AU Summer University courses
STADS is up and running
STADS is once again up and running, and you can register for spring classes and exams. The registration deadline is Thursday 7 November at 23.59.
Welcome to AU
Summer University
Teaching dates for 2025:
Term 1: July 2 - July 18 // Term 2: July 23 - August 8.
Information on how to apply and which courses you can apply for in 2025 will be available on this page during the fall/winter.
You can sign up to receive the course list by email when it is ready here.
What is AU Summer University?
AU Summer University is an offer for AU students, where you can take courses during the summer between your regular semesters.
The courses you can take at AU Summer University are a part of your degree and will count instead of an elective course.
The courses differ from the semester courses by being very intensive, international and taught in English.
You are not able to take the courses at AU Summer University during a semester - they are only offered in the summer.
At AU Summer University we have over 100 courses from all five faculties.
There are over 2500 students every year, including a large amount of international students and lecturers.
Besides the courses, there are also many social activites you can participate in. In general, we try to make sure that it is not too boring taking classes in your summer vacation. For instance, we give out free popsicles each Thursday!
Why take a course at AU Summer University?
Most students who take a summer university course take it to get ahead in ECTS and get some space and more time in a later semester. That can be smart if you are doing an internship or just want a less hectic semester where you only have 20 or 25 ECTS.
Some students do it to catch up on ECTS point. If you have fallen behind in your study programme and want to catch up on ECTS points, you can do that by taking a summer university course.
Other students do it to get an international experience in Aarhus.
Since AU Summer University in many ways is more international than the regular semesters, it can feel like a kind of mini-exchange and an intercultural experience that youotherwise wouldn't get on AU, since our students and lecturers come from all over the world.
Other students follow a Summer University course because they have seen a specific course they find interesting and want to have this instead of the elective courses offered by their degree programme.
Often the reasons for AU students to take Summer University courses are a combination of the above mentioned.
Which courses can I take at Summer University?
By first selecting your faculty below and then your program, you will get an overview of the courses you can apply for at AU Summer University 2025 that are relevant to your program.
Aarhus BSS
Economics and Business Administration
We will open for applications on February 3, 2025, and the application deadline is March 18, 2024, at 12:00 noon.
Information on how to apply will be available on this page before February 3, 2025.
The list of courses you can apply for is expected to be ready by January.
You can sign up to receive the course list by email once it is ready here.
Please note that the Board of Studies for Business Administration has decided that, starting from Summer University 2025, only courses worth 5 ECTS will be offered at Bachelor and Master level.
The decision is based on an assessment that the workload (teaching, preparation, etc.) will better match the number of ECTS credits earned.
Due to scheduling conflicts, you can only take one course at a time. If you want to earn 10 ECTS points during the summer of 2025, you must take one course per term, i.e., two courses in total, but one at a time.
The dates for the courses are as follows for 2025:
Courses in Term 1 (5 ECTS points)
July 2: First day of teaching
July 18: Last day of teaching
July 22: 4-hour exam for courses with a written exam*
July 25: Portfolio submission for courses with a portfolio exam*
Courses in Term 2 (5 ECTS points)
July 23: First day of teaching
August 8: Last day of teaching
August 12: 4-hour exam for courses with a written exam*
August 15: Portfolio submission for courses with a portfolio exam*
*Check the course description for your course to see which exam type applies (available in January).
If you apply for two courses, you are not guaranteed a place in both. However, if you apply for two courses and only get a place in one, you will automatically have first priority for the places offered in our reallocation round (April 23-24, 2025). However, this is still not a guarantee that you will get a place in two courses.
Health
When can I apply?
You can apply from November 1 to November 5 in STADS.
You can apply for a spot in the courses below by clicking here.
If you need assistance in selecting your courses in the system, you can find a brief guide here.
Which courses can I apply for?
Under your study program below, you can see the courses you can apply for at AU Summer University 2024.
