partial  online examination due to unusual circumstances. For example due to an acute obstacle in the presence of one of the assessors, so one assessor participates via an online connection. Individual online exams may also be relevant for guest students who need to take a re-exam after traveling back to their home university. The decision to conduct an oral online examination for individual students or assessors is made by the course coordinator/supervisor.

The Board of Studies must approve the decision to conduct an oral online examination for an entire  course for all students based on completely extraordinary circumstances.

Guides have been prepared for holding an online oral exam; one for students at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Exam guides', and for lectures at DTU Inside under 'Educational administration'/'Guidance'/'Exam guides'.

Oral group exams
An oral exam can take place as a group exam. Group exams are typically held in connection with written assignments prepared by two or more students (group projects).

In an oral group exam, the individual student must be examined in such a way as to ensure that an individual assessment of each student's performance is made and individual grades or other assessments are given; thus, one grade cannot be given to the group as a whole. It is important that each assessor notes the level and quality of participation of the individual students. The assessors must also ensure that all students participate in the exam in order to allow individual assessments to be made.

When organizing an oral group exam, the course coordinator must ensure that the time allocated for the exam is adapted to the number of students participating in the exam. All members of the project group are present during the entire exam.

The student must have his/her grade stated in private unless otherwise agreed between the examiner and the students in the group.

If an individual oral exam is held as a follow-up to a group project and as a follow-up to an oral group exam, if relevant, the other students in the group may not be present in the exam room before their own individual oral exam.

The possibility of choosing an individual exam instead of a group exam is only available to students with documented special educational needs. See above under ‘Change of form of examination due to special circumstances.

Special rules on oral group exams apply to final projects. Read more at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Final projects’ or in the study programme curriculum.

Written assignments
Submission of assignments, reports, posters, etc. may be

• an offer to students (the assignments are not part of the assessment)
• an exam prerequisite that is a prerequisite for being able to take the exam in the course, for example, mandatory assignments. Exam prerequisites are not part of the assessment. See DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/Teaching'/'Class participation and exam prerequisites', or
• an element that is included as part of the assessment basis, e.g. a part-exam. A part-exam can also be a mandatory element in order to pass the course. See DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Requirements for passing exams and part exams).

Written assignments can be prepared individually or as group assignments/projects. The course coordinator must inform the students if the project is expected to be individualized or not when prepared as a group project. If the project is not subjected to individualization, an oral examination must be held afterward. This can either be conducted as a group exam or an individual exam. Find more information on group exams above under 'Oral group exams' and on group projects underneath. 

Students can only expect to have take-home assignments corrected/assessed that have been submitted on time.

Assignments must be prepared in the language of instruction. The students' exam papers must be prepared in the language of instruction. For assignments in Danish, students can also answer in Swedish and Norwegian. The assessors may allow exam papers to be submitted in other languages. Special rules apply to final projects Se DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Final projects'.

Group projects
The number of students on group projects should not exceed six people. The course coordinator may decide on a lower or higher maximum number than six if this is in line with the learning objectives for the course.

Special rules apply to group size for BEng projects, BSc projects, and MSc theses. See DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Final projects’.

For group projects/group assignments, an independent grade or other assessment can only be awarded if the individual student’s contribution to the project can be ascertained (individualization). Thus, it is of great importance to the exam form whether the project is individualized or not (see below). 

Before the students commence a group project, the course coordinator must inform the students whether they are required to individualize the project or not. If a group project does not comply with the requirements for individualization or other formal requirements, the paper may be rejected by the course responsible, and no assessment will be given.

For group projects, each student must have their own grade/other assessment; thus, one grade cannot be given to the group as a whole.

If the student has documented special educational needs, it may be possible to have an individual exam instead of a group exam. See above under 'Change of assessment form due to special circumstances.

Group projects without individualization
A group project for which the students’ individual contributions are not specified must, according to the Examination Order, always be followed by an oral exam, as it is not possible to make an individual assessment on the basis of the group project alone. Only one grade will be given as an overall assessment based on the project and the subsequent oral exam. The oral exam can be either an individual exam (i.e. one student at a time) or an oral group exam; see the above.

Group projects with individualization
For group projects/group assignments, where individualization is required, students’ individual contributions must be clearly distinguishable in regard to the chapters and sections in the assignment. For larger group projects, it is accepted that general descriptive sections such as the introduction, problem statement, scope, conclusion, and the like are prepared jointly. Several students may well have the (main) responsibility for the same chapters/sections.

If the project states that the assignment overall has been prepared jointly, this will not fulfil the requirement for individualization.

For individualized group assignments/group projects, there is no requirement for a subsequent oral exam, and the assessment can be done on the basis of the assignment/project alone.

Written exams (written on-site exams)
Written exams are always individual. The duration of the exam must be stated in the course description. 

If less than ten students register for a written exam, the lecturer is entitled to change the assessment form to an oral exam up until one week after the exam registration deadline. This must be done with due regard for the fact that the students were expecting a written exam. The lecturer is responsible for notifying the students in the event of a change in the assessment form. If the lecturer and all registered students agree, another approved assessment form can be applied. If, on the basis of a change in the form of examination announced after the cancellation deadline, the student wishes to be deregistered from the exam, this must be notified to the Study Administration via studadm@adm.dtu.dk no later than 14 days after notification from the course coordinator.

As regards which language the exam assignment must be in, please see the section 'Written assignments' above.

The actual exam holding
Students should arrive at a written exam 15 minutes before the exam begins to prepare themselves for the exam to start. Students who show up after the exam has started will not be allowed to participate in the exam. They will then receive an assessment of ‘Not met’ (‘Ej Mødt’).

Music players, ear protectors, electronic earplugs, or the like must not be brought to the exam. Ordinary earplugs are allowed. The usage of earplugs is at the student's risk; for example, announcements during exams can be difficult to hear. 

Mobile phones and smartwatches should be turned off and placed face-up on the corner of the student's exam desk. The student must be aware that it can lead to suspicion of exam cheating if the phone/smartwatch is not turned off or is not lying on the corner of the table with the front facing up.

Find information on aids for written exams at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Use of aids and materials at written exams'.

Digital exam
Written on-site exams where all aids are allowed (and therefore also computers allowed) are in principle digital, i.e. the assignment is set and submitted digitally, and it is not possible to submit on paper.  As a rule, there is no access to the internet. Access to the internet is only permitted if the lecturer has reported this via the exam reporting form to the exam office, and in writing has informed the students of this before the exam. Find more information on aids and materials for written exams at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/Exam'/'Use of aids and materials at written exams'.

It is a basic condition in order to grade an exam paper that it has been uploaded correctly and in the correct format by the student and is available to the lecturer in the exam platform (Digital Eksamen) that has been chosen for the particular exam. 

Find more information on written exams at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/FAQ about written examinations'.
Find information on special exam conditions for written exams at DTU at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/Special exam conditions'

Written online home exam
It is not permitted to hold a written exam as an online home exam. This was only temporarily allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exams conducted abroad
Exams may be conducted abroad with physical presence provided the reason for doing so is that the student is unable to participate in the university's examinations in Denmark for practical or financial reasons. DTU approves the place of the exam and persons to organize the practical aspects of conducting the examination abroad. 

DTU defrays the special costs associated with conducting examinations abroad. DTU may ask the student to pay the costs incurred to conduct the examination abroad. However, it is a condition that the student confirms in writing in advance his or her willingness to pay the costs in question. DTU may make it a condition for conducting the examination that the amount is paid in advance. 

The Ministerial Order on Payment for the Services of Civil Servants Serving Abroad (Bekendtgørelse om betaling for tjenestehandlinger i udenrigstjenesten) applies to conduct examinations at Danish representations abroad. 

Rescheduled exam for a cancelled written exam (on-site exam)
In each exam period, a permanent scheme has been established for extraordinary days to hold any rescheduled exams. A rescheduled exam is only to be used as an absolute emergency procedure if, in exceptional cases, a written exam (on-site exam) for a course cannot be held as planned after all options for holding the exam as planned have been exhausted.

A rescheduled exam is an offer to the students, which lapses if they decide not to take advantage of it. Students who do not take advantage of an offer of a rescheduled exam will not have used an exam attempt. Students can only participate in a new exam at the earliest the next time a (re)exam is offered.

At DTU Inside, under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Dates of exam’, there is an overview of the scheduling of rescheduled exams.

Use of aids and materials at written exams

When formulating exam assignments, emphasis must be placed on testing the students’ academic knowledge at the time of the exam.

Aids and materials permitted at exams are specified in the course description. There are three options:

1. No aids and materials permitted (except standard dictionaries and calculators).
2. Written materials permitted, i.e. books, notes, old take-home assignments, etc. but not technical aids, for instance, a laptop.
3. All aids and materials permitted, i.e. also a standard laptop, tablet, and the like in addition to written aids. As a rule, there is no access to the internet. Access to the internet is only permitted if the lecturer has reported this via the exam reporting form to the exam office and has informed the students of this in writing before the exam.

Laptops, tablets, calculators, and other electronic aids must not be set up in a way that enables communication with others inside or outside the exam room.

Students are always allowed to bring standard dictionaries, i.e. spelling dictionaries, contemporary language dictionaries, and other language dictionaries, but not, for example, technical or medical dictionaries. That does not include language exams where dictionaries are not permitted.

Students are always allowed to bring a calculator unless the department forbids the use of calculators or makes one available at the exam. The department can make computers available for the exam, in which case students are not allowed to bring their own computer.

Students may use earplugs during the exam but must apply for an exemption if there is a need for additional noise-reducing aids such as earmuffs. The application must be sent to specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk. 

Students are not allowed to use their own printer for the exam, and it is not allowed to listen to music during an exam.

Read about written exams (written on-site exams) at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Forms of examination'.

You can find a FAQ on written exams at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/FAQ on written examinations'.

Written exam, with all aids permitted, is conducted digitally
For a written exam on campus with all aids allowed, you must bring a PC, as the exam task will be set digitally and the exam answer must be submitted digitally. If the exam is not suitable for digital delivery, this will be announced by the course supervisor before the exam. In these cases, however, it is still mandatory to bring a PC, as the exam task will most often be set digitally. 

When submitting digitally, it is important to be able to insert drawings and formulas in the right places in the answer. There are a number of options for doing this: a small scanner, a digital pen/drawing board, or an independent camera or the PC's camera. It is not allowed to use mobile phones during the exam.

A written digital exam can never be conducted as an online home exam, as this form of exam has been abolished. See also DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Examination'/'Examination forms'.

Violation of the rules on the use of aids
Violating the rules of using aids and materials for written exams will lead to disciplinary measures towards students according to the rules regarding cheating at exams. Find more information on this at DTU Inside under Study rules'/‘Exam’/'Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.

Students must not gain unauthorized access to information during the exam, including online when this is not permitted, or by communicating with others. The exam paper submitted must be prepared during the exam by the student himself. If material prepared by others or jointly with others is used at the exam, reference must be made to this. 

Responsibility for own aids and devices
Students are responsible for any aids and materials they bring to the exam, and DTU generally does not make any facilities available for the use of any aids. Students are not granted extra time for the exam if the aids they have brought to the exam have a malfunction, are out of power, etc.

Special exam conditions for written exams
It is possible to apply for special conditions for a written exam and obtain permission to use compensating aids (e.g. assistive aids for dyslexics) for written exams, where aids are otherwise not permitted. See DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/‘Special exam arrangements’.

Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment

• What is exam cheating?
• Notification of exam cheating
• How must the lecturer assess the student who is reported
• What should a notifying report contain?
• Information to the reported student(s) from the lecturer
• What is the student's position during the cheating case
• Sanctions
• Complaint guidance
• The lecturer can give oral reprimand for minor offenses

Pursuant to section 14 of the University Act, subsection 9, cf. section 20a of the examination order (BEK 849 of 16/06/2023), DTU has laid down rules on disciplinary measures in cases of exam cheating and disruptive behavior during examinations and tests. For diploma students, however, the rules are laid down on the basis of § 34 of the examination order for vocational higher education (BEK 863 of 14/06/2022).

Violation of the exam rules will result in disciplinary sanctions against the student. See DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Disciplinary measures towards students'. Read more about the disciplinary sanctions used for violating the rules of the exam below under the section 'Sanctions'.

DTU has ratified the Danish code of conduct for research integrity and, based on this, has formulated DTU's own code of good scientific and ethical practice/conduct (DTU Code of Integrity in Research). This code, which includes everyone at DTU, implies that students, including PhD students, must demonstrate, via their projects and conduct during courses and participation in extracurricular activities and student competitions, that they have understood the principles of good scientific practice. Violation of the code will be dealt with according to DTU's rules on cheating at exams and other forms of assessment. DTU’s principles for good scientific conduct can be found at DTU Inside under ‘Research’ and ‘Principles for good scientific conduct’.

DTU has introduced an Honour Code for students at the BEng, BSc, and MSc programmes. At the beginning of their studies, students must actively express their acceptance of the code to continue their studies at DTU. With the student's acceptance of the code of honour, DTU expects the student to exhibit independence and fairness in their work and exams, and that they do not violate the rules on exam cheating. Acceptance of the Honour Code is a part of the commencement of studies exam for newly admitted BEng and BSc students. Admitted MSc students must express their acceptance of the code in connection with registration for courses in the 1^st semester. More information on DTU's code of honour can be found at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'.

What is exam cheating?
DTU requires that students at DTU demonstrate independence in their work and that the exam always reflects the students’ own independent performance. This is important as all assessment is individual, and the lecturer must be able to assess what it is the individual student has learned and can.

The rules below also include exam cheating in connection with exam prerequisites. Read more about these at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Class participation and exam prerequisites'.

DTU considers it exam cheating among other things in the following cases:

1. Plagiarism
   Plagiarizing means using someone else's text, results, ideas, images, figures, slides (also from teaching), notes, data, etc. as your own without indicating the precise source. Use of AI, such as ChatGPT and similar forms of artificial intelligence, where it is not you, but the program/robot that writes, solves a task, etc., is also plagiarism if you do not cite the source. Refining an assignment's content using grammar or spelling checks is widely accepted and does not require citation. It must be clear from an assignment answer, etc., which parts are the result of one's own thoughts, and which are based on direct copying or processing of other people's knowledge, including from a program/robot. When using texts, images, graphs, etc., which are not your own, whether as a quote, paraphrase, report, translation, or assessment, a reference to the source must be made. A paraphrase is a reformulation of a text. Read more about plagiarism and correct citations and references at www.stopplagiat.nu which is a web tutorial for students about plagiarism.
   
   If you in an individual assignment use copies of notes, formula collections, assignment answers, etc., which have been prepared by others or in collaboration with others, this is also plagiarism, unless you clearly refer to this and indicate the source. This is because the common notes etc. are not your own independent performance for the exam. You thereby conceal or mislead about your own efforts or results.
   
   Purchase of a completed assignment answer from an assignment bank e.g. on the internet is also plagiarism/exam cheating.
2. Self-plagiarism
   This means the reuse of your own text that has previously been graded, without quotation marks, and source reference. A written work can only form the basis for assessment once. A written work that has previously been graded at DTU or another educational institution cannot be included in a renewed assessment regardless of the grade obtained and regardless of the fact that it is the student's own previous written work. 
    
3. Academic dishonesty by e.g. manipulating or falsifying data. 
    
4. Concealment or misleading of own efforts or results.
    
5. Engages in unauthorized collaboration, e.g. in connection with an individual homework assignment, or gains unauthorized access to information during an individual exam via fellow students or others, or digitally by receiving or attempting to receive assistance.
    
6. Using unauthorized aids (read more at DTU Inside here).
    
7. Wronfully acquisition of prior knowledge of the exam paper. 
    
8. Providing incorrect attendance information where attendance is required.
    
9. Knowingly helps another student to violate the exam rules.
    
10. Participation online in a written exam that takes place on campus (on-site test) where you sit somewhere other than in the exam room.

On DTU Inside under ''Study rules'/'DTU's code of honor' under 'Do's and don'ts', examples of everyday situations from the study where you can involuntarily come into conflict with the rules for exam cheating are described. Here is also a link to a web tutorial for students which describes what plagiarism is and how to avoid being guilty of plagiarism by knowing the basic rules for citation and source reference in written assignment answers.

Notification of exam cheating
If there is a reasoned suspicion of violation of the exam rules, the lecturer must notify the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via eksamenssnyd.dtu.dk. 

Reporting can take place during a teaching period, e.g. in connection with an exam prerequisite assignment or other written submission, or after the final exam.

The lecturer can find further guidance on reporting students for exam cheating and other things related to exam cheating at DTU Inside under 'Educational administration'/'Guidance'/'Exam cheating'.

What should a notification report contain?
A notifying report should contain the following information:

Background specification: A brief description covering how the student's behaviour during the exam or assignment differs from the expected and gives rise to suspicion of cheating. The background specification should clearly mark what is not considered to reflect the student’s independent performance. Within the context of plagiarism, it should be stated how the student could have quoted correctly.  

Flag exam cheating: In the student’s exam paper or an independent document developed by the lecturer, the plagiarised parts of the assignment should be marked clearly: Text, graphs, equations, document creation, etc. The plagiarised parts should be marked clearly, e.g. by yellow highlighting. When the system identifies plagiarism, the report from the antiplagiarism software program should always be enclosed, together with the original text plagiarized from, if possible.

Evaluation form: What type of evaluation does the course have, and how much does the part that contains supposed plagiarism/exam cheating weigh?

The lecturer must be aware that the report is transmitted in original form to the student(s) in connection to the hearing of the student(s) in question.

How must the lecturer assess the student who is reported?
When the lecturer reports grades or Passed/Failed for the entire course, this must also be done for the student(s) the lecturer has reported or will report for the presumption of exam cheating.

The lecturer must make their assessment of the reported student(s) without including the suspicion of exam cheating. Depending on whether the student has passed or not passed the course as a whole, the lecturer in the Grade Reporting System must enter the following for the affected students: 

AI = Awaiting decision Failed, or
AB= Awaiting decision Passed

AB appears as passed, and AI appears as failed in the study administration system. Find more information on these registrations at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Assessment forms and grading'.

The lecturer must then inform the student(s) that they will be or have been reported for suspicion of exam cheating. Read below under 'Information to the reported student(s) from the lecturer'.

After a decision has been made, the registration AB or AI will be changed to SN (Cheating) if the student is found guilty of exam cheating. 

If the student is not found guilty of exam cheating, or the student only receives a reprimand or warning, the Office for Student Programmes and Student Affairs will write in the decision and ask the lecturer to release the grade/assessment for the student(s). The lecturer does this by sending an email with the assessment to studadm@adm.dtu.dk after which AB or AI will be changed to the assessment given.

Information to the reported student(s) from the lecturer
In connection with reporting a student, the lecturer must inform the student that they have been reported. It just needs to be an informational email; the student will, in connection with the hearing, conducted by the Office for Student Programmes and Student Affairs, get access to all material in the case. At DTU Inside, under 'Educational administration'/'Guidance'/'Exam cheating', the lecturer can find a template for an information e-mail.

What is the student's position during the cheating case?
As long as a case concerning exam cheating is being processed, the reported student has the right to participate in teaching and exams in the course. However, there may be exceptions depending on the extent of the alleged exam cheating, e.g. exam cheating in connection with the final project.

If the student plans to participate in the re-exam in the course in which he or she has been reported, and a decision has not yet been made regarding the cheating case, the following applies:

• If a decision is made that the student has not cheated, the result of any re-exam will be cancelled, and it will be the initial assessment from the first exam that is valid. However, this does not apply if the student did not pass the course/project at the initial assessment but has passed the course/project at a subsequent re-exam. In this case, it will be the passed result from the re-exam that is valid.
• If a decision is made that the student has cheated, the result of this exam will be cancelled, an exam attempt has been used and the exam result from the re-exam will take its place.
• If the Office for Student Programmes and Student Affairs decides in the case before the re-exam of the course, but after the registration and deregistration deadline for the exam, the student must contact the Office if they wish to be re-registered or deregistered the exam. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Registration and withdrawal from exam'.

Sanctions
After hearing of the reported student(s), the Office decides on the case following DTU's rules on cheating in exams and other assessments (these rules) and DTU's disciplinary rules towards students. 

DTU has the following reactions and sanction options for violation of examination rules, cf. DTU's disciplinary measures towards students:

1. Written reprimand
2. Written warning against repeated violation of the rules
3. Expulsion from the exam, i.e. non-assessment or cancellation of the exam performance. This sanction implies that an exam attempt has been used and that the student must register for a re-exam.
4. Expulsion from the university for a limited period or permanently. Temporary expulsion can be months, a semester, or several semesters. In the event of temporary expulsion during a project period for a final project, the project period will be cancelled, an exam attempt will be used, and the student must start a new project period after the expulsion period.

If the presumption of exam cheating is confirmed, the sanction in cases of a milder nature will most often be a written warning in combination with a cancellation of the exam result. In more serious cases of exam cheating or in case of repeated violation of the rules on exam cheating, the student will also be expelled temporarily or permanently.

For a further description of the above forms of sanction, please refer to DTU's disciplinary measures against students.

The case processing time for exam fraud varies and is currently approximately 3-4 months. The month of July is not included in the calculation.

Complaint guidance
The student can appeal the decision to The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science if the appeal concerns legal issues. Legal issues can be e.g. non-compliance with the educational rules that apply to the education and whether other legislation (e.g. the Public Administration Act) and the general principles of administrative law have been complied with. The Agency thus does not deal with academic issues, as the universities have academic self-governance. The deadline for submission of an appeal is two weeks from the day the decision is announced to the student. The appeal should be submitted to DTU, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via eksamenssnyd.dtu.dk. 

When DTU receives an appeal about a decision, a reassessment of the decision is made based on the information the student has provided in the appeal. In this connection, DTU may decide to reopen the case if the appeal contains information that is of significant importance to the case, or if significant case-handling errors have occurred in the original processing of the case.

If DTU chooses to maintain the original decision, DTU will prepare a statement about the decision and the appeal. The statement will be sent to the student who has the opportunity to comment on it. Finally, the entire case will be sent to the Agency for their consideration. The processing time at the Agency is currently approx. six months from the time DTU sends the appeal to the agency.

An appeal to the Agency usually does not have a suspensive effect on the sanction the student has received. Cancellation of the exam and a possible expulsion will therefore continue to apply.

The lecturer can give oral reprimands for minor offenses
If the lecturer assesses that the student's violation of the rules for the exam must be considered a minor offense and below the trifling limit (e.g. failure to comply with the rules for correct reference to sources in a part exam, that is included with very little weight (approx. 5%) in the overall assessment of the course), the lecturer has the option of giving the student an oral reprimand instead of making a report to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs. The lecturer can always contact the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs for a discussion of the matter.

The reprimand is not to be considered as a sanction but as a pedagogical recommendation to comply with the rules and with information on how the student has violated the rules of the exam and how the student can avoid cheating in the future. The reprimand is primarily intended for newer students who need clarification of how to quote/refer correctly, collaborate with other students without violating the exam rules, or use common notes in an individual, written answer.

The part-exam/part-assignment that is the subject of the violation of the rules for the exam, or parts thereof, must be excluded from the assessment basis.

The Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs must not be notified that an oral reprimand has been given unless the lecturer notices that the student continues to violate the examination rules. In these cases, a report must be made (see above), and the teacher should refer to the fact that a charge has previously been given.

Read about the sanction reprimand at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Disciplinary measures towards students'.

Special examination conditions

• Special examination conditions granted by AUS
• Special conditions for written exams
• Special conditions for final projects
• Special examination conditions granted by the department
• Special conditions for an oral exam
• Special conditions for projects in courses
• Exams at universities other than DTU

Special examination conditions granted by AUS

Special conditions for written exams
The Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) may allow special examination conditions on the basis of the following circumstances:

1. Students with physical or mental impairment (e.g. physical disability, dyslexia, etc.).
   The impairment must have a significant impact on the student’s potential exam performance.
2. Students whose native language and qualifying exam are not Danish may - provided that the exam is only in Danish - be granted extra time for a written exam during their first two semesters in Denmark. In this context, a Greenlandic or Faroese qualifying exam can be equated with a foreign qualifying exam.
3. Students with similar difficulties, for instance, students who are in the last month of pregnancy or who are breastfeeding an infant.

It must be possible to document the circumstances on which the grant of special conditions is based. For more information about valid documentation please visit DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam/Special Exam Conditions'/'I want to apply for special exam conditions. Exam anxiety, for example, is not a valid reason for special exam conditions.

The granting of special conditions presupposes that AUS assesses that it is necessary to equate the student with others in the same examination situation. It is a prerequisite that the grant of special conditions does not lower the academic level of the exam.

Depending on the student's application, situation, diagnosis, documentation, etc. AUS may grant the student special exam conditions that apply to anything between a semester and the remainder of the study period. It will be stated in the decision to the application how long the student has been granted special exam conditions, and the next deadline for a new application will be stated if the student should apply again.

The following special conditions may be granted for written exams. 

• Extra time: Usually 25% extra time is granted.
• Use of own computer, possibly with support programs: Also for exams where aids are otherwise not allowed. A solemn declaration must be signed. Typically applied for by dyslexic, visually impaired as well as physically challenged students.
• Special physical setting: Typically if the student is physically challenged and needs a height-adjustable table, or if the student is very sensitive to sound or suffers from social anxiety.
• Other: E.g. noise-canceling headphones, table lamp with a special light, etc. Diabetics can also get permission to use their mobile phone for diabetes monitoring. A declaration of faith and law must be signed.

The decision to grant students special conditions for written exams is valid for the following written exams and is granted on the basis of the following practice:

• A written exam held during the ordinary exam period. The student usually receives extra time through an automatic assignment.
• A minor written exam held on campus (on-site exams), that is either an exam prerequisite or that is included with a minimum of 20% in the final assessment. The exam is typically held during the teaching period and handled by the department, not AUS. The student must make the lecturer aware that he/she has been granted special conditions for a written exam by AUS. The student must contact the lecturer by mail as quickly as possible and attach the decision to the application as documentation of the special conditions the student has been granted. The lecturer may contact the SPS unit via specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk in case of questions.

Application deadlines and submission of the application

Applications received:

• 1 November - will be processed before the month of December
• 15 April - will be processed before the month of May
• 1 July - will be processed before the month of August

Applications are processed continuously, so please send your application as soon as possible.

Special conditions for written exams will often be granted for several semesters or the rest of the study period. The time period is stated in the decision letter.

Application for special conditions at written exams must be sent by the student from the student email to specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk The application form can be found at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Special exam conditions'. Here you can also read more about filling out the application form. In the case of emergencies (e.g. a broken arm), students can apply after the deadline by writing to studadm@adm.dtu.dk.

The application is processed in AUS. The caseworkers are subject to a duty of confidentiality, and personal information, as well as the outcome of the application, will therefore be treated as confidential. AUS makes a decision based on the application and the enclosed documentation. The decision to the application is sent to the applicant's student email 3-4 weeks after the application deadline. The letter is exclusively digital and must be presented via mobile phone or computer to the examination guards when attending the exam. Students who hold the previous laminated cards as proof can continue to use this. Both the digital letter and the laminated cards are valid.

Exam paper handed out on USB key for written exam
Students who have been allowed to use their own computers can order a non-digital exam assignment to be handed out on a USB key. The relevant application form can be found at DTU Inside. If the student wishes to hand in the exam answer on a USB key, the student must inform the lecturer beforehand.

The deadlines for having the exam assignment handed out on a USB key are as follow:

• Ordinary winter exam after the autumn 13-week period: 1 November
• Exam after the 3-week period in January: the last day of the supplementary registration period
• Ordinary summer exam after the spring 13-week period: 15 April
• Exam after the 3-week period in June: the last day of the supplementary registration period
• Exam after the 3-week period in July: the last day of the supplementary registration period
• Reexam and exam after the 3-week period in August: the last day of the supplementary registration period

Special conditions for final projects
If the period the student has been granted special conditions for written exams also includes the period for a final written project (BEng project, BSc project, or MSc thesis), the student may receive up to 3 weeks extra time to prepare the project prior to the start of the project. It is up to the student to decide whether he or she wants one, two, or three weeks.
Should the student prepare his/her project in collaboration with students who have not been granted extra time, extra time will be granted to the entire project group.
The decision to the application must be presented as documentation to the project supervisor. The extension of the project period must be registered by the supervisor in the Project Registration System (Projektindberetningssystemet) prior to the start date of the project.
For any questions, the SPS Unit can be contacted at specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk
The student must be aware that DTU's rules and the rules of SU (state educational grant and loan scheme) do not coincide on this point.

If the student wishes to apply for an extension of the project period during the project due to unforeseen circumstances please refer to the possibilities for applying for an extension of the submission deadline via the relevant department board of studies or the exemption board. Find more information at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Final projects'.

Special examination conditions granted by the department

The following is a description of the special arrangements that a lecturer may provide in other exam situations. In these cases, it is not a question of the student being entitled to special arrangements, but the examiner/lecturer must take into account the student's special challenge, if relevant and possible. The SPS Unit can assist the lecturer with guidance, if desired, via specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk

The granting of special conditions presupposes that the department/the lecturer assesses that it is necessary to equate the student with others in the same examination situation. It is a prerequisite that the grant of special conditions does not lower the academic level of the exam.

The student must contact the course coordinator/examiner as quickly as possible if he/she wishes to request special conditions and provide documentation of the matter on which the request is based. However, if the cause is speech challenges with the student, the circumstance is assumed to be assessable to the lecturer during a regular conversation.

Special conditions for an oral exam
The student can be granted extra time (typically 25%) for possible preparation time before the oral exam, for the exam itself (e.g. for speech challenges), or for both. Granting special conditions presupposes that the lecturer assesses that this is necessary in order to place the student on equal terms as the other students. The SPS Unit (specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk) can assist the lecturer in this assessment if needed. Exam anxiety, for example, is not a valid reason for special exam conditions. 
The student must contact the course coordinator no later than one month before the oral exam. Read more at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exam'/'Special exam conditions'/'I want to apply for special exam conditions'.
If the student is to take part in an oral group exam but is part of a group where the other students have not been granted extra time, the lecturer/examiner may assign the whole group extra time.
The allocated extra time only applies to the individual exam and is assessed individually each time. Thus, the assessment does not set a precedent for oral exams in other courses.

Special conditions for projects in courses
For longer-term projects/assignments in courses or the internship report for BEng students, the student can request the course coordinator to extend the project period. It is the lecturer's decision based on a practical assessment, including e.g. with regard to the assessment of and feedback to the other students on the course, and assessment of the risk of exam cheating, whether it is possible to allocate extra time. In the latter case, the type of project/task will be of significant importance. 
If the student is part of a group, and if he/she is able to apply for extra time for his/her project work, while the other group members are not able to apply for extra time, the lecturer/course coordinator can grant extra time to the whole group.

Exams at universities other than DTU

Grants of special exam conditions are only valid at DTU. If a student takes courses at other universities, the student must familiarize himself/herself with the university's rules and procedures for applying for special exam conditions. This also applies to students enrolled in a joint programme in Denmark or abroad, or if the student is studying abroad or is going to study abroad.

lllness in connection with exams

• Illness before the exam (unable to participate in the exam)
• Illness during the exam
• Illness of a close family member
• Illness during the project period under the final project

Illness before the exam (unable to participate in the exam)
Students who cannot participate in an exam due to illness must send documentation of the illness through their student mail to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs at studadm@adm.dtu.dk no later than two weeks following the date of the exam. If this procedure is followed, the student will automatically receive a new exam attempt, and the unattended exam during the period of illness will get the registration 'Ill' (SYG). The course registration(s) are still binding, cf. DTU Inside under 'Teaching'/'Binding courses'. The student in question must bear the expenses for the medical certificate.

Illness during the exam
Students who become ill during the exam must notify an invigilator or examiner before leaving the exam. Students must contact the doctor on the day of the exam or the proximate weekday at the latest. The process hereafter is described above under 'Illness before the exam'.

If the student, despite illness, chooses to complete an exam, i.e. submits their exam answer, it counts as an exam attempt, and the attempt cannot be cancelled.

The students must register for a new exam in the same course in a later examination term.

Read below under 'Conflict with DTU's deadlines due to illness' about the situations where a student due to the lack of participation in the exam conflicts with a deadline for the study programme (first-year exam, 5 ECTS credit study activity requirement, or maximum duration of the study).

Illness of a close family member
If a student is unable to participate in an exam due to a severe illness of a family member or friend, or in case of a serious event that may affect the student’s performance at the exam, the student can apply to have the exam registration (the exam attempt) changed to the registration 'Ill' by submitting relevant documentation to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via the Study Administration's contact form or if you are an external party by writing to studadm@adm.dtu.dk This must be done no later than two weeks after the exam date. If the student has already completed the exam, it will count as an exam attempt, and the exam cannot be cancelled.

Illness during the project period under the final project
If a student falls ill while completing the final project, the rules in the student's programme specification apply. Find the rules at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’/‘Final projects’.

External examiners and confidentiality

The course description specifies whether a course is assessed by an external examiner or as an internal examination. An external examiner always assesses final projects.

All external examiners used at DTU must be members of the nationwide engineering examiner corps (www.censornet.dk).

The Public Administration Act covers the external examiners' activities, including the provisions on disqualification and secrecy.

Lecturers can find a lot of relevant information on the use of external examiners at DTU Inside under 'Educational administration'/'Procedures'/'External examination'.

Projects which, entirely or partially, are carried out with private companies may, taking into account any information about trade secrets, know-how, etc., be treated as confidential, which means that the oral presentation will not be open to the public. Find more information on oral exams at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Forms of examination'. It may be agreed upon that the report must not be made publicly available.

Deadlines for grading

Exams in 13-week courses and project courses
No later than 20 workdays after the day of the exam.

3-week courses
No later than 20 workdays after the last day of the 3-week period.

Engineering internship
No later than 20 workdays after the submission date of the report.

BEng project/BSc project/MSc thesis
The grade is awarded in connection with the oral exam/defence. The oral exam must be held no later than ten workdays after the scheduled submission date of the written report. In exceptional circumstances, the head of department can approve a later exam date for the oral exam. If the project period has been extended after the start of the project as a result of the Board of Studies’ or the exemption committee's decision, the 10-day deadline must, as far as possible, continue to be complied with. A later exam date due to the changed conditions, e.g. due to the supervisor's 3-week holiday in June, July, or August, can be determined without approval from the head of department.

It appears from the programme specification for final projects that in determining the start date of the project, the supervisor's 3-week consecutive summer vacation in June, July, or August must be taken into account in order not to come into conflict with the 10-day deadline of the oral defence, cf. below under ‘Assessment’. The project plan should also reflect this matter.

