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The Curriculum for Master of Science in Engineering (Robot Systems)

Academic Study Board of the Faculty of Engineering
Programme titles:
  • Civilingeniør i robotteknologi
  • Master of Science in Engineering (Robot Systems)
ECTS value: 120
Cities: Odense
Semesters: Autumnx
Effective date: 01-09-2023
Applicable for students enrolled: 01-09-2023

Version: Archive

§ 1 - Description of the Programme

§ 1.1 - Programme

Programme titles

Master of Science in Engineering (Robot Systems) (MSc)

ECTS value

120

Language

Danish, English

Cities

Odense

Level

Master

§ 1.2 - Applicable for students enrolled

01-09-2023

§ 1.3 - Aim of Programme, including any professional profile and specialisations

The purpose of the master's programme is to

  • extend students' professional knowledge and competences and increase their theoretical and methodical qualifications and level of independent work beyond the level attained at the bachelor level.
  • provide students with the opportunity for in-depth academic study via the use of advanced elements of the disciplines and methods of the academic area, including training in scientific work and methodology to develop the student's competences to perform more specialised vocational functions and participate in scientific development work, and
  • to qualify the student for further education, including PhD programmes, cf. the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at Universities.

The master's programme is an independent, complete educational programme, which extends the competence and insights acquired by the student during the bachelor programme.

The master's programme aims to qualify the student to solve complex technical problems, design and implement complex technological products and systems in a social context. The contents of the master's programme aim to provide the student with advanced professional competences within the chosen discipline of engineering and options for further specialisation.

The master's programme is a full-time programme which is rated at 120 ECTS points, corresponding to the work of a full-time student for 22 months; for programmes starting in the spring semester, however, the duration is 24 months. The programme consists of constituent course elements related to the programme's specific professional competences and identity, elective courses and a Master's thesis. 

Graduates with a bachelor degree that includes knowledge and competences similar to those acquired vi a bachelor programme in technical science or engineering are entitled to use the Danish title of civilingeniør, cand.polyt., followed by the title of the specific programme. The English version of the title is Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering - followed by the title of the specific programme.  

§ 1.4 - Didactic and pedagogical basis

The Engineering Education Model of the University of Southern Denmark (DSMI)

The bachelor and master's programmes within the scientific area of engineering are research-based full-degree programmes which qualify the students to independently perform vocational functions on the basis of knowledge and methodical skills within their professional area.

All programmes at the University of Southern Denmark are structured in accordance with the university's leading principles for programmes. For engineering programmes, the principles are put into practice in the educational concept 'The Engineering Education Model of the University of Southern Denmark' or, in Danish, 'Den Syddanske Model for Ingeniøruddannelser', in the following referred to by its official abbreviation, DSMI.

By offering and implementing engineering programmes based on DSMI, the university ensures that engineers who have recently graduated from the university have a high professional standard, based on their mastery of a range of core skills which are in high demand on the labour market as well as in the research community.

A summary of the main points of the education concept is shown below - the complete description of DSMI is available in electronic form at the Faculty's website.

Content and Competences

  • Professional skills are at the centre of the educational activities, and all engineering programmes at the University of Southern Denmark are therefore rooted in research and development environments of a high international standard. Research and development-based tuition is provided at all programme levels to accommodate both the needs of fundamental research and the requirements of practical applied science in close collaboration with business and industry.
  • The programmes aim to foster modern, dyed-in-the-wool engineers. The learning and evaluation environment is therefore based on activating tuition and active learning that stimulates students to think and work in a problem-focused, project-oriented and cross-disciplinary manner. Assignments are accomplished both in teams and independently, and the focus is on innovation and reflection.
  • The programmes are designed to mature students to perform assignments in an international context. During the course of their studies, students experience an environment characterised by international teachers and researchers and fellow students from many countries. The programme framework is organised in such a way as to provide good opportunities to study abroad and students enrolled on study programmes offered in Danish, will be required to attend courses conducted in English.
  • Bachelors from the University of Southern Denmark will have worked in project groups across language and cultural differences.
  • To enhance the graduates' labour market value immediately after graduation, the study programmes incorporate a high level of business relevance. Collaboration with private organisations guarantees that the students' professional competences are put to regular use in a concrete, contemporary context.
  • In the course of their studies, Bachelors from the University of Southern Denmark will have performed project work in collaboration with external organisations.
  • All students are encouraged to think and practise entrepreneurship via a learning and evaluation environment designed to stimulate student enterprise, creativity and responsibility. 
  • Corporate and business understanding are integral elements of the teaching of the Bachelor programmes at the University of Southern Denmark.
  • Bachelors from the University of Southern Denmark have participated in interdisciplinary collaboration projects organised on the basis of a principle of 'Experts in Team Innovation'. This means that the student collaborates with students from other engineering disciplines or other study programmes on the solution of a complex, interdisciplinary problem in close collaboration with an external organisation.

