Cancellation of binding courses for Bachelor of Engineering students

We recommend that you also read the rules on binding courses on DTU Inside under Study Rules > Teaching > Binding courses. This page outlines various situations where you may be released from a course, such as if the course is no longer offered or is at the master's level.

Cancellation of binding courses for Bachelor of Engineering students, where the courses are part of your study programme’s mandatory study plan
When you are enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering programme at DTU, you must pass all the courses listed in your study plan as per your programme specification. You can find your programme specification at www.studieinformation.dtu.dk.

Only in very exceptional cases can an exemption be granted from mandatory courses listed in your programme specification. In such cases, you must provide documentation of exceptional circumstances directly related to the course which prevent you from passing it.

In your exemption application, you must describe why you believe there are exceptional circumstances directly related to the specific course from which you seek exemption. You must explain why you believe these circumstances will prevent you from completing and passing the course over a longer period.

You must also provide documentation for the exceptional circumstances you cite. This documentation should support your argument that you cannot complete or pass the course.

The documentation must explain why the exceptional circumstance prevents you from passing the course. For instance, if the course involves lab work and you are allergic to some of the chemicals used, the documentation must be a medical statement confirming your allergy to those chemicals and that this allergy prevents you from passing the course.

Exceptional circumstances that apply to all courses are not grounds for exemption from a binding course.

Additionally, you must include a statement from your head of study indicating which course you should take instead of the one from which you seek exemption.

You must upload the application, documentation, and head of study statement to DTU's exemption system.

Cancellation of binding courses for Bachelor of Engineering students regarding elective courses in your programme
In your programme, you can choose from several pre-approved elective courses. You may also choose between different course packages (in Danish ‘fagpakker’) in some Bachelor of Engineering programmes.

Once you have taken the exam for an elective course or a course from a course package, the possibility of being exempted from the course is extremely limited. Therefore, we recommend you always seek guidance from DTU's Study Guidance.

All exemption applications to be released from a binding elective course or a course from a course package, when you are a Bachelor of Engineering student at DTU, are handled by the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, not DTU. Only the agency has the authority to determine whether an exemption should be granted in such cases.

What should your exemption application contain?
At DTU, we cannot generally provide guidance on the agency's practices regarding exemption applications for binding courses. However, based on experience from previous cases and current regulations, we can inform you that when the agency assesses your exemption application, they specifically examine whether exceptional circumstances directly related to the course prevent you from completing it.

It is very important to include documentation for the exceptional circumstances mentioned in your exemption application.

The documentation must explain why the exceptional circumstance prevents you from passing the course. For instance, if the course involves lab work and you are allergic to some of the chemicals used, the documentation must be a medical statement confirming your allergy to those chemicals and that this allergy prevents you from passing the course.

Exceptional circumstances that apply to all courses are not grounds for exemption from a mandatory course.

Your application, along with the supporting documentation, should be submitted via email to studiedispensation@adm.dtu.dk, after which DTU will forward the application to the agency along with a case report.

Once the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science receives your application, they will send you a confirmation letter with the expected processing time information.

Do you have questions or need guidance?
If you have questions or need guidance and support, remember you can always contact DTU's Study Guidance.