Re-exams

• Courses with exam prerequisites
• Courses with part exams
• Special circumstances regarding exams in courses that will finish the entire study programme 

Students may participate in an offered re-exam without having participated in the previous ordinary exam on a course if they meet the requirements for participation in the ordinary exam. See below under ‘Courses with exam prerequisites’.

In courses with part exams, students must be aware that a re-exam is solely a repetition of the final part exam on the course. See below under ‘Courses with part exams’.

Students who have not passed a course at the first exam attempt must register for the subsequent exam attempt in the course via www.tilmelding.dtu.dk, unless the student chooses to follow the teaching again. In this case, course registration must take place via the Study Planner.

All courses are offered for re-exam. The time of the re-exam will depend on when the course in question is offered:

• For courses offered in the 13-week autumn period with ordinary exams in December, the re-exam period is in May
• For courses offered in the 13-week spring period with ordinary exams in May, the re-exam period is in August
• For courses offered in the 3-week period in January with ordinary exams in January, the re-exam period is in May
• For courses offered in the 3-week periods June/July with ordinary exams in June/July, the re-exam period is in August
• For courses offered in the 3-week period in August with ordinary exams in August, the re-exam period is in December.

Courses offered in several of the above teaching periods have corresponding re-exam periods.

If a course is no longer provided, two additional re-exams will be offered in the course. The location of dates regarding the re-exam will follow the rules mentioned above.

If in exceptional cases, a course is not suitable for a re-exam based on a security or academic assessment, students who have not passed the course must attend the course again. It is not sufficient only to register for the course exam. The relevant Department Board of Studies must approve that the course is not suitable for being offered for a re-exam, and it must also be stated in the course description under ‘Type of assessment.

An overview of exam dates can be found at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Dates of exams'.

Registration for and withdrawal from re-exams must be made within the applicable deadlines. See DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exam'/'Registration deadlines for courses and examinations’.

The course manager can, in consultation with the department's Board of Studies, decide that there should be no external examiner at a re-exam. However, this requires that it is only a matter of re-exam for very few students, and/or that the exam is taking place outside the exam period with only very few examinees.

For rules on re-exams on project courses, see ‘Study rules'/'Teaching'/Project courses’.

Changed form of examination
The course manager may decide that the examination form at the re-exam may differ from that at the ordinary exam.

The form of examination for re-exams in December and May must be communicated to the students by the course manager no later than one week after the registration deadline for the exam period in question has expired. The students then have 14 days to unregister from the re-exam if they do not wish to take part in it.

The form of examination for the re-exam in August must be communicated to the students by the course manager no later than one week after the end of the exam registration deadline. If on the basis of a change in the form of examination announced after the cancellation deadline, the student wishes to be deregistered from the exam, this must be notified to the Study Administration via studadm@adm.dtu.dk no later than 14 days after notification from the course coordinator.

Courses with exam prerequisites
A student who has not fulfilled the exam prerequisites in a course in connection with the ordinary exam can neither participate in the re-exam unless the course manager has given the student a new opportunity to meet the exam prerequisites before the re-exam. The student is responsible for contacting the course manager to clarify this matter before registering for the exam. Students who, due to a decision from the course manager, cannot meet the exam prerequisites will have to attend the course again.

Students who met the exam prerequisites but who did not pass the exam can take the re-exam on the course in the next re-exam period without having to fulfill the exam prerequisites again.

If a student chooses to postpone their re-exam - or if they do not pass their re-exam in accordance with the above - they are not entitled to be allowed to take (another) re-exam based on previously approved exam prerequisites. Thus, the student must fulfill the prerequisites again. That also applies if the student does not attend the exam due to documented illness. Based on an academic assessment, the course manager may, however, approve that the student can register for a re-exam again without having to fulfill the prerequisites again.

Read more at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Class participation and exam prerequisites’.

Courses with part exams
In a course with part exams, any re-exam is only a repetition of the final part exam on the course. Part exams scheduled in the teaching period will thus not be offered as a re-exam or be assessed in the period between the ordinary exam and re-exam on the course. The course manager may deviate from this.

Generally, approved part exams will only be included in the next re-exam period. In connection with a re-exam, students are thus not entitled to retake an approved part exam. However, under special circumstances, students may have to retake a passed part exam in connection with a re-exam. The course manager makes such a decision based on an academic assessment. In the case of disagreement between a student and a course manager regarding whether or not a part exam must be retaken in connection with a re-exam, the Department Board of Studies will make the decision.

The course manager may approve that passed/approved part exams are included in subsequent (re)exams; this must be upon a request from the student.

Some courses may have general rules for whether part exams will be included in the course's next (re)-exam. Please check the course description.

Read more about part exams at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exam'/'Requirements for passing exams and part exams.

Special circumstances regarding exams in courses that will finish the entire study programme   
If a student has been ill at the (re)exam during the exam period, in which the student should have completed his/her education, the student has the right to sit the re-exam in the same exam period or immediately after the re-exam period. This also applies to a student who does not pass (-3 or 00, or not passed) an exam or re-exam in a single course in the exam period in which the student should have completed his / her education. Students who have been absent from the exam (non-attendance) or who have received the registration 'SN' (Cheating) are not entitled to a quick re-exam. 

Students who must hand in their final project immediately after the exam term in which they have not passed their last course are also covered by the above rules.

Students wishing to take a quick re-exam according to the above rules should contact the Study Administration via student email to studadm@adm.dtu.dk no later than 14 days after the publication of the grade. If the student meets the requirements for a quick (re)exam, the Study Administration will inform the student. In consultation with the student, the lecturer determines the time and date of the (re)exam. 

The rules above do not apply in connection with final projects. 

Exam complaints

• Deadline for complaints
• Filing a complaint
• What is the position of the student during the complaint process
• Processing of the complaint
• The decision
• Appeal of decision
• Errors and deficiencies in exams

Deadline for complaints
If a student wishes to complain about how the exam has progressed or the assessment itself, there is an opportunity to file an exam complaint. Exam complaints must be submitted within two weeks of the announcement of the grade on DTU Inside. For oral examinations, the deadline is two weeks after the examination is held. However, the days from 24 December to 1 January are not included in the calculation of the complaint deadline.

Prior dialogue with the assessor
It is recommended that the student discusses his/her exam answer/performance with the assessor before the student submits an exam complaint. The student must be aware that contact or attempts to contact the lecturer do not have a suspensive effect on the appeal deadline, i.e. that it does not extend the two-week time limit for appeal which must therefore continue to be complied with. In the complaint, the student can e.g. state that he/she will send a detailed complaint or withdraw the complaint after he/she has had the opportunity to talk with the assessor.

A conversation with the assessor about the exam answer/performance will not affect the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs' assessment of the complaint. The sole purpose is for the student to gain an understanding of and an explanation of the assessment given which may lead to the student no longer wishing to complain or wishing to withdraw an already submitted complaint, or that the student can write a better justification for his/her complaint.

A possible conversation with the assessor about an exam answer/performance cannot lead to a changed assessment unless an error in the assessment is discovered.

Filing a complaint
An exam complaint must be submitted via the Exam Complaint System eksamensklager.dtu.dk.
When the complaint has been submitted in the Exam Complaint System, the student receives a receipt and information email via his/her student email.

Complaints about part exams can only be submitted as part of a complaint about the final grade or other assessment in the course.

A complaint can be submitted on your own behalf, but it is also possible to add co-complainants if several people want to complain together, e.g. about the assessment of a group project. Co-complainants receive a copy of emails sent to the person who sent the complaint and only have viewing access to the system. It is important to ensure that consent is obtained from any co-complainants before they are added to the complaint in the system.

Complaints can be submitted regarding:

1. Legal issues (e.g. non-compliance with rules and legislation)
2. The basis for examination (questions, assignments, etc.)
3. The exam process 
4. The assessment 

The complaint must state what is being complained about and what is desired to be achieved with the complaint. As the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs makes a decision based on the complaint, the assessor's opinion, and any supplementary comments of the student, the student should, in the reason for the complaint, compare his/her exam performance with the course's learning objectives, elaborate the course of the exam or the like. Complaints without justification will be sent back to the student requesting further information. If the student does not elaborate on his/her complaint, the complaint will be processed on the basis available.

The complaint must be able to be sent to the assessor as it appears. The Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs cannot, in its decision, include information that the student does not wish to pass on to the assessor. Complaints about teaching/teacher/supervisor must be submitted to the board of studies at the department where the course is offered or where the lecturer is employed. Read more on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Complaints about teaching and guidance'.

If the complaint is not concerning dissatisfaction with the exam, but rather offensive or abusive behavior, and the student wants help and guidance to handle this or wants to report the teacher/supervisor or others for offensive behavior, he or she must not send an exam complaint as described above. Instead, please refer to these guidelines for offensive behavior.

The total case processing time for exam complaints is approx. 3-4 months from the time the complaint is received until a decision has been made in the case. The student may continue on the programme according to the applicable rules while the complaint is processed.

Complaints about exams in courses at DTU Admission Course must be submitted to DTU Admissions Course. Contact information can be found on DTU's website here.

What is the position of the student during the complaint process
If the student plans to participate in the re-exam in the course to which the student's examination complaint relates, and a decision has not yet been made regarding the complaint, the following applies:

• If the student is offered a new assessment (re-assessment) or new exam (re-exam) and accepts this offer, the result of any re-exam will be cancelled and it will be the result of the new assessment/re-exam that applies. The new assessment/exam does not count as an exam attempt.
• If the student's complaint is not upheld, the result of a possible re-exam will still be valid, and an exam attempt has been used.

If the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs manages to make a decision on the matter before the re-exam is held, but after the registration and de-registration deadline for the exam has expired, the student must contact the Study Administration if he/she wishes to be registered or de-registered for the re-exam. Read more on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Examination'/'Registration and withdrawal'.

Processing of the complaint
The assessor(s) access the student's complaint in the Exam Complaint System.

The assessor(s) he assessor(s), including a possible external examiner, must make an academic opinion based on the complaint. The statement must contain an explanation of the assessment and respond to all of the student's academic complaints. When the assessors have submitted their opinion, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs will then make the opinion available to the student in the Exam Complaint System. The student then has the opportunity to make any further comments before a decision is made. This is called a hearing. The student has two weeks to comment on the statement from the assessor(s).

The Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs may choose to hear the assessor(s) again if the student's comments give rise to it, just as the assessors' further comments can be sent in hearing to the student if the assessor's comments contain new information of material importance to the decision of the case.

When the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs believes that the case has been adequately clarified, a decision is made based on the complaint, the assessors' statement(s), and the student's possible comments, if any.

A decision on the matter is made by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs based on the assessors’ statement and the student’s comments if any. The student receives an email via his/her student email when a decision has been made.

If an exam complaint does not deal with academic issues, but only legal or technical issues e.g. regarding the conduct of a written exam, the case will often be handled without consulting the assessor.

The decision
The decision on the matter may be one of the following: 

1. The student is offered a new assessment (re-assessment) of a written assignment by new assessors.
2. The student is offered a new exam (re-exam), by new assessors if necessary.
3. The student’s complaint is not upheld.
4. The student is offered a combination of 1., 2., and 3. if the exam includes both a written assignment and an oral exam.

Neither the assessor nor the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs has the opportunity to make a decision to raise or lower the student's grade.

If the student is offered a new assessment or exam, the student has two weeks to accept the offer via The Exam Complaint System. Acceptance of the offer is binding on the student, and the new assessment will replace the student's original assessment which is cancelled. The student must know that a new assessment or exam may result in a lower grade. It is not possible to complain about the new assessment/the new exam unless the complaint concerns legal issues.

