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Ministerial Order on Professional Master’s Degree Programmes at Universities (Professional Master’s Programme Order)

 

In the event of any inconsistency between the Danish and English language versions of the document, the Danish version prevails

 

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation's Ministerial Order No. 1187 of 7 December 2009 on Professional Master's Degree Programmes at Universities (Professional Master's Programme Order)

Pursuant to section 8(1) and section 34(1) of the Danish Act on Universities (the University Act) (Universitetsloven), see Ministerial Order No. 985 of 21 October 2009, and section 11(2), section 14(4), section 15(5) and section 19(i)(a) of the Danish Act on Vocational Basic Training and Further Adult Education (Further Education System for Adults) (Lov om erhvervsrettet grunduddannelse og videregående uddannelse (videreuddannelsessystemet) for voksne), see Ministerial Order No. 1049 of 9 November 2009, the following provisions are laid down:

Part 1

Overall objectives of the degree programmes

1.-(1) Professional Master’s degree programmes (masteruddannelser) are research-based higher education degree programmes within the continuing education system for adults which offer students with practical work experience and a prior educational background an advanced degree within a specialised area or in a wider perspective within one or more fields of study.

2.-(1) A professional Master’s degree programme shall provide students with the research-based knowledge, skills and competences required to perform highly qualified professional functions in companies, institutions etc. The individual professional Master’s degree programme shall ensure that the student is able to apply the  methodologies and concepts proper to the field of study in question when

i) assessing and solving theoretical and practical problems,

ii) communicating complex arguments and proposed solutions within the field covered by the programme to both peers and non-specialists,

iii) managing and developing complex work situations,

iv) independently establishing collaboration within and across his or her field, and

v) taking responsibility for his or her own professional development.

(2) The academic regulations for the individual professional Master’s degree programme shall specify the purpose of the individual professional Master’s programme.

3.-(1) A professional Master’s degree programme under a continuing education scheme shall be completed at a level corresponding to that of a Master’s programme (candidatus) (kandidatuddannelse).

(2) A professional Master’s degree programme shall constitute an independent, complete study programme.

Part 2

Structure, etc.

4.-(1) A university may offer professional Master’s degree programmes under this ministerial order once the programmes have been accredited by the Accreditation Council, see the Danish Act on the Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (Lov om Akkrediteringsinstitutionen for videregående uddannelser).

5.-(1) Graduates of a professional Master’s degree programme shall have the right to employ the Danish title ‘master i’ followed by the subject in which the degree is awarded (in Danish). In English: ‘Master of’ followed by the subject in which the degree is awarded (in English).

(2) The accreditation in accordance with section 4 shall contain the academic title bestowed on a graduate of the degree programme in Danish and in English. The academic titles as well as any abbreviations thereof shall be incorporated in the academic regulations.

6.-(1) A professional Master’s degree programme shall be offered according to the regulations on part-time study programmes.

(2) The programme is equivalent to 60 ECTS credits, corresponding to one year of full-time study.

(3) The programme shall be organised in the form of part-time instruction within a time frame of up to three years, but may also be organised as full-time instruction within a time frame of one year.

(4) In the academic regulations for the individual degree programme, the university shall lay down rules regarding the deadline for the student’s completion of the programme after having started the programme.

7.-(1) The programme shall be organised into subject element-based modules which cover an element or a group of elements of the subject area.

(2) A module shall cover a subject element or a group of subject elements, the purpose of which is to provide the student with  a broad range of qualifications in the field in question within a specified time frame expressed in ECTS points. Modules are concluded by one or more examinations held during the examination periods specified and defined in the academic regulations.

8.-(1) The university shall offer applicants guidance and information concerning admission to professional Master’s degree programmes and shall offer student guidance to students on the programmes during the course of their studies.

Part 3

Admissions requirements, etc.

9.-(1) Admission to the degree programmes is conditional upon the applicant having completed at minimum

i) a relevant Danish Bachelor’s degree programme,

ii) a relevant Danish professional Bachelor’s degree programme,

iii) a relevant Danish medium-cycle higher education degree programme,

iv) a relevant Danish diploma programme followed as a regulated course of study, or

v) a relevant foreign degree programme at the same level.

