Education System in Denmark

School education:

Basic education comprises primary and lower secondary education and lasts for nine or ten years (the 10th year is optional). Upon completion of Class 9 or 10 of the Folkeskole pupils may go on to upper secondary school. The 3-year Gymnasium programme is the traditional general upper secondary programme. General upper secondary school and the more vocationally-oriented programmes "Højere Handelseksamen" (HHX) or "Højere Teknisk Eksamen" (HTX) qualify students for higher education. HHX and HTX also prepare for employment in trade and industry - usually in training positions. Vocational programmes are mainly Erhvervsuddannelse (Vocational Education and Training, VET) and prepare directly for specific jobs. In addition, most VET programmes qualify students for direct admission to one or more short-cycle professional higher education programmes. Approximately 30-50% of the time is spent at school and 50-70% is spent as a trainee or apprentice in a business enterprise. Other vocational programmes are basic social and health education programmes (SOSU) and agricultural, forestry, home economics and maritime programmes. Education is largely the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. It shares control of the Gymnasium and Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF) with the country councils and school or course boards. It is responsible for setting up the framework for curricula at primary and secondary education level. However, the contents of the courses are established by the schools (with their boards) and finalized by the teachers with their pupils. Vocational education and training is controlled by the Ministry of Education with the social partners as important parties.

Higher education:

Higher education comprises a university sector and a college sector, i.e. the professionally-oriented higher education sector. The university sector includes 12 universities, 5 of which are multi-faculty universities. The others are specialized in Engineering, IT, Education, Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture, Pharmacy or Business Studies. In addition, there are 13 specialist university-level institutions in architecture, art, music, etc. The university sector offers programmes at three levels: Bachelor's Degree (3 years of study), the Candidatus Degree (i.e. Master's Degree, normally 2 years following upon the Bachelor's Degree) and the Ph.D. Degree (normally 3 years' study after the Candidatus Degree). The universities also award the traditional higher Doctoral Degree (dr. phil., dr. scient etc) after a minimum of 5-8 years' individual and original research. Study programmes of the university sector are research-based. The college sector comprises approximately 100 specialized institutions of higher education offering professionally-oriented programmes: a) The Academy Profession Degree (AP degree) (Danish title: profession +(AK)) is awarded after two years of study (120 ECTS points) b) the Professional Bachelor's degree is awarded after 3 to 4 1/2 years of study (180-270 ECTS points) at the level corresponding to that of university Bachelor's programmes. Colleges offering professional Bachelor's Degrees have merged into more comprehensive Centres for Higher Education (Centre for Videregående Uddannelse (CVU)). As from 2005, CVUs fulfilling certain quality criteria may be awarded the label of University College. Colleges offering Academy Profession degrees have formed Academies of Professional Higher Education (Erhvervsakademier) as a framework for regional cooperation. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is responsible for university education except for certain higher education programmes which come under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (e.g. Architecture, Music, Fine Arts, and Librarianship). The Ministry of Education is responsible for short- and medium-cycle higher education. The legislation covers the aims and framework of education, funding and in some cases curricula, examinations and staffing. Higher education institutions are publicly financed and State-regulated. The quality of higher education is ensured by ministerial approval of new programmes and institutions, external examiners and an evaluation system. Although they have institutional autonomy, institutions must follow general regulations concerning teacher qualifications, award structures, study programmes and quality assurance. The relevant Ministries approve new programmes. The Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA) is responsible for external quality assurance. Its evaluations form the basis for accreditation of Professional Bachelor's programmes and private sector programmes in order to make their students eligible for State study grants. The use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) became mandatory in all higher education study programmes on September 1st, 2001, the use of the Diploma Supplement on September 1st, 2002.

