Rules and regulations - complete view

Rules and regulations chapter 1

Practical information

Student ID cards

As a student at DTU, you must have a valid student card. You must bring your student card as identification for exams, when you contact the Student Administration, and when you are on campus. In addition, you must use your student card as an access card to DTU's data bars. If you need access to the departments' premises, including laboratories, you must contact the student secretary at the department, as there are special rules regarding access to laboratories, etc.

Important study announcements

Study announcements from the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs are posted on student.dtu.dk at ‘Study Announcements’.

The study announcements are important, and DTU expects you to read them. You can also sign up for email alerts and have all study announcements sent to your student email. Learn more about this option on student.dtu.dk under ‘Study Announcements’.

Personal messages are always sent to your student email (sxxxxxx@student.dtu.dk).

The individual departments give information on teaching via messages at student.dtu.dk, or DTU Learn or post more informal information on teaching-related activities in the building where the teaching takes place.

Insurance for students

The general working environment rules do not cover you as a DTU student, nor are you covered by any occupational injury insurance or other insurance. You are therefore responsible for obtaining relevant insurance while enrolled at DTU.

Polyteknisk Forening (PF student association) has taken out collective accident insurance covering you during your study activities at DTU and other campuses and educational establishments. Transportation between locations is not covered by the insurance, though. The insurance is renewed continuously. Find more information on PF’s homepage, www.pf.dk, under ‘Student life/Secretariat/Accident insurance’.

The insurance applies to all students enrolled at DTU, even if you’re not a member of PF.

Students enrolled on DTU's BEng programmes in Arctic Civil Engineering and Fisheries Technology are not covered by PF's insurance during their stay in Greenland. Thus, you are encouraged to take out the necessary insurance during your stay in Greenland.

Insurance during internships (BEng)
During internships constituting a mandatory BEng programme component, you are covered by the host company's statutory injury insurance if the internship takes place in Denmark. Upon the conclusion of an internship agreement, you should ensure that your employer is aware of this obligation. In connection with internships abroad, you are advised to take out travel insurance, including health insurance, as neither the blue nor the yellow health insurance card provides coverage. You are thus responsible for ensuring that the insurance taken out provides sufficient cover.

Insurance during individual projects, including company projects
Generally, you are not covered by insurance during projects carried out at a different institution or with a company. You are advised to clarify the matter with the company in question and take out adequate insurance.

Insurance while studying abroad
During study stays abroad funded by travel grants or self-financed, you are covered by your own insurance only, also in the event of illness. You should, therefore, ensure that the insurance taken out provides sufficient cover. Insurance can be taken out with PF or your own insurance company. The universities in Denmark have entered into a travel insurance agreement; see www.studenterforsikring.dk.

Rules and regulations chapter 2

Study programme rules

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

Online elements in teaching are allowed to be used where they support quality. Pure online courses are not allowed unless they are part of an international collaboration to offer online courses or are offered as part of Digital Twin University (D.T.U.).

Language of teaching at DTU's programmes
BEng and BSc courses are usually taught in Danish. Some 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.

What does the academic year look like?
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 (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.

Are the lectures at DTU public?
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.

May you record the teaching at DTU?
If you wish 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 the recording to be published, including what kind of publication. Only the teaching itself must be admitted, not fellow students' comments during instruction, unless they have also consented to the admission.

As for the possibility of the lecture recording/streaming the teaching, information can be found at panopto.dtu.dk and at student.dtu.dk.

Regarding course descriptions

The course descriptions at DTU can be found at www.kurser.dtu.dk. In these descriptions, you'll find all the relevant info about language, ECTS, location, grading, learning objectives, etc.

Course descriptions contain the following information:

  • Language
  • ECTS credits (workload)
  • Course type (BEng, BSc, MSc, PhD, 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 other students' work
  • Mandatory or recommended academic prerequisites for attendance, if any
  • Evaluation (the use of an 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 is 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 the exam
  • If the course is not suitable to be offered for re-exam (see student.dtu.dk 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 regarding ECTS credits. That means that you cannot be allowed to register for courses that, in the course database, are registered as not applicable to courses that you have already passed or is bound by, and these courses block each other. Not applicable courses do not mean, by definition, that the courses are identical. The Study Administration can inform whether non-applicable courses are identical.

If you 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 the chairmen of the board of studies at the individual departments can be found at student.dtu.dk under ' Campus and study environment/Committees and boards/Study boards'.

When can corrections be made to the 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 all the students enrolled in the course.

The following procedure applies in case of significant changes to the course description in situations where the above deadlines have not been met:

  1. Proposed changes must be formulated in writing and sent to the department board of studies for approval.
  2. If approved, the proposal is sent as a bulletin via DTU Learn to all registered students on the course. The bulletin must clearly state that the change is a proposal that will be implemented unless one or more students raise objections. 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.

The course coordinator/the board of studies updates approved changes in the course descriptions on DTU’s website, www.kurser.dtu.dk.

Course registration

You registration for and withdrawal from courses via the Study Planner. No lecturer or professor can register/enroll you for a course.

Final projects, project courses, and internships have a different registration procedure. See the section further down.

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

Course registration in the first semester
As a BEng and BSc student, you are automatically registered for courses in the first teaching period (13-week period) in the first semester of your study programme. You must register for all other courses through the Study Planner.

As MSc students and guest students, you must register for courses through the Study Planner.

As a new MSc students and guest student, you must confirm that you accept DTU’s code of honour to be able to register for courses via the Study Planner. See also at student.dtu.dk under ‘Exam/Exam cheating/DTU's code of honour’.

Course registration in other semesters
You are responsible for ensuring that your course registrations have been registered correctly in your 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Courses and teaching/Course registration and withdrawal/Course registration deadlines'.

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 student.dtu.dk under ‘Participation in limited admission courses’ under ‘Teaching’. Therefore, you must be aware that participation in a course may not be possible if you register 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
You cannot register for final projects, internships, or special courses yourself. Registration takes place via the Project Reporting System, and the supervisor of the final project, special courses and the internship supervisor can register you via this system. Once the supervisor has registered the activity in the project reporting system, you will receive an email in your study email when it is approved.

Once a project is finally approved, it will appear in the Study Planner as an exam registration during the exam period and not as a course registration during the teaching period.

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 student.dtu.dk under Study rules/Transferring to an MSc programme.

What courses can I choose?
You cannot register for a course you 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.

You can register for courses that form part of your curriculum. If you want to regsiter for other courses, that are not part of your curriculum, the courses must be pre-approved by your Head of Study before registration. Your Head of Study must send the 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 students from this.

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

You are not allowed to register for courses beyond the number of ECTS credits required by the programme and you must plan your studies according to the prescribed number of ECTS credits for the programme.

You may register for courses as self-paid single subjects, but you cannot take single subjects as part of your programme specification or have single subjects approved by your head of studies as part of your programme. You may register for courses as single subjects if there is no room for the course within your current programme framework.

Elective courses
BEng students
In the BEng programme, lists of optional courses that you 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 you want to take a BEng or BSc course that is not on the list, it must be approved in advance by your head of studies. The head of study must send the approval to the Study Administration. You may not take MSc courses. Exceptions are MSc courses 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, you can choose freely from all courses at DTU at the bachelor's and master's levels. 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 the PhD level.

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

BSc students enrolled in study programmes/curricula valid from September 2023
In the BSc programme, you 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. MSc students are not allowed to take courses at the BEng level. Neither the Head of Studies nor the Board of Exemptions can exempt students from this.

Courses outside DTU: The rules for this are specified at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Credit transfer/'Credit transfer during the study programme'.

Students who have completed MSc courses in 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 the group of programme specific courses (previously called 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 programme specific group (previously called the general competence group or the technological specialization group), the head of study for your programme must designate a course for you to take instead in the group of programme specific courses (previously called the general competence group or the technological specialization group). You must send the written instructions from your head of study to the Study Administration at studadm@adm.dtu.dk, after which you can register for the new course.

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, you must obtain approval from your head of study to take another course that supports the academic profile of the study programme. The head of study 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 study or you are welcome to contact merit@adm.dtu.dk.  

Cancellation of courses
A non-mandatory course may be cancelled if fewer than ten students have registered. 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.

If you are bound to a course, you can be released from the binding if the course is cancelled during the teaching period in which you had planned to take the course or you have lost a draw. Requests to be released from the course must be made via email to studadm@adm.dtu.dk and must be submitted in the same semester as the course was cancelled. However, you must still observe the curriculum of the study programme. Find more information on binding courses at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Binding courses'.

Binding courses

If you do not withdraw from your first exam attempt in a course before the deadline, it will count as a used exam attempt. That means the course is binding and becomes part of your programme specification, cf. the rules for registration and withdrawal from exams on student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Registration and withdrawal'. You must pass the course to complete your programme.

In the case of documented illness at the first examination attempt in the course and the subsequent registration 'ill', you are no longer bound by the course. However, you must still ensure they follow the study plan outlined in your curriculum.

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

You can find the exam registration and withdrawal deadlines on student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Registration and withdrawal from exam/Registration and withdrawal deadlines'.

The rules regarding when an exam attempt has been used can be found on student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Assessment form and Gradings'. 

Special rules apply to project courses. More information is available at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Teaching/Project courses'.

You cannot take pre-approved or credit-transferred courses to replace one or more courses you are bound by. The head of studies cannot grant you an exemption from this rule.

If you are a BEng or BSc student and you are bound by a master's course you have not passed, you can request to be released from the course by writing to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk via your student email with a reason and stating which other course you wish to take instead. You must register for the new course.

Courses no longer offered
If a course is no longer offered, you can, if you have lready used exam attempts in the course but have not passed the course, be released from the course by contacting the Study Administration at studadm@adm.dtu.dk via your student email. That applies regardless of how many examination attempts you have made 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 you register for. Read about 'blocked courses' at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Teaching/Regarding course descriptions'.  

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

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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Teaching/Course registration'.

Academic prerequisites for course participation

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. If you fail to understand the safety instructions and/or do not follow the lecturer's instructions, the lecturer may dismiss you from the class. Read more about disciplinary actions for students on student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules’/'Disciplinary measures'.

What do I need to meet to participate in the course - mandatory prerequisites
Mandatory prerequisite courses are only used if a course must be passed for security reasons or similar weighty reasons before participation in a subsequent course. You may only register for the course and, if relevant, take part in a drawing of lots if you have passed or registered for the exam in the mandatory course.

What is recommended that I meet to participate in the course - academic prerequisites
Recommended academic prerequisite courses form the basis for the teaching, and you are expected to have this academic background knowledge. You may register for courses with academic prerequisites that you have not yet passed, but it is at your own risk, and if you do not meet the necessary prerequisites, you are not entitled to special academic counselling or special considerations.

Participation in limited admission courses

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. It will not be evident from the course description in that case.

Drawing of lots if a course is fully booked
If a course is fully booked, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs will draw lots among students who registered on time to determine who participates. 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 on time for which participation will be determined by drawing lots will receive an email with status information after the draw. There are three status types:

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

Can I lose my place in a course with limited admission? 
If you have been granted a place in the course but do not attend classes when the course starts and fail to notify and get approval from the lecturer of subsequent attendance, you will not be permitted to keep your 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

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

Who has priority in case of drawing of lots?
If students enrolled in specific study programmes have priority in a lot drawing, it must be stated in the course description for the specific course. Students registered for the 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 registered within the deadline will participate equally in the draw.

