News from our educations

Plant and Food Science

Teaching in the Bachelor's programme in Plant and Food Science has now entered its second semester. In early March, a workshop was held at AU Viborg for the teaching staff involved in the upcoming semesters. The workshop focused on course frameworks, project-based teaching, and coordination across the different courses. A follow-up workshop will be held in April at the Department of Food Science in Skejby.

The development of the Master's programme in Plant and Soil Science, which is set to launch in 2027, is progressing well. In early March, a workshop was held at CED in Aarhus for all interested teaching staff, focusing on the structure of the programme. We are well underway and expect the overall programme structure and course descriptions to be finalised by early autumn. A new employer advisory board has also been established for the degree programmes, which can be viewed here:
Employer advisory boards – Technical Sciences, Aarhus University

Student life at AU Viborg continues to evolve. A Friday Bar (De Gylden Haner) has been launched, along with the establishment of a tutor association, a running club, and a dog club – the latter is open to both students and staff. A formal academic student association has yet to be established, but this is currently under development.

The final quota 2 application numbers show that 233 applicants listed Veterinary Medicine as their first priority, 27 chose Animal Science, and 2 selected Plant and Food Science.

Agrobiology

In spring 2025, the Bachelor’s programme in Agrobiology has 27 enrolled students in their 4th and 6th semesters. The Master’s programme in Agrobiology has 61 enrolled students. Both programmes are performing well across several key indicators, including scheduled contact hours, academic and social well-being.

Course evaluations for E24 were positive and in line with the average for all TECH degree programmes. 54% of BSc students and 62% of MSc students agreed that the courses were relevant to their overall studies. 45% of students rated the overall learning outcome as high, while 12% of BSc students and 31% of MSc students rated it as very high. Additionally, 75% of students reported that the workload was appropriate.

Course Revisions

The timeline for course revisions in the Course Catalogue Editor (CCE) has been moved forward. For F26 courses, Part 1 (course metadata, teaching and exam planning, and staff allocation) will run from 1 March to 31 May 2025, and Part 2 (academic content and detailed exam information) will run from 1 June to 15 October 2025.
For E26 courses, Part 1 will run from 15 September to 30 November 2025, and Part 2 from 1 December 2025 to 5 April 2026.

Academic Visits and SRP Projects

The Department of Agroecology offers academic visits, teaching programmes, and support for upper secondary students working on their Study Area Projects (SRP) within the field of agroecology.
More info: https://agro.au.dk/srp

Master’s Reform and Sector Adjustment at TECH

In June 2023, a broad political agreement was reached in the Danish Parliament on a reform of Master’s degree programmes. The reform requires that 30% of Master’s programmes in Denmark be converted to either shorter (one-year) programmes or professionally-oriented “business Master’s” programmes.

At the Faculty of Technical Sciences (TECH), the one-year model has been ruled out. Instead, TECH has committed to implementing the reform entirely through business Master’s programmes. For the degree programmes in Animal Science, Plant and Food Science, and Molecular Nutrition and Food Technology, 30% must be converted to a business Master’s format. The Veterinary Medicine programme is exempt from the reform, as it is a professional authorisation programme.

The reform also includes sector adjustment, meaning a reduction in bachelor study places. The reform will be implemented during the period 2026–2032.
More info: Master’s Reform at TECH – Overview

Staff News

Finn Borchsenius will step down as Vice-Dean for Education at TECH on 1 April 2025, but will continue supporting the transition until the summer break. Finn has served as Vice-Dean at TECH and the former Faculty of Science and Technology for nearly eight years. He has overseen several major changes and successfully guided the faculty’s degree programmes through the COVID-19 lockdowns. He was also instrumental in organising the four new engineering departments and in the creation of three new degree programmes at AU Viborg. On 1 August, he will begin a new role as Head of the Herbarium and Greenhouses at the Science Museums, Aarhus University.

Louise Møller Haase will assume the position of Vice-Dean for Education at TECH on 1 April 2025. She holds an MSc in Industrial Design Engineering and has worked as an Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at Aalborg University (AAU). She was named AAU's Teacher of the Year in 2018 and has, for the past three years, served as Vice-Dean for Education at the university’s Technical Faculty of IT and Design. One of her key tasks will be the implementation of the Master's degree reform.