e-Learning for Lifelong Learning in Denmark

2010).
Short-cycle higher education
Most of the short-cycle higher education programmes are vocational academy educations,
directed towards a specific trade or job function, and combining theory and
practice. A vocational academy education takes as a rule two years, including a minimum
of three months’ practice. The requirements to enter a vocational academy education
are an upper secondary education or a vocationally oriented education, sometimes
with specific requirements of certain levels in mathematics or English.
In 1998 a reform of the short-cycle higher education made the access routes broader
and more transparent, and gave better possibilities for the students of being awarded
credits if they wanted to continue in a medium- or long-cycle higher education
programme. In the autumn of 2009, there are 25 vocational academy education programmes;
most of them are offered at academies of professional higher education
(UNI-C 2010:15).
Medium-cycle higher education
A professional bachelor education is a profession-oriented. One type of medium-cycle
higher education are the professional bachelor programmes, which are offered at eight
university colleges, where education of e.g. teachers and nurses takes place, and at
two engineering colleges. There are approximately 40 professional bachelor education
programmes within pedagogy, health care, bio- and laboratory technology, media
and communication, information technology, social sciences, and economics (UNI-C
2010:15). The entry requirements are in most cases an upper secondary education;
however, certain vocational education programmes may also give admission, if supplemented
by certain upper secondary courses. The programmes normally take three
to four years, including a minimum of half a year of practice.
The universities’ three-year bachelor education programmes are another type of me-
36 e-ASEM White Paper : e-Learning for Lifelong Learning