Below, you can read who gets spots first in courses with a lottery:

  • In any drawing of lots, 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.
  • 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 or is placed on the waiting list, the student in question will be guaranteed a place if they register for the course the next time it 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 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 in part-time programmes for whom the course is not mandatory. 
  • Guest students and students in part-time programmes who register within the deadline will be assigned a place in overbooked courses and will have priority over full-time students who register after the deadline.

Non-priority in case of drawing lots
If you are bound to a course, cf. the rules on binding courses, you do not have priority in the case of drawing lots. That is also the case even if you are about to exceed your maximum study duration.

Mandatory participation in class and exam prerequisites

Mandatory participation in class
Attending classes is generally not mandatory. However, some courses (such as practical and laboratory courses) require active participation to pass the course. In courses with projects, giving presentations and acting as a critic regarding 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 prerequisites for you to be allowed to take the course exam. This kind of assignment, etc., is called exam prerequisites. If a course has exam prerequisites, it must be stated in the course description.

An exam prerequisite must meet the course learning objectives in terms of form and content, and the course coordinator is expected to provide 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 course assessment.

It counts as an exam attempt if tyou have not withdrawn from the exam with the withdrawal deadline and you do not meet any exam prerequisites. In that case, you will receive the registration IG (not approved). Read more about IG at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Assessment forms and grading'.

Mandatory prerequisite assignments for re-exams are described in further detail at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Re-exams'.

Illness or other legitimate reasons for absence from mandatory activities
If you are prevented from participating in mandatory teaching modules or completing laboratory or workshop activities due to illness or other legitimate reasons, you must notify the course responsible as soon as possible.

You can agree with the lecturer to retake the mandatory activity or replace it with a similar one. If the lecturer requests, you must be able to document the reason for being absent. If retaking the mandatory activity in the current semester is impossible, you are entitled to take the activity again the next time the course is offered. If you can document illness, you have the right only to retake the missing activities the next time teaching in the course is offered.

If you cannot participate in the exam in the course due to a legitimate absence, you must submit documentation explaining the absence. If you do not submit documentation, the exam will count as an exam attempt. See student.dtu.dk 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/student.dtu.dk 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). You therefore cannot sign up for a project course through the study planner.

The supervisor for BEng 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. A special course worth 2.5 ECTS credits is possible in exceptional cases, for example, if it is the final component of the programme. In such cases, the lecturer must contact the Study Administration to have the course registered.

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

The project period for a project course cannot extend beyond 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 you do not pass a project course, a re-exam of the course can be offered. That is agreed upon between the supervisor and you. In the event of a disagreement on whether a re-exam is to be held, the department board of studies must decide the case after an inquiry from you or the supervisor. You 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, and the form of assessment and grading must be agreed upon with a DTU supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring 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.

You are responsible for finding a company.

Company project
A project course can be undertaken in association with a company. This type of project course is called a company project or a project-based exam. Your thesis, bachelor project or bachelor of engineering project can also be carried out as a company project.

Read about company projects

Evaluation of teaching

At the end of the semester, the teaching in all courses is evaluated via student.dtu.dk. 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 you can give feedback in your 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

If you are dissatisfied with the teaching in a given course or with the supervision received in connection with a project, you 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 student.dtu.dk under ‘Campus and study environment/Committees and boards/Study boards’.
     
  • 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. You 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, you 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.

Rules and regulations chapter 3

Exam rules

All courses and projects include one or multiple exams, referred to as 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Exam forms'.

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. 

You are entitled to three exam attempts in each course or project. You can apply for an exemption for further examination attempts. Find more information at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/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

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

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

How do I register for and withdraw from exams?
All course registrations are automatically transferred to exam registrations once the course withdrawal deadline has passed. That happens before you can register for the exam and re-exam via www.tilmelding.dtu.dk. If you want to register for an exam in addition to the exam registrations transferred from a course enrollment, you have to register yourself.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all your exam registrations are correct, whether automatically transferred or not.

Registration for and withdrawal from courses occur via www.studieplan.dtu.dk, and registration for and withdrawal from the exam occur via www.tilmelding.dtu.dk. You must check your exam registrations at www.tilmelding.dtu.dk. 

When can I register for and withdraw from an exam?
You can find the deadlines for exam registrations, etc., at student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Registration and withdrawal from exam/Registration and withdrawal deadlines'.

Can I register for the exam after the deadline?
As a rule, you can only register for an exam/re-exam if you, due to special circumstances, have not been able to register for the exam during the ordinary registration period. Special conditions can be:

  • You have 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 you being able to complete the programme immediately after the exam period.

After the exam registration deadline has expired, an electronic application form can be found at student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Registration and withdrawal from exam/Late exam registration'. The application must be accompanied by documentation regarding the special circumstances.

When does a course become binding?
If you do not withdraw from your first exam attempt in a course before the deadline for exam withdrawal, the course registration becomes binding, and the course becomes part of your programme specification. That means you must pass the course to complete your programme, cf. student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Teaching/Binding courses'.

You may apply for cancellation of an exam registration in a course, but the application may only be met if you do not plan to participate in the exam or, if the exam has been held, and you have not participated in the exam. Find more information on this type of exemption at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exemption'.

How do I register for the second and third exam attempt?
You 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, if you have withdrawn from your first exam attempt in a course, you must register for a new exam in the course unless you register for the course once more.

Overlap of exams in time
If, after the publication of the dates for written exams, it transpires that you have registered for two exams that overlap, you are 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 you cannot arrange a different examination time for the oral exam with the examiner. In these cases, you must contact the Study Administration via student email at studadm@adm.dtu.dk before the exam is held.

Exams in final projects, project courses, and internships
BEng projects, BSc projects, and MSc theses 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
You 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, you 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). 

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

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

Courses with part-exams
Even if you have passed one or more part-exams in a course, that does not count as an exam attempt if you withdraw from the final exam within the current deadlines. At the first (re)exam, already approved exam prerequisites or/and passed part-exams will remain valid. 

If you wish to register for the course again, exam prerequisites/part-exams may be re-taken. The re-exam rules can be found at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Re-exams'. 

Used up exam attempts
You have three attempts to pass a course/project. If you have used three attempts without passing, you will be expelled from the university unless you apply for an exemption and are granted an additional exam attempt. You must apply for an exemption no later than one of the biannual regulation checks conducted by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs. Rules on exemption can be found on student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exemption'.

Assessment forms

You must be assessed individually. In connection with individual exams, group exams, and group assignments, each student's performance must be assessed, 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 and primary examiners must take notes about the candidate’s performance and the grading for use in case 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 the 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 you have been registered for the exam without participating, or have had to leave the exam due to illness without submitting an exam paper, and you can present documentation of 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Illness in connection with exams'. 
     
  • EM - ‘Not met'
    The registration is used if you have been registered for the exam without taking it. It is registered that you have used an exam attempt.
     
  • IG - ‘Not approved’
    The registration is used when you fail to meet exam prerequisites. It is registered that you have used an exam attempt unless you withdraw from the exam in the course. See student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules/Teaching/Mandatory participation in class and mandatory assignments’. 
     
  • AB - 'Awaiting decision Passed'
    The registration is used when you have 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. You will see the registration 'AFV B' in their transcript. It is registered that you have 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 you have received. Read more at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.
     
  • AI - 'Awaiting decision Not passed'
    The registration is used when you have 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. You will see the registration 'AFV IB' in their transcript. It is registered that you have 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 you have received. Read more at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Exam/Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.
     
  • SN - 'Cheating' (Snyd)
    The registration is used if you have had an exam performance/result for an entire course cancelled because of a violation of the exam rules (exam cheating). It is registered that you have used an exam attempt.

Requirements for passing exams and part-exams

A course has been passed if you have been awarded the grade of 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. Find more information on part exams and ongoing tests in connection with re-exams at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Re-exams'.

A course consisting of several assessments may be assessed

  • either by assigning separate grades for the individual assessments;
  • or by an overall assessment of the various part-exams (holistic assessment).

Under “Type of assessment” in the course description, the free-text field must specify whether the assessments are graded separately or assessed as a whole.

Part-exams assessed with partial grades
If official partial grades are used for the individual part-exams in a course, you will be informed of these on an ongoing basis, 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.

It follows from the above passing requirements that you must participate in all individual assessments in a course with partial grades to pass the course. If you have not participated in all individual assessments, the course cannot be passed. You must therefore be given the assessment “Not passed”, regardless of whether the course is assessed according to the 7-point grading scale. This is to indicate that no academic assessment has taken place. That also applies if you have passed the other individual assessments.

If you have not participated in any of the part-exams and have not withdrawn for the exam you will be registered with EM (Not met). 

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

The course coordinator can decide that all part-exams must be completed/approved as a condition for receiving an assessment for the entire course. In such cases, this must be stated in the course description. If it is not stated in the course description that one or more tests, as an integrated part of the teaching, must be completed to pass the course, an overall assessment must be made of the ongoing tests you have completed. You can thus pass the course on this basis.

If you do not participate in/hand in any of the part-exams in a course and have not registered for the exam you will be given the assessment 'Not met'.

Forms of examination

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

After the course descriptions are approved, the Department Board of Studies decides on the form of examination.

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
You may submit an application through the SPS portal if they wish to request a change in the exam format for a course (e.g., from written to oral) due to special circumstances. That may, for example, be related to specific conditions associated with a documented permanent disability.

The Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) assesses the application and, if relevant, contacts the course coordinator, who evaluates whether the change is academically justifiable based on the course learning objectives and whether it is practically feasible to implement a different exam format. If required, the SPS team (aus-sps@adm.dtu.dk) within AUS can assist in this assessment.

A precondition for allowing a change of the examination form is that the exam's academic level is not lowered. Find more information at student.dtu.dk 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 to be assessed individually.

Oral exams
You must bring their student card as identification to the oral exam.

Generally, 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 your needs as a student. 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 besides the specified exam dates must be agreed upon with the students. If you 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 defence 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, 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 travelling 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 student.dtu.dk under ''Exam/Exam guides', and for lectures at DTU Inside under 'Educational administration/Guidance/Exam guides'.

Oral group exams
An oral exam can be 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, each 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 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 must be present during the entire exam.

It's important that the examiners make sure to note each student's level of participation and the quality of that participation. At the same time, the examiners need to ensure that all students take part in the exam, so they can give individual assessments.

You must have their 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 student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules'/'Rules for final projects’ or in the study programme curriculum.

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

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 afterwards. 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. 

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

Assignments must be prepared in the language of instruction. Your exam papers must be prepared in the language of instruction. For assignments in Danish, you 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. See students.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Final projects'.

Group projects
The number of students on group projects should not exceed six people. If this aligns with the course's learning objectives, the course coordinator may decide on a lower or higher maximum number than six.

Special rules apply to group size for BEng projects, BSc projects, and MSc theses. See student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules/Rules for final projects’.

For group projects/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, whether the project is individualized or not is of great importance to the exam form (see below). 

Before you commence a group project, the course coordinator must inform them 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 you have documented special educational needs, an individual exam instead of a group exam may be possible. 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 based on 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 regarding 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 has been prepared jointly overall, 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 based on 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 fewer than ten students register for a written exam, the lecturer can change the assessment form to an oral exam until one week after the exam registration deadline. This must be done with due regard to the fact that the students were expecting a written exam. The lecturer is responsible for notifying the students in case of a change in the assessment form. Another approved assessment form can be applied if the lecturer and all registered students agree. If, based on a change in the form of examination announced after the cancellation deadline, you wish to be withdrawn 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.

