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Professional Master at the Centre of African Studies
The Professional Master program allows you to immerse yourself in the aspect of the program in which you are particularly interested. The flexible structure of the program makes it possible to find a study plan that combines personal interests with academic development.
Whether your interests and professional needs lie within the topics of religion, climate, economic development or politics in Africa, there are a range of courses you can combine to build a study plan.
Practical Information
The Centre of African Studies offers a professional master's program as a flexible course for professionals who have a relevant degree in higher education and work experience.
Structure
A flexible master's program is designed for one year of full-time study (60 ECTS). The program is tailored to you, typically consisting of three courses of 15 ECTS each and a final master's thesis, also worth 15 ECTS. One of the three courses can be taken at another faculty. Most students undertake the program part-time over a period of 2-3 years alongside their jobs. The program must be completed no later than 6 years after enrollment.
Teaching
The teaching is conducted through a combination of lectures, plenary dialogue, and exercises. The lectures are held during the day and feature international guest speakers and lecturers.
Literature Requirements and Exams
The requirements for literature and the scope of the exam assignment are found in the master's curriculum for African Studies - the section on elective courses. Please follow this link to the curriculum.
Curriculum
Download to read the study guidelines for a Professional Masters in African Studies
Study Plan
After admission, the student develops a plan that outlines the individual course of study. The plan is created in collaboration with an advisor appointed by the Faculty of Theology. The faculty's form, "Professional Master - Study Plan," is used in the preparation of the plan.
The study plan should describe the overall course of study, including the final project.
The plan should include the composition of educational elements that are part of the flexible master's program, indicating the ECTS points, as well as the semester in which the element is expected to be completed.
The study plan must be approved before course registration can take place.
See the Study Guidelines for further information on the Study Plan.
Changes in the Study Plan
If you are delayed or wish to change courses, as a enrolled student in the professional master's program, you must follow this procedure.
Write to the advisor for study plans at evu@teol.ku.dk and attach this form for changing the study plan.
Remember to justify the change so that it is clear that the new plan aligns with the overall theme of your study plan.
Only after your advisor has approved your changed study plan can you apply for admission to courses that are not part of your current plan before the registration deadline for your course. Therefore, you must submit the proposed changes to your advisor no later than 14 days before the relevant course application deadline.
Once your advisor has approved a changed study plan, send it to evu@teol.ku.dk along with the relevant course application form according to the course application deadlines.
The Faculty of Theology offers a professional master's program as a flexible track for professionals who have a relevant prior long or medium higher education degree and relevant work experience.
The admission requirement is a combination of an educational and a work experience requirement. You must have an educational degree equivalent to at least a medium higher education degree, a professional bachelor's degree, a bachelor's degree, or a diploma degree completed as set out in the curriculum. You must also have at least 2 years of relevant work experience after completing the qualifying education.
Application for Professional Master's Program
The application deadline for the master's program with a flexible track is May 1st for enrollment per 1st September and November 1st for enrollment per 1st February.
Overview of the Admission Process
Get an overview of the steps from the application deadline to the start of the course here.
Forms for the Professional Master's Program - Forms and attachments should be submitted to evu@teol.ku.dk.
- Professional Master's Program - Credit Transfer Application
- Professional Master's Program - Study Plan
- Professional Master's Program - Final Project
How to apply for master courses in your Study Plan
You apply for admission to courses by filling out the relevant application form. Please fill out one form per course you wish to apply for. If you are applying for multiple courses and filling out multiple forms but wish to prioritize them, please indicate this in the comment field. Please attach documentation that you meet the relevant admission requirements (you do not need to upload certificates that have been previously submitted).
You must apply via KU’s application portal:
Application form for day courses (master courses / single subjects)
The above link is a direct link to the application form, and the fields ‘Type of Education’ and ‘Name of Education’ will be pre-selected, and you just need to click on ‘Proceed to create application’.
See the quick guide for applying.
You can check the status of your application by logging into the portal here.
Application deadlines
Application period for courses running from January to June: 1st November – 1st December.
Vacant seats can be applied for in week 4.
Application period for courses running from July to December: 1st May – 1st June
Vacant seats can be applied for in week 34.