(2) In the academic regulations for the individual degree programme, the university shall lay down rules on the requirements for the relevant educational and academic qualifications of the applicant, see subsection (1).

(3) Applicants shall have accumulated a minimum of two years of relevant work experience after having completed the qualifying course of study. In the academic regulations for the individual degree programme, the university shall lay down rules on the requirements for the work experience of the applicant.

(4) The university may admit applicants who do not fulfil the requirements set out in subsection (1), but who, on the basis of an individual assessment, are deemed to have equivalent educational qualifications, including applicants who have completed a diploma programme as a flexible course of study. The university may require that the applicant pass supplementary examinations by to the date set for the commencement of studies.

10.-(1) The university decides how many students it wishes to admit on the individual degree programme unless the Danish University and Property Agency specifies an annual maximum admission capacity.

(2) The range of professional Master's degree programmes offered by the university shall be advertised publicly.

Part 4

Content etc.

11.-(1) In accordance with rules set out in the academic regulations, the individual degree programme shall include:

i) A number of compulsory modules corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS credits which shall constitute the identity and competence profile of the programme.

ii) A final Master’s project corresponding to a minimum of 12 ECTS credits and a maximum of 20 ECTS credits, which documents, within a subject approved by the university, that the level set for the programme has been achieved.

(2) The degree programme may further comprise a number of elective modules or specialisation modules. If the programme is organised to include specialisations, the Master’s project shall be prepared within the specialisation.

Part 5

Examination etc.

12.-(1) With regard to examinations and diplomas, the following ministerial orders are in force:

i) Ministerial Order on University Examinations and Grading (the Examination Order) (Eksamensbekendtgørelsen), see, however, subsection (2).

ii) Ministerial Order on Examiners for Certain Programmes of Higher Education under the Auspices of the Danish Ministry of Education (the External Examination Order) (Censorbekendtgørelsen).

iii) Ministerial Order on the Grading Scale and Other Forms of Assessment of University Education (Grading Scale Order) (Karakterbekendtgørelsen).

(2) For professional Master’s degree programmes governed by the Ministerial Order on Parallel Degree Programmes and Joint Degree Programmes (Bekendtgørelsen om parallelforløb og fællesuddannelse), the provisions on diplomas set out in this order shall also apply to such programmes.

(3) A professional Master’s degree programme under a continuing education scheme shall normally be affiliated with a body of external examiners for an existing Master’s degree programme (candidatus) and shall employ the same body of external examiners as identical or similar Master’s programmes.

Part 6

Academic regulations

13.-(1) Within the framework established by the provisions of this ministerial order, the university shall lay down the specific rules governing each degree programme in the academic regulations.

(2) The academic regulations for the individual degree programme shall contain:

i) The name of the degree programme, including any abbreviation, and the English translation.

ii) Qualifying studies.

iii) Work experience, including the extent of such experience.

iv) Academic profile describing:

a) the aims of the programme and

b) the learning outcomes to be achieved during the programme.

v) Rules on modules, including subject elements:

a) Purpose.

b) Content.

c) Scope expressed in ECTS credits.

d) Instruction and working methods.

e) Chronology (progression of programme components).

f) Prerequisites for participation.

vi) Rules for written assignments, including the Master’s project and its length.

vii) Rules on credit transfer and advance credit transfer, including the possibility of choosing modules which are components in a different professional Master’s degree programme at a university in Denmark or abroad.

viii) Rules regarding the deadline for the student’s completion of the programme after having started the programme.

ix) Any requirements regarding proficiency in foreign language(s) and a description of the level of proficiency required.

x) Credit transfer rules.

(3) The academic regulations shall state which board of studies and which body of external examiners the degree programme is governed by.