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

The actual exam-holding
You should arrive at a written exam 15 minutes before the exam begins to prepare for the exam to begin. If you show up after the exam has started, you will not be allowed to participate in the exam. You 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. Using earplugs is at your 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 student.dtu.dk 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 impossible 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Use of aids and materials at written exams'.

It is a basic condition for grading an exam paper that the student has uploaded it correctly and in the correct format, and that it 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Exam guides'.
Find information on special exam conditions for written exams at DTU at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Special exam arrangements'

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

Exams conducted outside DTU's campuses
Exams may be conducted outside DTU's campuses, e.g., abroad, if you are enrolled in one of DTU's digital study programmes or if you due to special circumstances (practical or financial) are unable to participate in the university's examinations at DTU's campuses. DTU approves the exam place and persons to organize the practical aspects of conducting the examination abroad. 

You are responsible for covering the expenses associated with examinations abroad.

The exam dates are available well in advance on student.dtu.dk under Exam Dates, so you are expected to plan to be able to attend the exam on campus.

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. 

Requests to take an exam outside of DTU’s campuses must be submitted no later than one month before the exam date by sending an email from your student email to eksamen@adm.dtu.dk. 

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 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. If you do not take advantage of an offer of a rescheduled exam, you will not use an exam attempt. You can only participate in a new exam the next time a (re)exam is offered at the earliest.

At student.dtu.dk, under 'Exam/Exam dates’, 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 your academic knowledge at the time of the exam.

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

  1. No aids and materials permitted (except standard dictionaries*).
  2. Written materials permitted, i.e. books, notes, old take-home assignments, etc., but not technical aids, for instance, a laptop. Use of calculator is allowed.
  3. All aids and materials permitted - without internet access, meaning that in addition to written aids, it is also permitted to bring a laptop, tablet, and similar devices. It is permitted to have two monitors on the desk, but the screen(s) must, as far as possible, be positioned so that they cannot be seen by others. The use of generative AI is not allowed.
  4. All aids and materials permitted - with internet access. The use of generative AI is allowed.

* You are always allowed to bring standard dictionaries, such as 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. 

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.

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

You are not allowed to use your own printer for the exam, and you are not allowed to listen to music during an exam.

Read about written exams (written on-site exams) at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Exam forms'.

A FAQ on written exams is available at student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Exam guides'.

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, the course supervisor will announce it 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 several options for doing this: a small scanner, a digital pen/drawing board, 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Exam 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 against you, according to the rules regarding cheating on exams. Find more information on this at student.dtu.dk under Study rules/Exam/Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment.

You must not gain unauthorized access to information during the exam, including online, when this is prohibited or by communicating with others. The exam paper submitted must be prepared by you yourself during the exam. If material prepared by others or jointly with others is used in the exam, reference must be made to this. 

Responsibility for one's own aids and devices
You are responsible for any aids and materials they bring to the exam, and DTU generally does not provide facilities for the use of such aids. You are not granted extra time for the exam if the aids you have brought to the exam malfunction, run 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 individuals with dyslexia) for written exams, where aids are otherwise not permitted. See student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Special exam arrangements’.

Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment

Pursuant to section 51 of the Ministerial Order on Examinations and Tests in University Programmes, DTU has laid down rules on disciplinary measures in cases of exam cheating and disruptive behaviour during examinations and tests. For diploma students, however, the rules are laid down in accordance with Section 34 of the Ministerial Order on Examinations in Professionally Oriented Higher Education Programmes.

Violation of the exam rules will result in disciplinary sanctions against you. See student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Disciplinary measures towards students'. Read more about the disciplinary sanctions used for violating the exam rules 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 applies to everyone at DTU, implies that you, as a student, including PhD students, must demonstrate, through your projects and conduct during courses, as well as participation in extracurricular activities and student competitions, that you have understood the principles of good scientific practice. Violation of the code will be dealt with in accordance with DTU's rules on cheating at exams and other assessment forms. DTU’s principles for good scientific conduct can be found at DTU.dk under 'Research/Research framework/Principles for good scientific conduct'.

At the beginning of your studies, you must actively express your acceptance of the code of honour to continue your studies at DTU. By signing, you commit to demonstrating independence and integrity in your work and exams, and to not violating 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 and international guest students must express their acceptance of the code in connection with registration for courses in the 1st semester. More information on DTU's code of honour can be found at student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Exam cheating/DTU's code of honour'.

What is exam cheating?
DTU requires that you demonstrate independence in your work at DTU and that the exam always reflects your own independent performance. That is important as all assessments are individual, and the lecturer must be able to assess what the individual student has learned and can.

The rules below also include exam cheating in connection with exam prerequisites. Read more about these at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Mandatory participation in class and mandatory assignments'.

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 properly citing the precise source. Using 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 result from your 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, 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. That is because the common notes, etc., are not your independent exam performance. You thereby conceal or mislead about your own efforts or results.

    The purchase of a completed assignment answer from an assignment bank, such as on the internet, is also considered plagiarism/exam cheating.
     
  2. Self-plagiarism
    That means reusing your own text that has previously been graded without quotation marks and source references. 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 even though it is the student's own previous written work. 
     
  3. Academic dishonesty by, e.g. manipulating or falsifying data. 
     
  4. Concealment or misleading of one's own efforts or results.
     
  5. Engaging in unauthorized collaboration, e.g. in connection with an individual homework assignment, or gaining 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Use of aids and materials at written exams').
     
  7. Wrongful acquisition of prior knowledge of the exam paper. 
     
  8. Providing incorrect attendance information where attendance is required.
     
  9. Knowingly helping 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 student.dtu.dk, under ''Exam/Exam cheating/Avoid exam cheating' under 'Do's and don'ts', there are 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 describing plagiarism and how to avoid plagiarism by knowing the basic rules for citation and source reference in written assignment answers.

On DTU’s library’s website under “Referencing when using generative AI,” you can find examples of how to cite your use of Generative AI correctly. You can also read DTU’s guidelines for using Generative AI in project reports and final student projects. 

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

Reporting can occur 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 matters related to exam cheating at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment'.

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 anti-plagiarism software program should always be enclosed, along 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 its original form to the student(s) in question in connection with the student(s) 's hearing.

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

In the study administration system, AB appears as passed, and AI appears as failed. You can find more information on these registrations at student.dtu.dk 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 emailing 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 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 the material in the case. At student.dtu.dk, under 'Educational administration'/'Guidance'/'Exam cheating', the lecturer can find a template for an information email.

What is your position during the cheating case?
As long as a case concerning exam cheating is being processed, you have 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 you plan to participate in the re-exam in the course in which you have been reported, and a decision has not yet been made regarding the cheating case, the following applies:

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

Sanctions
After hearing of the reported student(s), the Office decides on the case in accordance with DTU's rules on cheating in exams and other assessments (these rules) and DTU's disciplinary rules regarding 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 repeated violations of the rules regarding exam cheating, the student will also be temporarily or permanently expelled.

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 excluded from the calculation.

Complaint guidance
You 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 you. The appeal should be submittedfrom your student email 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 you have provided in the appeal. In this connection, DTU may decide to reopen the case if the appeal contains information 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 you, who can comment on it. Finally, the entire case will be sent to the Agency for their consideration. The processing time at the Agency is currently approximately 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 you have received. The cancellation of the exam and a possible expulsion will, therefore, continue to apply.

The lecturer can give oral reprimands for minor offences
If the lecturer assesses that your violation of the rules for the exam must be considered a minor offence 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 you 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 to discuss 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 yu have violated the rules of the exam and how you 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 you continue to violate the examination rules. In these cases, a report must be made (see above), and the lecturer should refer to the fact that a charge was previously given.

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

Special examination conditions

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 based on the following circumstances:

  1. If you have a physical or mental impairment (e.g. physical disability, dyslexia, etc.).
    The impairment must significantly impact the student’s potential exam performance.
  2. If your native language and qualifying exam are not Danish, you may, provided that the exam is only in Danish, be granted extra time for a written exam during your first two semesters in Denmark. In this context, a Greenlandic or Faroese qualifying exam can be equated with a foreign qualifying exam.
  3. If your have similar difficulties, for instance, if you are in the last month of your pregnancy or 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Apply for/Special examination conditions'. Exam anxiety, for example, is not a valid reason for special exam conditions.

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

Depending on your application, situation, diagnosis, documentation, and other factors, AUS may grant you special exam conditions that apply to a specific period, ranging from a semester to the remainder of the study period. The decision on the application will specify the duration for which you have been granted special exam conditions, and the next deadline for a new application will be stated if you should reapply.

The following special conditions may be granted for written exams. 

  • Extra time: Usually, 25% extra time is granted.
  • Headphones for listening to music.
  • Use of one's 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 and physically challenged students.
  • Special physical setting: This is typically relevant if you are physically challenged and need a height-adjustable table, or if you are very sensitive to sound or suffer from social anxiety.
  • Other: For example, a big monitor, a table lamp with a special light, etc. People with diabetes can also get permission to use their mobile phones 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 based on the following practice:

  • A written exam held during the ordinary exam period. You usually receive extra time through an automatic assignment.
  • A minor written exam held on campus (on-site exams), which is either an exam prerequisite or 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. You must inform the lecturer that you have been granted special conditions for a written exam by AUS. You must contact the lecturer by mail as quickly as possible and attach the decision to the application as documentation of the special conditions you ahve 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 December
  • 15 April - will be processed before May
  • 1 July - will be processed before 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.

You must send applications for special conditions at written exams from your student email to specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk. The application form can be found at student.dtu.dk under 'Apply for/Special examination conditions'. Here, you can also read more about filling out the application form. In the event of an emergency (e.g., a broken arm), students can apply after the deadline by emailing studadm@adm.dtu.dk.

The application is processed in AUS. The caseworkers are subject to a duty of confidentiality; therefore, personal information, as well as the outcome of the application, will be treated as confidential. AUS makes a decision based on the application and the enclosed documentation. The decision on the application is sent to your 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. If you hold the previous laminated cards as proof, you can continue to use them. Both the digital letter and the laminated cards are valid.

Exam paper handed out on a USB key for the written exam
If the Study Administration is responsible for arranging the exam (typically, all regular written exams), you must complete and submit an application form to request that the exam assignment be provided on a USB drive for written exams. You can find the form on student.dtu.dk on the page “Apply for special exam conditions” under the section “USB drive for written exams.” You must send the completed form from your student email to specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk.

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

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

See dates for the supplementary registration period

If the lecturer/course coordinator is responsible for arranging the exam (typically tests during the semester and oral exams), you must contact them well in advance and request that the exam assignment be provided on a USB drive. Remember to include your decision letter regarding special exam conditions as documentation.

Special conditions for final projects
If the period for which you have been granted special conditions for written exams also includes the period for a final written project (BEng project, BSc project, or MSc thesis), you may receive up to three weeks' extra time to prepare the project before the start of the project. It is up to you to decide whether you want one, two, or three weeks.

Should you prepare your project in collaboration with students who have not been granted extra time, the entire project group will be granted extra time.

The decision on the application must be presented as documentation to the project supervisor. The supervisor must register the extension of the project period in the Project Registration System (Projektindberetningssystemet) before the project's start date. For any questions, the SPS Unit can be contacted at specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk

You 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 you wish to apply for an extension of the project period during the project due to unusual 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Final projects'.

Special examination conditions granted by the department
The following describes the special arrangements that a lecturer may provide in other exam situations. In these cases, it is not a question of you being entitled to special arrangements, but the examiner/lecturer must consider your 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 you 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.

