Part-time or leave of absence for students at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

All programme students can apply for leave of absence. You can apply for either personal leave without documentation or leave based on documented needs.

Personal leave of absence (without documentation)

As a programme student on a bachelor’s programme, you can apply for up to two semesters of personal leave from the study programme, without giving any reason and without attaching documentation.

Application deadline is September 1 for the autumn semester and February 1 for the spring semester. You can apply for two semesters of continuous leave or one semester at a time.

Documented leave of absence

If you have special needs for leave, such as illness, child delivery, conscription, full-time position as student representative or other weighty reasons, you can apply for leave based on documented needs.

There is no deadline for a documented leave of absence, but you must submit your application as soon as possible. You can get leave for the whole semester or, when you apply after the semester registration deadline, you can also get leave for the rest of the semester. Remember to withdraw from the exams you have signed up for.

The need for leave must be documented. You can upload the documentation to the online application form. However, if the documentation contains sensitive information, we recommend to deliver documentation personally at the Information Centre for Science Students or send it by mail to Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, PO Box 7803, 5020 Bergen.

The documentation you must attach to your application:

There are special regulations for leave of absence for students on master’s programmes (see §13 in the supplementary regulations for sciences students).

Personal leave of absence (without documentation)

As a master’s student you can apply for up to two semesters of personal leave from the master’s programme, without giving any reason and without attaching documentation. However, for a leave without documentation, you must apply before submitting the master’s degree agreement. Notice of personal leave must normally be given before the registration deadline. For applications for personal leave for more than one year you must give a valid reason.

Documented leave of absence

If you have special needs for leave, such as illness, child delivery, conscription, full-time position as student representative or other weighty reasons, you can apply for leave based on documented needs. Leave of absence may also be granted for valid academic reasons, such as employment in relevant work or projects. The programme board decides whether to accept or reject applications for leave for academic reasons.

In case of maternity or parental leave, your period of study is extended accordingly. A notification of illness extends submission deadlines for master’s theses accordingly.

There is no deadline for a documented leave of absence, but you must submit your application as soon as possible. Remember to withdraw from the exams you have signed up for.

The need for leave must be documented. You can upload the documentation to the online application form. However, if the documentation contains sensitive information, we recommend submitting it personally to the study advisor on your master’s programme.

The documentation you must attach to your application:

The Master’s degree agreement, including the individual study plan and the submission deadline for the master’s theses, must be adjusted as a result of a granted study leave. The possibility of giving a new master’s thesis may be considered, when the leave of absence is longer than one year.

Please contact your student advisor on your master’s programme for information and assistance with the adjustment of the individual study plan and the time frame for the programme.

Students on a one-year study programme cannot apply for a leave of absence since the programme is limited to one year.

When you apply for parental leave, you must familiarize yourself with the State Education Loan Fund's regulations on maternity/paternity leave.

If you must withdraw from an exam due to maternity, you have the right to re-take the exam, if the exam period is within a period of three weeks before the expected date of delivery to six weeks after delivery. The father of the child has the right to re-take an exam, if the exam date is within the period of two weeks after childbirth.

Students on parental leave may choose to pay the semester fee and to register. In case of parental leave, your period of study is extended accordingly. This applies even if you choose to pay the semester fee, register as a student and follow courses in the same period.