| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (no winter intake) |
Heritage Studies is a growing, interdisciplinary field of study and practice. It attracts students from many different disciplinary backgrounds, including Archaeology, Anthropology, Art History, Architecture, History, Museum Studies, Tourism Studies, Cultural Geography and many others. A literal definition of heritage is ‘that which we inherit from the past and pass on to the future’. In fact, as it is now interpreted, heritage is about a lot more than museums and monuments. As well as engaging with famous sites and monuments visited by millions and protected by national and international bodies, there is also growing regard to the everyday, not-so-famous and often intangible side of heritage.
The Sustainable Heritage Management programme is one of the few Heritage Studies programmes globally with a specific focus on sustainability. This attention to sustainability underlines the central place of caring for the future within contemporary heritage studies, and is currently one of the most important topics in the museum and Heritage Studies world. The adoption by the United Nations of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 has transformed academic and business environments. The 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly, integrates the role of culture as an enabler of sustainable development. By the same token, the adoption of the European Green Deal as a growth and policy framework is set to transform worlds of work in Europe and beyond.
The Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Aarhus University is a leading department of its kind, which is consistently ranked in the top-20 departments globally. The core staff of the Sustainable Heritage Management programme are internationally renowned scholars, deeply immersed in both local and global issues. Because it is taught in English with many Danish and Scandinavian case studies, the programme attracts a mix of Danish and International students. The emphasis on group work and class discussion means that there are plenty of opportunities for students to learn from one another’s experiences in a diverse classroom setting.
The programme in Sustainable Heritage Management sets out to equip you with the practical and conceptual tools that you will need in the many different worlds of work associated with heritage management, interpretation, and practice.
Our graduating students get jobs in a wide range of sectors, including museums and galleries, local government, the tourism sector, the education sector, media, fashion, jobs connected to the Green Transition, and many others.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the master's degree programme in Sustainable Heritage Management. 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 you will also be able to learn more about language requirements and find out whether or not this master's degree programme has a limited intake.
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 |
| Cultural heritage studies (for instance, museology, museum studies and heritage production or administration), or a field allied to cultural heritage studies | 45 |
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.
There is no Bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University that provides a legal right of admission to the Master's degree programme in Sustainable Heritage Management.
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 Sustainable Heritage Management:
This master's degree programme has a limited intake.
Because of the limited intake all qualified applicants will be prioritised according to a set of selection critieria (see below).
Meeting the admission requirements does not automatically ensure your offer of admission. Only if you have a specific bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'legal right of admission' will you be guarenteed an offer of admission to this master's degree programme.
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of vacant places, the following criteria will be taken into account in the selection process (each criterion counts as 1/3):
1. Grade level from qualifying degree programme
2. Grades achieved in relevant subject areas:
Subject elements within Cultural Heritage Studies
3. Other relevant experience
A description of relevance (1-2 pages in English) explaining 1) the academic relevance of your Bachelor's Degree Programme to the Master's Degree Programme in Sustainable Heritage Management; 2) which specific courses from your Bachelor’s Degree Programme contribute to meeting the admission requirements for the Master's Degree Programme in Sustainable Heritage Management; 3) relevant experience in addition to academic qualifications.
CV in English
Please note that grades achieved after the application deadline are not included in the assessment.
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.
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.
As a student it is important to know the regulations for your chosen subject: what is the content, how is it structured and what does it require from you. You can find this information in the academic regulations.
In the following graphical presentation of the subject, you can see the different modules and courses that, in addition, link to the course catalogue where you can read the course descriptions.
Many heritage-linked jobs require a mix of practical and conceptual skills. The Sustainable Heritage Management programme sets out to equip you with both the practical and conceptual tools and understandings that you will need as future heritage practitioners and researchers.
