Dispensation

Exceptional circumstances are circumstances that lie beyond your control.
They cannot be circumstances:

• that you could have avoided through common sense
• that you should have been able to predict, or
• that in some other way are "your own fault".

Examples of exceptional circumstances

• Illness
• Illness or death in your immediate family
• Disability – e.g. dyslexia

Examples of circumstances that are NOT regarded as exceptional

• Student job
• Oversight, busy on other things or ignorance of deadlines
• Changed plans
• Travel activities or study periods abroad
• Your own IT problems.
• Not meeting the admission requirements

There will always be a specific, individual assessment in your actual case, even if the university already has a general practice for the area.

The Master’s degree admission rule

Read here about the master's degree admission rule and find the form for applying for dispensation. The form must be uploaded with your application in the application system.

Grade compensation

If, during your Bachelor’s degree programme, you have only been partially compensated for challenges such as dyslexia or other conditions that have reduced your ability to study at your home institution, AU can grant you grade compensation for the part of your Bachelor’s degree programme for which you have not already been compensated. You must submit documentation for the assessment and compensation from your home university along with your application for dispensation.

Exceeding application or documentation deadlines

You can apply for dispensation if you have exceeded an application deadline or documentation deadline due to exceptional circumstances.

When we assess your application, it is important that you have contacted us as soon as possible after you have exceeded the deadline.

If you experience IT problems in connection with your application that you think could be due to the application system, it is very important that you document this with screenshots.

• When you apply for dispensation, it is important that you describe your exceptional circumstances carefully so that we have the best possible basis on which to assess your case.
• Upload your application for dispensation with your application in the application system.
• If you do not have an application in the application system (for example, if you have applied too late), you will have to submit a special dispensation form via a secure form.
• You have to upload/attach documentation of the circumstances stated (e.g. doctor's certificate/diagnosis, medical records, maternity records, birth certificate, death certificate, police report, screenshots, etc.).
• You cannot apply for dispensation once your application has been decided, or when the relevant round of admissions has been completed.

Doctor’s certificate

In the event of illness, you must always enclose a doctor's certificate. Admissions will assess whether the doctor’s certificate is relevant for the application for the dispensation, and whether it fulfils the formal requirements for medical certificates.

A doctor's certificate is a written statement on a person's state of health. A doctor's certificate can be issued by a physician on paper, digitally or in some other legible medium and must contain the following:

• The patient’s name, CPR-number and address
• The doctor’s name, authorisation ID, company address and degree.
• Specification of what information in the certificate is based on the doctor’s own examination of the patient, and what information derives from the patient him or herself, third parties or medical records, etc.
• Information on the extent to which the patient normally consults with the physician who has drawn up the certificate.
• Information about the expected duration of the illness.
• Finally, the certificate must be dated and include the doctor’s signature or equivalent.

Other types of documentation (special circumstances)

In individual cases, other types of documentation may be submitted in relation to special circumstances. Such documentation must be submitted and contain the following:

• Information about the special circumstances (e.g. documentation from municipality, home university, etc.).
• Information about the expected duration of the special circumstances.
• Date of issue and the authority's signature or similar.

• If you have uploaded your application for dispensation with your application in the application system, you will also receive the decision via the application system. You will receive the decision either earlier or in connection with the decision on rejection or admission on the Master’s degree programme sought.

• If you have sent your application for dispensation via the secure form instead, you will receive the decision by email. AU students will receive the decision in their AU mailbox. Applications submitted after the relevant deadlines will take 6-8 weeks to process.