Organising your studies
For parents who are studying, it makes sense to look into the various options early on and draw up a plan to balance parenthood and studies.
Deadline extensions
The study time available to you consists of a minimum study time - also called "normal study time" - and several extension (or "tolerance") semesters. The tolerance semesters are intended for offsetting contingencies, such as assessment repetitions, illness, accident, or parental leave.
- A Bachelor’s degree programme of 180 credits may take up to 10 semesters: the normal duration of studies of 6 semesters plus 4 tolerance semesters
- A Master’s degree programme of 90 credits may take up to 6 semesters: the normal duration of studies of 3 semesters plus 3 tolerance semesters
- A Master’s degree programme of 120 credits may take up to 8 semesters: the normal duration of studies of 4 semesters plus 4 tolerance semesters
Should the study time be insufficient for you to balance your family obligations you can apply for an extension of the study deadlines for the first-year examination, or for an extension of the maximum study duration. For that, please note the relevant deadlines for submitting your application.
Dividing of examination blocks
You can submit a written request to split an examination block into two examination sessions until up to one year after the birth of your child. You must submit this request to the Head of Student Administration by the end of the fourth week of the semester (deadline for exam registrations).
The following rules apply when distributing an examination block:
- Credits must be divided either half/half or one-third/two-thirds
- A part-block must be composed of at least 7 credits
Deviations from these guidelines must be justified in writing by the subject advisor (Study Coordination/Study Administration Office). This justification should summarize all facts relevant to the field of study so that they can be included in the decision-making process.
Further information:
DownloadOrdinance on performance assessments: Implementation stipulations (PDF, 349 KB)vertical_align_bottom
Before submitting a request to divide an examination block or to extend a deadline, you are recommended to contact the student advisor of your degree programme or a person from team Counselling & Coaching to discuss your study plan and suitable options.
You may take parental leave for a limited period of time. As a general rule, two consectutive semesters of leave are possible. For an exceptional leave, you can submit a request to the Registrar’s Office.
During your leave, you will remain enrolled, but will not pay a semester fee, only the compulsory fee and any voluntary semester fees. Please note that study deadlines are neither interrupted nor extended by a semester of leave.
If you wish to interrupt your studies for parental leave, you can withdraw from your programme and re-matriculate later, provided that you do not have any immediate study deadlines such as a basic examination deadline or a deadline for the Bachelor's or Master's degree.
Please note that Master’s degree students are subject to the re-entry provisions set out in the admissions decision.
If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Further information:
Re-entry Bachelor’s degree studies
Re-entry Master’s degree studies
If you are unable to take (further) examinations after the expiry of the examination deregistration period or in the course of the examination session for the following reasons, please contact the Examination Office immediately by telephone +41 44 632 20 68
- health issues
- pregnancy or birth
- illness of your child without the possibility of finding suitable care
The Examination Office will explain how to proceed. The reasons for being unable to attend must be documented by a medical certificate within two working days of notification.
Further information:
Examination registration and withdraw