Bachelor's Degree in Medicine
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genetic Engineering using CRISPR/Cas | Institute for Biomedicine | BA | 5 | 4/8-15/8 | Aarhus |
| Immunotherapy - BA | Institute for Biomedicine | BA | 5 | 4/8-15/8 | Aarhus |
| Translational Psychobiology | Institute for Biomedicine | BA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
Bachelor's Degree in Dentistry
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genetic Engineering using CRISPR/Cas | Institute for Biomedicine | BA | 5 | 4/8-15/8 | Aarhus |
Master's Degree in Medicine
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Global infectious Disease | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| How to write and publish a research paper | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 28/7-8/8 | Aarhus |
| Immunotherapy - KA | Institute for Biomedicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-15/8 | Aarhus |
| Integrative Neuroimaging | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
| Psychoactive drugs in forensic medicine | Institute for Forensic Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| The Interdisciplinary Summer School on Cognitive Neuroscience | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
| Translational Psychobiology | Institute for Biomedicine | BA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
| Aarhus Summer School in Music Neuroscience | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
Master's Degree in Dentistry
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Global infectious Disease | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| How to write and publish a research paper | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 28/7-8/8 | Aarhus |
| Immunotherapy - KA | Institute for Biomedicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-15/8 | Aarhus |
| The Interdisciplinary Summer School on Cognitive Neuroscience | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
Master's Degree in Health Science
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Global infectious Disease | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| Oncology and Public Health | Institute for Publich Health | MA | 5 | 23/7-8/8 | Aarhus |
| The Interdisciplinary Summer School on Cognitive Neuroscience | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
Master's Degree in Public Health Science
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Global infectious Disease | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| How to write and publish a research paper | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 28/7-8/8 | Aarhus |
| Oncology and Public Health | Institute for Publich Health | MA | 5 | 23/7-8/8 | Aarhus |
| The Interdisciplinary Summer School on Cognitive Neuroscience | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
Master's Degree in Sport Science
Course name | Institute | Level | ECTS | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Global infectious Disease | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 4/8-22/8 | Aarhus |
| How to write and publish a research paper | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 28/7-8/8 | Aarhus |
| The Interdisciplinary Summer School on Cognitive Neuroscience | Institute for Clinical Medicine | MA | 5 | 2/7-18/7 | Aarhus |
How to apply
The application process
Follow the 4 steps below in order to apply when the applicationsystem is open
You are welcome to contact summeruniversity@au.dk if you have any questions.
Step 1: Find your applicant type
If you, as a student at Aarhus University, want to register for a Summer University course, the first thing you you need to find out, is what type of applicant you are.
We have 4 different types of applicants for AU students:
- Applicant within own study programme
- Applicant with pre-approval
- Applicant between bachelor and master
- Applicant Phd student
You need to find out if the course you are interested in, is part of your study programme and if you have enough space for the ECTS. If you have any doubts about whether you these matters, please contact your own study administration.
You can see a list of which courses are part of which study programme here
Applicant within own study programme
If the course is part of your study programme, your applicant type is: “applicant within own study programme”
Applicant with pre-approval:
If you don’t have room for the course or if the course is not part of your study programme, you can apply for a pre-approval which will allow you to take the course as a guest course instead. You must apply for the pre-approval with your own Board of Studies.
If you need a pre-approval your applicant type is: “applicant with pre-approval”
Applicant between bachelor and master:
Please notice, that students from ITKO, cand.soc, cand.merc.aud and all cand.merc educations don’t have the possibility to study a master’s level course before beginning on the master.
If you want to take the course as part of your master before your start the master, your applicant type is “applicant between bachelor and master”. Please notice that this is not possible for all study programmes.
Applicant PhD:
If you are a PhD student and the course is part of your PhD studies, your applicant type is: “applicant PhD”
Step 2: Formalities and documentation
Once you have determined what kind of applicant you are, you need to consider these formalities and prepare certain documents before you are ready to apply in our online system.
Applicant within own study programme:
You need to make sure that the course you are applying for is part of your study programme and also that you have enough space for the ECTS. If you have any doubts about this, you need to contact your local study administration. It is your own responsibility that you only choose courses which you are allowed to take as part of your study programme. We will only, very late in the process, notice if you have chosen a course that cannot be approved and at this time, it might be too late to choose a different course.
