Requirements for appointment

Business academies

The board

At business academies, the board is responsible for the overall and strategical management of the business academy. This includes ensuring the quality and development of the education programmes that the business academy offers, managing the state grants as well as ensuring an efficient operation of the business academy. The board also adopts the annual budget.

The board consists of nine to 13 members of which the external members are in majority. The external members must include representatives from the social partners. Of the members, there must be:

• One chairman elected by the board, who must be external to the business academy;

• Two members elected by and among the students at the business academy;

• Two members elected by and among the staff at the business academy.

The board is also responsible for hiring and dismissing the rector of the business academy.

The rector

At business academies, the rector is responsible for the top day-to-day management of the institution within the framework determined by the board. The rector is responsible for hiring and dismissing the rest of the staff and for presenting the budget to the board.

The rector is responsible for:

• Providing education programmes in accordance with the legislation and the given grants; 

• Complying with the budget approved by the board;

• Ensuring that the activities of the business academy are otherwise in accordance with the board’s decisions and guidelines.

Education committees

The board sets up at least one education committee within each education area. The purpose of the education committees is to advise the board, the rector and the management of the given education area about the quality and societal relevance of the education programmes as well as the regional coverage of education.

The board determines the number of members in the individual education committee. The members of the education committee must collectively have experience with and insight into the education area and the employment areas that the education programmes give access to. 

Of the education committee’s members:

• Two members are elected by and among the students at the business academy within the education committee’s area;

• Two members are elected by and among the staff at the business academy that is employed within the education committee’s area.

University colleges

The board

At university colleges, the board is responsible for the overall and strategical management of the university college. This includes ensuring the quality and development of the education programmes that the university college offers, managing the state grants as well as ensuring an efficient operation of the university college. The board also adopts the annual budget.

The board consists of ten to 15 members and is assembled so a majority of the members is external to the university college. Among the external members, there must be members that have experience with public and private enterprises, strategic management, organisation and economy, including assessments of budgets and financial statements. Of the members, there must be:

• One chairman elected by the board, who must be external to the university college;

• Two members elected by the regional board and municipal boards from the region where the university college is located;

• Two members elected by and among the students at the university college;

• Two members elected by and among the staff at the university college.

The board is also responsible for hiring and dismissing the rector of the university college.

The rector

At university colleges, the rector is responsible for the top day-to-day management of the institution within the framework determined by the board. The rector is responsible for hiring and dismissing the rest of the staff and for presenting the budget to the board and signing the financial statements.

The rector is responsible for:

• Providing education programmes in accordance with the legislation and the given grants; 

• Complying with the budget approved by the board;

• Ensuring that the activities of the university college are otherwise in accordance with the board’s decisions and guidelines.

Education committees 

The board sets up at least one education committee within each education area. The purpose of the education committees is to advise the board, the rector and the management of the given education area about the quality and societal relevance of the education programmes as well as the regional coverage of education.

The members of the education committee must collectively have experience with and insight into the education area and the employment areas that the education programmes give access to. The education committees are composed so as to reflect the labour market and regional needs in relation to education.

Of the education committee’s members:

• Two members are elected by and among the students at the university college within the education committee’s area;

• Two members are elected by and among the staff at the university college that is employed within the education committee’s area.

Maritime education and training institutions

The board and daily leader

Maritime education and training institutions are run by a board of five to nine members including staff representatives and a daily leader. The board carries out the overall and strategic management of the institution.

The board appoints a daily leader who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the institution. The board must ensure that the institution has a daily leader, who contributes to promoting the purpose of the institution and who has the adequate competences.

Education committees

The Minister for Higher Education and Science sets up an education committee that consists of a chairman and a number of members. The education committee is involved in questions about substantial changes in the maritime education programmes.

The members encompass representatives of the maritime industry’s organisation, the fishing industry’s organisation and other interested commercial organisations. The Minister for Higher Education and Science appoints the members upon the recommendation of the relevant organisations. 

Higher education institutions within fine arts

Artistic institutions under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

The Royal Danish Academy, Aarhus School of Architecture and the School of Design in Kolding are artistic institutions under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. At the institutions, the overall management is carried out by a board.

The Minister for Higher Education and Science appoints a number of external board members, including the chairman and deputy chairman. The Danish Arts Foundation appoints one external board member with special curatorial qualifications within one or more of the institution’s main subject areas. The board members appointed by the Danish Arts Foundation and the Minister for Higher Education and Science make up the majority of the board members. A minority of the board members are appointed by and among the institution’s employees and students. 