Appeal of decision
Appeal of academic issues
If the student does not accept the decision of his/her exam complaint, academic issues in the decision can be appealed to a board of appeals. The appeal must be filed within two weeks of the announcement of the decision to the student via the Exam Complaint System. It must be justified in writing and submitted to studenterklager@dtu.dk using the student email address. In the appeal, the case number from the exam complaint in the Exam Complaint System must appear.

The decision is made by a board of appeals of 4 members appointed specifically to make a decision on the matter, comprising two external examiners, a lecturer, and a student within the relevant subject area. The decision of the board of appeals may be:

1. The student is offered a new assessment (re-assessment) of a written assignment by new assessors.
2. The student is offered a new exam (re-exam), usually by new assessors,
3. The student is offered a combination of 1st and 2nd if the exam includes both a written assignment and oral exam, or 
4. The student’s complaint is not upheld.

The board of appeals is in no position to lower or higher the student’s grade.
The decision of the board of appeals cannot be further appealed to other authorities with respect to academic issues, and the decision from the board is final.

Complaint against legal issues
Complaints against legal issues can be referred to The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. Legal issues can be e.g. non-compliance with the educational rules that apply to the education and whether other legislation (e.g. the Public Administration Act) and the general principles of administrative law have been complied with. The deadline for submission of an appeal is two weeks from the day the decision is announced to the student. The appeal must be submitted to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via studenterklager@dtu.dk. In the appeal, the case number from the exam complaint in the Exam Complaint System must appear.

When DTU receives an appeal about a decision, a reassessment of the decision is made based on the information the student has provided in the appeal. In this connection, In this connection, DTU may decide to reopen the case if the appeal contains information that is of significant importance to the case, or if significant case-handling errors have occurred in the original processing of the case.

If DTU chooses to maintain the original decision, DTU will prepare a statement about the decision and the appeal. The statement will be sent to the student who has the opportunity to comment on it. Finally, the entire case will be sent to the Agency for their consideration. The processing time at the Agency is currently approx. six months.

Errors and deficiencies in exams
If the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs or a board of appeals in connection with the processing of an exam complaint becomes aware that there have been errors and deficiencies in an exam, the Office makes a decision on how the error or deficiency can be remedied. This may be with or without the participation of the original assessors. The Office's processing of this type of case does not follow the rules on exam complaints but section 30 of the Examination Order.

If the student's exam complaint contains significant complaints which do not relate to the errors and deficiencies that have occurred during the exam, the Office will also make a decision regarding these complaints.

In the event of errors or deficiencies of a particularly serious nature, or where it must be considered the most correct way to remedy the error or deficiency, the Office may cancel the exam and arrange for an extraordinary new exam.

In the event of other significant errors and omissions, the Office may offer an extraordinary new exam to the student. The offer must be given to all students whose exam suffers from the error or deficiency in question. A student may choose to retain the original assessment, even if they have participated in the extraordinary re-exam.

Exam certificate/diploma

When a student has completed a study programme at DTU, DTU issues an exam certificate/diploma. The exam certificate lists all the exams the student has passed within the student’s curriculum.

The exam certificate is dated with the date on which the study programme ended:

• If the final element is a BEng project, a BSc project, or an MSc thesis, the exam certificate/diploma will be dated with the date of the oral presentation.
• If the final element is a course, the exam certificate/diploma will be dated with the date the last course was assessed.

If the student has completed their study programme after 15 June 2023, they will get a digital exam certificate. The exam certificate can be accessed via www.diplomasafe.com within six weeks of the date of completion of the programme. The student will receive a message on the student email, where they will be guided step by step in the Diplomasafe system when the diploma can be accessed. The diploma will remain available via www.diplomasafe.com.

As a starting point, the introductory email will contain a link where the student is forwarded to the diplomasafe.com login. Here, the student is asked to register as a user, with the message not to use the student email, as this email is deactivated three months after the end of the studies. If the student has nevertheless used their student email and the email has been deactivated, the student must contact the Study Administration by writing to studadm@adm.dtu.dk to gain access to Diplomasafe.

After registering as a user, the student can access their exam certificate. When the student has entered the diploma, a purchase button will appear on the page, which can be used in connection with the purchase of a diploma if this is desired. A physical diploma with the DTU emblem can be purchased additionally for a fee of DKK 500.

Students who are withdrawn from a study programme at DTU without having completed the programme will receive documentation for any completed parts of the programme stated in ECTS credits. 

Specifically for students who graduated before 15 June 2023
If a student has graduated from DTU before 15 June 2023, they will have been sent a physical diploma by post. If the student has lost their diploma, it is possible to order a copy of the diploma by writing to the Study Administration at verification@adm.dtu.dk.

Credit Transfer, Studying Abroad, Exemption, Leave, etc.

Credit transfer means replacing elements forming part of the student’s study programme at DTU with courses or exams passed at another Danish or foreign educational institution. DTU may grant credit transfer upon submission of an application.

Credit transfer from previous study programmes at the same level (pre-commencement credit transfer)

• Exam attempts in DTU courses
• Non-transferrable programme elements
• Programme deadlines in relation to pre-commencement credit transfer
• Decision-making authority
• Appeal against decision

Upon admission to DTU’s BEng, BSc, and MSc programmes, students are obliged to apply for credit transfer for passed programme elements (courses, etc.) from all previous non-completed ordinary study programmes at the same level. This may, for example, be the case if an applicant to a BSc programme has previously been admitted to another BEng or BSc programme without having completed the programme. 

Application for pre-commencement credit transfer must be filed through www.merit.dtu.dk. Information on the process will be given in the admission letter from DTU.

If students do not submit an application for credit transfer for previously passed programme elements at the same level or submit incorrect or incomplete information thereon, DTU may retract the enrolment at the university.

If it is deemed by the Head of Studies that credit transfer for programme elements can be granted to the mandatory parts of the programme, students will be granted credit transfer.

If it is deemed that credit transfer for programme elements to a mandatory course/project can only be granted partially, it is up to the student to decide whether he/she wants the partial credit transfer. Once the student has used an exam attempt in the mandatory course/project, the decision not to have the partial credit transfer is binding. The transfer is only possible if the partial credit amounts to a minimum of 5 ECTS credits and a minimum of half of the ECTS scope of the course/project.

If it is deemed that credit transfer for programme elements can be granted to the elective category of the programme, students can decide whether they want credit transfer. The optional credit transfer is registered by applying through www.merit.dtu.dk. It is entirely up to the student how much of the optional credit they wish to use and when.

A credit transfer for both mandatory and elective parts of the programme cannot be withdrawn once it has been granted.

It is possible for students who wish to apply for credit transfer for educational elements from previously completed study programmes at the same level or passed educational elements from previously completed or uncompleted educational courses at a higher level.

For the BEng and BSc programmes, the courses must at least be at a professional bachelor or BEng level. For the MSc programmes, the courses must at least be at the master's level. MSc students may, however, have up to 10 ECTS credits at the bachelor's level as part of the elective courses in their programme.

BEng students who have completed an academy profession programme before admission can apply for credit transfer for parts of the programme provided an established credit transfer agreement has been concluded. For information on current established credit transfer agreements, please send an email to merit@adm.dtu.dk.

When granted a pre-commencement credit transfer, students can still obtain a diploma from DTU even though credit transfer has been granted for more than half of the programme.

Exam attempts in DTU courses
Exam attempts on failed DTU courses in the previous field of study will only be transferred if such courses are mandatory in the new study programme or are not applicable to a course in the new study programme. Failed courses that can only be transferred as semi-mandatory or elective courses will not be transferred unless the student wishes to take these courses as part of the new study programme.

Students who are admitted to DTU via quota 1 or 2 and who have used exam attempts on failed courses they have previously attended at DTU on another study programme will automatically be assigned three new exam attempts on the relevant courses if these courses may be included in the study programme.

Non-transferrable programme elements
Students cannot be granted transfer of credits from the qualifying programme/exam.

A final project from another educational programme cannot be transferred as a substitution for the final project to a DTU study programme. The project or elements of the project can only be transferred to the student’s programme as a substitution for other programme elements (courses) and if approved by the Head of Study.

Courses/educational elements passed more than five years before admission to DTU cannot - as a general rule - be transferred to the student's enrollment. However, the relevant head of study may make an exemption from this rule based on a specific academic assessment. Whether an exemption can be granted is assessed by the Head of Study in connection with the assessment of the readmission application. Courses that date back more than five years will only be transferred to the applicant's new study programme if the applicant wishes to do so.

Programme deadlines in relation to pre-commencement credit transfer
The maximum study duration is reduced by one semester for every 30 ECTS credits the student has been granted in pre-commencement credit transfer. In the industry MSc Eng Programmes, the maximum study period will be reduced by one semester for every 15 ECTS credits the student has already passed.

Suppose the student has been granted pre-commencement credit transfer on courses that are included in the first-year exam. To pass the first-year exam, the student is only required to pass the remaining elements.

Decision-making authority
The Board of Exemptions for the BSc and MSc programmes (CMDU) and the Board of Exemptions for the BEng programmes (DMDU) have authorized the heads of studies and the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) to make decisions in cases related to credit transfer. 

A decision on credit transfer is not valid until a written decision has been issued to the student by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) via email or at www.merit.dtu.dk.

Appeal against decision
If the student does not get their application granted, the student can appeal the decision via email to merit@adm.dtu.dk.

Credit transfer during the study programme

• Choice of courses
• Pre-approval of credit transfer
• Final credit transfer
• Submission of applications
• Decision-making authority
• Appeal against decision
• Students who have completed MSc courses on their Beng or BSc programme

Courses must be ‘passed' to be transferred to the programme.

For BEng programmes, transferred courses must be at the BEng level minimum, i.e. from an engineering college, a university college, or a university.

For BSc programmes, transferred courses must be at the university level. However, BSc students may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BEng level as part of the Elective Courses in their BSc programme (valid from 1 September 2020).

For MSc programmes, transferred courses must be at the MSc level. However, MSc students may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BSc level as part of the Elective Courses in their MSc programme.

Students cannot get pre-approved credit above the prescribed total ECTS credits for the study programme and must always try to plan their study according to the prescribed total ECTS credits for the programme. Also, see DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/Teaching'/'Course registration'/'Rules for choice of courses'.

Students cannot have pre-approved or credit-transferred courses that are to replace one or more courses the student is bound by. The head of studies cannot grant the student an exemption from this rule. See the rules on binding courses under Study rules/Teaching/Binding courses. 

As a minimum, BEng and BSc students must pass courses and projects at DTU corresponding to 90 ECTS credits (BEng Arctic Technology and Fisheries Technology minimum105 ECTS credits and BEng Global Business Engineering minimum 120 ECTS credits) to receive a diploma for a full-time study programme at DTU. This rule does not apply to pre-commencement credit transfers.

MSc students must, as a minimum, pass courses and projects at DTU corresponding to 60 ECTS credits to receive a diploma for a full-time study programme at DTU. This rule does not apply to pre-commencement credit transfers.

Choice of courses
Regarding credit transfer to BSc and MSc programmes, a distinction is made between specific engineering courses and general engineering courses. Courses that do not have technical-scientific content, but fall within the learning objectives of the study programme, are categorized as general engineering courses. These courses are considered part of the elective courses. Students may earn the following number of ECTS credits within the general engineering course category:

• 15 ECTS credits on the BSc programme
• 10 ECTS credits on the MSc programme 

Language and culture courses
Language and culture courses cannot be transferred to the programme. neither in connection with pre-commencement credit transfer. 

Final projects
A final project from another Danish or foreign educational institution cannot be transferred to a study programme at DTU. Further rules regarding final projects (BEng project, BSc project, and Master's thesis), including the possibility of preparing the project abroad, are stated in the programme specifications for the said programme. 

MSc students passed MSc courses at their bachelor's programme
On DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Course registration', you can read about the situation where a master's student on his/her BSc or BEng programme has passed a course that is a general competence course or a technological specialization course in his/her master's programme, and which course the student should choose instead.

Pre-approval of credit transfer
Before taking a course/going abroad, students are obliged to apply for pre-approval of credit transfer for planned programme elements from another university or another institution of higher education in Denmark or abroad.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the desired courses can be included in the programme's maximum allowed ECTS credits. If the student plans with odd credits in relation to DTU's credit structure of 2½, 5 and 10 ECTS, the student must make sure to plan with other courses so that the plan works out. This can be done, for example, by using EuroTeQ courses or project courses.

If the pre-approved courses, which the student is taking at the host university, change during the semester, the student must submit a new application for a pre-approval of credit transfer. Each application must include a complete list of courses taken at the host university. A new decision for the same period and the same host university will replace former decisions.

By applying, students give their consent to DTU requesting the necessary information from the host institution regarding the application if the students are unable to procure the documentation themselves.

The pre-approval of credit transfer is registered in the study administration system but will not appear in the Study Planner until the student has passed the courses and applied for final credit. 

It is impossible to pre-approve more ECTS credits than there is room for in the student's study programme/framework.

Final credit transfer
The student is obliged to apply for final credit for all passed courses and ECTS credits. It is a requirement that all passed ECTS credits must be credited. The student can, therefore, not choose to only apply for credit transfer for some of the passed courses or ECTS points. Once a course has been passed, final credit must be sought, and the credit is binding to the student and cannot be withdrawn. However, according to DTU's specific assessment, fewer ECTS may be transferred if this is necessary in order for the study plan to fit the limit of ECTS credits in the study programme.

In connection with credit transfer for completed programme elements from another educational institution, the assessment ‘Pass’ will appear on the student’s DTU diploma. That applies to both pre-commencement credit transfer and credit transfer during the study programme.

With their application, the student gives their consent that DTU can obtain necessary information for the application, which the student cannot obtain themselves, at the host university.

Submission of applications
Applications for pre-approval of credit transfer and final credit transfer are submitted electronically via www.merit.dtu.dk. Other inquiries regarding credit transfer are sent to merit@adm.dtu.dk via the student email.

Applications must include the following:

• Course description
• Documentation of level
• Documentation of workload (ECTS/credits)
• As regards final credit transfer, documentation of passed and failed courses, and an official description of the grading scale, according to which the course is assessed.

Decision-making authority
The Board of Exemptions for the BSc and MSc programmes (CMDU) and the Board of Exemptions for the BEng programmes (DMDU) have authorized the heads of studies and the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) to make decisions in cases related to credit transfer. A decision on credit transfer is not valid until a written decision has been issued to the student by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) via email or www.merit.dtu.dk.

Appeal against decision
If the student does not get their application granted, they can appeal the decision via email to merit@adm.dtu.dk.

If the complaint concerns the academic assessment of final credit transfer for Danish educational elements (including pre-commencement credit transfer) or pre-approval of credit transfer for Danish as well as foreign educational elements, it is processed by a credit transfer appeals board. That only applies if the decision concerns a BSc or MSc student. The deadline for lodging this type of complaint is two weeks from the day the decision letter is sent to the complainant.

If the complaint concerns the academic assessment of a BSc or MSc student’s final credit transfer for foreign educational elements (including pre-commencement credit transfer) or the academic assessment of pre-approved or final credit transfer for a BEng student, it is processed by the Qualifications Board. The deadline for lodging this type of complaint is four weeks from the day the decision letter is sent to the complainant.If the complaint concerns legal matters (for example, that the case is not processed according to the existing law/acts or according to principles of the administrative act), it is processed by the relevant Dean. The deadline for lodging this type of complaint is two weeks from the day the decision letter is sent to the complainant.

Studying abroad

A thorough description of the possibilities for studying abroad and the application deadlines can be found at DTU Inside under ‘Study Abroad’ or at DTU’s website Studyabroad.dtu.dk and Beyondborders.dtu.dk

To be eligible for an exchange place, students must meet the following criteria:

• Students enrolled on a BSc or BEng programme must have completed at least two years of study (approximately 120, minimum 110, ECTS credits) before the commencement of the exchange stay, unless the student is attending a summer school abroad.
• Students must be enrolled on an ordinary full-time DTU programme at the time of application and during the entire exchange stay. Students must have credit availability for transferring a minimum of 20 ECTS credits from their stay abroad.

Students are expected to be full-time students (30 ECTS credits per semester). Students must have space in their curriculum to obtain pre-approval and credit transfer of a minimum of 20 ECTS points from their study abroad. Students who do not comply with this requirement may be requested to repay any grants received from DTU. All pre-approved courses that have been passed must be transferred to the study programme.

Students must at all times comply with other study activity requirements and deadlines laid down by DTU, the host university, and other relevant bodies. Find information on DTU's study activity requirements and deadlines on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Study Activity Requirements and Deadlines'.

Students are expected to pass and transfer at least 20 ECTS credits per semester (however, not students attending summer school abroad) and comply with other study activity requirements made by DTU, the host university, and other relevant bodies. Students who do not comply with this requirement may be requested to repay any grants received from DTU.

Students must apply for pre-approved credit transfer for planned programme elements from another institution of higher education in Denmark or abroad before the course/stay is commenced. See the chapter about Credit transfers under the study programme for further information.

Transferring to an MSc programme (transitional semester) and early start of studies

• Registration for courses under a transitional procedure
• Application for a master's programme after the transitional procedure
• MSc courses passed under the transitional procedure
• MSc courses not passed under the transitional procedure
• SU on completion of BEng/BSc programme
• Early start of studies at the MSc programme

Transferring to an MSc programme (transitional semester)

Students lacking 55 ECTS credits or less in their BEng/BSc programme at DTU can apply to take MSc courses worth a total of up to 30 ECTS credits, provided that they wish to apply for admission to an MSc programme at DTU and meet the admission requirements and academic prerequisites for admission into the MSc programme in question. The student cannot be granted an exemption to take more than a total of 30 ECTS credits, regardless of how many semesters the student follows the transitional procedure. 

The desired MSc courses can be project courses. In that case, the student in their application must specify the department that delivers the special course and how many ECTS credits the individual special course constitutes.

Students must take courses or the final project as part of their BEng or BSc programme concurrently with the courses forming part of the future MSc programme. However, this rule can be waived if there are special study-related circumstances. Transfer to the MSc programme must not cause an extension of the study period for the BSc Eng/BEng programme beyond the maximum duration of the programme.

The student must file their application via a digital form found at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’ / ‘Transferring to an MSc programme’. The application must be filled in and sent from the student email to kandidatopt@adm.dtu.dk. The decision regarding the application will be sent to the student email.

When processing the application, DTU emphasises whether the student is deemed to have the academic prerequisites to complete courses on the MSc programme concurrently with completing the BSc/BEng programme.

Deadline for applications:

• 13-week periods: Three weeks after the beginning of the semester at the latest
• 3-week periods June, July, and August: 1 May
• 3-week period January: 15 November

Students can only apply for one semester at a time. The semester of autumn runs from September up to and including January. The semester of spring runs from February up to and including August. 

In allowing the student to take MSc courses concurrently with completing the BSc/BEng programme, DTU does not decide whether the student has exceeded any study activity requirements or deadlines, needs extra examination attempts or exemption thereof, etc.

Students who have taken MSc courses concurrently with completing their BSc/BEng programme must still comply with the study activity requirement of 5 ECTS following admission to the MSc programme. The number of transferred ECTS credits will not be deducted from the study activity requirement. 

The maximum study duration is reduced by one semester if students have passed 30 ECTS credits of MSc courses under the transitional procedure.

Registration for courses under a transitional procedure
Registration for courses under the transitional procedure must be done via the application form. If the student wishes to change his/her course during the transitional semester, including unsubscribing for a course, this must be done by contacting the Study Administration via student email at studadm@adm.dtu.dk. 

Application for a master's programme after the transitional procedure
The student must apply for admission to the master's programme when they are about to complete the BEng or BSc programme. See more about applying for the master's programmes at dtu.dk under 'Master'/'How to apply for MSc programmes'. 

MSc courses passed under the transitional procedure
MSc courses passed under the transitional procedure will automatically be transferred from the BEng/BSc programme when the student is admitted to the MSc programme.

If the student chooses a different MSc study programme than that originally planned, only passed MSc courses, which are mandatory for the new study programme, will be transferred. The student can always ask to have passed electives transferred. The same rules then apply when changing the study programme.

MSc courses not passed under the transitional procedure
MSc courses not passed under the transitional procedure are binding to the student, cf. the rules on binding courses. That also applies to elective courses if the student applies for admission to the same MSc programme that they chose during the transitional procedure. Find more information on DTU Inside under 'Study Rules'/'Teaching'/ 'Binding Courses'. Thus, not passed courses will be transferred from the BEng/BSc programme when the student is admitted to the MSc programme.

If the student applies to do a different MSc study programme to that originally planned, his or her binding registration for a failed course will be cancelled unless the course is mandatory on the new study programme.

SU on completion of BEng/BSc programme
The BEng/BSc programme is completed when the grade in the last course/project on the study programme has been registered. That also applies even if the final grade is registered in the middle of the semester and even if the courses in the semester that the transfer of courses concerns are not yet concluded.

When the BEng/BSc programme is completed, the student will no longer be entitled to receive SU or a completion loan because the student is no longer enrolled on a study programme even though the student in question is still following courses in the semester that the transfer of courses concerns.

Early start of studies at the MSc programme

When a student has been finally admitted to the MSc programme and thus also passed any supplementary courses, it is possible to take courses from the MSc programme in the 3-week periods leading up to the start of studies. If you start the MSc programme on 1 February, you can therefore take a course in January, and if you start the MSc programme on 1 September, you can take courses in July and August.

If you want to apply to take courses, before the formal start of studies on the MSc programme, you must write from your student email to kandidopt@adm.dtu.dk and state which course(s) you wish to follow with course numbers. This is also evident in your admission letter.

When you get a reply that it is possible to take the course, you must register for the course yourself at Studieplan.dtu.dk. Registration must be done within the registration and deregistration deadlines for the teaching period in question. See registration and deregistration deadlines on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/Registration deadlines for courses and examinations'.

Exemption

• The application
• Application requirements
• Circumstances that may justify an exemption
• Circumstances that do not generally entitle students to exemptions
• Application for cancellation of an exam registration
• Application to be released from a binding course
• Appeal guidance

Students who fail to comply with DTU’s rules governing their study programme may only continue their studies if granted an exemption. DTU’s board of exemptions may grant an exemption from rules contained in curricula, course descriptions, and DTU’s rules and regulations, provided that the exemption does not conflict with any acts or ministerial orders in the field of education.

Students who have submitted an application for exemption for the first-year exam, 5 ECTS credit study activity requirement, the maximum duration of the study, and additional exam attempts can continue their studies during the processing of their application.

The application
Applications for exemptions must be submitted electronically via the Exemption Application System www.dispensation.dtu.dk. You can find good advice on exemption applications in the Study Guidance's links in the grey box on this page. If you do not have access to DTU Inside, you can find contact information for the Study Guidance on DTU's website here. 

Meeting dates for the board of exemptions and application deadlines can be found at DTU Inside under Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/'Exemption'/'Exemption meetings.

Students who submit their application for exemption within the given deadlines can expect to receive a decision no later than 8-10 weeks after the board of exemptions has processed the application at the subsequent meeting, given that the application holds all necessary information. However, the board and the secretariat of the board will always prioritize applications regarding examination attempts and postponement of the submission deadline for a final project. Here, the case processing time will usually be much shorter.