Structure and Learning Environment

In overall terms, the interplay between programme structure, skills acquisition and the learning and evaluation environment of the engineering programmes at the University of Southern Denmark may be described as follows: 

  • In the practical planning of the programme content, significant emphasis has been placed on ensuring that the forms of tuition and examination are both relevant and contemporary and support students' acquisition of core skills. In doing so, efforts are made to proviede a highly dynamic study environment, where each individual student is expected to play an active role and assume responsibility for his or her own learning. The student will 'learn to learn' so that he or she will later be able to quickly embrace new and complex problems, just as the student will be encouraged throughout the programme to practise both independent and co-operative thinking. 
  • In order to strengthen both the professional contemplation and application of acquired skills as well as the individual's continued motivation for developing professionally and personally on a labour market characterised by rapid change, the educational concept deliberately seeks to integrate both specific technical and broader general engineering skills. 
  • With DSMI, the University of Southern Denmark offers an attractive and relevant study programme with good immediate work prospects. The keywords are activating tuition and active learning put into practice through project-oriented collaboration and problem-based learning. The purpose is to foster dyed-in-the-wool engineers with a high level of professional skills and the optimum basis for continued personal and professional development.

§ 2 - Enrollment

§ 2.1 - Legal claim for admission

Following degree has automatic claim for admission:  
  • BSc in Engineering (Robot Systems) – University of Southern Denmark 

§ 2.2 - Qualifying degrees

The university has assessed that the below degrees qualify for admission. 

BEng in Engineering (Robot Systems) – University of Southern Denmark provided that the following subject content is included in the elective part of the bachelor program or is supplemented: 

  • Numerical Methods (RD-NUM4), 5 ECTS
  • From admission 2023, in addition, one of the following three courses is required:
    • Multivariate mathematics for roboticists (RD-MMR), 5 ECTS
    • Modelling and Simulation of Electrical and Electromechanical Dynamic Systems (E-MSDS ) - (Summer School), 5 ECTS 
    • Deep Learning (DM568) - (Summer School) 5 ECTS

BSc/BEng in Engineering (Mechatronics) – University of Southern Denmark provided that the following subject content is included in the elective part of the bachelor program or is supplemented:

  • Real Time Operating System (MC-RTOS), 5 ECTS
  • Advanced Programming (MC-ADP), 5 ECTS
  • Digital Design and Signal Processing (MC-DDS), 5 ECTS
  • One of the two following courses:
        - Robotics: Fundamentals and Applications (XSR-ROB) - (Summer School), 5 ECTS
        - Machine Learning (MC-MLE), 5 ECTS
If your degree is not on the list or your degree does not have the mentioned electives, please refer to the specific entry requirements in the below paragraph.

§ 2.3 - Entry requirements

2. To be considered for admission, applicants must have a relevant Bachelor of Science degree, Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, or Bachelor of Engineering degree. 

For a degree to be relevant, it must be in the subject area of robot systems, i.e., electrical engineering, mechatronics, robotics, automation, or data technology and cover the below criteria: 

  • Software development and programming (e.g., software design, software engineering, algorithms, data structures, object-oriented programming) (independent of programming language) 20 ECTS
  • Analogue and digital electronics and embedded programming 15 ECTS
  • Mathematics (e.g., Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Numerical methods) 18 ECTS
  • Physics 5 ECTS
  • Signal processing and control 10 ECTS
  • Robotics related topics (e.g. artificial intelligence or machine learning) 5 ECTS

As of admission 2023 the entry requirements will be changed to the following:

  • Software development and programming (e.g., software design, software engineering, algorithms, data structures, object-oriented programming) (independent of programming language) 20 ECTS
  • Analogue and digital electronics and embedded programming 15 ECTS
  • Mathematics (e.g., Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Numerical methods) 20 ECTS
  • Physics 5 ECTS
  • Signal processing and control 10 ECTS
  • Robotics related topics (e.g. artificial intelligence or machine learning) 5 ECTS

Note that for specific courses to be included in the assessment, they must have been passed as part of or during the bachelor’s degree. Should the constituent courses of the bachelor’s degree not meet all the entry requirements, it is possible to acquire the necessary skills during the bachelor’s degree through elective courses (either as part of your degree or simultaneously with your bachelor’s degree). It is also possible to meet the requirements through supplementary courses after completing the bachelor’s degree. You can supplement your bachelor’s degree with up to 5 ECTS during the first semester of the master’s programme and up to 10 ECTS before study start. For details, please refer to the below paragraph. 

Admission with a foreign degree  

Applicants with a bachelor’s degree from a foreign university who meet the above requirements are eligible for admission subject to an academic assessment and comparison of whether the applicant’s academic qualifications correspond to those of qualifying Danish degree.

Language requirements

English B from a Danish High School with a minimum grade of 2.0 (Danish 7 point grading scale) or an IELTS or TOEFL test with a minimum result of 6.5 in the IELTS test or a minimum result of 88 in the TOEFL test.

