Business and student organisations are concerned about plans to shorten the degrees
Danish unions have united with business and student organisations to protest against the government’s plan to shorten the instruction time of some master’s degrees from two years to one. They have called on politicians not to rush the proposed reform.
The government wants 10 per cent of master’s students to be admitted to the shorter programmes by 2028.
In a joint open letter to the political parties that back the reform, the national union of students for higher education, Danish Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of Danish Industry and Danish Confederation of Professional Associations urged the government to think again.
“We collectively appeal to you to revisit the agreement and give the work on master’s reform more time,” the organisations wrote.
The signatories said that, in practice, a quarter of master’s students would end up on shortened courses, not one in 10.
They also said it was untenable for students who wanted to register for a bachelor’s programme next year not to know which master’s programme it would lead to.
Higher education and science minister Christina Egelund did not reply to a request for comment, but has responded to a previous criticism that more master’s programmes would be shortened than first agreed upon.
Egelund said: “A proposed legislation with several of the first reform elements has been sent for consultation.
“In the presented bill there is no mention of percentage distribution or restructuring of master’s degree programmes.”
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