Pregnancy and breastfeeding

The Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) protects the health of pregnant and breastfeeding women and their (unborn) children. At the same time, it ensures that they are free to decide for themselves whether to continue in paid employment.

Since 1 January 2018, the Maternity Protection Act has also applied to female students, in accordance with Section 1(2)(8) of the MuSchG. This applies if the training provider mandatorily specifies the location, time and schedule of the training programme, or if you are undertaking a compulsory work placement as part of your degree programme.

The following provisions apply in particular:

Please notify the university of your pregnancy and your expected due date. Please use the ‘Pregnancy Notification’ form for this purpose. Please also inform the university as soon as possible if you are breastfeeding.

Submit the form to the Student Services office at Worms University of Applied Sciences: Building M, Room 05, telephone: +49 6241 509-180, email: studieren@hs-worms.de.

Notification is voluntary. However, without timely notification, the university may be unable to take any protective measures that may be required under maternity protection legislation. Your personal data will be protected at all times. Only once you have notified the university will you be able to exercise your rights under the Maternity Protection Act and the special provisions relating to examination regulations (see the section ‘Special provisions relating to examination regulations’).

Maternity leave begins six weeks before the birth and ends eight weeks afterwards. In the case of premature births, multiple births, or if your child is medically diagnosed with a disability within eight weeks of the birth, the post-birth protection period is extended to twelve weeks. In the event of a premature birth, the postnatal protection period is extended by the length of time by which the prenatal protection period was shortened.

You should therefore submit a copy of the birth certificate to the examination administration as soon as possible. If the actual date of birth differs from the expected date, the protection periods must be recalculated.

In the event of a miscarriage or termination of pregnancy, maternity protection generally ends with the end of the pregnancy. In the event of a stillbirth or the death of the child, the provisions of maternity protection law generally continue to apply in full.

If you have notified the university of your pregnancy and due date, you are not required to attend any modules or sit any examinations during the protection periods (see the section ‘Protection periods’). During these periods, you will not be included in the Examination Administration’s service registration.

You may waive the maternity protection periods if you expressly apply to the university to do so. To do this, you must sign a waiver form, by which you waive your maternity protection in order to be permitted to sit examinations. This will allow you to continue your studies swiftly as you wish. You may revoke your waiver at any time with future effect; the revocation does not apply retrospectively, even in examination situations.

If you withdraw from an examination for health reasons or reasons relating to maternity protection, the university’s general examination regulations apply. In the event of a miscarriage or termination of pregnancy, the protection periods no longer apply; the Examinations Office will then re-register you for the service with retroactive effect.

You may take a leave of absence for maternity leave, parental leave, pregnancy or to bring up a child. To do so, please submit a written application using the ‘Application for Leave of Absence’ form to Student Services within the re-enrolment deadline for the next semester.

A leave of absence is valid for the duration of one semester at a time. As a rule, it is possible for a maximum of two consecutive semesters; in the case of maternity leave or parental leave, it is valid for the maximum period permitted by law, which is six semesters. During your leave of absence, you will not attend courses or sit any examinations. You must still pay the current semester fee on time, even during your leave semester.

Further information on health protection for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as on time off for medical examinations in accordance with Sections 4–7 of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG), can be found in the following information sheet.

Family Support Service at Worms University of Applied Sciences

Information on financial support options. There you will also find information on the Rhineland-Palatinate Scholarship Foundation, which provides grants for single-parent students.