Applicants from a country within the European Union or the EEA may not be required to pass an IELTS or a TOEFL test, if they can document that their level of English corresponds with English at B level. The course must be passed with a grade equivalent to a minimum of 2.0 on the Danish grading scale.

For further details, please refer to the University website.

2.1 As a rule, the applicant must apply for admission to a master's programme at the University of Southern Denmark within five years after completing the bachelor's programme.

§ 2.4 - Supplementary courses

Supplementary courses passed before completing the bachelor’s degree
If the applicant has passed supplementary courses before completing the bachelor’s degree and provided the bachelor’s degree and supplementary courses meet the entry requirements, the applicant qualifies for admission. The extent of supplementary courses not included in the bachelor’s degree cannot exceed 30 ECTS points. 

Other supplementary courses 
If the applicant has a relevant bachelor’s degree but does not meet all the entry requirements as defined in §2.3 it is possible to be admitted under the condition that the applicant passes supplementary courses. 

Supplementary courses as part of conditional admission must be taken within a period of six months before study start and six months after study start, i.e., the supplementary courses can be completed before semester start, during the master’s programme or a combination of the two. The total extent of supplementary courses cannot exceed 15 ECTS points. The University does not guarantee that it is always possible to follow supplementary activities within the required subjects. 

Supplementary courses are offered in accordance with the rules on part-time education and course fees are covered by the applicant.

Supplementary courses completed during the first semester of the master’s programme cannot exceed 5 ECTS points and must be passed within the examination period of the ordinary examination. Students will have only two examination attempts in the supplementary course.  

Other supplementary courses must be followed before study start and completed within a deadline stated in the letter of conditional admission. Supplementary course before study start must be passed within the examination period of the ordinary examination and students will have only two examination attempts. Supplementary courses before study start cannot exceed 10 ECTS points. 

§ 3 - Detailed programme specific information

§ 3 - Programme title and profiles

MSc in Robot Systems, 2023, Advanced Robotics Technology (ART)

MSc in Robot Systems, 2023, Drones and Autonomous Systems (DAS)

§ 3.1 - The structure of the programme

The structure of the master programme is such that it is a logical, academic extension of the bachelor programme. The first semester and the second semester contain mandatory courses in each of the four basic research areas, robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and embedded systems. The courses on the first semester are accessible by way of the skills acquired in the areas of mathematics, physics, electronics, and programming on the bachelor programme. Specialization specific courses appear on the first and second semester.

The programme consists of the following elements:
  • Common courses which are mandatory for all students and intended to provide the students with a broad common skills platform within the field of robot systems engineering.
  • Specialization-specific courses that provide the students with the necessary skills of importance to the relevant research areas.
  • Optional courses intended to define the individual student's technical profile and equip the student with the skills required to write a specialised thesis within a given area.
  • The thesis intended to synthesize the student's skills in a specialized contemplation of a particular theme within robot systems engineering.

If the thesis is of an experimental nature, the student may choose to use the optional 10 ECTS on the 3rd semester as part of the thesis. This will extend the scope of the thesis to 40 ECTS. The student also has the option of project/development work for a company on the 3rd semester. The extent of this work must be 15 ECTS all of which are taken from the elective pool, thus ruling out the possibility of a 40 ECTS thesis.

The student acquires research-based skills within all relevant research areas.

In addition, the student acquires skills based on international research at the highest level within at least one of the research areas.

First semester
The modules taught during the 1st semester will present the basic research areas to the student plus offer a course in scientific method and an advanced course in statistics. 

For the ART specialisation the semester is divided intot the following modules:
  • Introduction to Embodied Artificial Intelligence (5 ECTS)
  • Robotics and Computer Vision (10 ECTS) 
  • Multivariate Statistics (5 ECTS)
  • Scientific Method (5 ECTS)
  • Image Processing (5 ECTS) For students who have passed one of the following courses at SDU (Introduction to robotics, computer vision and artificial intelligence; Signalbehandling og machine vision; Machine Vision) or an equivalent course in machine vision or computer vision this course is replaced with an elective course
For the DAS specialisation the semester is divided intot the following modules:
  • Introduction to Embodied Artificial Intelligence (5 ECTS)
  • Multivariate Statistics (5 ECTS)
  • Scientific Method (5 ECTS)
  • Introduction to Drone Technology (5 ECTS)
  • Control of Autonomous Systems (5 ECTS)
  • Embedded Systems (5 ECTS) 

Second semester
The purpose of the 2nd semester is to strengthen the student's skills within the research areas and to introduce the student to relevant aspects of mechanical engineering.

