Combined Master's Degree Programme for Working Professionals (3 years)
| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (See if this programme also offers a January/February start for international applicants). Programme type: Combined Master's Degree Programme for Working Professionals (3 years) |
The three-year Combined Master’s degree programme for working professionals in IT Product Development at Aarhus University allows you to combine a research-based master’s degree with relevant professional experience. The programme follows a 1+2 structure: you study full-time during the first year and then combine your studies with relevant employment of at least 25 hours per week during the final two years.
You complete the same 120 ECTS credits and earn the same academic degree and qualifications as students on the regular two-year master’s degree programme in IT Product Development. The difference is that the programme is spread over three years, allowing you to apply research-based knowledge in a professional setting while continuing to develop your academic skills.
Throughout the programme, you work on developing innovative digital products and solutions that bring together technology, design and user needs. You can explore areas such as digital product design and testing, programming, software systems and services development, and digitalisation with a focus on user involvement and interaction.
During your first year, you become part of the vibrant research and student community at the Department of Computer Science. In the following two years, you combine your studies with employment, allowing you to continuously apply new knowledge and methods to develop and test digital solutions in practice.
The programme has a standard duration of three years. During the final two years, you must be employed in a relevant position for an average of at least 25 hours per week. Specific employment and admission requirements are outlined under 'Admission requirements'.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the Combined Master's degree programme in IT Product Development. Depending on your educational background and your qualifications, there are different ways to meet the admission requirements:
This section is relevant for you, if you have:
The two sections listed below are relevant only for students with a bachelor's degree from a Danish institution:
Below these sections, you can learn more about the employment requirement and the English language requirement. You can also find out which ranking criteria we use to assess your application when prioritizing among the submitted applications.
If you have an international educational background, you must meet both the general admission requirement and the specific admission requirements:
You must have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent that is comparable to a Danish Bachelor's degree in both level and duration (180 ECTS).
For more information about how your Bachelor's degree is assessed, please see the national database.
If you meet the general admission requirement, the university will continue on to assess whether or not you meet the specific admission requirements.
You can be admitted to the Master's programme if the university assesses that your education has a level, scope, and content that corresponds to the academic requirements specified below.
| Subject area | Number of ECTS |
Computer Science You must have a minimum of 40 ECTS credits in Computer Science. The following subject areas are typically con-sidered, but other relevant courses within Computer Science may also be included:
| 40 |
Human-Computer Interaction You must have a minimum of 40 ECTS credits in Human-Computer Interaction. The following sub-ject areas are typically considered, but other relevant courses within Human-Computer In-teraction may also be included:
| 40 |
Basic subjects in Mathematics, Probability Theory and Statistics You must have a minimum of 10 ECTS credits in foundational mathematical subjects, probability theory, and statistics. | 10 |
| Total | 90 |
We cannot assess in advance whether your specific degree will meet the above requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for the programme if you believe that you meet the academic requirements. In this regard, it is a good idea to compare your degree with the programmes that provide direct admission.
No Bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University entitles applicants to an offer of admission to this Combined Master's degree programme.
Certain Bachelor's degree programmes from Aarhus University and various other Danish Universities have been determined to meet the admission requirements to this Master's degree programme in IT Product Development:
If you obtained your Bachelor's degree from an educational institution outside Denmark, we ask you to complete an appendix to help us assess whether you meet the programme's academic admission requirements. In the appendix, please specify which courses you have completed as part of your Bachelor's degree within the required subject areas.
You will find a link to the appendix in the confirmation message you receive in the application portal (DANS) after submitting your application.
You must meet the requirement of being in relevant employment when you transition to the part-time part of the programme, i.e. after the first year.
“Relevant employment” means that you work at least 25 hours per week in a public or private company, or as an entrepreneur, and that your work tasks are professionally related to both your qualifying education and the education you are applying for.
In order to be admitted to this programme you must meet the university's English language requirements.
Students with bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'Legal right of admission' are exempt from the English language requirement.
All Master’s degree programmes at Aarhus University have limited intake. This means that you are not guaranteed admission even if you meet the entry requirements. When we prioritize among applicants, we assess your application based on a set of fixed ranking criteria, which you can see below.
If you have a legal right of admission, you are guaranteed a place in the programme and do not need to consider the ranking criteria.
Ranking criteria:
In criterion three, the score is based on the proportion of subjects on the bachelor’s degree diploma that fall within the relevant subject fields. In this assessment, ECTS credits that are a part of the admission requirements described under ‘Other qualifying degrees’ are not included.
Please note that grades achieved after the application deadline are not included in the assessment.
Unfortunately, Aarhus University is not able to assess your qualifications beforehand. In order for your qualifications to be assessed you must apply for admission. To learn more, please go to Assessment of your qualifications.
The three-year master’s degree programme for working professionals in IT Product Development follows a 1+2 structure, combining full-time studies with relevant professional employment. The programme consists of 90 ECTS credits of courses and projects and a 30 ECTS master's thesis.
During the first year, you study full-time at Aarhus University, attending classes alongside students on the regular master’s degree programme. You complete 60 ECTS credits and can explore the academic areas that interest you most.