Main laws/decrees governing higher education:

Decree: Bekendtgørelse af lov om åben uddannelse (erhvervsrettet voksenuddannelse) m.v. (LBK n°956) Year: 2003

Concerns: Institutions offering adult and continuing education

Decree: Bekendtgørelse af lov om Centre for Videregående Uddannelse og andre selvejende institutioner for videregående uddannelser m.v. (LBK n°1256) Year: 2004

Concerns: Centres for Higher Education/University Colleges

Decree: Bekendtgørelse af lov om Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut (LBK n°905) Year: 2000

Concerns: Quality assurance

Decree: Bekendtgørelse af lov om uddannelse af lærere til folkeskolen (LBK n° 981) Year: 2000

Concerns: Institutions that train Folkeskole teachers

Decree: Bekendtgørelse af lov om uddannelse af pædagoger (LBK n° 980) Year: 2000

Concerns: Institutions that train pre-school teachers and educators

Decree: Bekendtgørelse af lov om vurdering af udenlandske uddannelseskvalifikationer m.v. (LBK n°74) Year: 2003

Concerns: Assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications

Decree: Bekendtgørelse om adgang m.v. ved bachelor-og kandidatuddannelser ved universiteterne (BEK n°362) Year: 2005

Concerns: Universities

Decree: Bekendtgørelse om adgang, indskrivning og orlov m.v. ved visse videregående uddannelser (BEK n° 149) Year: 2006

Concerns: Higher education institutions under the Ministry of Education

Decree: Bekendtgørelse om bachelor- og kandidatuddannelser ved universiteterne (BEK n° 338) Year: 2004

Concerns: Universities and other university level institutions

Decree: Bekendtgørelse om ph.d.-uddannelsen og ph.d.-graden (BEK n° 114) Year: 2002

Concerns: Universities

Decree: Lov om adgangsregulering ved videregående uddannelser (LOV n°319) Year: 1990

Concerns: Nearly all institutions of higher education

Decree: Lov om erhvervsrettet grunduddannelse og videregående uddannelse (videreuddannelsessystemt) for voksne (LOV n° 488) Year: 2000

Concerns: Institutions offering adult education

Decree: Lov om korte videregående uddannelser (erhvervsakademiuddannelser) (LOV n°1115 Year: 1997

Concerns: Short-cycle higher education institutions

Decree: Lov om mellemlange videregående uddannelser (LOV n°481) Year: 2000

Concerns: Medium-cycle higher education institutions

Decree: Lov om universiteter (universitetsloven) (LOV N°403) Year: 2003

Concerns: Universities

Academic year:

Classes from: Sep to: Jun

Long vacation from: 1 Jul to: 31 Aug

Languages of instruction: Danish, English

Stages of studies:

Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type):

Non-university level:

Short-cycle higher education includes programmes mainly in the commercial and technical fields. The programmes normally take two years and they build either on relevant vocational education and training (plus adequate general upper secondary courses) or on general upper secondary education/commercial and technical upper secondary education. They have the common designation of erhvervsakademiuddannelse (Academy profession programmes). These programmes qualify the student to carry out practical, vocational tasks on an analytical basis and may lead to employment in middle-management positions. Apart from theoretical subjects, programmes are usually completed with a three-month project. Students may, on certain conditions, be awarded credits when they continue in a medium- or long-cycle higher education programme.Medium-cycle professional higher education includes programmes within the technical, educational, social, creative and health-related fields. Diplomas are awarded after a 3- to 4-year programme at a level corresponding to that of university Bachelor's programmes. The medium-cycle programmes provide students with theoretical knowledge, as well as knowledge of its application to professions and industries. They normally include periods of practical studies and require the submission of a project/project paper. Having satisfied a number of criteria such as links to research and development, most of these programmes now lead to the Professional Bachelor's degree (Professionsbachelor). Most programmes give access to further studies in the same field, typically a Master's programme (adult education) or, on certain conditions, a specific Candidatus programme.

University level studies:

University level first stage: Bachelorgrad (B.A or B.Sc):

Undergraduate study takes 3 years and leads to the award of a Bachelor's Degree. The degree is awarded by the universities/specialized higher education institutions upon completion of a research-based study programme concentrating from the first year on the major subject area chosen for the degree. It includes a project work usually of some two months' duration. All Bachelor programmes must follow the same national standards and there are no classifications in honours/ordinary programmes. The study programmes do not include components that could be classified as liberal arts. The Bachelor programmes qualify for occupational functions and for studies for the candidatus degree. At the universities of Aalborg and Roskilde, the Bachelor programmes begin with a one- respectively two-year general studies programme (basisuddannelse) in either the Humanities or Social, Technical or Natural Sciences. In Business Administration, part of the Bachelor programmes lead to the award of the Handelshøjskolens Afgangsprøve (HA).