For the ART specialisation the semester is divided into the following modules:
  • Tools of Artificial Intelligence (5 ECTS)
  • Advanced Computer Vision (5 ECTS) 
  • Advanced Robot Control (5 ECTS)
  • Project in Advanced Robotics (5 ECTS)
  • Mechanical Engineering for Robotics (5 ECTS) 
  • Elective courses (5 ECTS)
For the DAS specialisation the semester is divided into the following modules:
  • Tools of Artificial Intelligence (5 ECTS)
  • Guidance, Navigation, and Control (5 ECTS)
  • Large-scale Drone Perception (5 ECTS)
  • Bio-Inspired Autonomous Systems (5 ECTS)
  • Mechanical Aerial Systems (5 ECTS)
  • Elective courses (5 ECTS)

Third semester
On the third semester the following courses are offered to both profiles:
  • Experts in Team Innovation (15 ECTS). For students who have passed Experts in Team Innovation / Experts in Teams on their bachelor programme this course is replaced with Project in Robotics (10 ECTS) + an elective course (5 ECTS)
  • Optional courses or activities (5-15 ECTS)
  • Optional initial phase of master thesis (10 ECTS)

On the third semester, the student will have to make choices about the thesis. The thesis must be of either 40 ECTS or 30 ECTS. The former is recommended, and in that case, the project must be defined no later than by September 1st.

The module Experts in Teams Innovation can be seen as an extension of Scientific Method, as the module strengthens the student's skills in scientific work and research with a focus on interdisciplinary aspects.

In addition, the third semester includes an optional block of 15 ECTS. Thus, if the student choose to do a 40 ECTS thesis, there will be 5 ECTS left for elective courses. Students who choose to do a 30 ECTS thesis will have 15 ECTS left for elective courses or possibly an individual study activity in co-operation with a researcher. As a general rule, the individual study activity must have an extent of 5 ECTS.
The student also has the option of conducting a project (15 ECTS) in a company in the region. The work has to be related to ongoing research at the faculty, and if the student chooses this path, the thesis can only be 30 ECTS.

STUDY ABROAD
It is possible to spend the third semester at a university abroad, provided the courses are approved by the Academic Study Board of the Faculty of Engineering.

Fourth semester
On the fourth semester, the student will prepare a 30 ECTS thesis or continue the work on a 40 ECTS thesis, which commenced in the third semester. It is recommended that the thesis is completed by a group consisting of two students, preferably in collaboration with the local industry.

§ 3.1.1 - Connection between entry requirements and the first year

The MSc in Engineering in Robot Systems builds on the knowledge achieved at the BSc and the BEng in Robot Systems.

The application-oriented background which the students have from their previous education is extended with an increased theoretical foundation.

The students use scientific methods to formulate, analyse and solve scientific issues.

§ 4 - Course Descriptions

§ 4 - Compulsory courses

Profile divided course descriptions 

MSc in Robot Systems, 2023, Advanced Robotics Technology (ART)

MSc in Robot Systems, 2023, Drones and Autonomous Systems (DAS)

Course descriptions in the curriculum 

Multivariate statistics

Scientific Method

Master's Thesis - 30 ECTS

Mechanical engineering for robotics

Robotics and Computer Vision

Advanced Computer Vision

Advanced Robot Control

Embedded Systems

Large-scale Drone Perception

Introduction to Embodied Artificial Intelligence

Study Start (MSc RM)

Mechanical Aerial Systems

Image Processing

Masters Thesis - 40 ECTS

Bio-inspired Autonomous Systems

In-company Project

Control of Autonomous Systems

Tools of Artificial intelligence

Project in Advanced Robotics

Guidance Navigation and Control

Experts in Team Innovation (MSc)

Introduction to Drone Technology

§ 5 - Examination provisions

§ 5.1 - Programme passing requirements

An exam is passed when the student has attained the assessment 'Passed' or the grade 02 or higher. 

The Master's degree is successfully completed once the student has passed all the exams on the study programme. 

§ 5.2 - Special examinations

Examinations Abroad

The Faculty of Engineering can grant dispensation to take examinations at a Danish representation or other site abroad, when there are exceptional circumstances that prevent the student from taking the examination(s) in Denmark. 

The student is responsible for all practical arrangements related to the examination.

All costs linked to holding the examination, cancellation of the examination due to illness (if applicable) and problems with connecting to the system, etc., for which SDU cannot be held liable, shall be paid by the student. SDU can require the costs to be covered in advance.

§ 5.2.1 - Start of study exam

There is a a study start examination included in all Master’s programmes. Precise information about the study start examination can be found in the course description 

The student has two examination attempts to pass the study start examination. 

A re-enrolled or re-matriculated student must re-do and pass the study start examination again, regardless of whether they have passed the study start examination in connection with the previous enrolment or not, A student who has changed their study programme (special admission) is exempted from the study start examination .

If warranted by exceptional circumstances, the Academic Study Board may grant dispensation from the rules on the study start examination. 

§ 5.3 - Spelling and writing skills

The assessment of the Master’s thesis must in addition to the technical content, address the student's spelling and language proficiency.

The wording of the Master’s Thesis may have a positive or negative impact on the overall grade.

The Academic Study Board may grant dispensation from the above spelling and wording requirements for students who can document that they suffer from a relevant impairment. However, all deliveries and reports must be written in a concise and easily understandable language. 