You can expect a response to your application in December for Spring courses and in June for Autumn courses.
In case of admission to vacant seats after the registration period, there may be delayed access to teaching materials in the digital learning platform.
Students in the professional master's program can choose from all graduate courses at the Faculty of Theology. However, please be aware of prerequisite requirements.
In the course catalogue, you can find information about times and locations for your classes. Remember to select the faculty.
The course catalogue is subject to changes.
Payment for the professional master's program consists of a base fee of 16,000 DKK, of which 6,000 DKK is charged upon admission and 10,000 DKK upon approval of the topic for the final project.
For other courses, the fee per course is 3,750 DKK for 7.5 ECTS and 7,500 DKK for 15 ECTS.
Terms of Payment
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The tuition fee per course covers the costs of teaching and 3 exam attempts. Payment entitles you to attend the classes in the semester for which you have paid. It is not possible to transfer your spot to another person or defer your admission to a later semester if you are unable to attend.
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You can take the exam up to one year after payment, but if you wish to attend the classes again, you must pay again.
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Access to the university's intranet and classrooms is not possible until your payment is registered.
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The deadline for timely payment is stated on the invoice. If you do not pay before the payment deadline, you risk losing your spot in the course.
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The government subsidy for the operation of open education is determined annually in the finance act. Participants should therefore be aware of possible price adjustments.
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Tuition fees can be refunded within the following deadlines. After these dates, participant fees will no longer be refunded:
- August 31st for autumn courses
- January 31st for spring courses
For courses starting in August, the deadline for refunding tuition fees is July 31st.
Requests for refunds must be made in writing via email to evu@teol.ku.dk - remember to include your KU username and information about the course.
Literature, Syllabus, and Absalon
An overview of the syllabus and literature will be available on KU's digital learning platform, Absalon. It is the responsibility of the course instructor to upload the materials. You access Absalon via KUnet.
Old course rooms on Absalon are automatically archived and no longer appear in your course overview. Spring courses are archived on November 1st / Autumn courses are archived on July 1st. If you need to retake an exam or deferred exam in a course and no longer have access to the course room, you can regain access. You can find your archived course rooms on Absalon under Subjects > All subjects > Previous enrollments.
Teaching materials may be in digital format or books.
Library at the University of Copenhagen
As a student, you automatically have access to all the library's licensed online resources. You simply need to register as a user at the Royal Library.
The campus libraries also host courses and events that you are welcome to attend. For example, you can participate in online courses in literature search, get help with Zotero, etc. You can also enroll in the library's Absalon room, where you have access to all the resources. You can also visit the university library branch at South Campus - KUB South Campus.
You can receive academic guidance and borrow books from the Center for African Studies Library - links to our intranet and only works when you are enrolled.
Exam Results and Transcript of Records
You can find exam results on KUnet under Self-service. You can print transcripts of records yourself via Self-service. If you need a certified transcript, you should contact uddannelsesservice@teol.ku.dk
The First Exam and Number of Exam Attempts
You are automatically enrolled in the exam (first attempt). It is possible to take the same exam three times if the exam is not passed the first time. Note that all three exam attempts must be completed within 1 year.
Exam Information
Exams in African Studies (links to our intranet, only active upon enrollment)
Withdrawal from Exam Attempts
You can withdraw from exam attempts by email to evu@teol.ku.dk.
Withdrawal from exam attempts in the regular registration period (June and January) must be done from Wednesday to Wednesday in week 10-11 for summer exams and from Wednesday to Wednesday in week 37-38 for winter exams.
Exam Assignments are submitted in Digital Exam
All written assignments are submitted via the digital exam portal (link here), where you can read more about Digital Exams on KUnet.
Writing Guidelines
Writing Guidelines for African Studies (link is only active upon enrollment).
Exam Requirements - syllabus and scope
Exam requirements are outlined in the study regulations for African Studies.
The master's thesis concludes your degree. The topic must be within the overall academic subject chosen by the master's student and approved by the study plan supervisor. After submission, the student must complete an oral defense of the master's thesis - read more in the study guidelines.
When registering for the master's thesis, use the form professional master - final project.