The board determines the guidelines for the institution’s organisation, long-term operation and development. The board is also responsible for the institution’s accounts and use of public grants. Furthermore, the board appoints and dismisses the rector.

The rector is responsible for the daily management of the institution’s instruction, research, artistic development activities, administration and economy. The rector is also responsible for appointing and dismissing the institution’s staff.

Artistic institutions under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture

Seven higher education institutions within fine arts, such as the Danish National School of Performance Arts and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, are under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. These institutions are run by a rector, who is responsible for the institution’s overall activities. 

The Minister for Culture appoints and dismisses the rector at the individual artistic institution. The rector decides on all matters that are not placed with the Ministry of Culture or the artistic institutions’ collegiate bodies by law.

At the institutions, collegiate bodies are established. The institution’s upper collegiate body is involved in matters that concern the overall interests of the institution. The upper collegiate body determines the institution’s guidelines, thereby contributing to its long-term operation and development.

Universities

The board

At the universities, the board is responsible for the overall and strategical management of the university. Among other fields of responsibility, this includes:

• Ensuring that the university conducts research and provides research-based instruction up to the highest international level within its subject areas;

• Approving the budget, including the distribution of the resources and the principles for the use of the resources;

• Appointing and dismissing the rector.

The board consists of external members and members that represent the university’s scientific staff. A majority of the board members must be external members. The board members include:

• A chairman appointed by a university organ and approved by the Minister for Higher Education and Science:

• External members nominated and appointed by university organs;

• At least two student representatives elected by students at the university;

• University staff representatives elected by the university staff.

When appointing new board members, the university adheres to the stipulations in the University Act and the university’s own regulations.

According to the University Act, the university sets up two university organs. The first organ nominates candidates for the position as board members and chairman and the second organ appoints the candidates as board members or chairman.

The rector

At universities, the rector, who is appointed by the board, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the institution within the framework determined by the board. The rector must:

• Be an established researcher within one of the university’s subject fields;

• Have insight into the educational sector;

• Have experience of management and organisation of research environments;

• Have insight into the university’s activities and interaction with the surrounding community.

Conditions of service

Board members

External board members receive renumeration for their work as board members from the higher education institution. The Ministry of Higher Education and Science has set an upper limit for the number of hours that external board member can receive renumeration for.

Rector

In general, rectors are employed on the basis of a collective agreement. This implies that the conditions of service, including salary, pensions, etc., are not nationally determined but negotiated between employer and employee.

References

Bibliography

DM (DM), 2025: Universities and higher education institutions (Universiteter og højere læreanstalter). [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Ministry of Culture (Kulturministeriet), 2024: State institutions (Statsinstitutioner). [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriet), 2024: Higher education institutions within fine arts (De videregående kunstneriske uddannelsesinstitutioner). [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legislation and official policy documents

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2013: Circular letter on payment to members of collegial bodies of the state (Cirkulære om betaling tl medlemmer af kollegiale organer i staten), CIR no. 9418 of 04/07/2013. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019a: Act on business academies for higher education programmes (Bekendtgørelse af lov om erhvervsakademier for videregående uddannelser), LBK no. 786 of 08/08/2019. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019b: Act on higher education institutions within fine arts (Bekendtgørelse af lov om videregående kunstneriske uddannelsesinstitutioner), LBK no. 787 of 08/08/2019. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019c: Act on university colleges for higher education programmes (Bekendtgørelse af lov om professionshøjskoler for videregående uddannelser), LBK no. 779 of 08/08/2019. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024a: Act on higher education institutions within fine arts under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture (Bekendtgørelse af lov om videregående kunstneriske uddannelsesinstitutioner under Kulturministeriet), LBK no. 1133 of 31/10/2024. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024b: Act on maritime education programmes (Bekendtgørelse af lov om maritime uddannelser), LBK no. 691 of 11/06/2024. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024c: Act on universities (The University Act) (Bekendtgørelse af lov om universiteter (universitetsloven)), LBK no. 391 of 10/04/2024b. [Accessed 9 October 2025]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2025: Circular letter on collective agreement for academics in the state (Cirkulære om overenskomst for akademikere i staten), CIR1H no. 9333 of 11/04/2025. [Accessed 9 October 2025]