If you wish to request special conditions, you must contact the course coordinator/examiner as soon as possible and provide documentation to support the basis of your request. However, if the cause is your speech challenges, the circumstance is assumed to be assessable to the lecturer during a regular conversation.

Special conditions for an oral exam
If you have been granted special conditions for a written exam, these special conditions also apply to an oral exam, provided you require them. Typically, 25% extra time is granted for written exams, but the amount of extra time required for oral exams may vary. The necessary time is generally agreed upon between you and the course coordinator. You must contact the course coordinator at least one month prior to the oral exam.

The SPS Unit (specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk) can assist the course coordinator in this assessment. 

Read more at student.dtu.dk under ‘Apply for/Special examination conditions'.

If you are to take part in an oral group exam but are 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 each time individually. 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 that the course coordinator extend the project period. It is the lecturer's decision, based on a practical assessment, including, e.g., the assessment of and feedback to other students on the course, and the 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 can apply for extra time for their project work, while the other group members cannot, 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 you take courses at other universities, you must familiarize yourself with the university's rules and procedures for applying for special exam conditions. That also applies to joint programmes in Denmark, or abroad or if you study abroad or are going to study abroad.

lllness in connection with exams

Illness before the exam (unable to participate in the exam)
If you become ill before the exam is held and are unable to participate, you must, within 14 days of the exam date, submit documentation of illness to the Study Administration at studadm@adm.dtu.dk. The documentation must be in either Danish or English and must be sent from your student email. Documentation can be, for example, a copy of a medical record from the health provider or a medical certificate, which you must pay for yourself. You will be registered as “ill” (SYG). The registration "ill" does not count as an exam attempt. Please note that the result "ill" can only be registered when an EM assessment (No attendance) has been registered.

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

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

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

Illness of a close family member
If you are 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 your performance at the exam, you 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 you have 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 you fall ill while completing the final project, the your programme specification rules apply. Find the rules at student.dtu.dk 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 much relevant information on using 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam/Exam forms'. It may be agreed upon that the report must not be 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 the 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 changed conditions such as the supervisor's 3-week holiday in June, July, or August, can be determined without approval from the head of the 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

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

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

If you have not passed a course on the first exam attempt, you must register for the subsequent exam attempt in the course via www.tilmelding.dtu.dk, unlessyou choose to follow the teaching again. In this case, course registration must be completed through 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 the re-exam dates 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, and you have not passed the course, you must attend the course again. It is not sufficient 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Exam/Dates of exams'.

Registration for and withdrawal from re-exams must be made within the applicable deadlines. See student.dtu.dk under ‘Exam/Registration and withdrawal from exam/Registration and withdrawal deadlines’.

The course manager may decide that the examination form for the re-exam differs from that for the ordinary exam. The course manager must communicate the form of examination for re-exams in December, May and August to the students no later than one week after the registration deadline for the exam period in question has expired. If, based on a change in the form of examination announced after the cancellation deadline, you wish to withdraw from the exam, you must notify the Study Administration via studadm@adm.dtu.dk no later than 14 days after notification from the course coordinator.

In consultation with the department's Board of Studies, the course manager can 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 takes 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

Courses with exam prerequisites
If you have not fulfilled the exam prerequisites in a course in connection with the ordinary exam, you cannot participate in the re-exam unless the course manager has given you a new opportunity to meet the prerequisites before the re-exam. You are responsible for contacting the course manager to clarify this matter before registering for the exam. If you, due to a decision by the course manager, are unable to meet the exam prerequisites, you will be required to attend the course again.

If you met the exam prerequisites but did not pass the exam, you can take the re-exam on the course in the next re-exam period without having to fulfil the exam prerequisites again.

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

Read more at student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules/Teaching/Mandatory participation and assignments’.

Courses with part exams
In a course with part exams, any re-exam is only a repetition of the final part exam. Part exams that take place during the teaching period will thus not be offered as a re-exam and therefore also not be assessed in the period between the ordinary exam and the re-exam for the course. The course manager may deviate from this.

In courses that consist of part exams with individual grades, all part exams must be offered for reexams. A passed part exam cannot be retaken.

Read more about part exams at student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules/Exam/Requirements for passing exams and part exams.

Special circumstances regarding reexams in courses that conclude your study programme   

If a course is the last one you need to pass to finish your degree, you can apply for a quick re-examination in certain cases. You must apply no later than 14 days after the grade for the specific course is published. 

When do you have the right to a quick re-examination? 
You may have  a quick re-examination approved if: 

  • You were ill at the exam or re-examination in the final course during the exam term when your degree should have been completed 

  • You failed a single course at both the exam or re-examination in the exam term when your degree should have been completed 

  • You met the 14-day deadline 

Note: This only applies if you received a grade of -3, 00, or "Not passed". It is not possible to get a quick re-exam approved for more than one single course.  

Special rules if you are for a final project 
If your deadline for handing in your final project is right after the exam period, where you failed or were ill at the exam in last course, that completed your study programme, you can still apply for the quick re-examination for that specific course. It is a requirement that you apply no later than 14 days of the grade publication in the specific course.  

When can you not get a quick re-exam approved? 
You cannot get a quick re-examination approved if you: 

  • Did not show up for the exam and received the grade "Not Attend" (EM) 

  • Received the grade "Cheating" (SN) 

  • Missed the 14-day deadline 

  • If you do not pass or if you are ill at the exam in the final project, since the rules do not apply for final projects 

How to apply 
If you want to apply for a quick reexam, you need to contact the Office of Study Administration via your DTU student email at studadm@adm.dtu.dkwithin no later than 14 days of the grade publication for the course you were either ill or did not pass the exam in. 

The Office of Study Administration will assess your request and if you meet the requirements for a quick reexam and inform you and your teacher as quickly as possible. 

If approved, you and your course responsible will agree on the date for the re-examination.

Exam complaints

Deadline for complaints
If you wish to complain about the progress of the exam or the assessment itself, you can file an exam complaint. Exam complaints must be submitted within two weeks of the grade being announced on campusnet.dtu.dk. The deadline for oral examinations 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 you discuss your exam answer/performance with the assessor before you submit an exam complaint. You must be aware that contacting or attempting to contact the lecturer does not have a suspensive effect on the appeal deadline. That is, it does not extend the two-week time limit for appeal, which must, therefore, continue to be complied with. In the complaint, you can, for example, state that you will send a detailed complaint or withdraw the complaint after you have had the opportunity to discuss it 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 you to gain an understanding of and an explanation for the assessment given, which may lead to you no longer wishing to complain or wishing to withdraw an already submitted complaint, or to provide a better justification for your 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, you receive a receipt and an information email via your 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 the emails sent to the person who sent the complaint and have viewing access to the system only. It is important to obtain consent from any co-complainants before adding them to the complaint in the system.

Complaints can be submitted regarding the following:

  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 as a result of the complaint. As the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs makes a decision based on the complaint, the assessor's opinion, and any of your supplementary comments, you should, in the reason for the complaint, compare your exam performance with the course's learning objectives, elaborate on the course of the exam or the like. Complaints without justification will be returned to you, requesting further information. If you do not elaborate on your complaint, the complaint will be processed based on the available information.

The complaint must be able to be sent to the assessor as it appears. In its decision, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs cannot include information that you do not wish to pass on to the assessor. Complaints about teaching/lecturer/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 student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Teaching/Complaints about teaching and supervision'.

If the complaint does not concern dissatisfaction with the exam but rather offensive or abusive behaviour, and you want help and guidance to handle this or want to report the lecturer/supervisor or others for offensive behaviour, you must not send an exam complaint as described above. Instead, please refer to these guidelines for offensive behaviour.

The total case processing time for exam complaints in 2025 is approximately 5-6 months from the time the complaint is received until a decision has been made. You may continue in 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 your position during the complaint process?
If you plan to participate in the re-exam in the course to which your examination complaint relates, and a decision has not yet been made regarding the complaint, the following applies:

  • If you are offered a new assessment (re-assessment) or new exam (re-exam) and accept 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 your 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, you must contact the Study Administration if you wish to be registered or de-registered for the re-exam. Read more on student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Exam'/'Registration and withdrawal'.

Processing of the complaint
The assessor(s) access your 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 your academic complaints. When the assessors have submitted their opinion, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs will make the opinion available to you in the Exam Complaint System. You then have the opportunity to make any further comments before a decision is made. This is called a hearing. You have 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 your possible comments, if any. You receive an email via your 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. You are offered a new assessment (re-assessment) of a written assignment by new assessors.
  2. You are offered a new exam (re-exam) by new assessors if necessary.
  3. Your complaint is not upheld.
  4. If the exam includes both a written assignment and an oral exam, you are offered a combination of 1., 2., and 3.

Neither the assessor nor the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs has the authority to raise or lower your grade.

If you are offered a new assessment or exam, you have two weeks to accept the offer via The Exam Complaint System. Acceptance of the offer is binding on you, and the new assessment will replace your original assessment, which is cancelled. You 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 the decision
Appeal of academic issues
If you do not accept the decision on your 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 decision being announced to you via the Exam Complaint System. It must be justified in writing and submitted to studenterklager@dtu.dk using your email address. The case number from the exam complaint in the Exam Complaint System must appear in the appeal.

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. You are offered a new assessment (re-assessment) of a written assignment by new assessors.
  2. You are offered a new exam (re-exam), usually by new assessors.
  3. You are offered a combination of 1st and 2nd if the exam includes both a written assignment and an oral exam.
  4. Your complaint is not upheld.

The board of appeals is in no position to lower or raise your grade. The decision of the board of appeals cannot be further appealed to other authorities regarding academic issues, and the board's decision 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 you. 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, the decision is reassessed based on the information you 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 you, and you can comment on it. Finally, the entire case will be sent to the Agency for their consideration. The processing time at the Agency is currently approximately 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 decides on how the error or deficiency can be remedied. That 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 the Examination Order.

If your exam complaint contains significant complaints that do not relate to the errors and deficiencies that occurred during the exam, the Office will also address 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 the student an extraordinary new exam. The offer must be extended to all students whose exam is affected by the error or deficiency in question. Students may choose to retain the original assessment, even if they have participated in the extraordinary re-exam.

Exam certificate/diploma

When you have completed a study programme at DTU, DTU issues an exam certificate/diploma. The exam certificate lists all the exams you have passed within your 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 you have completed your study programme after 15 June 2023, you will get a digital exam certificate. The exam certificate can be accessed via https://app.diplomasafe.com/ within six weeks of the date of completion of the programme. The month of July is excluded from the calculation.You will receive a message on your student email, guiding you step by step through the Diplomasafe system to access your diploma. The diploma will remain available via https://app.diplomasafe.com/.

As a starting point, the introductory email will contain a link that forwards you to the diplomasafe.com login. Here, you are asked to register as a user, with the message advising against using the student email, as this email account is deactivated three months after the end of your studies. If yuu have nevertheless used your student email and the email has been deactivated, you must contact the Study Administration by writing to studadm@adm.dtu.dk to gain access to Diplomasafe.

After registering as a user, you can access your exam certificate. Once you have entered the diploma, a purchase button will appear on the page, which can be used to purchase the diploma if desired. A physical diploma with the DTU emblem can be purchased additionally for a fee of DKK 500.

If you are withdrawn from a study programme at DTU without completing it, you will receive documentation for any completed parts of the programme stated in ECTS credits. 

Specifically for students who graduated before 15 June 2023
If you graduated from DTU before 15 June 2023, you will have received a physical diploma by post. If you have lost your diploma, you can order a copy of the diploma by writing to the Study Administration at verification@adm.dtu.dk.