§ 5.4 - Internal or external exams

Examinations are either external or internal. 

Internal examinations are assessed by one or more teachers at the university. 

External examinations are assessed by the teacher(s) and one or more external examiners appointed by the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. 

External examinations must cover the most important components of the programme, including the Master's Thesis. 

At least one-third of the programme's total number of ECTS points must be documented by external assessment. However, this does not apply to credits transferred. 

§ 5.5 - Teaching and Examination Language

For study programmes offered in English, the examination language is English. The Academic Study Board may grant dispensation from this rule. 

§ 5.6 - Forms of tuition and assessment

The programme includes a variety of forms for tuition and examination to reflect the content and working methods of the tuition provided. In addition, the tuition is based on group work and multidisciplinarity as well as application-oriented and research-based teaching. 

Participation in Group Assignments 
The student is required to participate actively in group assignments.  

Students who have been excluded from a group or who are not part of a group must apply for a dispensation in order to be permitted to write a group product alone.  

§ 5.7 - Irregularities at examinations

Disciplinary action can be used in situations of exam irregularities or disruptive behaviour at examinations, cf. Rules regarding Disciplinary Measures for Students at the University of Southern Denmark.  

§ 5.8 - Special examination conditions

The Acacemic Study Board may grant dispensations from the regulated examination conditions for students with physical or mental impairments, provided that it finds this necessary in order to place such students on an equal footing with others during the examination. It is a condition that the alteration does not imply a change of the academic level of the examination. 

In the case of chronic impairments, the Academic Study Board may approve that the special examination conditions apply throughout the Master’s study programme. In order to ensure the timely processing of the applications, the application deadline for special examination conditions is 1 October for the winter examination period and 1 March for the summer examination period.  

The diploma will not include any information on special examination conditions. 

§ 5.9 - Individual and group exams

Examinations are arranged as individual or group examinations. The student’s performance must always be assessed individually, and the grades are individual. 

The course description specifies the maximum number of students who can participate in a group examination.  

It is not possible to choose an individual examination instead of a group examination, unless this is specified in the course description, the Master’s thesis being an exception from this rule. 

§ 5.10 - Reexams

Students who did not pass the ordinary examination and students who were registered for tuition but have failed to attend the ordinary examination, can register for re-examination.  

Re-examinations areheld during the same examination period as the ordinary examination. The examination period for the autumn semester is 2 January - 28/29 February and for the spring semester 1 June - 31 August. In some cases, examinations can also be held in December and May. Examinations are not held in July, unless warranted by special circumstances. 

The student must register for re-examination via Student Self-service, https://sso.sdu.dk in the following period: 

  • 1 - 20 January for re-examination in the winter examination period (=February) 
  • 1 - 20 June for re-examination in the summer examination period (=August) 

Students cannot withdraw from registration for re-examination, and it will count as a failed examination attempt if the student does not take the examination unless the Academic Study Board has granted dispensation from this rule. 

Re-examination may take a different form of examination or assessment than the ordinary examination. The changed examination form as well as the conditions for this can be seen in the relevant course description. The form of examination for the Master’s Thesis, however, cannot be changed. 

Consequences for not having passed an exam by 2nd attempt 

If the student does not attend or pass the ordinary examination and/or the relevant re-exam, the student can register for the examination the next time the course is offered.  

If the student failed an examination on the 2nd attempt on a course offered by the Faculty of Engineering, the student must participate in the course and re-submit all assignments prior to the next ordinary examination (3rd examination attempt), unless the course is no longer offered. The Academic Study Board can grant dispensation from this rule.  

§ 5.11 - Exam attemts

A passed examination cannot be retaken. 

A student has three attempts to pass an examination. The study start examination and supplementary courses in connection with admission to Master's programmes constitute an exception to this rule.  

If warranted by extraordinary circumstances, the Academic Study Board may grant additional examination attempts. The question of academic ability cannot be considered in assessing whether or not such extraordinary circumstances exist. This is not valid for the study start examination. 

If a student is re-matriculated on the same study programme, previous exam attempts will be transferred, if the courses are identical.  

§ 5.12 - Requirements for exams

Examination Requirements in Case of Used Examination Attempts 
Students who have passed examination requirements in a course, but not passed the exam in the course during the examination period following the tuition, must re-sit the examination requirements when the course is offered next time. The Academic Study Board can grant dispensation from this rule. 

Failure to Meet Examination Requirements 
If a student does not meet examination requirements, this will be regarded as an examination attempt, unless the Academic Study Board considers that there are extraordinary circumstances and grants a dispensation from this rule.  

Absence from Examination Activities 
If a student is absent from an examination, this leads to the student losing an examination attempt. If the evaluation a course is based on an overall evaluation of several examination activities, absence from one of the activities leads to the student being registered as absent from the entire examination. The Academic Study Board can grant a dispensation from this rule, if there are extraordinary circumstances. 

§ 5.13 - Digital exams and aids at exams

All written examinations are digital.

