Leave of Absence

Important reasons are in particular:

• own illness/disability or illness of close relatives
• pregnancy, parental leave or caring for one's own child at times when there is entitlement to parental leave in the case of employment; in these cases, a leave of absence of up to three years can be granted
• study abroad that does not include study and examination performance
• being called up for civil/military service according to Art. 12a Para. 1 or 2 of the constitution; in these cases, the leave of absence applies for the duration of the above-mentioned service for up to two years
• participation in academic and student self-government matters
• completion of an internship that is not part of a course or examination
• employment to finance your studies
• starting one’s own business

The application for a leave of absence should usually be submitted to the Student Secretariat during the re-enrolment period and can only be approved for the following semester after re-enrolment.

The leave of absence is granted for one semester at a time and should not exceed a total of two semesters. In the case of starting or founding a company, only one semester of leave is possible. Please contact the Student Secretariat for information about possible exceptions.

Your status as a student is maintained during the semester of absence, but the rights and obligations as a member of the university are suspended. Studies and examinations may not be completed for the corresponding semester; it is however possible to repeat failed examinations. Deviating from this, an examination can also be taken for the time during periods of parental leave and those governed by the Parental Protection Act. The same applies to students with illnesses or disabilities, provided that the leave of absence is based on this.

If you have any questions about the possible consequences of a leave of absence with regard to your BAföG entitlement, insurance cover, etc., please contact the relevant offices.

Please use the online form in "Casy" to apply for a leave of absence and upload the necessary documents as requested:

• in case of illness/disability: certificate of incapacity to study in the semester applied for
• in case of pregnancy: copy of the maternity passport with expected date of delivery
• in case of parental leave: copy of the child's birth certificate
• for other reasons: corresponding conclusive documents

Once your application for leave of absence has been approved, you can apply for a pro rata refund of the semester fee using the AStA application form.