‘Sector resizing’ (caps on admissions to Bachelor’s degree programmes) applies to academic (non-vocational) Bachelor’s degree programmes. Professional (vocational) Bachelor's degree programmes are not affected by the Master's degree reform and are therefore not included in the sector resizing agreement.
Average BA/BSc enrolment for the period 2018-2022 is the baseline for the political agreement on sector resizing.
According to the sector resizing agreement, Aarhus University must cut BA/BSc enrolments by 9.5% over the baseline, which corresponds to a net reduction of 545 places. In addition, as a result of a different political agreement, the relocation agreement, Aarhus University must create at least 200 new Bachelor’s study places as a contribution to ensuring higher-educational opportunities outside the major cities. In order to create the required new places while respecting the cap imposed by the sector resizing agreement, Aarhus University must cut a corresponding number of places from existing degree programmes. All five faculties will contribute to this.
On the background of the political agreement, AU has based the distribution of the cuts on the following three parameters.
The table below shows the relative contribution of each faculty to the final net reduction in student places. An explanation of each column is provided after the table.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
Faculty | BA/BSc intake (avg. 2018-2022) | BA/BSc intake 2023 | Places cut (gross) 50% grad. unemployment 50% rel. loss of revenue | Relocation agreement Creation of 209 places | Relocation agreement Distribution of 209 places | Net cuts | In pct. rel. to 2018-2022 | Cap on BA/BSc intake in 2025 |
| Arts | 1,751 | 1,612 | 263 | 50 | 0 | 313 | 17.9% | 1,438 |
| BSS | 2,233 | 2,156 | 160 | 58 | 0 | 218 | 9.8% | 2,015 |
| Health | 713 | 771 | 13 | 36 | -39 | 10 | 1.4% | 703 |
| Tech | 234 | 266 | 8 | 33 | -161 | -120 | -51.3% | 354 |
| Nat | 805 | 732 | 101 | 32 | -9 | 124 | 15.4% | 681 |
| Total | 5,736 | 5,537 | 545 | 209 | -209 | 545 | 9.5% | 5,191 |
This column shows average enrolment in the faculties’ academic (non-vocational) BA/BSc programmes for the period 2018-2022 (baseline).
This column shows enrolment in the faculties’ academic (non-vocational) BA/BSc programmes in 2023 as a basis for comparison.
As explained above, AU must reduce net enrolment in academic (non-vocational) Bachelor’s degree programmes by 545 places relative to average enrolment for the period 2018-2022 (see column 1).
Graduate unemployment rates and the faculties’ relative loss of revenues from educational activities were taken into account in the allocation of places to be cut.
Specifically, half of the 545 places to be cut have been allocated on the background of calculations from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science which are exclusively based on graduate unemployment rates.
The other half of the places to be cut has been distributed so as to ensure that the faculties experience approximately the same relative loss of revenues from educational activities relative to 2023. The faculties’ relative loss of revenues for their degree programmes has been calculated based on 1) sector resizing reductions; 2) the upcoming redesign of Master’s degree programmes; and 3) creation of new Master’s student places for international students. While the first two factors entail a reduction in revenues from educational activities, the third entails increased revenues.
Aarhus University has been authorised to create 180 new international places at MA/(MSc level in 2024 as part of the Master's reform. By agreement with the faculties, these places will be allocated as follows: 90 places to BSS, 50 places to Tech and 40 places to Nat. These three faculties have the most English-taught degree programmes and are thus best positioned to increase international recruitment at short notice.
As as a consequence of the relocation agreement, AU must create at least 200 new BA/BSc study places. The senior management team has agreed to create 209 new BA/BSc places, primarily in connection with the new degree programmes being offered at AU Viborg. In addition, it has become clear that Health’s BSc enrolment was not completely adjusted in connection with the implementation of the relocation agreement; what is more, Nat is on track to offer new English-taught BSc programmes from 2025. The net reductions to be carried out at these two faculties reflect these circumstances.
The senior management team has decided that the faculties will pull together to find the 209 places that must be cut to make room for the new places the university must create. This means that the faculties that are set to create new places must also contribute to making the extra places possible.
Half of the 209 places to be cut will be found by cutting 21 places at all faculties across the board. The other half will be allocated to the faculties relative to the number of student FTEs produced in 2023.
The individual faculties’ contribution to the 209 places to be cut is shown in column 4.
This column shows how the 209 places to be cut will be allocated by faculty.
This column shows the total net reduction in BA/BSc enrolments for each faculty relative to average enrolment for the period 2018-2022. The figures in this column represent the sum of the figures in columns 3, 4 and 5.
This column shows the total net reduction in BA/BSc enrolment for each faculty expressed as a percentage of the average enrolment for the period 2018-2022.
This column shows the cap on enrolment in academic (non-vocational) Bachelor’s degree programmes by faculty in 2025.