University level second stage: Kandidatgrad/Candidatus (cand.+ field of study, in English: usually MA or MSc + field), Magistergrad (Mag.Art.):

The Candidatus Degree (Master's Degree) can be obtained at universities and other specialized research-based institutions of higher education. In most fields of study admission requires a Bachelor's Degree in the same field of study. The degree is normally awarded after a total of 5 years of study: the Bachelor's Degree (3 years) and a 2-year Candidatus programme with the exceptions of Medicine (3 years) and Veterinary Medicine (2 1/2 years). Independent research activities are an important part of the Candidatus programme. The speciale/candidatus thesis is a major requirement and requires six months to one year's full-time study. The Magister Artium (rare) is awarded on completion of three years' research-oriented study after the Bachelor's Degree and public defence of a thesis in certain fields of the Humanities.

University level third stage: PhD grad:

A PhD Degree can be obtained at universities and other research-based institutions of higher education. The typical PhD programme is a 3-year programme after the Candidatus Degree. The programme must include a scientific project, participation in research programmes and seminars corresponding to six months' work, experience in teaching or other kinds of communication of research results, mobility to ensure experience from working in two or more active research groups (Mobility abroad is given high priority) and finally public defence of the PhD thesis. Music Academies offer a specialist degree in 2 to 4 years following the candidatus degree.

University level fourth stage: Doktorgrad (Dr + field of study):

The Danish Doctoral Degree is an advanced degree obtained after five to eight years of original and outstanding research. It is awarded after public defence of a thesis. There is no formal study programme.

Teacher education:

Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers

Training of social educators for nurseries, kindergartens and the pre-school class is offered at educator training colleges/centres for higher education. The programme takes 3 1/2 years and leads to the award of the Bachelor in Social Education (professionsbachelor som pædagog). Training of primary and lower secondary teachers is offered at teacher training colleges/centres for higher education. Students are trained for teaching throughout the entire Folkeskole, which is a combined primary and lower secondary school. The programme takes 4 years and leads to the award of the bachelor of Education ( professionbachelor som folkeskolelærer). Further training of Folkeskole teachers takes place at the Danish University of Education.

Training of secondary school teachers

In order to obtain permanent appointment, teachers in general upper secondary education are required to hold a Candidatus (Master's) degree, normally in two subjects (major/minor) and to have completed a 2-year supplementary course (pædagogikum) which includes further studies in the minor of the two university subjects, educational theory and in-service teaching practice. Teachers in the hhx and htx programmes must hold a Candidatus (Master's) degree and have completed a teacher training course in addition to qualifications depending on the type of subjects they are to teach. Teachers of specialized subjects must have a minimum of 2 years' relevant work experience.

Training of higher education teachers

Teachers in higher education institutions must hold a degree at least equivalent to the level at which they are to teach. In addition, they must hold qualifications for teaching the subjects in question which may be earned, for example, through research work, professional experience or periods abroad.

Non-traditional studies:

Distance higher education

Some programmes of open education (see section below) are offered as distance education. Students meet with their teachers and co-students for two or three sessions per semester. The educational institution provides the syllabus, exercises and guidance. Distance education may also be Internet-based.

Lifelong higher education

The Open Education scheme comprises all vocationally oriented programmes from basic vocational education and training to long cycle higher education programmes, as well as short, condensed courses. It is possible to follow courses at one's own pace. Participants can choose to follow particular subjects or modules or to complete an entire course. Teaching may take place in the daytime, in the evening, at week-ends or as distance learning. Institutions can offer all or parts of the courses they are entitled to offer. Open education confers the same qualifications as the corresponding courses taken under other forms. Entire courses and single subjects offered under the open education scheme may lead to a fully recognized diploma. Admission requirements are the same as for the corresponding full-time courses. Adult Education and Continuing Training Programmes are available at all levels of education. Higher education qualifications are offered at three levels: Videregående voksenuddannelse (advanced adult education) comparable to the short-cycle higher education level; Diplomuddannelse (Diploma programmes) comparable to medium-cycle higher education/Bachelor's Degree level; Masteruddannelse (Master programmes) comparable to long-cycle higher education/Candidatus (Master's) Degree level. Most programmes consist of two years' part-time study, equivalent to one year's full-time study. Admission requirements are a relevant prior qualification and at least two years' professional experience. Institutions may accept applicants on the basis of other relevant qualifications.