Project courses

Project courses

The content of a project course is agreed upon between the student(s) and a DTU supervisor. The DTU supervisor registers the project course in the project registration system (Projektindberetningssystemet).

The supervisor for BEng students must be an employee holding a permanent position at DTU; assistant professors are exempt from this.

As for BSc and MSc students, the supervisor must be a member of the scientific staff with research obligations and hold a permanent position at DTU (assistant professors exempted). An exemption from the requirement for research obligation may be granted by the relevant BSc or MSc Head of Studies.  

The ECTS credit for a project course ranges from 5 to 30 ECTS credits with intervals of 2.5 credits. 5 ECTS credits correspond to around three weeks of full-time study. In exceptional cases, it is possible to take a project course corresponding to 2.5 ECTS credits, for example, if the course constitutes the final element of the programme. In such a case, the lecturer must contact the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs to register for the course.

The student must always be aware of whether there are restrictions in the curriculum for the student's field of study on how many ECTS credits can be used for project courses.

The project period for a project course cannot extend beyond six months. The agreement regarding a project course is binding on both parties. Still, it can be changed according to an agreement between the parties. The project course must be documented in a report or similar.

If a student does not pass a project course, a re-exam of the course can be offered. That is agreed upon between the supervisor and the student. In the event of a disagreement on whether a re-exam is to be held, the department board of studies must decide the case after an inquiry from the student or supervisor. The student can always plead for the right to three examination attempts in the course.

Projects in cooperation with a company (project-based exams)
A project course can be carried out entirely or partially with a company in Denmark or abroad (called a project-based exam). The academic content, learning objectives, and the form of assessment and grading must be agreed upon with a DTU supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring the project has a sufficient academic/theoretical level. The ECTS credit total is based only on the expected project workload, which means that the duration of a possible internship with the company is not credit-awarding.

The students are responsible for finding a company.

Company project
A project course can be undertaken in association with a company. This type of project course is called a company project or a project-based exam. Your thesis, bachelor project or bachelor of engineering project can also be carried out as a company project.

Read about company projects