Education, learning and knowledge are widely recognised as the prime drivers in our rapidly changing world of global mobility. They are also the processes that build equal opportunity, economic development and citizenship – in the North as well as the South. The MA in Anthropology of Education and Globalisation at Aarhus University is unique in offering an in-depth understanding of the ways in which education, learning and knowledge are negotiated and managed in everyday life in different contexts – across national and cultural boundaries.

The programme, which is based at the Emdrup campus in Copenhagen, is designed for students seeking advanced training in anthropological approaches to educational practice and process in settings as varied as educational institutions, workplaces, and civil society. The teaching faculty are all active researchers, and this means that a fruitful dialogue has been developed between the anthropological and educational traditions of inquiry, leading towards new arenas of study. Using ethnographic research methods and cross-cultural comparisons, the programme analyses specific (local) practices of education and knowledge in relation to broader (global) social and cultural contexts.... [-]

Islam is Denmark’s – and indeed Western Europe’s – second-largest religion. The days are gone when it made sense to study the Arab and Islamic worlds as a distant ‘other.’ Arab communities are to be found within Europe as well as in the Arab world, and Islam is now a Western religion as well as an Arab one. The MA in Arab and Islamic Studies therefore focuses on today’s globalised and transnational realities and on Islam and Muslims in Europe as well as in the Arab world.

The MA in Arab and Islamic Studies is taught by faculty members from the Islamic Cultures and Societies Research Unit (ICSRU). The ICSRU is a transdisciplinary research unit for all Aarhus University scholars who are interested in Islamic cultures and societies, both within the Islamic world and transregionally. The central mission of the ICSRU is to provide a stimulating research milieu for both senior and junior researchers by promoting discussion and exchange as well as arranging events.... [-]

Humans experience things as meaningful; we learn by experience, we think, reason, and find new insight. We also, in addition to comprehending meaningful phenomena, constantly produce meaning through communication, science and art. On the MA in Cognitive Semiotics, we study how meaning is created in every sense of the word, whether in perception, thought, or language.

The goal of the programme is to enable our students to come up with well-substantiated answers to questions such as: What are the essential characteristics of meaning construction? How does it work in language, in perception, in our interaction with the natural world, and in the social world?... [-]

The Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Journalism, Media and Globalisation builds on the diverse journalistic experience of its students. It offers a venue for the analysis, interpretation and understanding of the global changes that are increasingly challenging the traditional boundaries between media, politics, technology and culture. Students engage in lively and insightful discussions with classmates from around the world, sharing their unique experiences in journalism and communication-related fields.

The programme has been granted the EU’s Erasmus Mundus label. Students spend their first year jointly between Aarhus University – taught by faculty from the Department of Political Science and the Department of Information and Media Studies – and the highly respected Danish School of Media and Journalism. In year two, the programme splits into four specialisms, offered by some of Europe’s leading universities. This allows students to customise their studies in the following areas:... [-]

Students in the Agro-Environmental Management programme are out to change the world. Rather than just making minor changes to existing production systems, these students are out to rethink the entire production cycle by optimising production goals as well as environmental targets. They seek to develop sustainable pathways for every level of food production, to use new technologies to comply with increased regulation, and to eliminate waste from the entire production cycle. This approach is not about maximising production – it’s about balancing production with environmental concerns.

Courses provide a strong theoretical background in subjects such as the management of border systems and the workings of the nutrient cycle. In the second year, students will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge in their thesis project.... [-]

Developing solutions for healthy food production while decreasing environmental impact and increasing animal welfare is the main focus in the agrobiology programme at Aarhus University. Topics of study are genetics, biotechnology, production systems, and the interaction of agriculture with nature, among others. The programme is broadly science-based with a focus on applicability and problem-solving, and takes an integrative approach to learning about the biology behind food production.

The core of this programme is biology, with perspectives on sustainability, environmental impact, animal health and welfare, plant health, and product quality. Students can choose between specialisations including animal nutrition, plant nutrition, animal health and welfare, plant health and pest management or combine animal and plant sciences. Because this is a cross-disciplinary master’s, students can also choose courses from other academic programmes.... [-]

Whether they are studying a religious cult in Brazil or human evolutionary fossils in the United Arab Emirates, anthropologists are concerned with the various different aspects that explain the cultural and ethnic differences between people’s perspectives and beliefs. The MSc in apractices as well as the accompanying rituals, ceremonies and processes that define us as human beings.

The programme provides you with a thorough foundation in anthropological theory and analysis, an understanding of ethnographic approaches to the study of cultures and societies around the world, and a strong grounding in research methods and their interface with contemporary practices. With a focus on today’s quickly modernising world, this Master’s programme challenges the classic understanding of basic human conditions and the way they change by working with a comparative perspective and studying social and cultural conditions.... [-]

Developing and optimising chemical and biotechnological processes plays a key role in modern society. It is predicted that the industry of the future will be characterised by production that is environmentally correct and energy-efficient.

