Photo: Mikal Schlosser

More and more people want to become engineers

The number of applicants for DTU’s study programmes has risen for the fifteenth year in a row. This year, fully 2,816 young people applied for admission onto one of DTU’s BEng and MSc programmes as their first choice, marking an 11 per cent increase in relation to last year.

When the deadline for applications to higher education programmes expired today, DTU had received 2,816 first-priority applications for BEng and MSc programmes out of a total of 7,583 applications.

Martin Vigild, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Student Affairs, Senior Vice President, is delighted:

“Engineering skills such as creativity and innovation are in great demand in an increasing number of sectors and contexts. That is why—at a time when year groups are declining and it appears likely that engineers will be in short supply in the future—we are delighted to see the increase in applications for our study programmes, and we are looking forward to welcoming a new group of budding engineers.” 

A forecast from last year, prepared by the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA) and others, indicates that Denmark will be lacking 9,300 engineers in 2025. 

New extra student places
This is one of the reasons why this year, for the first time, DTU is offering 50 places on a new English-language BSc study programme entitled ‘General Engineering’, as well 30 places on another new programme entitled ‘Quantitative Biology and Disease Modelling’. Over the coming years, this will translate into more than 500 new places on the MSc study programme.

As regards the BEng line, the University expects growth on the existing study programme and plans to launch a number of new initiatives in the future. 

“It is extremely important to us that our students acquire the skills they need for a global labour market. The coming generation of engineers are to contribute to solutions to major societal and scientific challenges—in the fields of biotechnology, biomedicine, food technology and human health, for example; not to mention mega-trends such as big data, digitalization, smart cities and the huge field of transport,” says Martin Vigild, Senior Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Student Affairs. 

Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Applications, total   1,624  1,873  2,069  2,295  2,352  2,497  2,671  2,946  3,422  4,193  4,444  6,045  5,931*  6,465  7,583
 1st priority  1,055  1,123  1,005  1,109  1,148  1215  1,231  1,343  1,402  1,591  1,680  2,267  2,294  2,538  2,816

 * The figure for 2014 is incomparable to previous years due to e.g. changes in the number of BEng programmes. 

Two new stury programmes

General Engineering
All courses are taught in English, and the study programme is therefore intended for both Danish and international students. The programme provides a solid grounding in mathematics, physics and chemistry, and simultaneously teaches the students to work in various disciplines and apply them to solve actual problems.

The study programme comprises four focus areas—Living Systems, Cyber Systems, Cyber Materials and Future Energy—and provides an extraordinary profile to ensure that the students are attractive to hi-tech companies operating on the global market.

Aditional information on General Engineering.

Quantitative Biology and Disease Modelling
Quantitative Biology and Disease Modelling is designed to produce engineers with the capacity to develop computer models of biological systems that help explain how complex diseases in people and animals, arise and develop—and how they can be treated. This applies, for example, to cancer, diseases of the heart and major vessels, diabetes, metabolic disorders, as well as neurological and immunological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, allergies, chronic inflammation and infectious diseases.

Quantitative Biology and Disease Modelling is taught jointly by DTU and the University of Copenhagen, and draws on the peerless competences that the two universities possess in the fields of technology and health sciences.

Additional information on Quantitative Biology and Disease Modelling.