Work-integrated Master’s degree programme (4 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: Flexible work-integrated Master’s degree programme (4 years) |
The work-integrated master’s programme in IT Product Development at Aarhus University is designed for professionals who want to continue their education while remaining in employment. The programme enables you to combine academic studies with professional practice and apply research-based knowledge directly in your workplace.
You complete the same number of ECTS credits and obtain the same academic title and competencies as graduates of the two-year full-time master’s programme in IT Product Development. However, the programme is structured as a part-time degree and is typically completed over four years, allowing you to balance work and study.
The flexible structure makes it possible to tailor your degree to your interests and professional needs through elective courses within areas such as IT product development, computer science, and industrial design. Throughout the programme, you strengthen the link between theory and practice by working with real-world challenges in your job while contributing with the latest academic knowledge.
Admission to the programme requires an academic background in IT Product Development or a related field, or thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of IT and industrial design. This includes competencies in programming, systems and system development, physical design, basic electronics, as well as experience in integrating these disciplines.
The programme has a standard duration of four years. Specific requirements regarding employment and admission are described under Admission requirements.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the work-integrated 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 |
Industrial design The following subject areas must be covered:
| 20 |
Physical computing, i.e. the building of interactive physical systems by the use of software and hardware that can sense and respond to the analog world | 10 |
| Human-computer interaction and experimental system development | 10 |
Programming The following subject areas must be covered:
| 20 |
Computer systems The following subject areas must be covered:
| 20 |
| Basic subjects in mathematics, 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 work-integrated 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 hold a Bachelor’s degree from a non-Danish university, you must complete the appendix below and upload it to the application portal. The appendix helps the academic assessors with the assessment of your application.
Download appendix
When applying for a work-integrated Master’s degree programme, you must meet the requirement of being in relevant employment.
“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:
Grades from the qualifying degree
Grades achieved in relevant subject fields:
IT-Product Development
Industrial Design
Mathematics
Probability Theory
Statistics
Relevant subject fields (measured in ECTS). In this assessment, ECTS credits that are a part of the admission requirements described under ‘Other qualifying degrees’ are not included.
Industrial Design
Mathematics
Probability Theory
Statistics
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.
From the summer admission of 2027, the specific admission requirements will be as follows:
| Subject area | Number of ECTS |
Computer Science You must have at least 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 at least 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 at least 10 ECTS credits in foundational mathematical subjects, probability theory, and statistics. | 10 |
| Total | 90 |
From the summer admission of 2027, the ranking criteria will be as follows:
The work integrated Master's degree programme in IT Product Development spans four years. You must complete at least 30 ECTS per year – 90 ECTS courses and 30 ECTS thesis. Each 10 ECTS course is in English, and requires your active participation on site 2-5 hours/week. Our teaching is a mix of lectures and classes where you must present and discuss research and work in study groups. You can meet with the professor or the teaching assistants assigned to the course and opportunities are rich to cooperate with leading Danish Companies in projects.
Get a guided lab tour at Department of Computer Science.
When you have enrolled you will receive advice on how to set up a study programme that suits your work schedule as much as possible.
During your first three years you complete 60 ECTS in the following course packages:
You complete 20 ECTS
A 20 ECTS within the course package Socio-Technical Design
And 20 ECTS elective that may be business related
In your second year you engage in a major innovation project (20 ECTS).
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in IT Product Development or similar within Computer Science, you can take a bachelor course as your elective.
Course package | Prerequisite (bachelor course) | Recommended/ required |
Human-centered computing | required | |
Socio-Technical Design |
| required |
Ubiqitous Computing and Interaction | recommended |
Your fourth year is dedicated entirely to your thesis, which you may write in collaboration with your company (30ECTS). You may focus on theory or a more experimental approach where you develop and test a concept or product. It is also possible to complete the thesis in half a year hence completing your Master’s in 3.5 years.
The academic regulations provide detailed information about the content of each course. You can also find an overview of the structure of the degree programme and the requirements you must meet as a student – including examination types and assessment criteria.
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 work-integrated 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, 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.
Only IT professionals such as product developers, UX designers, digital consultants, digital product managers or -digital trainers are eligeble to the programme.
Companies across Denmark and beyond search for graduates from Aarhus University’s computer science programmes. By choosing the work-integrated Master’s, you accelerate your career while studying: you gain advanced theoretical knowledge, apply it immediately in your job, and position yourself for senior roles and you grow your network among other IT professionals.
Many graduates move into leadership roles, bridging technical expertise with innovation and business development. Graduates of the programme are particularly qualified to develop IT products, as well as digital and physical interface applications supplemented by web-based services.
Previous graduates have gone on to develop media and navigation equipment for motor vehicles, mobile applications, energy and media control equipment for homes, experience and learning installations for museums and attractions, and technology for the health sector.
At cs.au.dk/career you can read more about some of our graduates and their exciting jobs.
If you are about to enter the job market in Denmark or to a career as IT professional please contact our partners Tech Hub Aarhus and Erhverv Aarhus. These business associations will guide you to local IT companies and networks.
With a letter of preliminary acceptance into the programme international students may receive feedback on your resume and application, coffee meetings with companies, and partial grant to visit the department and talk with companies.
You can also explore vacancies via our online jobwall (CS Jobwall), where business club members regularly post job opportunities.
Bachelors degree computer sciencetists in this area may expect an average income per month of app. € 2.300 after tax) for 25 hours/week depending on your academic merits, language skills and level of work experience.
It specialists may choose to be represented by labour unions PROSA or IDA in contract negotiations. They keep updated statistics on salaries here.
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
