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 flexible work-integrated Master’s degree programme in Physics allows you to continue your professional development while studying and to apply what you learn directly in your workplace. You build advanced competencies in physics while gaining practical experience in a relevant position, strengthening both your academic profile and your value in the labour market. You follow the same research-based courses as full-time MSc students in Physics and earn the same degree (MSc in Physics), while your employment becomes an active and integrated part of your learning.
This programme is designed for students who are employed during their studies. You complete the degree part-time alongside your job or entrepreneurial activities, creating a strong link between theory and practice. The knowledge and methods you learn in your coursework can support ongoing work tasks, while your practical experience provides context and insight that enrich your academic studies.
The programme has a standard duration of four years.
The specific requirements regarding the number of working hours needed for admission to the programme are outlined under 'Admission requirements'.
The programme is flexible and allows you to shape your academic direction through your choice of courses, project work and thesis focus. Teaching is closely integrated with ongoing research. Your lecturers are active scientists, and as a master’s student you become part of a research group where you collaborate with PhD students and academic staff.
Many students also carry out research at the Centre for Storage Ring Facilities (ISA) - Aarhus University’s world-renowned synchrotron radiation facility, where experiments in atomic and molecular physics, surface and materials science, space science, and the spectroscopy of biological molecules are conducted. Having facilities such as ASTRID2, the Mars Simulation Laboratory, and several specialised research centres located on or near campus provides a rare opportunity to move directly from coursework into front-line experimental environments. Students interested in astrophysics are likewise integrated into research that combines observational data, instrumentation, data analysis, and theoretical modelling of the Universe.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the work-integrated Master's degree programme in Physics. 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 |
Course elements within physics and astronomy The following subject areas should be covered:
| 60 |
| Course elements within mathematics and statistics | 30 |
| 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 work-integrated Master's degree programme in Physics:
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:
Physics
Astronomy
Mathematics
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.
Physics
Astronomy
Mathematics
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.
The flexible work-integrated Master’s degree programme in Physics comprises 120 ECTS and is completed part-time over eight semesters alongside relevant employment. Students are required to be employed in a professionally relevant position for a minimum of 25 hours per week (annual norm) throughout the programme. You typically take around 15 ECTS per semester, allowing you to combine work and studies in a balanced way. The programme must include at least 90 ECTS within physics, and the language of instruction is English. This structure gives you a strong foundation in advanced physics while allowing you to shape your own academic specialisation. You can explore the full range of courses in the Course Catalogue.
You complete at least 60 ECTS of courses (or more, depending on the size of your thesis). These include at least one selective compulsory course and a range of elective courses chosen in dialogue with academic staff, enabling you to develop a profile that reflects your interests and ambitions.
The selective compulsory course is chosen from one of the following:
The remaining ECTS are completed through your Master’s thesis, worth 30, 45, or 60 ECTS, depending on the depth and scope of your research focus. The thesis is conducted within a research group, where you participate in meetings, discussions and ongoing projects alongside other master’s students, PhD students and academic staff. The thesis is typically completed during the final year of the programme. For full details, see the academic regulations below.
Your individual study plan ensures academic progression while giving room for exploration across theoretical, experimental and computational approaches. You also have the opportunity to take on individual research projects or industry collaboration projects, allowing you to work closely with researchers or external partners in areas you are passionate about.
If your employment situation changes during your studies, you will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the full-time MSc in Physics, typically at the start of the next semester, ensuring continuity in your academic progress.
Students who wish to continue into research may apply for a PhD position either during the programme or after completing the Master’s thesis. For more information, see the Graduate School of Natural Sciences.
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.
As a student in the flexible work-integrated Master’s degree programme in Physics, you are part of both a professional workplace and an academic research environment. Because you study part-time alongside your job, the rhythm of your student life is different from that of full-time students, but you are still very much part of the university community.
You attend courses and complete assignments together with students enrolled in the full-time MSc in Physics, giving you access to the same research-based teaching, study groups, and academic events at the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Many students find that their professional experiences enrich discussions in class, and that their coursework gives them new tools to apply directly in their daily work.
You will have ongoing contact with the head of the degree programme, who will help you plan your studies and ensure a good balance between academic progression and your professional responsibilities. When you start working on your thesis, your supervisor becomes your main academic contact.
Even though your time on campus may be more structured, you are welcome in the department’s study spaces, workshops, research seminars, and social student activities whenever it suits your schedule. The department has an active academic and social environment, and part-time students are included on equal footing in both.
As a Master’s student in Physics at Aarhus University, you become part of a close-knit academic and social community. Much of your day-to-day life will take place at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, where students and researchers work side-by-side and where doors are often open for questions, discussions, and shared problem-solving.
When you write your Master’s thesis, you are typically assigned a workspace in your research group, sharing an office with fellow master’s students and PhD researchers. This creates a natural environment for collaboration, academic support, and friendships — a place where you can discuss ideas, compare results, and help each other move forward.
The department has an active student culture shaped by the students themselves. There are social and academic events throughout the year, including seminars, film nights, informal talks, and the popular Physics Friday Bar (Fysisk Fredagsbar), which opens every Friday afternoon and is a natural gathering point for students across the programme. Student-led activities such as the Physics Show (Fysikshow), science outreach events, study cafés, and astronomy observation nights also bring people together around shared curiosity and enthusiasm.
Life on campus is centred around the university park — green spaces, lakes, study cafés, libraries, and places to meet friends between lectures. Everything is within walking or biking distance, and the city centre is only minutes away. Aarhus is a vibrant, student-driven city with concerts, theatres, cafés, festivals, and easy access to beaches and forests. With thousands of students living here, the city feels young, lively, and easy to make your own.
- experienced, photographed and filmed by the students themselves.
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Mads Wraa Hyttel, M.Sc. in Physics, Aarhus University
When studying Physics at Aarhus University, I found the many different elective courses to be a great advantage – this gave me the possibility to choose courses matching my interests. I chose materials and laser physics – and I decided to specialise in experimental physics.
I carried out my Master's thesis in collaboration with Danish Technological Institute examining surface coatings for cutting tools. I produced the coatings at Danish Technological Institute and I analysed them at the university. I gained experiences about the development of new knowledge, which has been useful for me later on in my career.
In my job today, I work as product manager for all temperature sensor products at Kamstrup, where I draw on my knowledge from Physics – typically within thermodynamics, electromagnetism, mechanics, and materials science.
I have to quickly familiarise myself with complex technical issues and understand the consequences of a given change. This is something I have learned through the theoretical and experimental exercises in my Physics programme. I also have other tasks where my analytical approach and ability to learn new stuff come into use.
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.
Graduates from the flexible work-integrated Master’s degree programme in Physics are well prepared for careers where analytical thinking, modelling, data analysis, and problem-solving are central. Because you develop advanced theoretical and practical competencies while also gaining professional experience during your studies, you graduate with both strong academic depth and relevant industry experience.
Many students choose positions in technology companies, research and development departments, energy and climate technologies, consultancy, healthcare technology, finance, or data-driven industries. Others continue into research environments in universities, national laboratories, or private-sector innovation units. Physicists are sought after wherever complex problems need to be understood, modelled, and solved.
Upon completion, you earn the same degree as students in the full-time programme in Physics (MSc in Physics), and you are fully qualified to apply for PhD programmes in Denmark and internationally.
By studying while you work, you build a profile that demonstrates initiative, independence, and the ability to apply scientific knowledge in real-world contexts, qualities that are highly valued by employers across sectors. Graduates from the MSc in Physics typically develop the following competences:
These abilities form a foundation for a career in research, technology, innovation, and many areas where analytical thinking and scientific insight are essential.
