Behind the new name lies a familiar programme. Data Science is the English version of the existing Bachelor’s degree in Datavidenskab, which has been offered since 2019. The two programmes are identical in content and structure but differ in the language of instruction. While teaching in Datavidenskab is primarily conducted in Danish at Bachelor’s level, all course material and instruction in Data Science is in English. Both Bachelor’s programmes provide access to the same English-language Master’s degree in Datavidenskab.

This year, the entry score for Datavidenskab was 6.1.

“It’s fantastic to see the strong interest in the Data Science Bachelor’s programme, especially from EU/EEA applicants. It’s no secret that AU – like the rest of the country’s universities – struggles to meet society’s demand for graduates with strong IT skills. The high entry score primarily reflects the fact that AU is subject to a cap on the number of students we can admit from EU/EEA countries. It’s therefore proof that, should the cap be raised, we would be able to increase graduate output at short notice and help address the shortage.

Applicants with a Danish upper secondary qualification have fortunately understood that they should apply to the Danish-language Bachelor’s in Datavidenskab, where they are not competing with international applicants for study places,”

says Jacob Schach Møller, Head of Department at the Department of Mathematics.

A Growing Field of Study

Data Science and Datavidenskab are degree programmes that combine mathematics, programming, and statistics with societally and commercially relevant problems. Students learn to manage and analyse large volumes of data and are equipped to work with both classical data analysis and modern methods such as machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Graduates are in high demand in a job market where data skills are increasingly sought after – a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.

The programmes place emphasis on both the technical and ethical aspects of data science. Students gain insight into how data and algorithms influence decision-making, societal development, and daily life, and they are prepared to take responsibility in the development of new technologies. The first graduates from Datavidenskab completed their degrees in 2024, and they are already making their mark in both private companies and public institutions.

As an academic discipline, data science is relatively young and inherently interdisciplinary. This is reflected in the fact that the Datavidenskab and Data Science programmes were established and are run in collaboration between four departments at AU, across three faculties: the Departments of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics, and Economics. This setup offers students excellent opportunities to pursue a wide range of academic directions during their studies.

International Interest and More New Programmes

In addition to Data Science, Aarhus University has this year launched two more English-language versions of existing IT programmes: Computer Science and IT-Product Development, both at the Department of Computer Science. Here too, the entry scores for the English-language programmes are significantly higher than for their Danish-language counterparts. Taken together, the new programmes are part of the university’s strategy to meet the growing demand for IT skills and to attract talented students from around the world.

The Data Science programme saw high interest from international applicants, and with only 40 admission offers, a high average grade was required for acceptance.

In addition to Datavidenskab and Data Science, the Department of Mathematics also offers Mathematics and Mathematics-Economics, which this year had admission scores of 7.8 and 8.4, respectively.