Hardship Regulations
Special Provisions for Exemption from the Requirement to Study Abroad in the B.A. Program in English-Speaking Cultures / English
[Legal Basis: BPO 2011 §2 (11); BPO 2025 §2 (17); Resolutions of the English-Speaking Cultures Program Committee as of 07/2026—Information provided without guarantee.]
Students may be exempted from the requirement to study abroad in the B.A. E-SC program if certain hardship circumstances exist.
- Serious consequences of a disability or severe illness:
- A long-term impairment that meets the criteria for a disability.
- Proof: A medical certificate stating that the disability/illness will result in an extension of the duration of studies. Additionally: A description of the disability/illness, its severity (expressed as a percentage), and an assessment of the duration of the impairment to the student’s ability to study caused by the disability/illness.
- For a disability rating of 50 or higher (GdB 50): Proof in the form of a copy of the severe disability ID card
- Care of close relatives:
- Close relatives in need of care pursuant to Section 7(3) of the Care Allowance Act (PflegeZG): parents, parents-in-law, spouses, domestic partners, siblings, children, and adopted or foster children classified as care levels I, II, and III.
- Proof: An expert opinion from the health insurance medical service stating that a relative in need of care is being cared for, provided that at least Care Level I has been determined and that the caregiver personally provides an average of at least 90 minutes of care per day. In some cases, proof of the family relationship may be required.
- Parental Duty of Care for Minor Children:
- Proof: Certified copy from the family register or certified copy of the birth certificate.
- Legal Issues Arising from a Stay Abroad
Exception to the requirement to spend time abroad in the B.A. E-SC program:
[Legal Basis: BPO 2011 §2 (11); BPO 2025 §2 (17); Resolutions of the English-Speaking Cultures Study Commission, as of 07/2026—Information provided without guarantee.]
Students may be exempted from the requirement to study abroad in the B.A. E-SC program in cases where special justification is provided.
Cases requiring special justification:
- For example, in cases of verifiable cultural and linguistic competence.
- Proof: Practical English language proficiency at the C1 level, e.g., the UNIcert test, and proof of cultural competence in the form of an extended stay abroad (e.g., a certificate of school attendance or work experience in an English-speaking context).
Application for Exemption from the Requirement to Study Abroad in the B.A. E-SC Program
Procedure
- Prepare an informal application titled “Application for Exemption from the Requirement to Study Abroad.”
- Explain the basis for your application with reference to the relevant hardship or exemption provision that applies to you.
- Sign the original application by hand (no digital signature, no scan).
- Enclose all relevant and required supporting documents.
- Submit the application to the appropriate office of the ZPA/Bachelor’s Examination Committee. Major/Minor: Office of FB10
- Profilfach/Komplementärfach: Office of FB10
- Lehramtsoption: Office of FB 12
- Address:
- Universität Bremen
Zentrales Prüfungsamt
Postfach 33 04 40
28334 Bremen
- Universität Bremen
Compensatory Work
If your application has been approved, you must complete compensatory work. For more information, see the guide on compensatory work.
Advising
The FB 10 Student Center provides advising on hardship/exception provisions and compensatory work.
Student Center FB 10, sz10-escprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de