Rules and regulations chapter 4

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

Credit transfer refers to replacing elements that form 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)

Upon admission to DTU’s BEng, BSc, and MSc programmes, you 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. That may, for example, be the case if you apply for admission to a BSc programme you have previously been admitted to another BEng or BSc programme without having completed the programme. 

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

If you 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 your enrolment at the university.

If the Head of Studies deems that credit transfer for programme elements can be granted to the mandatory parts of the programme, you 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 you to decide whether you want the partial credit transfer. Once you 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, you can decide whether you want credit transfer. The optional credit transfer is registered by applying through www.merit.dtu.dk. It is entirely up to you how much of the optional credit you wish to use and when.

Once granted, a credit transfer for both mandatory and elective parts of the programme cannot be withdrawn.

If you 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, you can do so.

For the BEng and BSc programmes, the courses must be at least at a professional bachelor's or BEng level. For the MSc programmes, the courses must be at least 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 currently established credit transfer agreements, please email 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 you wish to take these courses as part of the new study programme.

If you are admitted to DTU via quota 1 or 2 and you have used exam attempts on failed courses you have previously attended at DTU on another study programme, you 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
You cannot be granted transfer of credits from the qualifying programme/exam.

A final project from another educational programme cannot be transferred as a substitute for the final project to a DTU study programme. The project or elements of the project can only be transferred to your 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 your 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 your new study programme if you wish 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 you have 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 you have already passed.

Suppose you has been granted pre-commencement credit transfer for courses that are included in the first-year exam. To pass the first-year exam, you are 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 the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) issues a written decision to the student via email or at www.merit.dtu.dk.

Appeal against the decision
If your application is not granted, you can appeal the decision by emailing merit@adm.dtu.dk.

Credit transfer during the study programme

Where do I apply for pre-commencement and final credit transfer?
You apply for pre-commencement and final credit transfer at www.merit.dtu.dk. This is also where you must submit a new application if your courses change.

When should I apply?
You should always ensure that you submit your credit transfer application well in advance. The processing time for a credit transfer application is up to 8 weeks from the date of submission. If you are going abroad, it is recommended that you apply for pre-approval at the beginning of the semester preceding your stay abroad. You can view deadlines for pre-approval applications under "Study Abroad" in the section "Application deadlines for pre-approvals."

Which courses can I choose?
If you are enrolled in a BEng programme, the courses you wish to have transferred must be at the BEng level minimum, i.e. from an engineering college, a university college, or a university.

If you are enrolled in a BSc programme, the courses you wish to have transferred must be at the university level. However, you as a BSc student may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BEng level as part of the Elective Courses in your BSc programme (valid from 1 September 2020).

If you are enrolled in an MSc programme, the courses you wish to have transferred must be at the MSc level. However, you as an MSc student may have as many as 10 ECTS credits at the BSc level as part of the Elective Courses in your MSc programme.

You cannot get pre-approved to transfer credit above the prescribed total ECTS credits for the study programme. You must always try to plan your study according to the prescribed total ECTS credits for the programme. Also, see student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/Teaching'/'Course registration'/'Rules for choice of courses'.

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

As a BEng and BSc student, you must, as a minimum, pass courses and projects at DTU corresponding to 90 ECTS credits (BEng Arctic Technology and Fisheries Technology minimum 105 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.

As an MSc student, you must, as a minimum , pass courses and projects at DTU corresponding to a minimum of 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 

Courses transferred to the elective group in the Bachelor of Engineering programmes (elective courses) must all be pre-approved by the Head of Studies with regard to their relevance to the programme, the chosen specialization, and any overlap with mandatory courses.

Language and culture courses
Language and culture courses cannot be transferred to the programme, nor 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 in their bachelor's programme
On student.dtu.dk, under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/'Course registration', you can read about the situation where you as a master's student on your BSc or BEng programme , have passed a course that is a general competence course or a technological specialization course in your master's programme, and which course you should choose instead.

Before you leave - apply for pre-approval of credit transfer
Before taking courses at another university in Denmark or abroad, you must ensure that the courses you plan to take can be transferred to your programme at DTU.

It is a requirement that you obtain pre-approval for any planned educational components to be taken at another university or higher education institution—whether in Denmark or abroad—before commencing the course or stay.

You are is responsible for ensuring that the desired courses can be included in the programme's maximum allowed ECTS credits. If you plan with odd credits in relation to DTU's credit structure of 2½, 5, and 10 ECTS, you must ensure to plan with other courses so that the plan works. This can be achieved, for example, by using EuroTeQ courses or project courses.

When searching for courses on a foreign university's website, it is often impossible to find the specific courses offered during the semester you plan to go. You can therefore base your application on the courses offered during the corresponding semester of the previous year. It is quite common for courses at the host university to change. If you have received pre-approval for one or more courses you planned to take at the host university, and those courses subsequently change, you must submit a new application for 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, you consent to DTU requesting the necessary information from the host institution regarding the application if you are unable to procure the documentation yourself.

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

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

After you have been away - apply for final credit transfer
You must apply for final credit for all passed courses and ECTS credits. It is a requirement that all passed ECTS credits must be credited. You, therefore, cannot choose to only apply for credit transfer for some of the passed courses or ECTS credits. Once a course has been passed, final credit must be sought, and the credit is binding to you and cannot be withdrawn. However, according to DTU's specific assessment, fewer ECTS credits may be transferred if this is necessary to ensure the study plan fits within the limit of ECTS credits in the study programme.

Programme elements that have been credit transferred will be recorded on your DTU diploma with the grade 'Passed'. This applies to both pre-commencement credit transfers and credit transfers during the study programme. However, if a programme element from another Danish educational institution assessed on the 7-point grading scale is credited as equivalent to a specific DTU course, the grade from that institution will be recorded.

With your application, you consents to DTU obtaining the necessary information for the application, that you cannot obtain at the host university.

To transfer course credits, the courses must have been passed.

Submission of applications
Applications for pre-approval of credit transfer and final credit transfer are submitted electronically via www.merit.dtu.dk. For other inquiries regarding credit transfer, please send an email to merit@adm.dtu.dk using your student email.

Applications must include the following:

  • Course description
  • Documentation of level
  • Documentation of workload (ECTS/credits)
  • For 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 the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) issues a written decision to the student via email or www.merit.dtu.dk.

The overall processing time for credit transfer applications is approximately 8 weeks from the date the application is received. The processing time may be longer if there is incomplete information or documentation.

Appeal against the decision
If you do not get your application granted, you can appeal the decision via email to merit@adm.dtu.dk.

Studying abroad

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

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

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

You are expected to be full-time students (30 ECTS credits per semester). You must have space in your curriculum to obtain pre-approval and credit transfer of a minimum of 20 ECTS points from your study abroad. If you do not comply with this requirement, you 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.

You must always comply with other study activity requirements and deadlines laid down by DTU, the host university, and other relevant bodies. Information on DTU's study activity requirements and deadlines is available on student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Rules for study activity requirements and deadlines'.

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

You must apply for a pre-approved credit transfer for planned programme elements from another institution of higher education in Denmark or abroad before the course/stay is commenced, unless it involves language courses and/or summer school stays. For further information, see the chapter about Credit transfers under the study programme.

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

Who can apply for transfer to an MSc programme (transitional semester)?
If you only need to complete 25 ECTS credits or fewer in your BEng/BSc programme at DTU, you can apply to take MSc courses worth up to 30 ECTS credits. It is a prerequisite that you 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, once you have completed your BEng/BSc programme. You cannot be granted an exemption to take more than a total of 30 ECTS credits, regardless of the number of semesters you follow in the transitional semester. 

Which courses can I take as part of the transitional semester?
The desired MSc courses can be project courses. In that case, you must specify in your application the department that delivers the special course and the number of ECTS credits that the individual special course constitutes.

While you are in a transitional semester
You must take courses or the final project as part of your BEng or BSc programme concurrently with the courses in the transitional semester forming part of the future MSc programme. However, this rule can be waived in special study-related circumstances. Even though you are in a transitional semester, you must comply with the maximum period of study that applies to your BEng or BS programme. Transfer to the MSc programme must therefore not cause an extension of the study period beyond the maximum duration of the programme.

How do you apply for a transitional semester at DTU?
You must file your application via a digital form found at student.dtu.dk under ‘Study rules’ / ‘Transferring to an MSc programme’. The application must be completed and sent from your student email to kandidatopt@adm.dtu.dk. The decision regarding the application will be sent to your student email.

When processing the application, DTU emphasises whether you are 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 period in Autumn: 20 September  
  • 3-week period in January: 1 November (only relevant if you are applying for 3-week courses in January during your transition semester)
  • 13- week period in Spring: 20 February  
  • 3-week periods in June, July, and August: 1 May (only relevant if you are applying for 3-week courses in June, July and August during your transition semester)

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

If you have already had a transition semester approved with a 13-week course, but later wish to add a 3-week course or a new course in the same semester, you must: 

  • Complete a new application form with the additional courses included and send it to the Study Administration at overgangssemester@dtu.dk. 
  • Follow the regular course registration and withdrawal deadlines (you can find these at student.dtu.dk under Course registration and withdrawal deadlines). 

Can I apply after the deadline?
In special cases, the application deadline may be waived if grades are not reported or are reported late, or if the qualifying programme has not been passed before the application deadline.

If you have taken MSc courses concurrently with completing your BSc/BEng programme, you must still comply with the study activity requirement of the MSc programme you become enrolled in. The number of credit transferred ECTS credits from your transitional semester will not be counted when DTU checks for study activity.

Your maximum study duration on your future MSC programme will be reduced by one semester for each 30 ECTS credits of MSc courses passed under the transitional procedure.

How do you enrol for and withdraw from courses under a transitional procedure?
Course registration under the transitional procedure must be done via the digital application form, which you send when you apply for a transitional semester. If you wish to change your course during the transitional semester or withdraw from courses, you must send a new, updated application form to the Study Administration via your student email at overgangssemester@dtu.dk. 

How do I apply for admission to a master's programme after the transitional procedure?
You must apply for admission to the master's programme with the application deadline when you are about to complete the BEng or BSc programme. Please note that the application deadline may be several months before your graduation. See more about applying for the master's programmes at dtu.dk under 'How to apply for MSc programmes'. 

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

If you choose a different MSc study programme than the one originally planned, only the passed MSc courses that are mandatory for the new study programme will be transferred. You can always request that passed electives be 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 you, cf. the rules on binding courses. That also applies to elective courses if you apply for admission to the same MSc programme that you chose during the transitional procedure. Find more information on student.dtu.dk under 'Study Rules'/'Teaching'/ 'Binding Courses'. Thus, any courses not passed will be transferred from the BEng/BSc programme when you are admitted to the MSc programme.

If you apply to do a different MSc study programme than the one originally planned, your binding registration for a failed course will be cancelled, unless the course is mandatory in the new study programme.

SU on completion of the 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 at the midpoint 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, you will no longer be entitled to receive SU or a completion loan, as you are no longer enrolled in a study programme, even though you are still following courses in the semester in which the transfer of courses concerns.

Early start of studies at the MSc programme
Once you have passed your qualifying degree to the MSc programme (and passed any supplementary courses), you may apply for an early start of studies. 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.

It is a condition for early study start that you have completed the qualifying degree.

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. The possibility of an early start of studies is also evident in your admission letter.

Information about the possibility of receiving the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU) for early start of studies can be found on student.dtu.dk under 'SU (State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)'.