Applicant with pre-approval:
You need to apply for a pre-approval with you own Board of Studies first. You do this via mystudies.au.dk. We recommend that you wait to apply in our application system, until you have received the pre-approval from the Board of Studies. If this is not possible to get before the application deadline on March 15 at 12 noon, you must upload the confirmation you receive when you applied for the pre-approval. You need to be aware that some courses have academic pre-requisites, which might mean that it will not be possible to be admitted to the course, even with a pre-approval. It is important that you look at the details of the course thoroughly, in the course catalogue and our course page, before applying.
Applicant between bachelor and master:
First of all, you need to be aware that ITKO, cand.soc, cand.merc.aud and cand. Merc (all lines), do NOT allow you to follow master courses before you have started your master degree.
If you are not studying at one of these degrees, you need to apply for admittance to your master degree, of you have not already done so. You also need to make sure that the course is part of the master degree, you are applying for.
When you apply for the course in our application system, you need to upload the confirmation you have received when applying for your master degree. Your registration in STADS, will not be final before you are admitted to your master degree in June.
Applicant PhD:
You need to make sure that the course can be approved as part of your PhD studies. When you apply in our application system, you need to upload a screenshot or similar from you PhD planner, confirming that the course is part of your PhD studies.
Step 3: Choosing your course
Once you have determined what type of applicant you are and what kind of documentation is required, you are ready to choose your courses in our application system.
You can see the courses here or in the course catalogue.
It is important that you find the English course title, since you need this to find the course in our application system. You also need to note which term the course is in.
You can choose up to 3 priorities in each term.
Step 4: Apply online!
Our applications for 2025 are open from TBA.
Once you have determined what type of applicant you are, have your documentation ready and have found out which course(s) you want, you are ready to apply in our online application system.
The system will guide you through, start by registering yourself. If you need help selecting the course(s) in the system, you can find a short guide here.
Applicant within own studyprogramme:
Click here to apply for a course that is part of your studyprogramme.
Applicant with a pre-approval:
Click here to apply for a course that has been approved for you by the Board of Studies
Applicant between bachelor and master:
Click here to apply for a course that has been approved for your studyprogramme and that you want to take as part of your master degree.
Applicant PhD:
Click here to apply for a course that you are taking as part of your PhD
Social Programme
AU Summer University is not just about taking courses – it is also about being social!
Each year we plan a social programme with different events each day throughout the summer. Our events are mostly relevant for the international students, but we will gather a selection of events that are relevant for both international and AU students below. You can find the complete social program via the link below (this is also where you need to register).
Our events require registration, which will be possible 3 weeks before the start of the term. Many of our events are free, while others have a fee. If you need to cancel your registration, it must be done by 12:00 PM the day before the event, and if you want a refund for a paid event, it must be requested by 12:00 PM two days before the event.
We will share when it is possible to sign up for events at our Instagram, so don’t forget to follow us to receive important information regarding the social programme!
If you want to see pictures and videos from our events in 2024, check out our Instagram on the link below!
Applications FAQ
When will I receive an answer to my application?
You will receive an answer to your application in April. If you did not get a spot at any of your priorities you will receive an e-mail from us with information about our second round of application. In the second round it is only possible to apply for courses with avaliable seats.
Can I change my course once I have received a spot at a course?
Unfortunately it is not possible to change courses once you have been accepted into a course.
How many courses can I apply for?
You may enroll in two courses, but only one in each term.
You may apply for (prioritize) three courses in each term.
But if you only want to take one course it is important that you only have one first priority on your application.
If you want to take two courses it is important that you have two first priorities on your application.
If you only want one course you may mix your priorities from each term, as long as you only have one first priority.
Example A: You only want to do one course at AU Summer University. The course you are most interested in is in Term 1, the course you are second most interested in is in term 2 (or vice versa).
Your application should look like this:
1 Priority: Term 1 course x
2 priority: Term 2 course x
3 priority: Term 1 / 2 course x
The above application will only be offered one course because there only is one first priority.
Example B: You want to take two courses at AU Summer University.
Your application should look like this:
Term 1:
1st priority
2nd priority
3rd priority
Term 2:
1st priority
2nd priority
3rd priority
The above application will be offered two courses, because there is two first priorities.
Do not make an application with two first priorities if you only want to do one course. Only do it if you wish to enroll in one course in each term.
