14 - Iceland - Progression of students
Rules regarding progression of students vary between institutions and faculties. In the professional
programmes towards the candidatus degree students have to pass all examinations, or a certain
percentage of each year’s examinations, in order to be able to continue to the next. Students are
allowed to repeat examinations in an individual course once. Students who fail to meet the
requirements have to repeat the whole year of study, but can do so only twice during their studies.
In the programmes for the bachelor’s degree there is more flexibility, but there is a limit on the overall
time spent on studies towards a degree.
Special rules for progression between years apply to the competitive examinations held at the end of
the first semester in dentistry and nursing. Only a limited number of students are allowed to continue
after the competitive examinations, but those students who fail the examination may repeat the first
semester the next year. For the competitive examination a predetermined number of students is
allowed to continue (numerus clausus). Based on the weighted mean of grades from written
examination in several subjects, the predetermined number of students selected is allowed to continue
on to the second semester.
Transfer from one course of study to another or from one institution to another is always subject to the
approval of the academic authorities of the receiving faculty or institution. The receiving faculty decides
how many credits can be transferred towards a new programme, usually on recommendations made
by study committees, composed of students and teachers in each department. Transfers between
subjects within the same faculty are usually easily arranged, but may involve some loss of credits
earned. Intermediate qualifications from higher education institutions may in some cases be
recognised as part of a degree course, usually as a minor subject.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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