How can I register for courses as part of an early start of studies?
When it is approved, you can start your studies early, you will receive an approval in your email. Shortly after approval, you will receive your student number, which means you are now registered as a student at DTU. You must send an email to the Study Administration at studadm@adm.dtu.dk containing the following to be registered for courses for early start of studies:

  • Your name and student number
  • Course number and course title of the course(s) you have specified in your application for early start of studies (course number and title can be found at www.kurser.dtu.dk) 

You cannot register for the course(s) yourself.

Leave of absence

If, as a student, you wish to apply for a leave of absence, there are three different types of leave available. You can apply for leave multiple times during your study period.

  1. Right to leave of absence (maternity/paternity leave, adoption and military service)
  2. Leave of absence for special reasons (e.g., personal illness or illness of a close relative)
  3. Leave of absence without reason

When do I have the right to leave of absence (maternity/paternity leave, adoption, and military service)?
You have the right to be granted leave from your studies for up to one continuous year per leave period, provided you submit the necessary documentation showing you are taking maternity leave, have adopted a child, or are required to perform military service.

More information about options for you who become a parent during your studies can be found on student.dtu.dk under 'Study Rules/Maternity/paternity leave during education'.

When can I apply for leave of absence due to special reasons (e.g., personal illness or illness of a close relative)?
You can apply for leave of absence due to special reasons in the following circumstances:

  • Personal, long-term illness, including mental illness
    Documentation may include a medical certificate or other medical documentation indicating that you are unable to study due to illness. The documentation must specify when you are or are expected to be ill.
  • Illness of a close relative
    That could involve caring for or supporting a close relative who is disabled, seriously ill, or dying. Close relatives are typically parents, grandparents, children, and spouses/partners. Other individuals may also be considered close relatives if you explain why they should be considered close relatives and provide medical documentation proving the person is seriously ill.
  • Elite athletes
    Learn more about being a student and an elite athlete on student.dtu.dk under 'Help and guidance/Study guidance/Elite sports'.
  • Other special circumstances
    Other circumstances that prevent you from actively studying. These circumstances must not be self-imposed, and the special circumstances must be documented.

Deadlines related to the programme, including the first-year exam and the maximum study time, are extended by the leave period, calculated in whole semesters.

Can I extend my leave of absence beyond one year?
If you wish to extend an ongoing leave period beyond one year for the same reason, you must apply for an exemption to extend the leave period via www.dispensation.dtu.dk. Extensions of leave can only be granted with a special justification. Read more about submitting an exemption application on student.dtu.dk under 'Study Rules'/'Leave of absence'.

Can I be granted a leave of absence without reason?
As a Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Engineering student, you can apply for leave of absence without providing a reason once you have completed at least 60 ECTS credits. For Bachelor of Engineering programmes, these 60 ECTS credits must constitute the first year of study as per the curriculum. As a Bachelor of Science in Engineering student, the 60 ECTS credits must be earned from mandatory courses (elective courses do not count).

As a Master’s student, you can apply for leave once you have completed 30 ECTS credits from mandatory courses (elective courses do not count).

Leave can be granted for up to one semester. The leave period cannot be extended.

You should be aware that if a leave of absence is granted without a specific reason, deadlines such as the maximum duration of study and the first-year exam are not postponed.

The study activity requirement of 5 ECTS credits is postponed by the duration of the leave of absence.

Can I be granted a leave of absence if I am doing my project?
If you need to apply for a leave of absence, but you are in the middle of your final project (Bachelor project for BEng students, Bachelor project for BSc students or Master's thesis), you must include a statement from your main supervisor on the project with your leave application. The statement is strictly an academic assessment, indicating whether the project can withstand a postponement of the submission deadline corresponding to the leave period. If the project, based on an academic evaluation, cannot withstand a postponement, that means the project cannot be extended during the leave period, and you have used an exam attempt unless you can provide documentation of illness, in which case you receive the registration 'SYG' (ill). Read more about this registration at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Exam/Assessment forms and grading'. 

The relevant curriculum describes the opportunities you have to apply for an extension of the final project submission deadline, e.g., in the case of illness. See student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Rules for final projects'.

How do I apply for leave of absence?
You must send your leave application along with documentation to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs at studadm@adm.dtu.dk from your student email. The application form can be found on student.dtu.dk under "Study Rules"/"Leave of absence".

The application must be submitted no later than three weeks into the leave period you are applying for. A leave period may fall in the middle of a semester. Leave of absence cannot be granted retroactively beyond three weeks.

What consequences does my leave of absence have on my study?
All study activities must stop during the period of leave. That includes participation in courses, exams and the submission of assignments/projects. You will not receive monthly grants (SU) during your 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 student.dtu.dk under 'Help and guidance/The SU Office.

You 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.

You may only exercise your voting rights and retain your 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, you must stay updated on study announcements posted by DTU.

Can I terminate my leave of absence prematurely?
If you want to return to your studies before the end of your leave of absence, you must write to the Study Information at studadm@adm.dtu.dk from your student mail. 

Deadlines that have been postponed (first-year exam and maximum duration of study time) are not adjusted unless you terminate the leave early by a full semester. In that case, the postponement of deadlines will be revised accordingly.

Can I be granted leave of absence if I am in conflict with DTU's rules of study?
If you submit an exemption application due to conflict with DTU's rules of study before your leave of absence, you may withdraw the application if a final exemption decision has not been made yet. Once an exemption decision has been made, this decision will be binding and cannot be annulled.

Special rules for non-EU-EEA students with a residence permit in Denmark
If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen waiver student and have a Danish student residence permit, you should be aware that your residence permit may be revoked by the Danish immigration authorities (SIRI), even if DTU grants a leave of absence. According to the law, DTU must inform SIRI when this group of students get a leave of absence from the university. Revocation of your residence permit by SIRI means that you have to leave Denmark immediately. When you are ready to resume your studies, you must apply for a new Danish student residence permit from your home country.

Bachelor of Science in Engineering students can get more information on this by writing to optagelse@adm.dtu.dk. Master students can get more information by writing to mscadmissions@adm.dtu.dk

Maternity/paternity leave during education

You are not required to notify DTU when you become a parent during your studies. However, you must be aware that rules, deadlines, and study activity requirements for the study must continue to be complied with.

Generally, you cannot get maternity/paternity leave while being a higher-education student, as you know it from the labour market. Instead, you have the following options:

  1. Postponement of deadlines (maternity/paternity leave with State Educational Frant and Loan Scheme)
  2. Leave of absence (maternity/paternity leave without State Educational Frant and Loan Scheme)

Postponement of deadlines (maternity/paternity leave with State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)
If you become a parent or adopt a child while enrolled in a higher education programme at DTU, you may have the following deadlines postponed:

  • maximum duration of the study
  • the study activity requirement of 5 ECTS credits annually
  • a possible first-year exam

To get deadlines postponed, you must fill out and submit a form along with documentation of the child's birth (birth certificate) to the Study Administration by writing to studadm@adm.dtu.dk before the child turns one year old. The postponement of deadlines applies from the child's birth date.

The same rules apply to the parent giving birth and the co-parent. Both can have the deadlines mentioned above extended by one year.

When you are granted a postponement of deadlines, you can be study inactive for a year or choose to take one or more courses and/or exams during the maternity/paternity leave.

When you are granted a postponement of deadlines, you will be informed of the new deadlines via an email sent to your student email.

The above rules also apply to the Industry Master's programme.

DTU’s postponement of your deadlines does not affect the Danish Education Support Agency's decision regarding allocating SU parental supplements in connection with maternity/paternity leave. You must, therefore, investigate the conditions themselves, including how many SU instalments/parental supplements you can receive. Information about parental support can be found at www.su.dk.

Leave of absence (maternity/paternity leave without State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)
If you become a parent or adopt a child while enrolled in a higher education programme at DTU, you can apply for up to one year's leave of absence on those grounds.

If you apply for a leave of absence, you cannot participate in lectures, exams, or activities/guidance related to final projects.

If you are on leave of absence, you cannot receive the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme or SU parental supplements.

If you wish to apply for a leave of absence, you can read more about how to apply, the consequences, and find the application form on student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules/Leave of absence'.

SU (State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)

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 student.dtu.dk under ‘SU (State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme)’.

You 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 if you are granted an exemption from DTU’s study-related rules, you 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, you may risk losing your SU despite any decisions made by DTU.

Withdrawal from study programmes

If you wish to withdraw from your study programme at DTU, you must fill out a withdrawal form at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules’/‘Withdrawal from study programmes’. You must send the filled-out form from your DTU student mail (sxxxxxx@dtu.dk) to the Study Administration at studadm@adm.dtu.dk.

Once you have sent you withdrawal form, the withdrawal cannot be cancelled.

You may not be enrolled in more than one full-time education at a time. If you are admitted to another full-time programme outside DTU, you must actively withdraw from your studies at DTU. That does not happen automatically. You need to withdraw at the latest when the new programme starts.

If you are considering applying for admission to DTU later on, read more about the admission rules on dtu.dk.

If you need a break and do not want to withdraw from your study programme, you can temporarily interrupt your studies by applying for a leave of absence if it is justified in special documented circumstances. Read more about leave of absence at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Leave of absence'.

If you are newly admitted to DTU and wish to withdraw from the programme in the first semester and before 30 September (summer start) and 28 February (winter start), you must withdraw by contacting the admission office:

If you have questions or need guidance before withdrawing from your studies, you can always contact DTU Study Guidance.

Special rules for non-EU/EEA students with a residence permit in Denmark
If you are a non-EU/EEA fee-paying OR waiver student and have a Danish student residence permit, you should be aware that your 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 your residence permit by SIRI means that you have to leave Denmark immediately.

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

Rules and regulations chapter 5

Rules and regulations chapter 6

Guest Students

BEng, BSc, or MSc students from another institution of higher education 
You can take courses as guest students at DTU if you are enrolled as a full-time student in another higher education programme. To be enrolled as a guest student, your educational institution must pre-approve that you can transfer the DTU courses to the programme on which you are currently enrolled.

For guest students from other Danish educations institutions, DTU must receive the pre-approval no later than 14 days before the semester starts.

DTU’s courses can be found on DTU’s website at www.kurser.dtu.dk.

The following special rules apply to guest students:

Admission requirements
Guest students must comply with the general admission requirements for the engineering programmes.

If you want to take BSc courses, you need to have completed your high school diploma or equivalent (see entry requirements at dtu.dk). If you want to take MSc courses, you need to have completed your qualifying education (BSc or BEng degree).

If you have a foreign exam you do not have to pass a Danish language test to be admitted.

Registration for courses
Guest students from another Danish institution of higher education register for courses electronically on DTU’s website, where you can also see the deadlines for registration.

Guest students from non-Danish Universities (exchange students) must register for courses according to the same deadlines for course registration as DTU's full-degree students. Foreign guest students are only admitted through exchange agreements, and course registration is done via the Study Planner.

Guest students from non-Danish Universities register for courses via ‘Studieplanlæggeren’.

Price
Participation in courses and exams is free of charge for guest students.

Courses
Most courses are open to guest students. As a guest student, you will be enrolled in courses by the Study Administration. 

Drawing lots
In any drawing of lots for places on a course with a limited number of participants, full-time students who register within the registration deadline will be allocated a place before any guest students.