The University can decide that an examination is held virtually. The University shall ensure that all the security measures correspond to those, that are valid for the corresponding exams held physically.  

Information about allowed aids can be found in the course descriptions, the semester plans or in Digital Eksamen. The use of generative AI in connection with written on-campus exams at the Faculty of Engineering is prohibited. This also applies to written on-campus exams with all aids allowed, unless the examinator has stated otherwise. The use of generative AI is comparable to getting help to solve the examination question/task. 

The use of AI in connection with home assignments and projects, including the Master’s Thesis, at the Faculty of Engineering is allowed, provided that the student follow good academic practice, so there can be no doubt as to who is the originator of the output. 

The use of sound and image recordings during an examination is not allowed, unless such recordings are part of the examination procedure. If so, such recordings will be made by the university. 

§ 6 - Credit transfer

§ 6.1 - Starting credits

The student must apply for credit transfer for courses passed at all previous study programmes at master level, immediately after enrolling in the programme in question at the Faculty of Engineering.  

Further information about starting credits can be found on https://mitsdu.dk under “study Start” –“Starting credits”. 

§ 6.2 - Pre-approval of Credit Transfer

Students who wish to take course elements from a different course or at another institute of higher education in Denmark or abroad as part of their study programme can apply to the Academic Study Board for pre-approved credit transfers for planned course elements. 

Students who wish to take on student exchange abroad for at least a semester, must have passed courses corresponding to at least 30 ECTS points on the respective master's programme at the time they apply for the pre-approval of credit transfer. Furthermore, the student exchange may not lead to an extension of the student's study period. 

The Academic Study Board must have pre-approved credits for courses offered in the autumn semester and which form part of the student’s pool of electives no later than at the Study Board’s meeting in August. Likewise, the Academic Study Board must have pre-approved credits for courses offered in the spring semester and which form part of the student’s pool of electives no later than at the Study Board’s meeting in January. 

The Academic Study Board must have pre-approved credits for courses offered in the autumn semester and which are to replace constituent courses in the curriculum no later than at the Study Board’s meeting in April. Likewise, The Academic Study Board must have preapproved credit transfer for courses offered in the spring semester and which are to replace constituent subjects in the curriculum no later than at the Study Board’s meeting in November. 

A decision of pre-approval of credit transfer puts the student under the obligation of sending documentation for passed study activities to the Academic Study Board, once the student has passed the courses. 

Students must re-apply for pre-approved credit transfers if they cannot attend one or more of the course elements for which they have obtained pre-approved credit transfers. 

§ 6.3 - Credit Transfer

Based on an academic assessment, the Academic Study Board may allow credit transfers for courses passed in a previous higher education programme in Denmark or abroad.  

In order for a student to be entitled to a Danish diploma and a Danish title, no more than two-thirds of the master's programme can be completed abroad. 

It will not be possible to transfer credits from a Master's thesis forming the basis of a title under one master's programme to a different title under a different master's programme.  

The possibilities of credit transfers will always depend on the Academic Study Board's academic assessment of the level of equivalence between the relevant programme components.  

Credits from previously passed courses can only be transferred if they are at master level.  

Courses which coincide with the contents of obligatory courses of the study programme in question or with any already passed courses in the present study programme, cannot be approved as elective courses or entitle to credit transfers as elective courses in the study programme. Elective courses include all courses approved by the Academic Study Board and which are not compulsory in the study programme in which the student is enrolled. 

Credits are transferred only upon submission of an official, verified (=stamped and signed) transcript of records showing the courses passed by the student. 

Credit transfer with grades is possible only when the previously passed course was graded in accordance with the 7-point grading scale, and provided that there is equivalence between the previously passed course and the course that is to be substituted. Such equivalence must exist both in terms of the technical contents and in terms of the scope of the activity, as measured in ECTS points. 

§ 7 - Provisions on the organisation of the programme

§ 7.1 - Enrollment and Unenrollment from teaching and exams

Course and Exam Registration  
Students must register for tuition and examinations digitally on SDU Student Self Service at https://sso.sdu.dk in compliance with SDU’s rules on registering for courses and examinations.

The application periods are 20 - 30 May for tuition during the autumn semester and 20 - 30 November for tuition during the spring semester. The registration period is published on the website and is sent by e-mail to students’ SDU e-mail addresses. 

Registration for any course (obligatory or elective) involves automatic registration for tuition and the associated ordinary examination. A reexamination is offered in ecach course immediately thereafter.

Registration for both compulsory and elective courses is binding. The Academic Study Board can grant dispensation from this rule, provided that exceptional circumstances apply. 

If the student registers for subjects additional to the 30 new ECTS points per semester, this registration will also be binding and cannot be cancelled.
Students may swap electives within the first three weeks of the start of each semester, provided they have not used any examination attempts in the electives in question. However, courses offered as a part of summer school cannot be swapped to other electives.

