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Roskilde University launches 30 new Master’s programmes

30 new study programmes are to replace Roskilde University’s more than 150 current Master’s subject combinations. This is intended to strengthen the quality of the programmes and raise their academic profile in the eyes of the outside world.
Studerende
The cornerstones of Roskilde University’s new Master’s programmes – interdisciplinarity and problem-oriented project learning – have been given a boost. Archive photo of students at Roskilde University.

From next year, Danish and international Bachelor students will be able to apply for admission to Master’s programmes such as ‘Social Psychology and Learning’, ‘Molecular Health Science’, ‘Global and Development Studies’ or ‘Communication’ at Roskilde University.

With the new Master’s programmes, the university will in future be offering 30 interdisciplinary Master’s programmes, instead of the previous combination Master’s programmes, in which students could choose to combine two subjects. The new programme structure will make it even clearer to both students and employers what kind of academic profile the RU Master’s graduates will have when they enter the employment market.

”The world is changing, and so are our programmes. We’re taking the best aspects of our educational cornerstones – interdisciplinarity and problem-oriented project learning – and turning it up a notch. At Roskilde University, you study because you want to make a difference to the world. At the same time, we’re sharpening the academic profiles of the graduates of RU’s Master’s programmes with a focus on the transition to the employment market,” says the university’s rector, Hanne Leth Andersen.

Concerning the difference from the previous Master’s programmes, she explains:

“The previous programme structure with 156 subject combinations created great flexibility and unique subject combination possibilities for students. It was fantastic in many ways. But the structure and the many combinations could sometimes become complex and unclear. We are very much looking forward to welcoming students to the 30 new deeply socially relevant programmes, which will also be a boost for Region Zealand.”

The business world needs new knowledge, innovative thinking and employees who can independently solve complex problems. The Master’s programmes at Roskilde University are an important contribution to ensuring that in Denmark, we educate graduates who can deliver precisely that.

The new Master’s programmes are the result of a comprehensive reform process that has been underway at Roskilde University for the past year and a half. Representatives from the business world and Roskilde University’s Advisory Board, together with RU researchers and education specialists, have contributed to the development of the 30 new Master’s programmes.

“I’m very pleased, both as a citizen and as a business executive, that the new Master’s programmes are now a reality at Roskilde University. The business world needs new knowledge, innovative thinking and employees who can independently solve complex problems. The Master’s programmes at Roskilde University are an important contribution to ensuring that in Denmark, we educate graduates who can deliver precisely that,” says Thorsten Thormann, Vice President of Research at Leo Pharma and a member of the university’s Advisory Board.

One of the visions behind the new Master’s programmes is also to strengthen the programmes’ links with relevant research, and thereby reinforce their academic professionalism and quality. In practice, this means that research groups and research centres at RU will be more closely linked to the programmes, and that students will be exposed to the latest knowledge in the field.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Science has just approved 28 of the 30 new programmes. The final two programmes are expected to be available from 2023.

You can see the new Master’s programmes at: ruc.dk

Further information

For further information, please contact:
Hanne Leth Andersen, Rector, ha@ruc.dk, mobile phone: +45 2778 2838
Camilla Buchardt, Press Officer, camilbu@ruc.dk, mobile phone: +45 2238 8282