In the first year of the Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering programme, learning is mainly based on lectures and theoretical exercises. The second year mainly consists of project work, which involves students working closely with external companies. Students who are hungry for more have the possibility of continuing with a PhD. On this path, the student adds three extra years to their studies, working more independently on solving concrete problems. This can also take the form of an industrial PhD in collaboration with a company.... [-]

The MSc in Civil and Architectural Engineering provides you with a sound knowledge of building and construction and the opportunity to specialise in a related field. 

In the first year, students learn about structural concepts, risk and reliability engineering, and participate in group projects that allow them to work independently and combine theory with practice. The second year involves a thesis, the topic of which is decided upon consultation with professors. 

The programme is taught by faculty members who are active researchers, so students benefit from a research-intensive environment and have the opportunity to work with researchers as well as to complete a project in collaboration with a private company.... [-]

Students in the MSc in Computer Engineering can specialise in relevant fields of study connected with system and instrument development involving software, hardware, and communication technology. Depending on your chosen specialisation, upon completion of the degree you will be awarded the title of either Master of Science in Engineering (Computer Engineering) or Master of Science and Technology (Computer Engineering). 

Your teachers will be researchers from the Department of Engineering and Department of Computer Science, as well as lecturers and development engineers at the Aarhus University School of Engineering. The degree programme thus benefits from research and development projects carried out in all three environments.... [-]

Whether your interest is in complex algorithms, IT security, logic and semantics, pervasive computing, or something completely different within the field of computer science, this programme will give you the opportunity to specialise in an area of your choice. 

For more information regarding research areas in computer science at Aarhus University, visit www. cs.au.dk/research.

The Master’s programme in Computer Science is dedicated to the highest-quality teaching in an informal learning environment. Our international teaching staff expect students to take an active part in the programme, and staff–student consultation is always encouraged. The teaching is a mix of lectures and classes, with preparatory work in study groups.... [-]

Innovation has become an imperative not only for most private firms, but increasingly also for the public sector. Therefore, innovation management is considered one of today’s world’s most important competencies by CEOs and governments alike.

This programme offers a general background in innovation management, including the management of innovation from invention to commercialisation; innovation strategies, structures, and cultures; market forces of innovation and market-oriented new product development; the management of intellectual property rights and entrepreneurship.

The MSc in Innovation Management and Business Development provides a unique opportunity to experience the challenges of product development processes and to develop an understanding of the rationales on both the technology and the business management side. There is broad empirical agreement that such a multidisciplinary understanding is a key prerequisite for successful cooperation between R&D and marketing, and ultimately for innovation success. The aim of the programme is therefore to enhance students’ understanding of strategies, structures, processes, people and cultures so as to drive successful innovation and enhance the innovative capability of organisations.... [-]

In today’s business world, strong business development skills have become a vital, central part of company management and development. Companies and organisations need to develop their businesses, business models and processes rapidly and efficiently in order to meet the ever-changing needs and demands of customers and of society. For this reason, more and more companies are hiring to business developers to carry out key management and development tasks in order to safeguard their existing markets and gain competitive advantage in new markets.

The MSc programme in Economics and Business Administration – International Business Development aims to build the business developers of tomorrow. The programme focuses on business development and the implementation of strategies related to business development processes. It provides students with the analytical decision tools they will need to make the professional decisions that will ensure targeted management of the company’s knowledge-workers, as well as innovation and optimisation of the company’s business and processes. The programme is intended for students who wish to gain understanding and insight into business development in large global companies as well as small and medium-sized companies.... [-]

The MSc programme in Business-to-Business Marketing and Purchasing focuses on the managerial challenges related to operating in industrial markets. It prepares students for a wide range of careers, mainly in the private sector. Students on the programme gain skills in areas such as business-to-business marketing and strategy, purchasing management, relationship management, innovation, pricing, and the regulation of cooperation in business markets.

Firms operating in business markets cater to the needs of other firms rather than private households, and in so doing they face specific challenges and opportunities. Business-to-business activities constitute the main part of any developed economy, and managers who are able to understand, develop and manage such activities – upstream as well as downstream – are an important asset to firms.... [-]

Today’s organisations rely heavily on information technologies (IT) to meet their business needs. The MSc in Information Management prepares you for a career at the interface of IT and business. You will gain the expertise to translate strategic and operational needs into better systems with improved performance, enabling you to play a key role in modern organisations and businesses.

Working with information and IT requires the ability to perform multidisciplinary functions. The Information Management programme will prepare you for this by offering close dialogue and contact between students and teachers and by integrating project work and cooperation as tools in your learning process.... [-]

The two-year MSc programme in Economics and Management gives students an in-depth knowledge of a range of economics and management disciplines. The programme is flexible, giving the students the opportunity to specialise in a specific field or in a combination of economics and management topics.

Researchers in the programme work in the fields of accounting, finance, macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, and economics of business. The MSc programme allows students to create a personal academic profile within one or across several of these fields. Progress in the chosen courses is closely followed and monitored to ensure the students’ academic development. Each semester, the department offers about thirty elective courses. The broad range of courses allows you to specialise in a particular field of interest and to compose an individual course programme.... [-]

As a student on the MSc in Electrical Engineering programme, you have the option of specialising in a number of areas within electrical engineering, including analog and digital electronics for regulation as well as data transmission and collection. 

During the first year, students take courses which provide the academic foundation required for the chosen area of specialisation. Students can choose from a wide range of specialist areas ranging from optics to electro-optics, from semiconductor technology to pure electronics.

There is considerable freedom in choosing the subjects for the study plan and students can select from a number of optional modules, including experimental technology, data collection, micro-controls, materials physics and much more. In consultation with the specialist lecturers, students can design precisely the study plan that suits their interests and background.... [-]

Businesses today face issues of rapid innovation and change that have led to increased demand for graduates with a thorough understanding of engineering practices, and of new support technologies for business model innovation. On the MSc in Technology Based Business Development you will learn to collect, generate, understand and assess new technological knowledge, new business opportunities and new central technologies for companies.

During the first and second semesters, the MSc programme applies theories, models and concepts to real-life problems. These first two semesters give you the opportunity to work on assignments that originate with a company and may also be carried out within the same context. In the third and fourth semesters, students can intensify their engagement with a company so that most of their credits are gained in the corporate environment. The company could also be the student’s own start-up company within the framework of our business incubator.... [-]

The MSc in Geophysics at Aarhus University provides a compelling learning experience, integrating skills in physics and maths with proper geoscience. Students get to choose their own specific area of focus while exploring a variety of fields at a range of scales, from past and present climate and shallow quaternary structures and materials, through the development of groundwater aquifers and sedimentary basins, to the structure and dynamics of the lithosphere and the Earth’s mantle. Numerical modelling is generally used.

HIGH-CALIBRE RESEARCH

Teaching on the programme is integrated with research at the highest international level. The Department of Geoscience is renowned for its research in hydrogeophysics (airborne and surface electromagnetic methods) for use in hydrogeology and mineral exploration. A further speciality is reflection seismic acquisition (on board the research vessel Aurora), processing and interpretation, as used in subsurface mapping of hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs, seismology, potential fields, and numerical modelling of surface and mantle processes.... [-]

Human Security is a unique master’s programme and the first of its kind in Europe. In the course of this cross-disciplinary programme, you will achieve a deeper understanding of social and environmental conflicts around the world. These conflicts are multi-dimensional, and we cannot separate the effects of food security from environmental security, economic security from human dignity or from health. Rather than trying to separate them, you will learn how to analyse and intervene in this complex network of interwoven social, economic and political factors. The Master’s programme is directed by the Department of Anthropology and is based at Campus Moesgaard south of Aarhus city.

How do you design the blades of a wind turbine? How do you calculate the lifetime of a computer chip or a fuel cell? How do you analyse the dynamics of a racing car? These are just some of the questions you may be exploring on the MSc in Mechanical Engineering programme. 

The programme provides students with the opportunity to apply theory to practical issues, with scope for interdisciplinary collaboration. You will gain a sound understanding of advanced calculation methodologies, such as the finite element method (FEM) and multidisciplinary simulation tools. You will study topics such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), structural dynamics and modal analysis, and fracture mechanics and fatigue. The basis for these competencies includes continuum mechanics, elasticity theory and plasticity theory.... [-]

The MSc programme in Organic Agriculture and Food Systems (EUR-Organic) is a unique degree combining high-ranking research environments with state-of-the-art knowledge from industry leaders in organic food production. It prepares students to develop the solutions of tomorrow focusing on goals such as high crop yields, high animal welfare, and low environmental impact. Students also learn how agriculture systems and current methods of food production work.

This programme is a collaboration between four leading European universities in the field of agriculture and life sciences (Aarhus University, University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, University of Natural Resources and Life Science in Vienna, and Warsaw University of Life Sciences).... [-]

Does diversity jeopardise the welfare state? How is political radicalisation prevented? Why are Scandinavians more trustful than others? At the Department of Political Science our objective is to choose the right research strategies, methods and theoretical concepts that will enable us to answer such questions. This may involve conducting surveys, statistical modelling or interviews, spending hours at the library, or going on field trips to the Middle East.

The MSc in Political Science is the flagship degree of our top European political science department, whose high ratings and research attract academics from around the globe to its vibrant community of scholars. This is a high-quality, two-year programme for those who seek a comprehensive political science education focusing on research design and methodology. The programme gives students the possibility of specialising in the subfields of comparative politics, political theory, political sociology, international relations, public policy or public administration.... [-]

In our increasingly interdependent world, cultural differences shape the everyday life of individuals as well as large corporations. These cultural and linguistic boundaries demand new skills to manage the deterritorialisation of culture, the transnational mobility of both humans and streams of information, and increased interconnectivity through the internet and social media. The new Intercultural Studies programme offers these skills. The programme prepares students to analyse various different contexts and engage in entrepreneurial activity using their foreign-language skills. Students can choose between five different tracks:... [-]