Students cannot register for courses beyond the level required to complete the study programme, unless the student in question is enrolled on one of SDU's talent programmes. In such a case, the extent of the programme can only be exceeded by study activities that are part of the talent programme. 

Service registration for courses being phased out 
A student who has sat an exam with out passing it in a course which is being phased out, will be registered for the remaining examination attemps in the course in question, by the University.   

Withdrawal from Tuition and Examinations 
Withdrawal is not permitted and absence from an examination will be considered a failed examination attempt, unless the Academic Study Board grants dispensation for withdrawal. A dispensation requires that there are extraordinary circumstances. The student must have applied for for withdrawal before the exam in question is held. 

§ 7.2 - Deadline for programme completion (Maximum Study Period)

Maximum Study Period 
A student must have completed the Master's programme within two-and-a-half years of commencing the programme in compliance with SDU’s Rules on Completion Times for Bachelor, Profession Bachelor or Master’s Programmes. These periods do not include any periods of granted leave.  

If warranted by exceptional circumstances or the student is elite athlete, entrepreneur or a chairman for an organisation under the Danish Youth Council (DUF), the Academic Study Board may grant dispensation from the rules on the maximum study period. 

§ 7.3 - Study activity

A student must pass at least one ECTS qualifying examination during a coherent period of at least one year. Should this requirement not be fulfilled, the student's enrollment will be annulled. 

If warranted by exceptional circumstances, the Academic Study Board can grant dispensation from the Study Activity Requirement. 

§ 7.4 - Master\'s thesis

The Master's thesis accounts for 30 or 40 ECTS points. On some study programmes there is a possibility for a Master’s Thesis on 60 ECTS points. For students admitted on the 4+4 Ph.D programme, the thesis constitutes 45 ECTS points.  

The thesis may be written individually or jointly by two students. The relevant Head of Programme may permit joint completion of a Master's Thesis project by up to three students. 

The thesis must document the student's competences in using scientific theory and methodology in the work with a clearly defined academic subject. The subject of the thesis must be agreed with an academic supervisor.  

A 30 ECTS thesis must be completed in the course of four months, whereas a 40 ECTS of a 60 ECTS thesis must be completed in the course of two full semesters. As a rule, the starting date and deadline for submission of the thesis are the first workday in September, and the month of January, respectively, for theses to be completed in the autumn semester, and the first workday in February, and the month of June, respectively for theses to be completed in the spring semester. In extraordinary circumstances, the Academic Study Board may grant dispensation from the above dates/deadlines.   

The Contract for the Master's thesis must be approved by the academic supervisor, the Head of Programme and the director of studies. A Contract for the Master's Thesis project approved by all the instances mentioned above, may be amended only if dispensation to do so has been granted by the Academic Study Board. Title changes, which do not lead to a delay in the submission date, are approved by the academic supervisor. 

The deadline for submission of the thesis is binding. If the student fails to submit the thesis report within the set deadline, the student loses one examination attempt and the student must enter into a supplementary contract within two weeks of the original submission date. The deadline will be extended by three months from this date, and the formulation of the assignment will be extended by additional deliverables corresponding to three months' work within the original subject area. The deadline can be extended by a further three months, subject to the same conditions. Every time a deadline for submission is exceeded, this will be registered as a used examination attempt. 

If a student does not pass his or her thesis examination, the student is under obligation to enter into a supplementary contract within two weeks of the original examination date. The supplementary contract means that the student shall extend the formulation of the assignment by additional deliverables corresponding to three months’ work within the original subject area. The student is given three months to prepare the thesis after which a new examination will be held. 

In situations when it has not been possible to carry out lab experiments or when collaboration with a company fails, a company goes bankrupt or there are serious problems with empirical date or method selections, etc., the Academic Study Board can decide that the student shall write a new thesis with a new topic and deadline corresponding to the scope of the thesis.  

The Master's thesis must include an abstract. If the thesis is written in English, the abstract may be written in Danish. The abstract forms part of the assessment of the thesis. 

The specific provisions on the Master's thesis are laid down in the course description, which is available via https:/mitsdu.dk. 

§ 7.5 - Change of profile

The Academic Study Board may grant dispensation to change of profile/specialization. The change of profile/specialization may not lead to an extension of the student’s study period.  

§ 7.6 - The Master\'s Degree part of the 4+4 PhD programme

Prior to the enrollment on the PhD programme, the student must be enrolled under a Master of Science in Engineering programme at the University of Southern Denmark and have passed 60 ECTS (=the first two semesters) of the master’s programme. The remaining 60 ECTS consist of: 

  • Constituent courses on the 3rd semester of the relevant master programme corresponding to 15 ECTS 
  • Master’s Thesis on 45 ECTS points (see  § 7.6 for further information about the thesis). 

The student must have completed the master’s programme within three years of commencing the 4+4 PhD Programme.  

§ 7.7 - Individual activities

Students may, in agreement with a supervisor, apply to the Academic Study Board for an individual study activity. 

Individual study activities shall include a description of the learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills, competencies and assessment method. 

