The application deadline for the September enrolment in the research year at Health has now expired with a record number of applications from health science students.

2016.04.25 | Kirsten Olesen

The applicants will be notified by email according to the normal procedure at the end of June.

More students than previously and more students than expected will be disappointed when they receive notification at the end of June informing them whether they have been enrolled as research year students at Health in the April 2016-round. A total of 103 students mainly comprising medical students taking their Master’s degree programme have applied for enrolment this autumn.

"But as announced earlier in the year, we have unfortunately been forced to limit the number of enrolments to 120 in 2016, with a maximum of 45 places available in this round. As we have at the same time received the highest number of applications so far, it is unfortunately clear that we will be forced to reject even more students, also in cases where the students have their own funding in place," says Vice-dean for Talent Development, Lise Wogensen Bach.

The possibility of enrolment by bypassing the round of applications via what is known as “fast track" in cases where a student has secured full external funding was suspended in connection with the previous round of applications. This suspension remains in place.

Finances play a role

A committee under Health's faculty management team has been working on developing the criteria for assessing the applications up until the current round. The aim is to clarify the requirements and expectations being made of the students and also clarify the content of the research year. Different aspects must be taken into consideration; on the one hand that the research year is a success for the students and as a recruitment platform for the research environment. And on the other hand the financial conditions that Health is subject to for example in connection with the study progress reform and completion bonuses.

The applications will be processed as always by a selection committee and the applicants will be notified by email according to the normal procedure at the end of June. The criteria for the assessment of applicants and projects are described on the Graduate School’s website.

•  See previous coverage of the changes.

Facts:

• The research year consists of 12 months' full-time research under the supervision of one of the departments at Health. Students must apply for a minimum of six months leave of absence from their degree programme during the research year.

• AU loses its completion bonus if the Master’s degree programme is interrupted while students take their research year, because they must complete their studies within the prescribed time plus three months to trigger a completion bonus to AU.

• As part of the study progress reform, AU must improve the completion time for its degree programmes. If this does not happen, AU will be subject to a study progress fine.