Your rights and obligations as a student

To ensure that all students are treated equally there are a number of rules for how exams are to be conducted. Here you can find information about MDU's regulations for exams at first-cycle level and second-cycle level, as well as other relevant information.

• Rules of written examination Pdf, 99.4 kB.
  
• Rules and regulations for examinations at first-cycle and second-cycle level Pdf, 408.9 kB.
• Application for examination at other location Pdf, 146.1 kB.
• Request for new examiner Pdf, 85.1 kB.
• Request for review of grading decision Pdf, 188.5 kB.

At the University, it is important not to cheat, and there are specific rules for what is considered cheating. It happens that students are reported for plagiarism, that is, copying someone else's work, without intending to do so. Therefore, you must know how to handle information, and references, and cite sources correctly when writing papers. The rules for what is allowed can vary between different courses, so make sure to check what applies to your specific course and task. You can find information in the course syllabus, study guide, and/or on the course's Canvas page.

• What happens if you are reported for cheating
  

As a student, you have a responsibility to contribute to a good study environment and to treat everyone you meet in your studies with consideration and respect.

At MDU, there is zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. The university is obliged to investigate harassment and victimisation as soon as it becomes aware that it may have occurred.

• Discrimination and harassment

Sometimes exams are done in groups. Even though you work together, each student receives their own, individual grade. Your grade is based on your performance, but everyone in the group is responsible for the entire work. Working in a group develops your ability to cooperate with others, which is something you will encounter in employment. It can be challenging but also very educational.

Group work allows you to learn how to work together with others, even if you are different. It is your responsibility to actively participate and cooperate with your fellow group members. You cannot choose to do such a task alone. A tip for creating favourable conditions is to draw up a group contract. In it, you will write how you will divide the work and what happens if someone doesn't do their part.

Influence your study environment

Everyone can participate and make MDU a great place to study. As a student, you have an important role in being involved and developing the study environment together with the University. The work is part of the University's quality development.

• Report damages and faults in the premises
• Report accidents or give suggestions for improving the study environment

Influence your education

According to the Higher Education Act, as a student, you have the right to express your opinion about your education.

The organisation of student representatives

One of Mälardalen Student Union's most important missions is to ensure that you have the opportunity to influence your education through student influence. Their main aim is to monitor and participate in the development of courses and conditions for studying at the University. They have responsibility for the student representative’s organisation, i.e. the staffing of both the preparatory and decision-making bodies.

As a student representative at the Student Union, you can be involved and influence decisions regarding courses and the study environment at MDU.

• More information about student influence is on the Mälardalen Student Union website External link.

Course evaluations

When a course is finished, you will have the opportunity, and you also have a responsibility, to share your thoughts on a course evaluation. It is a good way for you to be involved to improve and influence education. If you want to read the summary, you can contact the School or teacher who is responsible for the course.

Policies, goals and rules for student influence at MDU

MDU has a governing document that clarifies the approach to student influence at the University. By working with a transparent structure and towards a common goal, we hope to contribute to increased commitment where students want to be involved in the development efforts. This in turn leads to a systematic way of working that promotes, strengthens and quality assures student influence at the University.

• Governing document for student influence External link.

Each course has a course syllabus that is like a rule book that both teachers and students must follow. The course syllabus is legally binding. In the course syllabus, you can read about the level and intended learning outcomes of the course, what you need to know to take the course, and how it will be assessed. If there is a limit to how many times you can attempt to pass an exam, it will also be stated there.

When the course starts, you will receive more detailed information about how examinations and assessments will be conducted. This information can be provided in a study guide or similar and thus complements the information in the course syllabus.

Our Code of Conduct is in place to ensure that everyone feels safe. It is essential that you are aware of what rules exist and that you follow them. If you don't do that, you may have to leave the premises. In particularly serious cases, violations of the Code of Conduct may also result in a notification to the Disciplinary Board.

• MDU's Code of Conduct
  

To be able to sit an exam, you must register on time and bring a valid ID to the examination session. You can register for the exam from 21 days before the exam to 10 days before. It is not possible to apply late, regardless of the reason. If you fail to apply, you need to apply for the re-test session. If you have registered but cannot attend, remember to cancel your registration so that the University can avoid additional costs.