An individual study activity may not be used to reduce the scope of the study programme and it may not overlap with the contents of the Master's Thesis. 

As a general rule, students cannot combine an individual study activity with a 40 or 60 ECTS Master's Thesis. 

The extent of an individual study activity may not exceed 5 ECTS points and only one individual study activity on a Master’s degree can be approved. The Academic Study Board can, under special circumstances, make an exception to this rule.  

As a general rule, individual study activities can only substitute obligatory courses in situations, where the obligatory course in question no longer is offered, the student has not used examination attempts in the course in question, and it is not possible to take an equivalent course (pre-approval of credit transfer).  

An individual study activity may not be started before it has been approved by the Academic Study Board.  

§ 7.8 - Limitation on the number of entries

The University may set restriction of numbers for participants for courses. If there are more registrations in the course than available places, the students who have registered themselves first, will be prioritized. The principles for selection will be stated in the course description.  

§ 8 - Exemptions and complaints procedures

§ 8.1 - Dispensation from University regulations

When warranted by extraordinary circumstances, the Academic Study Board may grant dispensations from those rules of the Curriculum which have been laid down exclusively by the institution. The Academic Study Board may in all cases of dispensation, apart from when deciding upon extra examination attempts, consider the academic ability of the student in question. 

§ 8.2 - Complaints over exams

The student is entitled to file a written appeal about academic and procedural issues in connection with an examination, including the examination procedure.  

The appeal must be submitted by the student to he secretariat of the Academic Study Board at the Faculty of Engineering (studienaevn@tek.sdu.dk) within a fortnight after the publication of the assessment.   

SDU makes decisions in appeals relating to academic issues based on appeal, the assessors' professional stateement and the applicant's possible comments upon the statement. The decision can be an offer of reassessment (int the case of written assignments only), a re-examination, or may find against the applicant, or a combination of these. 

Appeals cannot be made about academic issues related to the study start examination. 

§ 8.3 - Complaints over University decisions

Appeals regarding Procedural Matters 
The student is entitled to file a procedural appeal (i.e. concerning whether the matter has been handled in accordance with applicable law and general principles of administrative law) against the university's decisions, including decisions made by the Academic Study Board. Procedural appeals will be presented to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, by SDU. 

The appeal must be submitted to the University no later than 14 days after the student has been notified of the contested decision. The appeal must be addressed to the secretariat of the Academic Study Board at the Faculty of Engineering and sent to studienaevn@tek.sdu.dk.  

Appeals concerning Credit Transfers and Pre-approval of Credit Transfers - Academic Issues 
Appeals concerning the refusal or partial refusal of 

  • pre-approval of credit transfers for courses to be taken in Denmark and abroad, and 
  • credit transfers for courses passed in Denmark  

can be submitted to a credit transfer complaints board in accordance with the rules on complaints boards for decisions regarding credit transfers for university programmes (the ministerial order on credit transfer complaints boards). The complaint must be submitted to the secretariat of the Academic Study Board at the Faculty of Engineering (studienaevn@tek.sdu.dk) no later than a fortnight after the student has been notified of the contested decision.  

Appeals concerning the refusal or partial refusal of 

  • credit transfers for courses passed abroad  

can be submitted to the Qualifications Board when they related to academic issues in accordance with the Act on the Danish Assessment of Foreign Qualifications, etc. The reasoned complaint must be submitted in writing. The complaint must be addressed to the secretariat of the Academic Study Board at the Faculty of Engineering (studienaevn@tek.sdu.dk) no later than 4 weeks after the student has been notified of the contested decision.  

§ 9 - The affiliation of the programme

§ 9 - Transitions

Upon effective date of the curriculum, earlier curricula will be phased out and the affected courses will be taught and examined for the last time concurrently with the phasing out of the curriculum. For details please refer to the individual course descriptions.  

Students enrolled on earlier curricula will continue on their current curriculum and will not be affected by these changes unless they are behind in their studies and have yet to pass courses that are no longer offered or for some other reason apply for change of curriculum.  

Students enrolled on earlier curricula who do not follow the prescribed course of study will not be offered special teaching. Thus, students who have yet to pass courses that are no longer offered must replace those courses with courses from the new curriculum. Alternatively, students can apply the Academic study board for a transfer to a newer curriculum. 

In cases of re-enrollment the faculty will decide whether the student is enrolled on this curriculum or will continue on his/her original curriculum.  

At the end of a leave of absence the student will be enrolled on his/her original curriculum unless the student applies for a transfer to a newer curriculum.  

Transitional Curriculum Arrangements

There is no basis for credit transfer from previous curricula.

§ 9.1 - Academic Study Board

Academic Study Board of the Faculty of Engineering

§ 9.2 - External examiners

Danish corps of external examiners for engineering education

§ 9.3 - Effective date

01-09-2023

§ 9.4 - Date of Study Board Approval

02-11-2023

§ 9.5 - Date of Deans Approval

04-09-2023