Exams
You can only take an exam if you are enrolled in the preceding class. Course registrations are transferred as exam registrations approximately 14 days before the deadline for registration for the exam. If you fail an exam, you have the same rights to take re-exams and make-up exams as full-time students (see student.dtu.dk under ‘Exam’). You register for re-exams by contacting the Study administration via email at studadm@adm.dtu.dk in the following periods:

  • 15 October-1 November for participation in re-exams in December
  • 1-15 April for participation in re-exams in May

Rules and regulations chapter 7

Part-time Programmes and single courses

Rules for students at DTU's continuing education or single courses
The same rules apply to you in continuing education as for the other students at DTU unless special rules are set for the individual continuing education. Examples of rules common to all programmes at DTU are the rules on complaints about the exam, the rules on cheating at the exam and other assessments, and disciplinary measures towards students.

When you take continuing education, a course, module, or other at DTU, you are responsible for keeping yourself informed about the rules that apply to your education or subject. The laws and regulations and the rules laid down by DTU that regulate the continuing education to which you are admitted can be found in the curriculum for each programme. The curriculum consists partly of some general rules for the same type of continuing education (diploma or master's degree programme) and partly of a catalogue which describes which subject elements the programme contains and how the exam in each subject should be conducted.

Curricula for the master's programmes can be found under the individual programmes at student.dtu.dk under "Programme specifications".

Curricula for the diploma programmes can be found under the individual programmes at www.lifelonglearning.dtu.dk.

You can keep updated with DTU's rules via student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'.

If, as a student in continuing education, you need help or guidance with DTU's rules, you can write to DTU Learn for Life at learnforlife@dtu.dk or call +45 4525 4525.

Rules for DTU's master's programmes

DTU's master's programmes are qualifying programmes at the graduate level.

Admission requirements
Applicants must have a relevant technical or scientific qualifying examination and two years of relevant work experience. DTU's Executive MBA/MMT requires a background as a bachelor and five years of relevant work experience. There may be different admission requirements depending on the education you want to enrol in. That will be evident from the curriculum of each education.

Danish and/or English skills may be required for admission to one of DTU's master's programmes. This will be evident from the curriculum of each education.

Applicants from a non-EU/EEA country must have a permanent residence permit to apply for part-time education in Denmark. For further information, see https://www.nyidanmark.dk.

Registration and prices
Registration for DTU's master's programmes may vary and can be found on the website for the programme concerned. See DTU's homepage.

Courses/modules
In the master's programme, a minimum of 45 ECTS points of the courses must be taken at the graduate level. You can take one 5 ECTS-point course at the bachelor level.

Exam
Rules for exams can be found on DTU 's website or student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules' 'Exam'.

To take the exam, you must be registered for the course in question and have paid for the tuition. When you enrol in a course, you also register for the first exam in the course. It is possible to deregister from the exam within set deadlines. Subsequent examinations, if any, must be registered yourself.

You have up to three exam attempts to pass a course. The participation fee covers these three exam attempts.

If you do not pass an exam by the third exam attempt, you may apply for an exemption for a fourth exam attempt. It is free of charge to apply. You first have to pay for the extra exam attempt if an exemption is granted. You can find information on the rules for exemption at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Exemption'.

Unsubscribing 
If you wish to unsubscribe from a course, you must do so before the start of the course since enrollment in the course is then binding, and participant payment is, therefore, not refundable. Contact DTU Learn for Life to register for a course at learnforlife@dtu.dk or phone (+45) 4525 4525.

Credit transfer 
You can get credit for courses or previously passed exams at DTU or other educational institutions. A maximum of 15 ECTS credits can be transferred to a master's programme. A master's project from a completed master's degree programme cannot be credited to a new master's degree programme. 

Credit transfer is applied for with enrollment in the Master's programme.

Rules for single courses at DTU
Vacancies on most of DTU's ordinary courses for undergraduate and graduate students are offered as single courses. An overview of DTU's individual courses can be found in DTU 's Course Catalog. 

Find more information on single-course students at DTU's homepage here. 

Admission requirements
The general admission requirements for the engineering programmes at DTU must be met for admission to a single course.

There are no special Danish or English skills requirements for admission to individual courses. However, if a student impedes teaching because of a lack of language skills, the teacher may expel the student.

If you are from a country outside the EU/EEA, you must have a permanent residence permit in Denmark to apply for admission to a single course. For further information, see https://www.nyidanmark.dk.

You cannot follow teaching or participate in exams on an individual course if:

  • you do not meet the admission requirements, cf. the above
  • you have not paid for the course
  • DTU's full-time students take the course, and there are no seats available
  • you are enrolled in an ordinary full-time programme at DTU, and the course you want to follow is part of your full-time programme
  • you have an earlier stage used your three examination attempts in the specific course and cannot present documentation that you have been granted an exemption for an extra exam attempt.

Enrollment
To register for a single course, fill out an application form.

Regarding draws on courses with participant restriction, timely enrolled full-time students are prioritized before students in single courses and part-time education. Participation can vary depending on whether you are from an EU/EEA country or not.

Registration is possible up to and including the 2nd course.

Exam
To take the exam, you must be registered for the single course and have paid for the tuition. You also register for the first exam when enrolling in a single course. It is possible to unsubscribe from the exam within set deadlines. Subsequent examinations, if any, must be registered yourself. You have up to three exam attempts to pass a single course. The participation fee covers these three exam attempts, and the single course must be passed within two years.

If you do not pass an exam by the third exam attempt, you may apply for an exemption for a fourth exam attempt. It is free of charge to apply. If an exemption is granted, you must first pay for the extra exam attempt. You can find information on the rules for exemption at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Exemption'.

Read more about registering for the exam on DTU's website here.

DTU's exam rules can be found on DTU 's website or student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Exam'.

Unsubscribing
To unsubscribe from single courses, contact DTU Learn for Life at learnforlife@dtu.dk or phone (+45) 4525 4525.

Payment terms: https://lifelonglearning.dtu.dk/en/terms-and-conditions/ 

Rules for DTU's diploma programmes

To be admitted to a diploma programme, you must meet the following two admission requirements:

  • Have completed a relevant qualifying education at least at the level of an academy profession programme or a relevant higher education (VVU), and 
  • Have completed at least two years of relevant work experience after completing the qualifying education

Real competence assessment
If you do not meet the formal admission requirements for the diploma programme or a module but have extensive experience and competencies that can be compared, DTU offers a real competence assessment. This means that you can apply for an assessment of whether your competencies can be equated with the qualifying level.

You can also apply for a real competence assessment to obtain a certificate of competence for individual modules or an entire education.

Read more about real competence assessment on DTU's website here (only in Danish).

Exam 
To take the exam, you must be registered for the module in question and have paid for the tuition. By registering for a module, you also register for the first exam. It is possible to unsubscribe from the exam within set deadlines. You must register for the subsequent exam attempts yourself. 

You have up to three exam attempts to pass a module. The participation fee covers three exam attempts.

Read more about the formal requirements for exams in the Examination Order. 

Re-exams
The payment for a module entitles you to attend the subsequent examination without further payment. If you have paid for a module and you do not pass this test, you are thus entitled, without extra payment, to participate in the corresponding exam in the following semester.

The participation fee entitles you to a total of 3 exam attempts. However, the three exam attempts are only included in the participation fee if they are used within one year (two normal examination deadlines) after completion of the module.

If you do not pass an exam by the third exam attempt, you may apply for an exemption for a fourth exam attempt. It is free of charge to apply. You first have to pay for the extra exam attempt if an exemption is granted. You can find information on the rules for exemption at student.dtu.dk under 'Study rules'/'Exemption'.

The desire to take individual diploma modules instead of an entire degree programme
When you enrol in a module, you are not bound to the rest of the programme. You only sign up for the module(s) you wish to attend each semester/half year. As a starting point, you pay per module, and payment is binding. There is no compulsory attendance in the education. 

Enrollment is possible up to and including the 2nd session on the teams that have been created, as long as there are places available.

For each module, you will receive a module certificate after passing the examination.

It is possible to apply for grants for continuing education through different funds. Contact DTU Learn for Life to learn about these opportunities. 

Deregistration
You can withdraw from a course by contacting DTU Learn for Life at learnforlife@dtu.dk or by phone +45 4525 4525.

Payment terms: https://lifelonglearning.dtu.dk/en/terms-and-conditions/ 

Rules and regulations chapter 8

Disciplinary measures

DTU has laid down rules on disciplinary measures. These rules are established for BSc, MSc and master's students in accordance with section 14, subsection 9 of the University Act and for diploma students, they are laid down in accordance with section 32 of the Executive Order on the Act on Open Education (open education system) for adults. For BEng students, the rules are laid down in accordance with institutional conditions.

DTU's disciplinary rules apply to all students, including continuing education students, guest students and students at DTU's part time programmes and 'DTU Adgangskursus'. The rules also apply to PhD students who violate the exam rules (cheating at exam/plagiarism) in master's or PhD courses. See sections 7 and 8 below. 

You must comply with the rules and other regulations governing students’ conduct and behaviour at DTU. Violation of the rules will have consequences ranging from a reprimand to permanent expulsion from the DTU programme, depending on the nature of the violation.

You must behave in a considerate and orderly fashion during your studies to ensure the smooth running of the University’s activities. You thus must consider the needs of other students and staff, as well as the University’s property, buildings, and belongings, when you are on the University’s premises. That means, for instance, that noisy behaviour, eating, drinking, smoking, etc., is prohibited if it causes inconvenience to others in any way. You must observe the rules for good behaviour and safety regulations posted on signs, notice boards, etc., in laboratories, libraries, classrooms, exam rooms, conference rooms, corridors, canteens, and the surrounding areas.

Specifically, the following is prohibited at DTU: 

a) Offensive behaviour, cf. DTU Guidelines regarding harassment
b) Smoking indoors or in the immediate vicinity of the buildings at DTU
c) The use of psychedelic drugs, including other drugs which may have psychedelic effects such as nitrous oxide ('laughing gas')
d) Alcohol consumption during lectures and exams
e) Staying overnight at DTU

You must follow instructions and directives from university staff, including security guards who perform tasks for DTU regarding compliance with the above rules and regulations for conduct and behaviour at DTU. Upon request from university staff and the aforementioned security guards, you are also required to identify yourself and present a valid student card.

Any violation of criminal law, the law of illegal substances, and other legislation committed by students in connection with activities at DTU is reported to Ulrik Bak Nielsen, director for Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) (ulban@dtu.dk), who will decide whether to report the case to the police. In addition to the police's processing, violations of legislation will also be handled as a disciplinary case.

Procedure in the event of violations of the disciplinary rules
If suspicion occurs regarding breaches of the disciplinary rules, it must be reported to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via AUS-Sekretariat@dtu.dk.

Cases involving a violation of the exam rules must be reported to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via www.eksamenssnyd.dtu.dk. Find more information at student.dtu.dk on ‘Study rules'/Exam'/'Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment’.

The Office will obtain a statement from the student and maybe other parties on the matter and then decide on the case. 

Complaint guidance
You can submit a complaint about the disciplinary decision to the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education if the complaint concerns legal issues. Legal issues can include, for example, non-compliance with the education regulations applicable to the programme and whether other legislation (such as the Administrative Act) and general administrative law principles have been followed. The agency does not handle academic issues, as universities have academic autonomy. The complaint must be filed within two weeks of the announcement of the decision. The complaint must be sent, cf. the complaint instructions given in the decision, to AUS-Sekretariat@dtu.dk.

When DTU receives a complaint about a decision, a reassessment of the decision is carried out based on the information you have provided in the complaint. In this connection, DTU may decide to reopen the case if the complaint contains information of significant importance to the case or if significant case handling errors occurred in the original processing of the case. 