Supervisor for the master's thesis
You choose your own supervisor among the faculty's permanent lecturers. Typically, you contact a lecturer from one of the courses you have taken as part of your education. A supervisory process typically includes 2 supervision meetings and possibly an initial meeting to discuss your plan for writing the thesis.
Deadlines for the master's thesis
| Registration Deadline |
Submission Deadline |
Registration deadline for 2nd and 3rd exam attempts |
Submission deadline for 2nd and 3rd exam attempts |
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1 June Registration: |
1 December The oral defense is held in week 1 (usually the first week of January) |
Wednesday to Wednesday in Weeks 10-11 Registration: |
1 May |
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1 December Registration: |
1 May The oral defense is held in week 23 (usually the first week of June) |
Wednesday to Wednesday in Weeks 37-38 Registration: |
1 December |
Diploma
When your education is completed, you will receive a diploma within two months.
Student Card
The campus buildings are open until 4:00 PM. If you need access after opening hours, you can order a student card. Once your payment for a single course is registered, you will receive an email with login details for KU's IT system. After that, you can log in to KUnet, upload a photo via Self-Service – ID card – Upload photo, and order a student card.
Note that it may take up to 5 business days for your payment to be registered in our systems. Once you order your student card, you will receive an email from KU-IT with information on where to collect it within 10-15 days.
If you have questions about the card, create a service desk case at www.serviceportal.ku.dk. Click on 'Create Ticket' - System Access and ID Card.
You can contact KU-IT Support for other queries.
IT for Students
As a student, you will need access to various IT applications. Access to the following IT solutions is contingent upon your course payment being registered, allowing you to log in to KUnet.
If you experience technical issues, such as problems logging in even after payment, we recommend contacting KU-IT Support.
KU Username
If you are studying at the University of Copenhagen for the first time, you will receive a personalized KU username and PIN code by mail. The username consists of three letters and three numbers, e.g., abc123. You will use your KU username to log in to KUnet.
KUnet
As a student, you have access to the University of Copenhagen's intranet, KUnet. On KUnet, you will find all relevant course information on your course information page. You will also find the Self-Service portal on KUnet, where you can view your teaching and exam enrollment, order student cards, see your exam results, etc. If you have trouble logging in, you can get help here: Help for login – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Absalon
At the University of Copenhagen, all courses are entered in Absalon, which is KU's virtual learning environment. Each course has its own page or ‘group room’. You are automatically enrolled in the relevant group room when you are admitted.
You can access Absalon via KUnet as a link in the menu under "My System Accesses." You can also access Absalon directly via https://absalon.ku.dk, when you log in with your KU username.
KUmail
As a student, you receive your own personal email account. Your personal email address, also called KUmail, is your KU username followed by @alumni.ku.dk (e.g., abc123@alumni.ku.dk). All official emails from KU are sent to your KUmail, so it is important to check it regularly. You access KUmail via KUnet.
You can read more about KUmail on your course’s information page on KUnet under the category "Campus and Student Life" –"IT and Support" – click on KUmail. Here, you can also find a guide to forwarding KU emails to your private email account.
Schedule
Autumn courses start at the beginning of September, while spring courses start at the beginning of February. However, there are some courses that start earlier. You can view the time, location, course instructor, and course description on the course page in the course database under "View Schedule."
Internet at South Campus
At South Campus, you can access Eduroam, a free wireless network available to students, researchers, and employees at universities around the world and at KU, accessible through laptops and/or mobile phones. To access the Eduroam network, you need your KU username and password. You can read more about Eduroam on KUnet on your course’s study information page under the category "Campus and Student Life" –"IT and Support" – click on Wireless Network.
The address for South Campus is:
The Faculty of Theology,
Karen Blixens Plads 16
2300 Copenhagen S.
You can find a map of South Campus (pdf) here. On the map, you will locate our area in buildings 6B, 7C, 8B, and 9A.
Classroom
Once you have been admitted to a course, you can find the room number in the schedule link on the course page courses.ku.dk.
The room number is formatted in three parts, for example: 6B.0.22. The first number indicates the building (in this case, building 6B), the middle number indicates the floor (here, ground floor), while the last number indicates the room number (here, room 22). If it's your first time attending a class, we recommend arriving early, as it may take some time to find the room.
