03 - Danmark - Specific legislative framework

Short- and medium cycle higher education

In general the Ministry of Education is responsible for short- and medium-cycle higher education. The legislation contains general provisions regarding the aims and framework of education, funding, structure and in some cases curricula, examinations and staffing.

The legislative basis for the short-cycle non-university education programmes(KVU) is the Act on Short-Cycle Education ("29/12/1997 Lov om korte videregående uddannelser (erhvervsakademiuddannelser") (the vocational academy programmes) of 1997, which authorises the Ministry to lay down regulations for the programmes.

The legislative basis for the medium-cycle non-university education programmes(MVU) at institutions placed under the Ministry of Education is the new Act on Medium-Cycle Non-University Education of 2000 ("31/05/2000 Lov om mellemlange videregående uddannelser"), which authorises the Ministry of Education to lay down regulations for the programmes.

The act provides the medium-cycle non-university higher education programmes with a common framework. The purpose of the new legislation is to improve the possibilities to develop the quality of the already existing education programmes, and to develop new programmes in order to respond to the changing needs of the employment market.

Long-cycle higher education:

The legislative framework for the study programmes at universities is "the Act of Universities" of 2006 ("LBK nr. 280 af 21/03/2006 – Bekendtgørelse af lov om universiteter"). "The Act of Universities" authorises the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation to lay down general regulations for the programmes at university, such as titles and admission. "The University Act" does not contain any provisions regarding the structure and content of the programmes. The Act contains general provision regarding the general structure of programmes ie. Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. etc.

"The Act of Universities" is supplemented by a number of ministerial orders, such as " the Ministerial Order on University Admission" (Adgangsbekendtgørelsen - BEK nr. 362 af 20/05/2005), which lays down the overall conditions for admission on Bachelor and Master level, "the Ministerial order on Bachelor and Master’s programmes (candidates) at universities" (Uddannelsesbekendtgørelsen - BEK nr. 338 af 06/05/2004), which describes the overall objectives for the different Bachelor and Master programmes at university and "The Ministerial Order on University Examinations" (Eksamensbekendtgørelsen - BEK nr. 867 af 19/08/2004), which lays down the overall conditions for university tests and examinations on Bachelor and Master level.

Provisions concerning the PhD-degree are found in ministerial order no. 114 of 8 March 2002 (BEK nr. 280 af 21/03/2006) on the PhD-degree and in the supplementary provisions, which the individual faculties and subjects have formulated in general study programmes in each of their respective areas.