If DTU chooses to uphold the original decision, DTU will prepare a statement about the decision and the complaint. The statement will be sent to you, and you will be given the opportunity to comment on it. Finally, the entire case will be sent to the agency for consideration. The agency's case processing time is approximately six months from the time DTU sends the complaint to the agency. 

A complaint to the agency does not have a suspensive effect on the sanction you have received. Therefore, a possible expulsion will still apply.

Cases involving a minor violation 
Cases involving a minor violation of the disciplinary measures (except cases of violation of exam rules) are generally handled by the manager/lecturer responsible for the relevant room or activity, i.e. the lecturer in connection with teaching-related problems, the departmental management in connection with problems with department rooms, or a supervisor in connection with special activities, for example in data bars and workshops.

The manager/lecturer may invite you to an interview to discuss the case and issue an oral warning against repeating the violation. The manager/lecturer does not have the authority to sanction you in any other way than the two options mentioned above. The manager/lecturer must ensure that the provisions set out in the Danish Public Administration Act are observed, including that you are given the opportunity to make a statement before an oral warning is given.

If the manager/lecturer deems the violation warrants more severe sanctions than an oral warning, or if you fail to change the behaviour that led to the oral warning, the case will be reported to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via aus-sekretariat@dtu.dk.

If the violation concerns exam cheating, the rules relating to 'Cheating at exams and other forms of assessment' should be followed.

Disciplinary measures
The following sanctions may be imposed if DTU’s rules are violated:

  1. Reprimand
  2. Issuing an oral or a written warning
  3. Expulsion from courses, workshops, etc. for a maximum of one semester
  4. Expulsion from the exam
  5. Temporary or permanent expulsion from the University.

The above sanctions may be combined. The sanction depends on the severity of the breach, prior violations, the risk of reoccurrence, the need to ensure the smooth running of the University’s activities and to maintain respect for the work done at the University and whether the University’s interests can be sufficiently safeguarded if a less serious sanction is imposed. In milder cases, the sanction is most often a reprimand or a written warning, and in more severe cases or in the event of repeated violations of the disciplinary rules, you will also be expelled temporarily or permanently.

1. A reprimand is the mildest reaction in a disciplinary case, and it is not considered an actual sanction but an underlining of applicable rules. In cases of violation of the examination rules, a reprimand can be regarded as a pedagogical reprimand. The reprimand can also instruct you on how you should act in a similar situation in the future. In the event of a subsequent disciplinary case, it may be emphasized that the person in question has previously been made separately aware of the rules and the importance of compliance with them. 

2. A warning is a reminder of the rules that apply in the area and a request not to repeat the violation. A warning means that a future breach of the rules will be considered a repeat offense. Repetition is an aggravating factor, which can lead to more serious consequences/sanctions for you.

3. Expulsion from a course, workshop, etc. for a semester is a sanction that can only be applied by the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs if you have previously received one or more verbal or written warnings due to your behaviuor in that particular course, workshop, etc. Reference is made to the instructor’s option for immediate expulsion from a course, etc. See student.dtu.dk under ‘Academic prerequisites for course participation’. The lecturer can also immediately expel you due to your behaviour or disruptive behaviour according to the disciplinary rules.

4. Expulsion from an exam can happen during or after the exam, and the sanction is only applied in cases of breaking the exam rules (cheating). Being expelled from an exam means that you use an exam attempt, and your exam performance will not be assessed. If a grade has already been given, it will be cancelled. The sanction applies to the entire course, including all sub-exams in the course. In exceptional cases, only individual sub-exams in a course may be cancelled. In the latter case, the course responsible can decide to give you the chance to retake the sub-exam within the same course period so that you can continue with the course. You can take the reexam for the course in accordance with DTU’s usual reexam rules. However, you lose the right to a fast reexam under the rules for fast reexams for the final education component of the programme.

5. Expulsion from the University may be exercised in the event of gross or repeated violation of the rules and norms above, and if the University deems it necessary to impose this serious sanction to ensure the smooth running of the University or to ensure continued confidence on the part of the outside world in the University. Expulsion from DTU means that you are withdrawn from the study programme and are excluded from all participation in courses and exams. Expelled students are not entitled to have any tuition fees reimbursed for the period of expulsion. If you are expelled for a limited period, you are automatically readmitted at the end of the expulsion period. 

If a PhD student is expelled, the expulsion will always be permanent, and enrollment at DTU will cease. Employment will automatically cease if the PhD student is employed at DTU.  

DTU’s IT security rules for students

The following rules apply to all DTU students, including continuing education students and students at DTU Adgangskursus.

Purpose of the guidelines for the use of IT by DTU students
DTU has established these Guidelines for the Use of IT by DTU Students to define the framework for maintaining good cyber and information security at DTU.

The Guidelines for the Use of IT by DTU Students are intended to ensure that:

  • DTU’s systems are only used by DTU students for study-related purposes
  • The use and copying of software and data is carried out in a lawful manner
  • Unauthorised persons do not gain unauthorised access to DTU’s systems and data
  • Data is protected against accidental sharing, deletion or modification
  • DTU students’ use of DTU’s systems is carried out in a manner that minimises operational disruptions and avoids unnecessary resource consumption.

Who is covered by the guidelines?
These guidelines apply to you as a student at DTU when you use DTU’s systems, including DTU’s network, regardless of whether you are on DTU premises or accessing DTU’s systems remotely. The guidelines also apply to you if you are a recipient of DTU data made available to you in connection with your study activities.

As a user of DTU’s systems, you are required to keep yourself continuously informed about the applicable rules. There will often be supplementary and more detailed instructions for specific systems or types of information and data you use. These general guidelines may not be deviated from in specific instructions.

Authentication and passwords
Your IT identity, including your username and password, is strictly personal and may only be used by you, i.e. the specific person to whom it has been issued. You must not share information relating to your IT identity, especially your password, with others, or store/keep such information in a way that allows others to access or use it.

DTU does not permit the use of the same password across systems and imposes requirements on password length, complexity, and change frequency. You must also not enter your username and password anywhere other than DTU’s official systems.

If you suspect that passwords, access cards, or other means of access have been compromised, you must immediately attempt to prevent misuse, for example, by changing your password or having access disabled. DTU’s IT Department must always be contacted as soon as possible via the DTU Service Portal.

Copying and protection of data and software
DTU has paid licences for the systems made available to all DTU students. The software must not be used in a manner that violates the licence terms. Licence terms vary between different software packages. The specific rules can be obtained by contacting support for the relevant system/function. They will, where possible, be stated on the website from which the software is downloaded.

If a licence is made available to you, it is for personal use only. Software covered by such a licence must not be copied or installed on equipment other than your personal equipment. Consequently, you must not copy software installed in the computer rooms, student laboratories, etc., for which DTU has an institutional licence. This also applies even if it is technically possible to copy the software without circumventing DTU’s security measures. Software may only be copied if this is specifically stated to be permitted or after obtaining approval from support for the relevant system/function.

DTU data, including research data, or data regarded as the private property of others or as personal data, must not be accessed, copied or otherwise used, including in AI tools, without prior permission or an agreement with the data owner or data controller and, in the case of personal data, unless the processing is carried out in accordance with data protection legislation and DTU’s guidelines. Without a prior agreement with the data owner, it is not permitted to attempt to gain access to such data, even if access can technically be obtained without circumventing DTU’s security measures.

Permitted and prohibited purposes for the use of DTU data or systems
All of DTU’s IT resources, including PCs, servers, licences, printers, disk space, network traffic, external services, etc., may only be used for study-related purposes.

You must not use DTU’s data and systems in a manner that may damage DTU’s reputation. Nor may you publish material on DTU’s systems that may be defamatory or generally offensive.

Most of DTU’s systems may be used lawfully only for research and teaching, which means that other forms of use would constitute a violation of the software licence.

Your use of DTU’s systems must comply with applicable legislation, including copyright law.

As a student, you automatically hold the copyright to software that you develop yourself. When you use compilers, code or material from others in your software, these may be subject to terms and conditions, and you must be aware that this may affect how your software can subsequently be used. If you participate in one of DTU’s research projects, you will often be asked to assign your copyright to the software so that DTU can comply with its agreements with the other participants in the project.

DTU’s networks and servers may only be used to share copyright-protected material when you have obtained permission to do so, either from the rights holder or through a licence, so that the material is not shared in a manner that infringes copyright.

In the context of copyright law, sharing also includes uploading material to AI chatbots, such as Microsoft CoPilot (including when using DTU Login).

If projects involve personal data, it must be processed in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and DTU’s guidelines. Personal data may only be collected and processed for legitimate purposes and only to the extent necessary. The information must be stored and shared securely and must not be used in systems or services that DTU has not approved for the purpose. Personal data must not be entered into AI tools or other external services unless this has been approved in accordance with the university’s guidelines.

Use of DTU’s systems
You must not unnecessarily burden DTU’s systems, for example, through higher-than-expected data storage consumption, use of computing resources or network traffic, without a prior agreement with the provider of the relevant system or function.

You are allocated a data storage quota for personal drives, which must not be exceeded. You cannot transfer an unused quota to other users. DTU backs up user files on certain systems. Still, in principle, you are solely responsible for ensuring that the necessary backup of your data is carried out.

Use of IT equipment
You are not permitted to disconnect or disable any installed security software (antivirus software, etc.) on DTU equipment and systems that you use.

DTU’s IT equipment is the property of DTU and must always be returned to DTU when you no longer need to use it.

Your own equipment must maintain a high level of cybersecurity to be used at DTU, for example, with regard to software updates. Your equipment may be subject to DTU’s security checks, and security requirements may be imposed on your equipment before access to specific systems or data can be granted.

DTU’s use of your data registered in DTU’s systems
As part of the normal operation of DTU’s IT systems, you should be aware that a range of information is collected that can identify you, your behaviour and your activities in DTU’s systems. DTU collects this information to document the accuracy of information in the systems and to identify functional or security vulnerabilities in the IT systems. DTU will not use the information for purposes that are incompatible with those described above. Information will only be disclosed to relevant authorities upon request or in connection with an investigation, in accordance with Danish law. Information collected by DTU will only be used and disclosed in anonymised (statistical) form, unless it concerns investigations of misuse.

DTU reserves the right to examine the content of data and software in user areas, such as personal drives, in connection with operational disruptions and in cases of suspected illegal activity or breaches of the rules.

Reporting information security incidents
You must immediately notify DTU’s IT Department (the Service Portal) if you have reason to believe that information or systems have been compromised and may be accessed by unauthorised persons. Likewise, if you discover that you have access to systems or information that you are not authorised to access, or that are not necessary for study-related activities, you must immediately notify your teachers or DTU’s IT Department. DTU encourages everyone to report observations relevant to cyber and information security at DTU, such as receiving suspicious emails.

Where can you get help?
Questions concerning the use of IT or IT-related problems can be directed to DTU’s IT Department via the Service Portal. It is also possible to receive assistance in person at DTU Library on Lyngby Campus.

Procedure in the event of a breach of these guidelines
If a breach of these guidelines or the rules governing the handling of personal data is suspected, it must be reported to the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs via AUS-Sekretariat@dtu.dk.

Violations may result in sanctions (see Study Rules/Disciplinary measures against students on student.dtu.dk).

Following consultation with you and, where relevant, the involvement of other relevant parties, the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs will decide the case in accordance with DTU’s disciplinary rules. You may appeal the decision to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. The deadline for submitting an appeal is two weeks from the date on which the decision was communicated to you.

Updated 21 januar 2026