In general, the processing time for an application will therefore be extended if there is insufficient documentation or if the board of exemptions requests additional information. Questions regarding exemption can be directed to the Study Guidance or, if it concerns a specific exemption application, to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk.  

Students enrolled in one of DTU's national collaborative programmes must apply for extra exam attempts in a course at the educational institution where the student is enrolled; this also applies when the course is offered at e.g. KU and CBS. Applications must then be submitted via the Exemption Application System www.dispensation.dtu.dk.

Application requirements
Applications for exemption must be justified and accompanied by the necessary documentation. Applications for exemption regarding illness must always be accompanied by medical documentation. The student in question must bear the expenses for the medical certificate. An application must also always be accompanied by a realistic study plan (prepared in the study planner). Documentation must be uploaded as a pdf file, otherwise, the file cannot be opened.

Statement from Head of Studies
A statement from the Head of Studies must be enclosed in the following situations:

• Commencement of the final project before prerequisites are met
• Postponement of the submission deadline for the final project
• If the enclosed study plan has one or more semesters in which the student plans to take more than 30 ECTS credits
• Change of study plan in relation to the student's programme curriculum

In other cases, a statement from the Head of Studies is not necessary. 

Circumstances that may justify an exemption
The decision of the board of exemption on an application for exemption is always discretionary and based upon an individual assessment of the student's reasoned application combined with the circumstances concerning the situation. Applications for exemptions may be justified by the following:

1. Special circumstances in which the student is not guilty. These circumstances can be personal illness, serious illness/death of a close relative, civil representative as a judge or jury, compulsory military service, or other unusual, external circumstances which concern the individual student and for which the student is not usually responsible.
   
   A medical certificate for both physical and mental illness should include the doctor’s assessment of how the illness affects the ability of the student to study, including a prognosis of the duration of the illness, if possible, and whether the student is in treatment/improvement. Psychologist statements and other medical documentation that meet the above requirements may also be used. A medical certificate, etc. in connection with the application for additional exam attempts must only relate to whether one or more previous exam attempts have involved unusual circumstances in the form of illness and the like.
    
2. The student has a functional impairment, where any special educational support (SPS) does not compensate sufficiently for the impairment. Documentation must be provided for the impairment, including any compensation the student receives in the form of special educational support.
    
3. The student is an elite athlete. The student must attach a statement from the relevant sports association which documents that the student is an elite athlete. Find more information about applying for exemption as an elite athlete at DTU Inside under 'Academic offers and guidance'/'Elite sports'. It is also possible to apply for a leave of absence. Find more information at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave, and maternity/paternity leave'/'Leave of absence'.
    
4. The student is an entrepreneur. Students must provide documentation on having their own business with revenue and income-generating activities (company registration no. (SE no., annual accounts, and a company description should be supplied). The student's business must have a relevant engineering profile. Alternatively, the student can be a part of an entrepreneurial environment, for example, an incubator or entrepreneurial environment at DTU or regional growth environments. 
    
5. The student is chairman of a voluntary organization under the Danish Youth Council (DUF), a member of the board of Polyteknisk Forening (PF student association), or similar organizations. It must be documented that the activities are so time-consuming that being a full-time student is not possible.

When applying to be released from a binding course, the requirements to be able to document unusual circumstances are different and very strict. Read more below in the section ‘Application to be released from a binding course’.

Circumstances that do not generally entitle students to exemptions
As a general rule, the board of exemption does not grant exemptions based on the following circumstances:

• Time spent on regular or voluntary work
• Participation in committee and board work, including department boards of studies and the advisory committees for the MSc programmes (CUU) and BEng programmes (DUU), respectively
• Lack of knowledge of the rules governing the study programme
• Personal circumstances, such as housing or financial problems, etc.

Application for cancellation of an exam registration (EM)
A student may apply for cancellation of an exam registration in a course, but only if he or she does not plan to participate in the exam or has not participated in the exam. If the exam has been held, the student must have one of the following registrations: 'Not met' (EM), 'Ill' (S), or 'Not approved' (IG).

In an application for cancellation of an exam registration in a course, the student must explain why he/she did not cancel the exam registration within the deregistration deadline. If the student does not wish to complete the course, the exam registration can be cancelled if only one exam attempt has been used and the attempt has one of the registrations mentioned above. It is good if it can be stated which course the student wishes to take instead. In the case of compulsory courses, the application must always be accompanied by a statement from the Head of Studies indicating which course the student must take instead. 

If the student has used several exam attempts in a course but never participated in any of the exams, an exemption may be granted in special cases to have all the exam registrations cancelled. 

Cancellation of exam registration in a course where the exam has previously been taken one or more times
If the student applies to have an exam registration cancelled, where the registration is 'EM', 'S' or 'IG', and the student is bound by the course (due to previous participation in the exam), an exemption can be granted to cancel an exam registration. It is a prerequisite that the student can describe and, as a starting point, document unusual circumstances as to why he/she was not able to deregister from the exam within the deadline. See above under 'Circumstances that may justify a dispensation'. The student remains bound by the course.

Application to be released from a binding course 
Once the student has participated in the exam in a course, the possibility of being released from the course is extremely limited. 

Read about binding courses at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/Teaching'/'Binding courses'. Here are described various situations where the student can be released from a course, e.g. if the course is no longer offered. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Re-exams'.

BSc and MSc students
BSc and MSc students must submit their exemption application via www.dispensation.dtu.dk.

BSc students enrolled in a study programme valid before September 2023 who wish to be released from a course at master's level must, however, instead send an email to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk. Read more on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Binding courses'.

An exemption to be released from a course can only be granted in exceptional cases if there are unusual circumstances of a more long-term nature that are directly linked to the course and which, for a long time, prevent the student from completing the course. For example, students with special educational needs may be covered by this narrow exemption access.

If the student applies for an exemption to be released from a binding course solely on the grounds of extended study time, academic challenges with the course, or wishes to change the academic composition of the study programme, this can not be included when assessing whether special circumstances apply, and the application will thus be rejected. 

BEng students
BEng students enrolled in a study programme valid before September 2023 who wish to be released from a course at master's level must send an email to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk. Read more on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Binding courses'.

Applications to be released from a compulsory course are processed by the Board of Exemptions. Applications are submitted via the Exemption Application System www.dispensation.dtu.dk.

All other exemption applications to be released from a course can only be processed by the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, not DTU. Only the agency has the competence to decide whether to grant an exemption. In this connection, the Agency assesses, among other things, whether there are conditions of an unusual nature that are directly linked to the course and prevent the student from completing the course. The case processing time in the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science is about two months for this type of application. If necessary, the application and documentation are submitted via email to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk, after which DTU forwards the application to the agency with a case presentation.

Appeal guidance
The decision can be referred to The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science if the appeal concerns legal issues. Legal issues can be e.g. non-compliance with the educational rules that apply to the education and whether other legislation (e.g. the Public Administration Act) and the general principles of administrative law have been complied with. The Agency thus does not deal with academic issues, as the universities have academic self-governance. The deadline for submission of an appeal is two weeks from the day the decision is announced to the student. The appeal should be submitted to DTU, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via the Exemption Application System www.dispensation.dtu.dk. In the Exemption Application System, the exemption type 'Appeal against exemption decision' is selected, and the student must write the case number of the decision being appealed in the free text field.

When DTU receives an appeal about a decision, a reassessment of the decision is made based on the information the student has provided in the appeal. In this connection, DTU may decide to reopen the case if the appeal contains information that is of significant importance to the case, or if significant case-handling errors have occurred in the original processing of the case.

If DTU chooses to maintain the original decision, DTU will prepare a statement about the decision and the appeal. The statement will be sent to the student who has the opportunity to comment on it. Finally, the entire case will be sent to the Agency for their consideration. The processing time at the Agency is currently approx. six months from the time DTU sends the appeal to the agency.

An appeal to the Agency usually does not have a suspensive effect on the sanction the student has received. A rejection of an application for exemption which has the consequence that the student's enrolment at the university will be terminated will therefore continue to apply.

Leave of absence

• Maternity/paternity leave, adoption, and military service
• Personal illness
• Illness of a close relative
• Elite sports
• Other special circumstances
• Leave during the final project
• Submission of application
• Consequences of a leave of absence
• Termination of leave prematurely
• Students who are in conflict with DTU's rules of study
• Special rules for non-EU-EEA students with a residence permit in Denmark

Students can apply for a leave of absence from their study programme for up to one year if this is justified in special circumstances. Leave with special reasons can, e.g. be justified on maternity/paternity leave, adoption, military service, elite sport, or long-term illness.

If a student wishes to extend their current leave of absence beyond one year on the same grounds, the student must apply the Board of Exemptions for an exemption for extension of his/her leave at www.dispensation.dtu.dk. More information can be found at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’/Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/Exemption'.

Maternity/paternity leave, adoption, and military service
Students who apply for a leave of absence on the grounds of maternity/paternity, adoption, or military service will always be granted a leave of absence after submitting the necessary documentation.

At DTU Inside, under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/'Maternity/paternity leave', you can read more about the student's opportunities if he or she becomes a parent during the study.

Personal illness                                                      
The student can apply for a leave of absence due to any long-term illness which leaves the student incapable of active study; this includes mental illness. It is a requirement that the student submits a medical certificate as documentation, which must state that the student is unable to study as a result of the illness. The medical certificate must also state how long the student will be or is expected to be ill.

Illness of a close relative
The student can be granted a leave of absence to care for a close relative who is disabled, seriously ill, or dying. Parents, grandparents, children, and spouse/cohabiting partners are considered close relatives. However, other persons may also be regarded as being close. The student must describe why this person should be considered a close person, and it must be documented with medical documentation that this person is seriously ill.

Elite sports
Students can be granted a leave of absence after the presentation of documentation from, e.g. Team Denmark. At DTU, you are considered an elite athlete if you participate at the highest level in the international competition structure within the sport in question and you are therefore also appointed by Team Denmark or similar. Students who practice lower-level sports may exceptionally be subject to the rules if there is a prospect of them becoming elite athletes at a later stage. Find more information on being an elite sports student at DTU Inside under 'Academic offers and guidance'/'Elite sports'.

Other special circumstances
The student can be granted a leave of absence due to other special circumstances that may justify this. Special circumstances are factors that make or will make it impossible for the student to engage in active study. In other words, factors that are beyond the control of the student must be documented.

Leave during the final project
When applying for a leave of absence during the final project the application must be accompanied by a statement from the project supervisor. It is the supervisor who, based on an academic assessment, determines whether the project deadline can be postponed corresponding to the leave period. If the supervisor cannot support a longer-term postponement of the project, the student has used an exam attempt, unless the student can provide documentation of illness, in which case the student receives the registration 'SYG' (ill). Read more about this registration at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exam'/'Assessment forms and grading'. 

The relevant curriculum contains a description of what opportunities the student has to apply for an extension of the submission deadline for the final project, e.g. in case of illness. See DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Final projects'.

Submission of application
The student must submit an application for a leave of absence and documentation to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via Study Administration's email studadm@adm.dtu.dk. The application form can be found at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/Leave of Absence’.

The application must be sent no later than three weeks within the period of leave the student has applied for. A leave period may well be in the middle of a semester. No leave may be granted retroactively beyond three weeks. 

Consequences of a leave of absence
Deadlines relating to the study programme, e.g. the first-year exam and maximum study duration, will be extended by the period of leave, calculated in entire semesters.

