Dispensation

As a student, you have the possibility to apply for a dispensation in certain cases, where illness, disability or other special circumstances have been present.

How can I get dispensation?

From 1st May 2021 a new practice has come into force regarding dispensations.
If you find yourself in special circumstances, which prevent you from following the rules that apply to your study programme you can apply for dispensation. For instance the rules about maximum number of exam attempts, transfer to another institution before completing the first year of studies or the rules about maximum number of study years.

Special circumstances are:

  • Typically something outside yourself and something unpredictable, which is out of your control, and something you could not have planned your way out of or could have taken into consideration
  • Something that concerns you personally and is not common amongst students
  • Something of a certain scale, and something that has taken place at a time, which has prevented you from following a certain rule
  • Able to be documented

Circumstances within your control, which you have been able to plan your way out of, and circumstances you could have contacted us about earlier, are not considered to be special circumstances.  

At UCL we do not have a full list of events, which are considered to be special circumstances, because we always make an individual and specific assessment in each case.

Documentation

You must always be able to show documentation of the ”special circumstances” in your case, and UCL can only grant dispensation, if a legal rule allows it.

If you are applying for dispensation on the basis of illness, you can read more about documentation requirements by pressing the link below.

Instructions for students about medical documentation.

If you are applying for dispensation on the basis of other circumstances, you must send the documentation, which best supports your explanation.

If you are in doubt about how to apply for a dispensation, you must contact your Student Counsellor.

Study Counselling

Your application for dispensation must be made in writing by filling out the application form, which you can find on this page. Send your application to sikkerpost@ucl.dk.

When will you get an answer?

You will receive a written answer to your dispensation application on your study mail. In most cases, you may expect up to two weeks, before a decision is made.

Description of UCL special corona practice:

Postponement of exams, Ministerial Order on Examinations Section 5:

  • UCL has decided that all students are automatically signed up for all exams and must take part in all the exams, which have been planned by the study programme. A student cannot sign out of an exam attempt. Dispensation to postpone exam attempts can be applied for, if the student shows documentation of being an Elite Athlete, or if the students is on childrens leave, of if the student suffers from a disability. Apart from these cases, students can apply for dispensation to postpone one or more exams, if they can show documentation of “special circumstances”.
  • UCL has chosen a restrictive practice for the assessment of those reasons, which concern the Corona-shutdown. This means that it will be considered to be normal - rather than special - circumstances, if the main reason for applying for dispensation is childcare problems, disturbances at home, IT problems and other reasons, which are related to the Corona-shutdown.

Number of exam attempts, Ministerial Order on Examinations Section 6:

  • All students have 3 exam attempts for each exam. Students are obligated to take part in the type of exam, which the study programme has chosen. However, UCL understands that some students will struggle to be able to take part in 3 exam attempt under these special circumstances. Therefore students can apply for additional exam attempts, once the first 3 attempts have been used up, if they can show documentation, that “special circumstances” were present during a relevant time period.
  • UCL has chosen a mild practice for the assessment of those reasons, which concern the Corona-shutdown. This means that one or more additional exam attempts will normally be granted, if the main reason for applying for dispensation is childcare problems, disturbances at home, IT problems and other reasons, which are related to the Corona-shutdown. However, UCL may require the student to send documentation in support of the explanation, or a “Solemn declaration of truth”.