The first students have now chosen HUM’s new elective package programmes
The deadline for course registration was 1 June, which also meant that bachelor’s students at HUM had to choose their elective studies. This year marks the first time students have been able to apply for the faculty’s new elective package programmes, which will begin in the autumn semester.
With the first intake to the new elective package programmes now completed, we would like to offer an insight into some of the considerations and ambitions behind their development.
Developed with a focus on interdisciplinarity and the latest research
The work on a new elective structure began in 2023. Since then, HUM has developed 15 new elective package programmes designed to strengthen academic progression and specialisation, open up opportunities for interdisciplinary study, and connect degree programmes more closely to research.
A key objective in developing the packages has been to enable students to immerse themselves in a subject area while collaborating with students from other degree programmes on themes and challenges that are central both to the faculty’s research and to contemporary society. The new packages have been developed around themes such as AI and language, climate, cultural heritage, the public sphere, health humanities, organisations, and arts and culture.
Many aspirations for the future of electives
The packages have been developed by academic staff and academic environments across HUM’s departments and research communities. Students have been involved throughout the process and have provided feedback along the way. The elective package programmes combine perspectives and methods from different disciplines and bring together students with diverse academic backgrounds in shared learning environments. According to Associate Dean for Education Eva Silberschmidt Viala, this has been one of the central ambitions behind the packages:
“We have devoted considerable effort to creating elective options that support academic progression, in-depth specialisation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Many of the questions and challenges that humanists work with today require multiple academic perspectives. It has therefore been important for us to develop elective package programmes where students encounter other disciplines and work across academic boundaries, while also gaining experience in applying their competencies in different contexts,” says Eva Silberschmidt Viala.
She adds that the development of the new elective package programmes has involved extensive discussions and many different considerations regarding the future of electives at HUM:
“Electives are important to many students, and throughout the process there have been many views and wishes concerning issues such as opportunities for academic specialisation, flexibility, and applying one’s competencies in practice during the degree programme. Developing the new elective package programmes has therefore been a thorough process involving academic communities, students, and employers,” says Eva Silberschmidt Viala.
Academic knowledge in practice
Previously, students could undertake an internship – also known as a project-oriented course – as part of their elective studies at HUM.
“It is important to us that students have opportunities to apply their academic knowledge in practice, and many students have expressed a wish for project-oriented courses as part of their education. It will still be possible to undertake an internship during a master’s degree programme, but at bachelor’s level we wanted to create room for deeper academic specialisation within a self-selected area, combined with a strong focus on involving external partners, case-based learning, and similar activities. In other words, there remains a strong focus on ensuring that students work with and develop their competencies in practical settings,” says Eva Silberschmidt Viala.
Another important element of the new elective package programmes is the connection between teaching and socially relevant themes and challenges. This may take place through project work, collaboration with organisations, or work on specific communication and dissemination tasks.
Students can still choose from a range of individual elective options, for example if they have completed study-abroad periods or courses at other faculties or universities.
The new elective package programmes will welcome their first students in the autumn semester of 2026 (in Danish).