All study activities must stop during the period of leave. That includes participation in courses and the submission of assignments/projects. However, students may continue to register for and sit exams in the exam period during their leave of absence. If the student wishes to be withdrawn from exams during the leave, this must be marked in the leave of absence form. If the student has not asked to be withdrawn from exams during leave, and the student, after the end of the leave, has not participated in any exams during leave, the student can contact the Study Administration via student email to studadm@adm.dtu.dk after which exam attempts (EM/Not met) will be annulled.

Students will not receive monthly grants (SU) during their leave of absence. Questions on SU must be addressed to the SU team in the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs. Find contact information at DTU Inside under 'Academic offers and guidance'/'Guidance options'/'SU Office.

Students should also be aware that there may be special rules for study activity requirements for study accommodation/dormitories. Questions about this must be directed to the housing association/dormitory company in question.

Students may only exercise their voting rights and retain their eligibility during a leave of absence period exceeding six months if the leave expires at the beginning of the term of office at the latest.

During the period of leave, students must stay updated on study announcements posted by DTU.

Termination of leave prematurely
Students who want to return to their studies before the end of their leave of absence must contact the Study Information using this contact form. Deadlines that have been postponed (first-year exam and maximum duration of study time) are not affected by the interruption, calculated throughout whole semesters.

Students who are in conflict with DTU's rules of study
If the student is in conflict with DTU's rules of study, such as the first-year exam, maximum duration of the study, or used-up exam attempt, he/she must be aware that an exemption application on this matter must be submitted immediately after the end of the leave of absence. Read more at DTU Inside under 'Study rules’/Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/Exemption'. 

If the student has submitted an exemption application due to conflict with DTU's rules of study before his/her leave, this application may be withdrawn by the student as long as a final exemption decision has not been made yet. That means that a final decision must be made by the Board of Exemptions. Once an exemption decision has been made, this decision (which may lead to withdrawal from DTU) will take precedence over an application for a leave of absence.

Special rules for non-EU-EEA students with a residence permit in Denmark
A student who is a non-EU/EEA fee-paying OR waiver student and has a Danish student residence permit should be aware that his/her student residence permit may be revoked by the Danish immigration authorities (SIRI), even if DTU grants a leave of absence. According to the law, DTU is obliged to inform SIRI when non-EU/EEA students get a leave of absence from the University. Revocation of the student's residence permit by SIRI means that the student has to leave Denmark immediately. When the student is ready to resume their studies, they must apply for a new Danish student residence permit from their home country.

Bachelor students: for more information on this, please write to optagelse@adm.dtu.dk. Master students: for more information on this, please write to mscadmissions@adm.dtu.dk

SU (State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)

Students should note the differences between DTU’s study-related rules and the legislation governing the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme. Therefore, exemptions from DTU’s study-related rules will not take account of SU issues. Likewise, SU-related decisions will not impact DTU’s study-related rules.

That means that students who are granted an exemption from DTU’s study-related rules do not necessarily comply with the terms of the Danish Act on the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme for continuing to receive SU. Therefore, students may risk losing their SU despite any decisions made by DTU.

Rules on SU can be found on the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science website: www.su.dk. All rules governing SU can be found in the Danish Act on the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU-loven) and the Ministerial Order on the Danish State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU-bekendtgørelsen), (see ‘Love og bekendtgørelser’). These rules constitute the basis for decisions made by the SU office at DTU.

Further information about SU can be found at DTU Inside under ‘State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU)’.

Withdrawal from study programmes

Students who wish to withdraw from their study programme at DTU are obligated to fill out a withdrawal form at DTU Inside under 'Study rules’/‘Withdrawal from study programmes’. The filled-out form must be sent from the DTU student mail to studadm@adm.dtu.dk.

Please note a withdrawal cannot be cancelled.

It is not allowed to be enrolled in more than one full-time education at a time. If the student is admitted to another full-time programme outside DTU, he or she must actively withdraw from their studies at DTU. That does not happen automatically. 

If the student is considering applying for admission to DTU later on, read more about the rules for admission on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Readmission'.

It is possible for students to temporarily interrupt their studies by applying for a leave of absence if it is justified in special documented circumstances. Read more about leave of absence at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Leave of absence'.

If the student is newly admitted to DTU and wishes to withdraw from the programme in the first semester before 30 September (summer start) and 28 February (winter start), withdrawal is made by contacting the admission office:

• Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science and Engineering students must contact optagelse@adm.dtu.dk
• Master's students must contact mscadmissions@adm.dtu.dk

If the student has questions or needs guidance before withdrawing from their studies, DTU Study Guidance can be contacted.

Special rules for non-EU/EEA students with a residence permit in Denmark
A student who is a non-EU/EEA fee-paying OR waiver student and has a Danish student residence permit should be aware that his/her student residence permit may be revoked by the Danish immigration authorities (SIRI). DTU is obliged to inform SIRI when non-EU/EEA students withdraw from the University. Revocation of the student's residence permit by SIRI means that the student has to leave Denmark immediately.

Bachelor students: for more information on this, please write to optagelse@adm.dtu.dk.
Master students: for more information on this, please write to mscadmissions@adm.dtu.dk

Readmission into the MSc Eng programme

• Applicants who are in conflict with DTU's study rules
• Limitation period for previously passed courses
• Application and application deadline
• Processing of the application
• Deadlines, courses, and exam attempts

If previously enrolled students want to study at DTU again, they can apply for readmission.

Applicants who have withdrawn from their study programme themselves or DTU has withdrawn them can be readmitted to the same study programme within the MSc degree at the earliest (understood as the date of commencement of studies) five months after their enrollment at DTU was terminated. For example, in relation to the summer admission, an applicant must be unsubscribed by 1 April to be able to resume for the semester start 1 September. 

Applicants who are in conflict with DTU's study rules
Applicants who have been disenrolled from their study programme by DTU because of a violation of DTU's rules (the first-year exam, used up exam attempts or maximum duration of the study, etc.) or who are in violation of those rules at the time of application for readmission will need to apply for an exemption. Such an application is only to be submitted once STU has notified the applicant that they must apply for an exemption. An exemption must be applied for regardless of whether the student is applying for a place on a different study programme than the one in which the student was previously enrolled. 

In connection with the application for exemption, DTU assesses whether the applicant's opportunities to complete the education have significantly improved since they were last enrolled at DTU. This assessment can, i.a., include academic and health conditions. The applicant must thus not apply for an exemption for the rule with which they were in conflict. Instead, they should focus on why the opportunities to complete the study programme have been improved.

If the application for an exemption is accepted, it will be assessed whether the applicant can be readmitted. If the application for an exemption cannot be accepted, the student’s application for readmission will be rejected.

Read more about exemption from DTU's rules at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Exemption, leave and maternity/paternity leave'/'Exemption'.

Limitation period for previously passed courses
Courses/educational elements passed more than five years before readmission to DTU cannot - as a general rule - be transferred to the student's new enrollment. However, the relevant head of study may, in special cases, make an exemption from this rule based on a specific academic assessment. Whether an exemption can be granted is assessed by the head of study in connection with the assessment of the readmission application. Courses that date back more than five years will only be transferred to the applicant's new study programme if the applicant wishes to do so.

Application and application deadlines
Applications for readmission to the MSc programme are submitted via DTU’s ordinary admission to the MSc programme according to the applicable deadlines and admission requirements.

See more at  DTU’s website under ‘How to apply for MSc programmes’.

Processing of the application
Applicants will be readmitted if all the following conditions are met:

• The applicant has applied within the deadline for readmission.
• The applicant meets the applicable admission requirements for the study programme on the date of admission.
• The applicant is granted an exemption following any application for this.

Deadlines, courses and exam attempts
The maximum study period for readmitted students is the prescribed study period + one year from the readmission date. The maximum study period will be reduced by one semester for every 30 ECTS credits the student has already passed. In the industry MSc Eng Programmes, the maximum study period will be reduced by one semester for every 15 ECTS credits the student has already passed.

If the student is readmitted to the same master's programme, all courses, both compulsory and optional, which the student has previously passed or failed in this programme, will automatically be transferred to the new enrollment and will therefore still be part of the student's new study plan.

The student is granted a new exam attempt on courses for which all exam attempts have been used if the course forms part of the study programme.

Change of study programme and field of study on MSc Eng programmes

• Change of field of study in the MSc Eng programmes
• Application and application deadlines
• Processing of the application
• Change of study programme on MSc Eng programmes
• Consequences of a change of field of study and study programme for MSc Eng students
• Deadlines for change of field of study and study programme on MSc Eng programmes
• Courses and exam attempts

Change of field of study in the MSc Eng programmes

If a student wishes to change the field of study at DTU, DTU has to assess if the student can change the study programme or field of study.

If the student cannot change the field of study, it will be assessed whether the student can be admitted to the study programme. 

Change of field of study means that the student changes the field of study within the same study programme, i.e. from one MSc Eng programme to another MSc Eng programme

Application and application deadlines
Students who wish to change their field of study in an MSc Eng programme at DTU must apply for admission to the new field of study following the applicable deadlines for admission. The students must meet all admission requirements for the new MSc field of study before the semester starts.

The rules for admission to DTU’s MSc programmes are described on DTU’s website.

Change of field of study with study start on 1 September
Applicants who apply for a change of field of study must comply with the same application deadlines as other applicants for DTU’s MSc Eng programmes. Application deadlines are found at DTU.dk under ‘How to apply for MSc programmes’ 

Applications for a change of field of study must be submitted via www.dans.stads.dk. Applicants must state that they are already enrolled in a study programme at DTU.

Change of field of study with study start on 1 February
Applicants who apply for a change of field of study must comply with the same application deadlines as other applicants for DTU’s MSc Eng programmes. Application deadlines are found at DTU.dk under ‘Hov to apply for MSc programmes’. 

Applications for a change of field of study must be submitted via www.dans.stads.dk. Applicants must state that they are already enrolled in a study programme at DTU.

Processing of the application
For an applicant to change the field of study, the following requirements must be met:

• The applicant must meet the applicable admission requirements for the desired study programme
• The applicant must meet the applicable language requirements

Change of study programme on MSc Eng programmes

A change of study programme includes the following:

• External change of study programme from a study programme at another university to an MSc Eng programme at DTU

In connection with a change of study programme from another university to DTU, the applicant must comply with the same deadlines as other applicants for the MSc Eng programmes at DTU. Application deadlines are found at DTU.dk under ‘How to apply for MSc programmes’.

Consequences of a change of field of study and study programme for MSc Eng students

Deadlines for change of field of study and study programme on MSc Eng programmes
The maximum period of study is the prescribed period of study + one year from the study start of the new field of study/study programme; however, reduced by one semester for every 30 ECTS credits transferred for the student to the new field of study.

Courses and exam attempts
Passed courses that can be transferred to the mandatory groups in the new field of study will be credit transferred. Passed courses that can only be transferred to the group of optional courses, the student must decide for him-/herself whether they want a credit transfer. See the rules for pre-commencement credit transfer at DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Credit transfer'/'Pre-commencement credit transfer'.

Exam attempts on failed courses in the previous field of study will be transferred if such courses are mandatory or part of the mandatory groups in the new field of study or are not applicable to a course in the new field of study.

Failed courses that can only be transferred as elective courses will not be transferred unless the student wishes to transfer these courses as part of the new field of study. If the student wishes to include previously failed courses in the new MSc field of study, the number of used exam attempts for the course will be transferred to the student’s new MSc field of study.

Students who have used all their exam attempts on one or more courses that are included in the new field of study must apply for an exemption for additional exam attempts. Such an exemption can only be applied for after the change of field of study. The students are responsible for checking whether they need to apply for an exemption. DTU does not provide information to students who change the field of study on their MSc Eng programme about whether they need to apply for an exemption for used-up exam attempts.

Students who change their field of study must also register for the courses they wish to take in the new field of study.

Head of study