In the first semester, the course Theory and Concepts in Heritage Studies gives you a grounding in key concepts, debates, and thinkers in the field of Heritage Studies. The course Sources and Methods in Heritage Studies introduces you to research methods and design, and allows you to undertake a small, independent research project. The course Heritage Management Frameworks covers heritage legislation and its consequences at different levels—the local, the national, and the global.
In the second semester you do a course on Heritage Project Management, which introduces you to practices of project development and delivery, including aspects of financial control, personnel management and professional pitching. A second course, entitled Heritage in Practice, explores the contemporary museum, focusing on museum practices, controversies and debates, and includes a substantial site-visit component, involving direct input from several leading senior museum curators from across Denmark. The course Production and Communication of Heritage gives you a grounding in different media: podcasts, working with film, and writing for popular science publication.
In the third semester you have the opportunity of interning with a heritage-facing project or institution. Our students have chosen to intern with a variety of projects and organizations, including museums, galleries, media start-ups, sustainable food initiatives, local government offices, and sports clubs, amongst many others, both in Denmark and internationally. You also have an opportunity to study abroad for the Semester.
In the fourth semester you write a research thesis under supervision.
The Sustainable Heritage Management program is based at the Department of Archaeology at Moesgaard, an eighteenth-century manor house newly equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that also houses the Department of Anthropology. Here you will have access to a library, computers, a common room, lounges, and a cafeteria, as well as the internationally renowned archaeology and anthropology museum, MOMU, and the surrounding hundred hectares of beautiful fields and woodlands leading down to the sea.
Photo: media Moesgaard
You also have plenty of opportunities to take an active part in student life at the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies:
In addition, there are many other events for students at the Faculty of Arts and Aarhus University in general – e.g. lectures, intro days, career days, seminars, celebrations, and sports days. The SHM student group also has access to extra resources to support self-generated social events and field trips.
The SHM Student Committee organizes social activities, has input into the academic programme, and is responsible for outreach. It also liaises with other student committees to organize joint activities involving local and international students
Photo: media Moesgård
Campus Moesgaard is an inspirational work and study environment. It includes the Moesgaard Library, which is a joint library for Anthropology and Archaeology as well as the Moesgaard Museum. You will find study space in the library, including work spaces reserved for students writing their thesis. You will also have the opportunity to see many changing exhibits at the Moesgaard Museum during your time here. As a student at Moesgaard, you can access the museum for free by showing your student card.
MoCa Mates connects new international students and senior Master’s students, with the purpose of sharing experiences of studying at Moesgaard and living in Aarhus as a foreign student. The Mates meet up on a weekly basis (at least during the first few weeks), and function as an informal and social forum for student-to-student discussions. The MoCa Mates programme closely collaborates with the student counsellors, to whom the Mates can address certain issues if necessary.
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 17.5% of the city’s population, which leaves its mark on city life. An attractive feature of Aarhus is that there are beaches and woods a short bike-ride away, as well as cultural events taking place throughout the year, including the Aarhus Festival in September. The theatres in the city and the ARoS international art museum offer many events that enable you to experience the Danish culture.
Why choose Aarhus? See international.au.dk/education and get all practical information about being an international student.
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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 in Sustainable Heritage Management are qualified for a number of job markets and industries, depending on area of interest and specialisation. Recent graduates are working in the community, museum and archival sectors, in planning and development agencies, and in bodies within resource management and capacity building, in tourism and the artistic and creative industries, as well as in further research.
Many of the challenges that you will be trained to meet are transnational and international in scope. Here are some of the fields SHM graduates typically go into:
Furthermore, a MA in sustainable heritage management qualifies students who wish to pursue a research career to apply to Ph.D programmes at Aarhus University or elsewhere, an option that may include collaboration with national or international institutions, organisations or private companies. Find out more information about PhD degree programmes at the Faculty of Arts.
Please contact the Student Counselling Office for advice about employment opportunities and the subject profile options of your degree programme.
You can read more about the career services that are available from Arts Karriere who provide information about employment opportunities as well as arranging various events and workshops.
