Branches of study

Two kind of bachelor’s programme exist: The professional bachelor’s programme and the university bachelor’s programme. The Qualifications Framework for Danish Higher Education gives the following overview of the programmes:

Length of the bachelor’s programme

The professional bachelor's programme is a professionally-oriented higher education programme that consists of 180, 210 or 240 ECTS credits corresponding to three to four years of study.

The university bachelor’s programme is a research-based higher education programme that consists of 180 ECTS credits corresponding to three years of study. Most often, the programme is followed by a two-year Master’s programme.

Overview of branches of study for the professional bachelor’s programme

The professional bachelor’s programmes combine theoretical studies with a practically oriented approach. Professional bachelor’s programmes exist in the following fields:

• Healthcare (nurse, midwife etc.);
• Pedagogy (teacher, social education etc.);
• Business and economics (value chain management, finance etc.);
• Media and communication (journalist, communication etc.);
• Social sciences (social work, public administration etc.);
• Design (jewellery, technology and business);
• Technology (marine and technical engineer etc.).

Overview of branches of study for the university bachelor’s programme

The university bachelor’s programmes are research-based and provide students with a broad academic foundation as well as specialised knowledge. The programmes are offered in all scientific fields, including:

• Humanities (history, languages, rhetoric etc.);
• Natural sciences (physics, biology, actuarial science, etc.);
• Social sciences (economics, business economics, sociology, etc.);
• Law;
• Theology;
• Health sciences (medicine, dentistry, human biology);
• Technical studies (engineering etc.);
• IT (software development, data science etc.).

Admission requirements

Access to higher education in Denmark varies from programme to programme. Admission to most programmes depends on the fulfilment of both general requirements and specific requirements.

General access to higher education requires an upper secondary school leaving certificate or comparable qualifications. Access also depends on specific requirements such as a particular subject combination in upper secondary school. Admission to some particular programmes requires an entrance examination.

The Education Guide (www.ug.dk) provides information on the general and specific requirements for every higher education programme.

The responsible authority

Generally, admission to higher education takes place via the website www.optagelse.dk, where the students apply for higher education programmes. The Coordinated Admission System coordinates the admission. Students are allocated in two quotas:

• Quota 1 admissions are allocated according to the grade point average of an upper secondary education;
• Quota 2 admissions are allocated according to criteria published by the educational institution to which the student has applied.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Science stipulates the general and specific admission requirements for each bachelor programme. In general, the higher education institutions are responsible for regulating the size of the student population, including the specific number enrolled at each programme.

However, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science can adjust the student intake at education programmes if, for instance, a programme has been assessed as putting future graduates at risk of unemployment.

Alternative access routes

In general, students are granted admission based on their grade point average obtained at the final examination at upper secondary level. However, some institutions such as The Danish Film School have their own entrance tests.

Curriculum

The individual higher education institution draws up and updates their education programmes, indicating the aims, scope and duration, form and contents of the courses as well as a description of the curriculum. These appear from the programme regulations.

The programme regulations for professional bachelor’s programmes consist of a national part and an institutional part. The institutions approved to offer the programme compose the national part together, whereas the individual institution composes the institutional part. The programme regulations must be available at the institution’s website.

Curricula in non-national language

Higher education institutions offer programmes in English with curricula in English and all classes and examinations being conducted in English.

Teaching methods

Instruction in professional bachelor's programmes and university bachelor's programmes consists of different teaching methods.

Professional bachelor's programmes combine theoretical studies with a practically oriented approach in the form of compulsory work placement. The programme regulations specify the teaching methods and include lectures, smaller class lectures, project work, case studies, and work placement.

The course descriptions specify the teaching methods in university bachelor's programmes and include lectures, project work, and smaller class lectures. In addition, some university bachelor’s programmes also include field work, laboratory work, and excursions. This applies for programmes such as biology, pharmacy, archaeology etc.

Progression of students

Rules for examination attempts

A student has three attempts to pass an exam or test. The higher education institution may permit further reexaminations in case of unusual circumstances. The student cannot retake a passed test.

In the programme regulations, the institution determines which exams the students are to complete before the end of the first academic year (the first year examination). The institution terminates the enrolment of all students who fail to pass the exams included in their first year examination by the end of their first year of study.

In addition, the institution can decide that students enrolled in the individual programme must pass ‘a commencement of study test’ to continue the programme.

Completion of studies

Regarding professional bachelor’s programmes, education programmes that have a prescribed period of study of 150 or 180 ECTS are to be completed within five years.

Regarding university bachelor’s programmes, the universities can determine the period students are obliged to complete their studies within. For instance, several universities have determined that students are to complete their university bachelor’s programme of 180 ECTS within four years.

Employability

Career guidance

Higher education institutions are obliged to offer academic guidance to students and subsequent guidance on employment opportunities. The institutions are free to choose their methods and the appropriate staff.

Work placement and project-based courses

Work placement is a compulsory part of the professional bachelor’s programmes and is prescribed to at least 30 ECTS credits.

University bachelor’s programmes contain a possibility for mobility that enables the students to study a semester abroad or participate in a project-based course. The project-based course is an unpaid learning course where the student is affiliated to a business or a public or private organisation. The students put their qualified knowledge at the business or organisation’s disposal and try out their theoretical and methodological competencies in practice.

In addition, it is common for university students to have part-time jobs while studying.

Student assessment

Mainly, student assessment consists of an exam/test at the end of each course. The student assessment can also consist of a participation requirement or ongoing tests during a course.

The professional bachelor's programme and the university bachelor's programme must contain a variety of exam forms that reflects the content and working methods of the programmes. The institution determines the exam forms in the programme regulations.

The institution determines in the programme regulations whether internal or external examiners assess an exam. External examiners assess the bachelor project.

Student assessment is based on the seven-point grading scale or a pass/fail assessment. Students must be assessed individually, regardless of whether the examination is conducted individually or as a group exam/test.

The professional bachelor's programme encompasses the following three exams:

1. An internal or external exam that takes place before the end of the second semester. The exam is to document that the student has obtained the learning goals of the first academic year;
2. An internal or external exam that takes place when the student has completed all the work placement of the programme. The exam is to document that the student has obtained the learning goals of the work placement;
3. An external exam in the final project work, which together with the additional exams is to document that the programme's learning goals have been achieved.

Certification

The higher education institution awards the certification for completing a programme. If a student leaves his or her education programme before completing it, the institution issues documentation of the examinations passed at the student’s request.

Professional bachelor’s programme

The university college issues a diploma for successfully completed professional bachelor’s programmes. The diploma must at least state:

• The name of the graduate and his or her civil registration number;
• The name of the institution;
• The name of the education programme in Danish and English as well as the legal basis;
• The prescribed period of study indicated in ECTS credits;
• The courses in which exams have been taken or which have been documented in some other way. The courses’ size is indicated in ECTS credits;
• Exams and tests awarded credit for;
• The examination language if the exam has been taken in a foreign language;
• The achieved marks according to the seven-point grading scale as well as the equivalent letter according to the ECTS-scale and optionally the total examination result;
• The title the graduate is entitled to use in Danish and English.

University bachelor’s programme

The university issues a diploma for successfully completed university bachelor’s programmes. The diploma must at least state:

• The name of the graduate and his or her civil registration number;
• The name of the institution;
• The name of the education programme in Danish/Latin and English;
• The prescribed period of study indicated in ECTS credits;
• The courses in which exams have been taken or which have been documented in some other way. The courses’ size is indicated in ECTS credits;
• Exams and tests awarded credit for;
• The examination language if the exam has been taken in a foreign language;
• The achieved marks according to the seven-point grading scale and the equivalent letter according to the ECTS-scale;
• A competence profile that describes the education programme.

Diploma Supplement

In addition to the diploma, it is compulsory for all higher education institutions to issue a Diploma Supplement in English to all students obtaining a degree. The Diploma Supplement contains information on the nature, level, context, content and status of the qualification as well as a description of the Danish higher education structure.

References

Bibliography

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2008: Qualifications Framework for Danish Higher Education. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2017: Project-based courses – bridge building between university and business (Projektorienterede forløb - Brobygning mellem universitet og virksomhed). [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2020: Diploma Supplement. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2022a: Degrees and qualifications. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2022b: General organisation and administration. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2022c: Professional bachelor programmes. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2023a: The admission system in Denmark. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2023b: The University Bachelor’s degree and the Master’s degree. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Legislation and official policy documents

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2021: Ministerial Order on exams and tests at university programmes (Bekendtgørelse om eksamener og prøver ved universitetsuddannelser), BEK no 2271 of 01/12/2021. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2022: Ministerial Order on exams and tests at professional- and business-oriented higher education (Bekendtgørelse om eksamener og prøver ved professions- og erhvervsrettede videregående uddannelser), BEK no 863 of 14/07/2022. [Accessed 5 April 2023]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024a: Ministerial Order on access to university education programmes organised as full-time (Bekendtgørelse om adgang til universitetsuddannelser tilrettelagt på heltid), BEK no 51 of 14/01/2024. [Accessed 28 November 2024]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2024b: Ministerial Order on access to academy profession programme and professional bachelor education programme (Bekendtgørelse om adgang til erhvervsakademiuddannelser og professionsbacheloruddannelser), BEK no 56 of 10/01/2024. [Accessed 28 November 2024]