Parking
To park at South Campus, you need to register your car via this link. You must have paid the course fee and thus have an open enrollment at the University of Copenhagen. You must register your car every semester.
“Your Parking" controls the parking areas on South Campus, and if your car is not registered, you risk receiving a fine. Once your car is registered, parking is free.
Karen Blixens Vej has two-hour parking, while Njalsgade has metered parking. Both parking areas are owned by the City of Copenhagen.
Student Testimonies
Interview with a former student
Clare MacCarthy completed a Professional Master at the Centre of African Studies with Development Aid as her main subject. She is 50 years old, was born in Ireland and has been working as a journalist in Denmark since 1986.
Why did you choose African Studies?
I’ve worked as a journalist everywhere from Ritzau, The Financial Times, The Economist, The Irish Times and at every radio station in the world that would put me on air. Mostly I’ve been doing financial reporting and company reporting, but in the last ten years it has been more political and society and now I’m moving into development, which is why I decided to do this course.
The Economist send me to Ghana 18 moths ago to the U.N. High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra and I did a full page article. It was tricky for me to do because I didn’t have the background. I basically had to stay up all night and learn about development so I could do the article. But then I decided that the area was so fascinating that I wanted to write and broadcast more about it.
I needed to address the subject in greater depth and to access the theoretical tools to allow me set problems in their proper context.. As to the practical use of the course - even though I’m only half way through, it’s already proving useful. I was in Brussels recently for a special seminar for European journalists on `Development Aid Going Green´ which just so happens to be the title I had already picked out for my thesis! We had sessions with senior people from the Commission and members of the European Parliament and people from NATO and various other academics and public representatives. Because I had learned so much in my first three months at CAS I was able to ask much smarter questions that I could 18 months ago when I went to Accra. So it has already paid off. This dynamic in beneficial both for myself and for the people I interview – when you have in-depth knowledge of your field people are much more approachable and willing to open up.
So the studies help you to ask the smart questions but do the degree also matter in some official aspects of your work?
Yes, it increases my credibility. Some people would be more willing to talk to me and treat my work seriously if they realise that I have a sound academic qualification behind it and I’m not just a very general journalist. This is definitely the primary advantage for me. Plus the fact that I learn more myself; I can prove that I know my stuff. I meet somebody and we can get right to the point, they don’t have to fill in so much on the policy or structure or background, we can go straight to the topic I’m interested in and this increases efficiency. It’s a problem for civil servants and policy makers and law makers that the journalists interviewing them are often lightly informed and need an awful lot of background, so it just makes things easier.
How are you planning the course of your degree?
I’m doing it all in one year, so I took two courses in spring and I’ll take two more in the autumn simply because I want it done and it’s possible. It’s maybe 20 hours a week and that leaves another 40 hours to work in if I need it. I tend to work an awful lot of hours anyway, and I work all sorts of strange hours, so I can fit things in. My family is very used to having me work all weekend, so it’s not a big change.
What are you working on right now?
I’m going to Ghana in November to make a radio documentary and an article series about a world food programme that encourages kids into school in northern Ghana. `Food for Thought´ is the name for my project, and it’s about this programme that is giving the kids one meal a day and food for their families at home so the families don’t miss the income on the farm. Northern Ghana is Muslim so there has been traditionally very low female school attendance, but now girls have the highest female school participation rate in Ghana, so it’s development aid that works in practice.
Development aid is a hugely important area and like anything else that’s that big with that amount of money in it, it needs journalists to address it seriously because in a lot of the financial coverage there is very little about Africa and African development in general. What you tend to see are stories about poor little starving children and corrupt governments and flooding and disasters and humanitarian catastrophes – it’s always the negative. There’s a great deficit of positive stories in newspapers and my aim is to help change that situation. It’s why I’m going to Ghana - to show that development can work if it’s done properly. Unless the topic is kept in the newspapers and on the radio waves people will forget about it - especially in times like these when we are under economic pressure at home.
Contact
Continuing Education at the Faculty of Theology
Phone: +45 35 32 36 01
E-mail: evu@teol.ku.dk