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Leave of absence from studies

Students can be granted a leave of absence from their studies for good cause upon application. The leave of absence is always granted for the duration of a complete semester. The application must be submitted anew for each semester. A retroactive leave of absence for a completed semester is also excluded. The basis of every leave of absence is that at least 50% of the lecture time (not semester time!) is covered by the intended reason for the leave of absence (only one reason can be selected).

Please submit your application for leave of absence in our campus portal. Here you will also find information on the individual reasons for leave of absence as well as the documents to be submitted.

  • Completion of the Federal Volunteer Service or the Voluntary Military Service:
    • Attach appropriate proof of service with details of the exact period.
  • Prolonged serious illness:
    • Enclose an original medical certificate, including the doctor's stamp and signature, stating that proper study is not possible and for what period of time.
  • Statutory maternity leave / high-risk pregnancy:
    • A copy of the maternity passport and an original medical certificate, including the doctor's stamp and signature, stating that proper study is not possible due to the course of the pregnancy, must be enclosed.
  • Study at a foreign university (or language school):
    • Enclose a certificate from your foreign university (e.g. certificate of enrollment) or from the International Office with details of the duration of studies (exact period), in German or English.
  • Internships:
    • Attach a copy of the employment contract/confirmation from the internship employer (in German or English) with details about the duration of the internship (exact period) as well as a certificate from the faculty stating that your internship or internship semester is necessary for your studies or is considered useful. An excerpt from the internship regulations is not sufficient.
  • Care or provision of care for dependents:
    • Attach appropriate proof of health insurance showing that you are providing care for the person in question or that you have been appointed as a caregiver by the local court.
  • Raising and caring for own children:
    • Enclose appropriate proof (e.g. copy of birth certificate) in German or English. If you have already submitted this in one of the previous semesters for the purpose of a leave of absence, no new proof is required.
  • Absence from the university location:
    • A statement from the faculty must be enclosed.
  • Serving a prison sentence:
    • Attach appropriate verification.
  • Establishment of a business:
    • Attach appropriate proof.
  • Other (non-self) reasons:
    • Attach written justification including signature and other supporting documentation, if applicable.
    • Please note: Financing problems, full-time employment and preparation for a final examination do not constitute a reason.

The deadline for submitting the application for the summer and winter semester is always the Friday before the start of lectures of the semester for which the leave of absence is to be claimed. You can find an overview of this on the Dates & Deadlines page. Your leave of absence can only be granted if the documents you have uploaded are complete and you have already paid the amount shown on the application within the re-registration period. If you pay after the end of the re-registration period, you will have to pay a late fee.

The amount of the semester fee for each semester can be found on the Re-registration and Semester Fee page. After the end of the re-registration period, an additional late fee of 3.40 euros will be charged. In some cases, Studierendenwerk Dortmund has decided to waive the student union fee for students on leave of absence. Exclusively for the following reasons for leave of absence, the semester fee is then reduced by 110 euros:

  • Completion of the Federal Volunteer Service, or voluntary military service.
  • Longer, serious illness
  • statutory maternity leave / high-risk pregnancy
  • Study at a foreign university

In our campus portal you will also find information about the amount you have to pay.

The following applies to all reasons for leave of absence:

  • Each student on leave of absence will be provided with the Semesterticket NRW/VRR in the campus portal after the re-registration/leave of absence has taken place.
  • Students can either use this ticket or, if necessary, contact the General Student Committee (AStA) regarding reimbursement. You can find more information on this on the AStA pages.

The contact person for questions concerning the organization of examinations is the central examination administration.

In principle, students are not entitled to take examinations during their leave of absence. You may not

  • no course work or examinations may be taken.
  • no participation requirements or credit points may be acquired.
  • no examinations may be taken.

Repeat examinations may be taken.

Participation requirements that are the result of a semester abroad or an internship semester itself may be acquired.

The leave of absence may have an impact on a possible free attempt regulation.

Students on leave of absence due to raising and caring for their own children or caring for and caring for dependents are eligible to take exams.

You may not earn credit for internships you complete while on a leave of absence.

If you receive BAföG, it is advisable to ask the BAföG office to what extent a leave of absence can affect the payment of BAföG.

In order to enable you to continue your studies successfully, you will find important information from the TU Dortmund University Family Service on the topic of pregnancy during your studies here.

If you would like to take a leave of absence due to a high-risk pregnancy, please submit an application for leave of absence in the campus portal. At the same time, the leave of absence is accompanied by a notification of the pregnancy to the district government of Arnsberg. As a university, we have had to comply with this obligation to report since the changes to the Maternity Protection Act on January 01, 2018. More background information is available in the Family Service. You can also find further important support options as well as information to enable the successful continuation of your studies on the pages of the TU Dortmund University Family Service on the topic of pregnancy during studies.