(4) In addition to the rules laid down in accordance with this ministerial order, the academic regulations shall contain rules laid down in accordance with the Examination Order and the Grading Scale Order. If some components of the professional Master’s degree programme may or must be completed at foreign universities under an agreement with these on parallel degree programmes (parallelforløb) and joint degree programmes (fællesuddannelse), the academic regulations shall also include rules laid down in accordance with the Ministerial Order on Parallel Degree Programmes and Joint Degree Programmes.

(5) The academic regulations shall state that in exceptional circumstances, the university may grant exemptions from rules in the academic regulations which have been laid down by the university alone.

14.-(1) When preparing academic regulations and substantially revising such academic regulations, the university shall consult with employer panels and shall solicit a statement from the body of external examiners, see the External Examination Order.

(2) The university shall ensure coordination with other universities which offer the same or similar professional Master’s degree programmes before approving or substantially revising academic regulations.

(3) Academic regulations and substantially revisions thereto shall come into force at the beginning of an academic year.

(4) Academic regulations and substantial revisions thereto shall contain the necessary provisions regarding interim arrangements.

(5) Current academic regulations shall be published on the university website.

15.-(1) In order to promote a coherent programme structure for its professional Master’s degree programmes, the university may, within the framework of this ministerial order, lay down joint rules governing the content and organisation of the degree programmes it offers.

Part 7

Other provisions

16.-(1) The university may, either on a case-by-case basis or by laying down general rules, approve the substitution of degree programme elements completed under this ministerial order for degree programme elements in another professional Master’s degree programme under this ministerial order (credit transfer). The university may also approve that completed degree programme elements belonging to another approved Danish professional Master’s degree programme or a similar foreign degree programme be substituted for degree programme elements under this ministerial order.

(2) Credits may not be transferred from a Master’s project from a completed professional Master’s degree programme to a new professional Master’s degree programme.

(3) Decisions under subsection (1) shall be based on an academic evaluation.

17.-(1) The university’s decisions under section 16 regarding denials or partial denials of applications for credit transfer for completed Danish degree programme elements and for advance credit transfer for Danish or foreign degree programme elements may be appealed to a credit transfer board of appeals, see the Ministerial Order on Boards of Appeals for Decisions on Credit Transfer in University Degree Programmes (the Credit Transfer Appeals Board Order) (Meritankenævnsbekendtgørelsen).

(2) The university’s decisions under section 16 regarding denials or partial denials of applications for credit transfer for completed foreign degree programme elements may be appealed to the Qualifications Board, see the Danish Assessment of Foreign Qualifications etc. Act (Lov om vurdering af udenlandske uddannelseskvalifikationer).

18.-(1) Special rules regarding the administration of professional Master’s degree programmes may be laid down in the university’s by-laws.

19.-(1) The Danish University and Property Agency may permit deviations from the ministerial order on a trial basis. The duration and reporting form of the experiment shall be fixed at the same time.

20.-(1) If unusual circumstances apply, the Danish University and Property Agency shall grant an exemption from this ministerial order.

21.-(1) Decisions made by the university pursuant to this ministerial order may be appealed to the Danish University and Property Agency by the person concerned (the complainant), provided that the appeal concerns legal issues. The complainant shall submit the appeal within two weeks after being informed of the decision.

(2) The appeal shall be submitted to the university, after which the university shall make a statement. The complainant shall be given at least one week to comment on the university’s statement. The university shall submit the appeal to the Agency, enclosing the opinion and any comments made by the complainant.

22.-(1) Unless otherwise specified in this ministerial order, the rules set out in the Ministerial Order on Part-time Programmes at Universities (Deltidsbekendtgørelsen) shall apply.

Part 8

Commencement and interim provisions

23.-(1) This ministerial order shall enter into force on 11 December 2009 and shall apply to students enrolling on a professional Master’s degree programme on 1 September 2010 or later.

(2) Students having enrolled on a professional Master’s degree programme before 1 September 2010 shall be entitled to complete the programme according to the rules set out in the previous ministerial orders. The university shall specify when the last examination under these ministerial orders will be held.

