By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
File photo: William Brændstrup

Aalborg University has a plan:

• Eight one-year Master's programmes of 75 ECTS credits –
•  of these, three completely new programmes and five already existing programmes that are fully or partially restructured with effect from 2028.
• A halt to new student intake to 14 Master's degree programmes in 2028-2031 and two Bachelor's degree programmes in 2026.
• Forty degree programmes in 2028 will be offered both as ordinary Master's programmes of two years' duration and as three-year Master's programmes for working professionals, while three programmes will be offered as other types of Master's programmes for working professionals.  

These are some of the consequences of the Master's programme reform at AAU with the Executive Management’s adoption of AAU's institutional plan describing the framework for the types of Master's programmes for future students at AAU as of 2028. 

Robust and relevant programmes are the goal

The Executive Management's draft institutional plan was discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the Main Joint Consultation Committee on 15 May. Pro-rector Anne Marie Kanstrup is pleased that AAU can now submit a thorough, well-prepared plan to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.

"The Master's programme reform was not our idea but it is a reality. Therefore, it is our obligation to create robust and relevant degree programmes with clear profiles and high academic quality. The degree programmes must be attractive to both our future Master's students and their future employers," says Pro-rector Anne Marie Kanstrup.

In the new three-year Master's programmes for working professionals, students have one full academic year at the university after which they work part-time in a company and study part-time for the next two years. In as many as 40 degree programmes – primarily engineering programmes – this option will be offered as of 2028.

"I look forward to the dialogue with the companies. We have chosen to offer a wide range of Master’s programmes for working professionals so that companies can get exactly the specialized labour that they need," says Anne Marie Kanstrup.

The future and the next steps

By 23 May, AAU will send the overall institutional plan for AAU's programme landscape up to 2028 to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The plan does not need to be formally approved by the ministry, but the parties to the agreement will discuss the universities' institutional plans at a meeting in mid-June.

The first of the new Master's programmes will be offered for the 2028 intake. The changes will therefore only affect students who have started their studies in 2025 or later. Students who apply for admission to a Bachelor's programme at AAU in 2025 will be guaranteed admission to one of AAU's Master's programmes. AAU's website indicates which Master's programmes the individual Bachelor's programmes give access to.

The affected environments have been informed of changes and closures. To the question of whether the plan will result in staff adjustments, the pro-rector says that it is too early to answer. 

"We have no current plans for dismissals. It is too early to say what will happen in 2028," says the pro-rector.

Once the final institutional plan has been submitted, the work of translating the overall lines of the reform into practice will begin at AAU. On 24 June, two of the university's working groups kick off their work of proposing a framework and inspiration for how the academic environments can develop new 75-ECTS credit Master's programmes and Master's programmes for working professionals. This will be done based on AAU's pedagogical principles for problem- and project-based learning and within the framework set by the politicians.

The groups are broadly composed with representatives from the learning environments. The two working groups are expected to complete their work by the end of 2025. After this, the academic environments begin developing the individual programmes. 

AAU will annually update parts of the institutional plan as more specific plans are made for the new programme landscape, and it has been politically decided that the Master's reform will be evaluated in 2028.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the next steps of implementing the Master's programme reform at AAU – including the work in the working groups – please contact project manager Vibeke Pedersbæk, Head of Section, Study Service.

Questions about the specific programmes may be directed to the relevant heads of department.

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs