Version of 12 May 2014
COMMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR STRUCTURING THE
CURRICULUM FOR BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES
Introduction
The curriculum must be structured in modules of 5 ECTS credits (normally following a 15+5+5+5
structure). In each semester, there must be a project equal to a minimum of 15 ECTS credits. For
each module there must be an examination. One module can be examined in conjunction with
another module. For each module, knowledge, skills and competencies are described.
The Bachelor’s project must be 10-20 ECTS credits.
The curriculum for Danish programmes must be written in Danish (module descriptions, however
can be in English). Curricula for international Bachelor’s programmes must be written in English.
The curriculum is designed with the use of:
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The present template for the structure
The Framework Provisions
Instructions for descriptions of modules in curricula
“Danish Qualifications Framework for Further Education Programmes” (in Danish only)
 http://fivu.dk/uddannelse-og-institutioner/anerkendelse-ogdokumentation/dokumentation/kvalifikationsrammer/andre/dk-videregaaende
Inspirational material regarding the Danish Qualifications Framework (in Danish only)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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A maximum of 1/3 of the programme may be evaluated as Pass/Fail. This requirement is
normally satisfied by grading according to the 7-point scale in all projects or the like.
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A minimum of 1/3 of the programme must be evaluated by external grading. There must
be external grading of the Bachelor’s project.
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Competence profile and descriptions
A standard competence profile is entered into the template that is also included on the student’s
diploma (Section 2.4). In addition, there must be a more detailed description of the competence
profile that is divided into knowledge, skills and competencies (Section 2.5). The description of the
level for Bachelor’s programmes from the Danish Qualifications Framework is also included and
must be specified in relation to the relevant programme.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Instructions and examples
Instructions in the template are marked in red and in parentheses. Examples and text that can be
used as a starting point are marked in red.
Please note that the curriculum should be written in British English.
TEMPLATE FOR STRUCTURING THE CURRICULUM IN BACHELOR’S
PROGRAMMES
Front page:
Curriculum for the Bachelor’s Programme in XX
The Faculty of Engineering and Science
Or
The Faculty of Medicine
Aalborg University
201x
Preface:
Pursuant to Act 367 of March 25, 2013 on Universities (the University Act) with subsequent
changes, the following curriculum for the Bachelor's programme in xx is established. The
programme also follows the Framework Provisions and the Examination Policies and Procedures
for the Faculty of Engineering and Science.and The Faculty of Medicine.
Table of Contents
…….
Chapter 1: Legal Basis of the Curriculum, etc.
1.1 Basis in ministerial orders
The Bachelor’s programme in xx is organised in accordance with the Ministry of Science,
Innovation and Higher Education’s Order no. 1520 of December 16, 2013 on Bachelor’s and
Master’s Programmes at Universities (the Ministerial Order of the Study Programmes) and
Ministerial Order no. 1518 of December 16, 2013 on University Examinations (the Examination
Order) with subsequent changes. Further reference is made to Ministerial Order no. 1487 of
December 16, 2013 (the Admission Order) and Ministerial Order no. 250 of March 15, 2007 (the
Grading Scale Order) with subsequent changes.
1.2 Faculty affiliation
The Bachelor’s programme falls under the Faculty of Engineering and Science or The Faculty of
Medicine, Aalborg University.
1.3 Board of Studies affiliation
The Bachelor’s programme falls under the Board of Studies for XX
Chapter 2: Admission, Degree Designation, Programme Duration
and Competence Profile
2.1 Admission
Admission to the Bachelor’s programme in xx requires an upper secondary education.
The programme’s specific entry requirements are xx; cf. the Admission Order.
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2.2 Degree designation in Danish and English
The Bachelor’s programme entitles the graduate to the designation Bachelor (BSc) in xx (note that
the field and specialisation begin with lower case letters). The English designation is: Bachelor of
Science (BSc) in XX.
2.3 The programme’s specification in ECTS credits
The Bachelor’s programme is a 3-year, research-based, full-time study programme. The
programme is set to 180 ECTS credits.
2.4 Competence profile on the diploma
The following will appear on the diploma:
A graduate of the Bachelor's programme has competencies acquired through an
educational programme that has taken place in a research environment.
A graduate of the Bachelor's programme has fundamental knowledge of and insight
into his/her subject's methods and scientific foundation. These properties qualify the
graduate of the Bachelor’s programme for further education in a relevant Master’s
programme as well as for employment on the basis of the educational programme.
2.5 Competence profile of the programme:
(The following competence profile must fill ½ to 2 pages and must summarise the knowledge,
skills and competencies for each module throughout the programme. Take the following level
descriptions for Bachelor’s programmes from the Danish Qualifications Framework as a starting
point.)
The graduate of the Bachelor’s programme:
Knowledge
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Skills
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Competencies
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has knowledge about theory, method and practice within a
profession or one or more subject areas
can understand and reflect on theory, method and practice.
can use the methods and tools of one or more subject areas and
use skills that are related to employment in the subject area(s) or
the profession.
can evaluate theoretical and practical problems and substantiate
and select relevant solutions
can communicate academic problems and solutions to both
peers and non-specialists or collaborative partners and users
can handle complex and development-oriented situations in a
study or work context
can independently be part of discipline-specific and
interdisciplinary cooperation with a professional approach
Can identify own learning needs and structure own learning in
different learning environments
Chapter 3: Content and Organisation of the Programme
(This section must contain a description of the programme’s organisation and types of instruction,
followed by a description of the actual modules. The type of instruction must be indicated under the
individual modules. If the type of instruction is not defined for all modules, the section can be
inserted in the introduction as below.)
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The programme is structured in modules and organised as a problem-based study. A module is a
programme element or a group of programme elements, which aims to give students a set of
professional skills within a fixed time frame specified in ECTS credits, and concluding with one or
more examinations within specific exam periods. The examinations are defined in the curriculum.
The programme is based on a combination of academic, problem-oriented and interdisciplinary
approaches and organised based on the following work and evaluation methods that combine skills
and reflection:
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lectures
classroom instruction
project work
workshops
exercises (individually and in groups)
teacher feedback
reflection
portfolio work
Overview of the programme:
(An overview of the ECTS credit breakdown for the various semesters by modules is shown in
table form below, as an example. The table can be expanded to show all issues relevant for the
programme. For example, the table can also be divided into forms of instruction and fundamental
subjects, auxiliary subjects, electives, etc.)
All modules are assessed through individual grading according to the 7-point scale or Pass/Fail. All
modules are assessed by external examination (external grading) or internal examination (internal
grading or assessment by the supervisor only).
Semester
1st
Xxxx
Xxxx
Xxxx
Xxxx
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
Total
Module
ECTS
15
5
5
5
Assessment
7-point scale
Pass/Fail
Pass/Fail
Pass/Fail
Exam
External
Internal
Internal
Internal
180
(A section is inserted here that describes which modules contain scientific theory and scientific
methods, etc., so it is made clear that the parliamentary decision about this content is fulfilled.)
Descriptions of modules
(The following description is inserted for each module.)
Title:
In English and Danish
Prerequisites:
Participants’ prerequisites for the module (preferably refer to previous
modules)
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Objective:
Students who complete the module: (note: knowledge, skills and
competencies are not necessarily developed in all modules)
Knowledge
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Must have knowledge about…
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Must be able to understand…
Skills
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Must be able to apply…
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Must be able to evaluate…
Competencies
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Must have…
(Type of instruction: If the type of instruction is fixed, this must be described (e.g. projects). If type
of instruction is not fixed, reference can be made to a general description of
the types of instruction described in the introduction to Chapter 3.)
Exam format:
(The type of examination is described here. Any requirements concerning
class participation must appear here.)
Evaluation criteria: Either are stated in the Framework Provisions or Besides the evaluation
criteria stated in the Framework Provisions, the grade requires …
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Chapter 4: Entry into Force, Interim Provisions and Revision
The curriculum is approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Science or The Faculty
of Medicine and enters into force as of xx.
Students who wish to complete their studies under the previous curriculum from xx must conclude
their education by the summer examination period xx at the latest, since examinations under the
previous curriculum are not offered after this time.
In accordance with the Framework Provisions for the Faculty of Engineering and Science and The
Faculty of Medicine at Aalborg University, the curriculum must be revised no later than 5 years
after its entry into force.
Chapter 5: Other Provisions
5.1 Rules concerning written work, including the Bachelor’s project
In the assessment of all written work, regardless of the language it is written in, weight is also
given to the student's formulation and spelling ability, in addition to the academic content.
Orthographic and grammatical correctness as well as stylistic proficiency are taken as a basis for
the evaluation of language performance. Language performance must always be included as an
independent dimension of the total evaluation. However, no examination can be assessed as
‘Pass’ on the basis of good language performance alone; similarly, an examination normally cannot
be assessed as ‘Fail’ on the basis of poor language performance alone.
The Board of Studies can grant exemption from this in special cases (e.g., dyslexia or a native
language other than Danish).
The Bachelor’s project must include an English summary.1 If the project is written in English, the
summary must be in Danish.2 The summary must be at least 1 page and not more than 2 pages
(this is not included in any fixed minimum and maximum number of pages per student). The
summary is included in the evaluation of the project as a whole.
5.2 Rules concerning credit transfer (merit), including the possibility for choice of modules
that are part of another programme at a university in Denmark or abroad
In the individual case, the Board of Studies can approve successfully completed (passed)
programme elements from other Master’s programmes in lieu of programme elements in this
programme (credit transfer). The Board of Studies can also approve successfully completed
(passed) programme elements from another Danish programme or a programme outside of
Denmark at the same level in lieu of programme elements within this curriculum. Decisions on
credit transfer are made by the Board of Studies based on an academic assessment. See the
Framework Provisions for the rules on credit transfer.
5.3 Rules concerning the progress of the Bachelor’s programme
The student must participate in all first year examinations by the end of the first year of study in the
Bachelor's programme, in order to be able to continue the programme. The first year of study must
be passed by the end of the second year of study, in order that the student can continue his/her
Bachelor's programme.
In special cases, however, there may be exemption from the above if the student has been on a
leave of absence. Leave is granted during first year of study only in the event of maternity,
adoption, military service, UN service or where there are exceptional circumstances.
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2
Or another foreign language (French, Spanish or German) upon approval by the Board of Studies.
The Board of Studies can grant exemption from this.
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5.4 Rules concerning the completion of the Bachelor’s programme
The Bachelor’s programme must be completed no later than six years after it was begun.
5.5 Special project process
In the 3rd, 4th and 5th semesters, the student can upon application, design an educational
programme where the project work is replaced by other study activities; cf. the Framework
Provisions section 9.3.1.
5.6 Rules for examinations
The rules for examinations are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published by the
Faculty of Engineering and Science on their website.
5.7 Exemption
In exceptional circumstances, the Board of Studies study can grant exemption from those parts of
the curriculum that are not stipulated by law or ministerial order. Exemption regarding an
examination applies to the immediate examination.
5.8 Rules and requirements for the reading of texts
It is assumed that the student can read academic texts in his or her native language as well as in
English and use reference works etc. in other European languages. (German or other languages
can also be mentioned here if relevant).
5.9 Additional information
The current version of the curriculum is published on the Board of Studies’ website, including more
detailed information about the programme, including exams.
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