(3) The university shall lay down specific interim provisions for students who, in accordance with subsection (2), are entitled to complete the programme according to the previous rules, but who wish to complete the programme according to the rules set out in this ministerial order.

24.-(1) The following ministerial orders are hereby repealed, see, however, subsection (2):

i) Ministerial Order no. 682 of 16 August 2002 on Certain Professional Master’s Programmes at Universities (Bekendtgørelse om visse masteruddannelser ved universiteterne).

ii) Ministerial Order no. 1205 of 15 December 2000 on the Master of Management Development Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master i Management Development).

iii) Ministerial Order no. 950 of 20 October 2000 on the Master of Modern Economics (MME) Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master i Modern Economics (MME)).

iv) Ministerial Order no. 792 of 21 August 2000 on the Master of Computer-Mediated Communication (MMC) Programme at Roskilde University (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master i Computer-Mediated Communication (MMC) ved Roskilde Universitetscenter).

v) Ministerial Order no. 790 of 21 August 2000 on the Master of Upper Secondary School Educational Theory and Practice Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelse til Master i Gymnasiepædagogik).

vi) Ministerial Order no. 787 of 21 August 2000 on the Master of English Technical Communication (MTC) Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master i Engelsk Teknisk Kommunikation (MTC)).

vii) Ministerial Order no. 246 of 5 April 2000 on the Master of International Health (MIH) Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of International Health (MIH)).

viii) Ministerial Order no. 43 of 20 January 2000 on the Master of Learning Processes Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master i Læreprocesser).

ix) Ministerial Order no. 1053 of 16 December 1999 on the Master of Language Administration (MLA) Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of Language Administration (MLA)).

x) Ministerial Order no. 925 of 13 December 1999 on the Master’s Programme on Fire Safety (Bekendtgørelse om masteruddannelsen i brandsikkerhed).

xi) Ministerial Order no. 679 of 23 August 1999 on the Master of Information Technology Programme under the IT-Vest Collaboration (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master i informationsteknologi under IT-Vest-samarbejdet).

xii) Ministerial Order no. 519 of 3 July 1998 on the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Programmes (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of Business Administration (MBA) og Master of Public Administration (MPA)).

xiii) Ministerial Order no. 156 of 19 February 1998 on the Master of Information Technology (MI) Programme at Aalborg University (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of Information Technology (MI) ved Aalborg Universitet).

xiv) Ministerial Order no. 666 of 19 August 1997 on the Technology Management Programme (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelse i teknologiledelse).

xv) Ministerial Order no. 639 of 31 July 1997 on the Master of Multimedia Science (MMS) and Master of Multimedia Arts (MMA) Programmes at Aarhus University (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of Multimedia Science (MMS) og Master of Multimedia Arts (MMA) ved Aarhus Universitet).

xvi) Ministerial Order no. 74 of 28 January 1997 on the Master of Public Management (MPM) Programme at Odense University (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of Public Management (MPM) ved Odense Universitet).

xvii) Ministerial Order no. 774 of 22 August 1996 on the Technical Environmental Manager Programme at the Technical University of Denmark (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til teknisk miljøleder ved Danmarks Tekniske Universitet).

xviii) Ministerial Order no. 772 of 22 August 1996 on the Master of Public Policy (MPP) Programme at Roskilde University (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelsen til Master of Public Policy (MPP) ved Roskilde Universitetscenter).

xix) Ministerial Order no. 770 of 22 August 1996 on the Master of Technology Management (MTM) Programme with Specialisation in Geo Informatics and the Master of Technology Management (MTM) Programme with Specialisation in Cadastral Administration at Aalborg University (Bekendtgørelse om uddannelse til Master of Technology Management (MTM) med specialisering i Geo Informatics (Geo Informatik) og Master of Technology Management (MTM) med specialisering i Cadastral Administration (Matrikulær Informatik) ved Aalborg Universitet).

(2) The ministerial orders named in subsection (1) shall continue to apply, however, until this ministerial order takes effect under section 23.

The Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation, 7 December 2009

Helge Sander

/ Gertie Lund