Faculty of Science to cut 136 student places: Needs to reduce its dropout rate

As the first of the UCPH faculties, Faculty of Science is now releasing numbers on the reductions. From next year’s (2025) admission cohort, the University of Copenhagen will have to cut a total of 450 places compared to 2023.

READ ALSO: UCPH to cut admissions by 450 places starting next year

At the Faculty of Science, admissions will be reduced by eight per cent, which is a decrease of 136 student places.

The degree programmes that will be affected most are Computer Science-Economics and Medicinal Chemistry.

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According to Associate Dean for Education at the Faculty of Science Andreas de Neergaard, they have specifically focused on the individual programmes’ unemployment and drop-out rates to distribute reductions. Programmes with the highest unemployment and drop-out rates stand to lose the most places.

»We have stated very clearly that it is unemployment that is the ruling parameter. This is because otherwise our programmes will have to deliver even more places the next time we have to reduce. But it’s not simple, because it’s the bachelor intake that we’re regulating, but it is graduate unemployment that we’re measuring,« explains Andreas de Neergaard.

The faculty has therefore looked at which bachelor programmes lead to which master’s and graduates and then made a weighted average, from which it has then been possible to compare the different programmes.

Management then looked at the drop-out rate and how it can be reduced through a degree programme resizing.

»That is why we are now removing places where we statistically can see that there is a higher risk of dropout. We will therefore be able to concentrate on creating a better setting and study environment for slightly fewer students. We therefore hope to educate just as many bachelors, but with a smaller intake,« says the associate dean.

Could lead to labour shortages

All in all, Andreas de Neergaard believes that the faculty has successfully completed what he describes as »a joyless assignment«.

»I have discussed these things with the various departments on several occasions, and we have landed in a place where we can all approve what we have ended up with. Some departments will be hit harder. But, on the other hand, it’s not fun to have a study programme with 30-40 per cent drop-out rates either. And we should avoid that now,« says Andreas de Neergaard.

He does, however, predict that the reductions will have consequences for the labour market, as several of the degree programmes at the Faculty of Science are experiencing falling unemployment among graduates.

»This will therefore also be an overcorrection, where this resizing of degree programmes will lead to a shortage of labour. The latest unemployment figures show that our graduates have an unemployment rate of five per cent on average, and this is before we reduce admissions,« says Andreas de Neergaard.

We have landed in a place where we can all approve what we have ended up with

Andreas de Neergaard, Associate Dean for Education, Faculty of Science

With a Danish company like Novo Nordisk booming, and with huge demand for qualified employees, it seems strange that the University of Copenhagen is resizing its medicinal chemistry. Andreas de Neergaard understands this is puzzling. But according to the associate dean there is a good — albeit annoying — explanation.

»We have a relatively high drop-out rate at Medical Chemistry, which I also cannot understand. We and the pharmaceutical industry in particular could use even more applicants for the life science sector, where there are really good job opportunities and careers after finishing university,« says Andreas de Neergaard.

The individual faculties need to announce their reductions in student intake by 22 November. These models are then to be approved by the senior management team, which consists of the rector’s group and the six deans.

With 24 department heads and deputy department heads all having approved the model, Andreas de Neergaard is confident that the reduction plan for Faculty of Science will be approved.