• Exams - important things to know and how to register

For decisions that may be appealed, there is always an appeal reference, which explains how you should appeal and in what time frame. According to the Higher Education Ordinance, decisions made by the University's Disciplinary Board must be appealed to the Administrative Court in Uppsala. According to Chapter 12, Section 2 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100) the following decisions can be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board for the University:

• decision that an applicant does not meet the entry requirements for admission to a course or study programme at the first-cycle (Bachelor’s) or second-cycle (Master’s) level, and a decision not to grant an exemption from the entry requirements in cases referred to in Chapter 7, Section 3, second sentence or Section 28, second paragraph
• decision on a credit transfer for courses and study programmes or professional activities
• refusal of a student's request for exemption from a compulsory educational component
• decision to withdraw study resources for a doctoral student's education according to Chapter 6, Section 37 and the decision that a doctoral student should not be refunded the resources according to Chapter 6, Section 38
• refusal of a student's request for a degree certificate or course certificate
• decision not to grant deferment of studies to anyone admitted to a course or study programme at first-cycle (Bachelor’s) or second-cycle (Master’s) level, or to be allowed to resume studies after an approved leave from studies.

To be admitted to a programme, you must have certain knowledge in advance, which is called entry requirements. Different courses require different types of entry requirements. Sometimes you can be admitted conditionally to a programme even if you do not meet all the requirements at the time of admission. The requirement is that you meet the entry requirements before the programme starts. When you do that, the condition will be removed, and you can register for the course.

If you do not have time to obtain all the eligibility before the start of the course, or if you can demonstrate that you have equivalent knowledge from another course you have already taken, you can apply for an exemption from the requirements. To apply for an exemption, please fill in an application form and submit it to the Student Centre or the School’s mailbox. The School will then decide on your case.

If you have failed an examination twice with the same examiner, you can request a change of examiner for the next exam session. There are exceptional cases where it is not possible to switch, for example, if there is no one else who can perform the task.

To request a change of examiner, you must fill out a form that you can find on the student website. You must submit the form no later than 14 days before the next examination session. The Dean of the School decides whether your request will be approved. Remember that the new examiner will assess the examination according to the same criteria as the previous examiner. The new examiner cannot change grades on previous examinations.

• Application form to change an examiner

As a student, you do not automatically have the right to sit an exam anywhere other than the location stated in the timetable. But in some cases, you may be allowed to do it if there are special reasons. The exam must then be written at the same time as the regular exam and under the same conditions as during the examination at MDU, which is a calm environment free from disturbances and with sufficient supervision to prevent cheating.

If you want to sit the exam somewhere else, you must submit an application for it at least three weeks before the exam date. It is your responsibility to make contact at the location where you want to sit the exam. The Dean of School or another responsible person will decide whether your request is approved.

For each course, there is at least one teacher who allocates the grades, called the examiner. The examiner assesses your work based on the course objectives and criteria for the assignment. The examiner must be fair and objective. Even if other teachers can help with grading assignments, it is the examiner who has the final responsibility for the grade. An examiner must not be involved if there is a risk of bias, for example, if the examiner has a personal relationship with the student.

The examiner does not need to justify their grading decision unless a student requests it. However, there are no specific requirements on how detailed the justification must be.

A grading decision cannot be appealed. Another teacher or a more senior head of unit cannot review or change the examiner's decision. An examiner can check the previous decision, this is called a review. If the examiner determines that the grade is too low, the grade can be raised in cases where it can be done easily and quickly.

It may be difficult to have the grade raised through a review, it is most common in situations where there are obvious errors such as a calculation error or oversight.

You can apply for a review by explaining in the form why you believe the grade is incorrect and how your work actually meets the requirements for the grade.

• Application form to review a grading decision

If you have a regular exam and a resit on the same day and at the same time, you can request to sit both exams at the same time. You must, however, take both within the given time. Remember to submit your request no later than 10 days before the examination session.

It can also happen that two exams are scheduled on the same day but at different times. Even though it may seem tough, it is not forbidden for the University to plan in this way. This may happen because many exams need to be scheduled in the timetable, and it is not always possible to spread them out over different days.