Six master's degree programmes will have industrial master's degree tracks from 2026
TEK will begin in 2026 with six industrial master's tracks and will expand from 2028. Director of Education Thomas Skjødeberg Toftegaard sees the format as a supplement to the classic 120 ECTS civil engineering master's degree, where relevant employment is linked more closely to the programme of study through a binding collaboration.
The same candidate, but in a new way
When Thomas Skjødeberg Toftegaard talks about the new industrial master's programmes at TEK, he emphasises continuity.
– All our master's degree programmes today are 120 ECTS. This is the model that employers know, and this is how they expect a civil engineer to be educated. What's new is that there will be more ways to complete the master's programme, he says.
With the 1+2 model of the industrial master's programme, TEK will have a supplementary track to the classic two-year master's programme. The programme will be stretched over three years, but the graduate will become a civil engineer on the same basis as today.
– We see the 1+2 model as a supplementary offer to the classic 120 ECTS model.
Why does the format make sense here?
At TEK, and especially in engineering, collaboration with industry is closely linked to education, research and innovation. Many students focus on specific problems, technologies and needs in companies, but the industrial candidate track integrates the link throughout the master's degree programme. The relationship with a company becomes more permanent and hopefully binding, so that knowledge and trust can be built on.
– The master's programme is an opportunity to create a very close partnership with a company, where it's not just about research, but also about education, he says.
How the link between the programme of study and employment works
The Industrial Master's programme combines part-time study with relevant employment as part of the framework of the programme. The employment is not a classic student job, but a job that is directly related to the programme and can support learning objectives and progression. The student can bring knowledge into play in the company and bring experience back to the programme.
The difference is particularly evident in the last two years of the three-year programme.
– The difference from the traditional 120 ECTS is that in the 1+2 model, the student is employed for a minimum of 25 hours a week in a company for the last two years of the three-year master's degree programme, explains Thomas Skjødeberg Toftegaard.
What does it require and what do the parties get out of it?
For students, Thomas Skjødeberg Toftegaard sees first and foremost an opportunity to build a relationship with the labour market in a process that is more long-term than in a traditional master's model.
– If students are interested in support to create a relationship with the labour market and a company in a specific industry, this is the opportunity to do so, he says.
For the student, there is also a financial difference.
– The first year is identical to the existing candidate in terms of structure and conditions, while the student must be paid a salary by the company for the last two years, which is inherently significantly higher than the State Education Grant and Loan Scheme in Denmark, he says.
For companies, the value is about access to talent and being able to collaborate with master's students over a longer period. The student can contribute new research-based knowledge while building competences in a professional context. But the format requires the company to take responsibility for the collaboration.
– The company must commit and engage.
A company gets the most out of the format when it invests time in defining relevant tasks, provides sparring and follows up.
– The benefit for the company is proportional to the effort – and the same goes for the student, he emphasises.
The longer relationship can increase the likelihood that projects and master's theses will be more relevant to the company because the parties can get to know each other and can work together more effectively.
Six pilot programmes – and more from 2028
The pilot period in 2026 and 2027 will provide experience in getting a common model to function stably in practice and in testing the form of collaboration with companies before expanding the offering from 2028. The ambition is a model that is clear to communicate and robust to operate, and which provides a solid framework for collaboration between the student and the company.
Facts
What is an industrial master's degree?
An industrial master’s degree programme is a research-based master's degree programme where relevant parallel employment is part of the framework. The six Master of Science in Engineering programmes offered by TEK in 2026 are Robotics, Software Engineering (in Odense and Sønderborg), Mechatronics, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering.
What's the point?
The format combines part-time study and relevant employment, allowing students to bring knowledge into play in the labour market during the programme of study while maintaining academic progression. The employment is relevant and is not the same as a regular student job.