Five different types of educational institutions offer higher education:

1. Business academies offering professionally oriented short cycle and first cycle degree programmes;
2. University colleges offering professionally oriented first cycle degree programmes;
3. Maritime education and training institutions offering professionally oriented short cycle and first cycle degree programmes;
4. University level institutions offering first, second and third cycle degree programmes in subject fields such as architecture, design, music, and fine and performing arts;
5. General and specialised research universities offering first, second and third cycle degree programmes in academic disciplines.

The higher education programmes include academy profession programmes, professional bachelor’s programmes, maritime education programmes, fine arts programmes, and university level programmes (Bachelor’s programmes, Master’s programmes and PhD programmes).

Public higher education institutions are regulated by national legislation. The following acts are the main acts regulating the higher education programmes and institutions:

• The Act on Academy Profession Programmes and Professional Bachelor Programmes regulates the programmes offered at business academies and university colleges;
• The Act on Business Academies for Higher Education regulates the business academies;
• The Act on University Colleges for Higher Education regulates the university colleges;
• The Act on Maritime Education Programmes regulates the maritime education and training programmes and institutions;
• The Act on Higher Artistic Education Institutions regulates the university level institutions offering programmes in artistic subject fields and their programmes;
• The Act on Universities regulates the universities and the programmes they offer.

The decision on when to begin the academic year lies with the higher education institutions. Normally, the academic year lasts from 1 September to 31 August and is divided into two main semesters: the autumn semester, which begins in early September and the spring semester, which begins in early February. Some programmes are divided into four intervals instead of two. For more information on the organisation of the academic year, please visit: The organisation of the academic year in Europe 2021/22.

References

Bibliography

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2020: Danish higher education system – short description. [Accessed 10 June 2022]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2022: The Danish Education System. [Accessed 10 June 2022]

Legislation and Official Policy documents

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019: Act on Academy Profession Programmes and Professional Bachelor Programmes (Bekendtgørelse af lov om erhvervsakademier og professionsbacheloruddannelser), LBK nr. 1343 af 10/12/2019 [Accessed 13 June 2022]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019: Act on Business Academies for Higher Education (Bekendtgørelse af lov om erhvervsakademier for videregående uddannelser), LBK nr. 786 af 08/08/2019 [Accessed 13 June 2022]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019: Act on Higher Artistic Education Institutions  (Bekendtgørelse af lov om videregående kunstneriske uddannelsesinstitutioner), LBK nr. 787 af 08/08/2019 [Accessed 13 June 2022]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019: Act on Maritime Education programmes (Bekendtgørelse af lov om maritime uddannelser), LBK nr. 781 af 08/08/2019 [Accessed 13 June 2022]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019: Act on Universities (Bekendtgørelse af lov om universiteter (universtitetsloven), LBK nr. 778 af 07/08/2019 [Accessed 13 June 2022]

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2019: Act on University Colleges for Higher Education (Bekendtgørelse af lov om professionshøjskoler for videregående uddannelser), LBK nr. 779 af 08/08/2019 [Accessed 13 June 2022]