During the final two years, you combine your studies with relevant employment of at least 25 hours per week on average. You complete the remaining 60 ECTS credits alongside your work.
You complete the programme with a 30 ECTS master's thesis, allowing you to explore a topic of your choice within IT Product Development. Your thesis can be theoretical or experimental, for example involving the development and testing of a digital product or concept. You may also choose to focus on a relevant challenge from the company where you work.
The programme allows you to specialise in different areas of IT Product Development. You shape your academic profile by choosing:
20 ECTS credits from one or more of the following course packages:
Human-Centered Computing
Ubiquitous Computing and Interaction
Visual Computing
20 ECTS credits from the Socio-Technical Design course package.
In addition, you can choose elective courses and work on projects where you apply your knowledge to develop and test digital products and solutions. As part of the programme, you also complete a 20 ECTS innovation project focusing on the development of new products, services or concepts.
If your bachelor’s degree is not in IT Product Development, you may need to take specific courses to meet the prerequisites for individual course packages, depending on your academic background.
| Course package | Prerequisite (bachelor course) | Recommended/ required |
| Human-centered computing | Human-Computer Interaction | required |
| Socio-Technical Design |
| required |
| Ubiqitous Computing and Interaction | Distributed Systems and Security | recommended |
Once admitted, you can receive guidance on planning a study programme that best suits your academic interests and working hours.
Teaching takes place on campus and combines lectures, classroom teaching and group work. You engage with current research topics and have opportunities to discuss theories and methods with both lecturers and fellow students. You may also work on projects in collaboration with companies and other external partners.
A 10 ECTS course typically requires 2-5 hours of active participation on campus per week, in addition to independent preparation.
Academic support and guidance are available from lecturers and teaching assistants associated with each course.
IT Product Development is located in the Department of Computer Science in IT City Katrinebjerg, where Aarhus University has consolidated all its IT programmes and research. As the largest IT education center in Denmark, with more than 3,000 students and 200 researchers, IT City Katrinebjerg is an exciting study environment near the city center.
As a Combined Master’s student, your everyday life will differ from that of full-time students – but you are still part of the same academic community. You will attend the same courses, collaborate with peers on projects, and have access to study facilities and events at the Department of Computer Science.
Because you combine study with employment in your second and third year, your learning environment extends beyond the university. Your workplace becomes a natural part of your education, where you can test theories, methods, and tools in practice. This dual setting creates a unique study life where you both grow academically and professionally.
You may also participate in department activities such as guest lectures, hackathons, and career events, connecting you with researchers, students, and companies in the thriving IT ecosystem around Aarhus University.
As the second-largest city in Denmark, Aarhus is a young and dynamic place with plenty of opportunities. The 40,000 students at the university make up almost 20% of the city’s population, which leaves its mark on city life. An attractive feature of Aarhus is that beaches and woods are just a short bike-ride away, as well as many cultural events taking place throughout the year, including the Aarhus Festival in September. The theatres in the city and the ARoS art museum offer many events that enable you to experience the Danish culture.
Or follow the everyday life at the Department of Computer Science:
The chart shows the five most common types of work for graduates 1-2 years after finishing their degree. The data is derived from a survey made by Epinion for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University in 2020.
With a Combined Master’s degree programme for working professionals in IT Product Development, you can start building your career while you study. By combining a research-based master’s degree with relevant professional experience, you gain a strong foundation for your future career.
After your first year of full-time studies, you work at least 25 hours per week in a relevant company alongside your studies. This allows you to put your theoretical knowledge into practice, develop your professional skills and build a professional network before you graduate.
Companies in Denmark and internationally are looking for graduates who can combine technological expertise with creative problem-solving and user-centred design.
With a master’s degree in IT Product Development from Aarhus University, you can pursue careers as a product developer, UX designer, digital designer, technology consultant, software developer or project manager within digital innovation.
You may also progress into specialist or management positions, bridging technology, design, innovation and business development.
Discover what our graduates are doing today: Meet our graduates.
You do not need to have a job when you start the programme. However, during the final two years, you must be employed in a relevant position for an average of at least 25 hours per week.
Our online job platform, CS Jobwall, features relevant job opportunities posted by companies in our industry network.
You can also meet potential employers at Kdag, our annual career fair where some of Denmark's largest IT companies visit the department to meet students and graduates.
If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, you can become part of an inspiring and creative environment alongside researchers and fellow IT entrepreneurs. Find out more about HatchIT Lab. You can also join Kitchen, Aarhus University's entrepreneurship hub, where you can access guidance and resources to help turn your business idea into reality.
When negotiating your first employment contract, you can seek advice from professional organisations such as PROSA and IDA. They offer guidance on salaries, employment conditions and salary statistics for the IT industry.
View PROSA's salary statistics [only in Danish].
I work in a division that develops new play concepts for LEGO. We work with the early phases of product development, including prototyping and tests. The job is a great fit with my degree. On my programme we made prototypes of all the concepts we developed. Working with prototypes in our studies means a lot for the way we approach projects. We take a very practical approach and we can quickly produce something concrete that can move the development process along.
Morten Boye Mortensen
Graduate, MSc in IT Product Development
Digital concept designer at LEGO