Are there waiting lists for fully booked courses?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to get on a waiting list for a fully booked course. If you have not gotten a seat at the course in the first place, it is because the course is either fully booked or cancelled and it is therefore not possible to get a seat.
Are the courses first come - first served/how are the seats allocated?
No! None of the courses are first come first served.
Unless otherwise announced in the course description in the course catalogue, seats in any given course will be distributed base on specific principles which you can see here https://international.au.dk/education/admissions/summeruniversity/how-to-apply/overall-selection-criteria:
This also means that technically it does not matter if you apply by January 16th or March 15th as long as you apply within the deadline March 15th at 12.00 (noon)
Can I change/cancel my application?
It is not possible to change or cancel your application in our applicationsystem. If you regret your application before 15th of March 11.59 we will cancel your application for you, if you send us a mail at summeruniversity@au.dk
After the application deadline it is only possible to deregistrate for the course on the same rules that apply for regular semester courses.
Is it possible to take a course and not have the ECTS inserted into my study programme?
No, it is unfortunately not possible to take a course as extra-curricular activity. This is also why you can only register for a course if you have the space in your study programme and within the group of courses that the course belongs to.
I cannot find the course I am interested in in STADS?
That is because you cannot apply for a Summer University course in STADS. If you follow our 4 steps to apply you will automatically get to our application system.
You can apply from 16/1 - 15/3 at 12 noon.
What do I do if I want to apply both for a course within my own study programme and a course that I need a pre-approval for?
If you want to apply both for a course within your own study programme and a course that you need a pre-approval for, you need to make to applications: One as 'applicant within own study programme' and one as 'applicant with pre-approval'.
Can I take a master level course before I start my master's degree?
Students who are admitted but have not yet started the following programs are not eligible to take master's level courses at Summer University:
- ITKO
- Cand.merc. (all tracks)
- Cand.soc.
- Cand.merc.aud.
Simultaneously, students from other programs who have not yet started their master's program are also not eligible to take master's level courses from the above-mentioned programs.
In all other cases, the following procedure applies:
1. First, you must apply for regular admission to your master's program if you haven't already. The system is very slow, so start well in advance.
2. Subsequently, but before March 15 at 12 PM, you enroll in the desired Summer University course via this link. When the system requests pre-approval, upload the receipt for receiving the application for admission, which you obtained in the application portal when you applied for admission to the master's program. You can find the receipt message under Messages when you log into the application system.
In April you will receive an answer from AU Summer University letting you know which course you got a seat in. After this you will be able to see the course in STADS.
You will receive notice by June 1st at the latest whether or not you were accepted to the master's program. You have until June 15th to confirm your seat in the program. (NB! If you have applied to master's degree program where you do not have legal right of admission, this of course only holds if you get accepted to the program.)
Around June 22nd you will get a message saying that you have been enrolled in the master's degree program. After this, your registration for AU Summer University will fall into place.
Until you are officially enrolled, the registration is STADS will say 'denied' even though you have received notice that you have a seat in the course. But there is no need to worry. This does not mean that you are not signed up for the course.
Please keep in mind that students who are already enrolled in a master's program have priority right for courses with limited seats as opposed to students with a temporary enrollment.
Can I apply without my pre-approval and then send it in later?
It is an advantage if you have your pre-approval before applying.
However, non of our courses are allocated after 'first-come, first-served', so it does not make a difference if you apply on the 16th of January or the 15th of March at 11.59.
If you do not get your pre-approval before the application deadline, you have to apply for the course and upload a receipt that shows that you have applied for the pre-approval. Once you get your pre-approval, remember to send it to us via e-mail.
Unfortunately, we cannot give you a seat on the course before we have your pre-approval.
Pratical FAQ
Where are the lectures taking place?
Teaching in Aarhus takes place, with very few exceptions, in Nobelparken. Please allow a little extra time on the first day to find the building and premises. And remember that there is no academic quarter unless announced in advance. You will find a list with an overview of subjects and rooms here.
When is the lectures?
Dates and times for teaching can be seen on the vast majority of courses in the course catalog now.
And on Brightspace you will find the schedule, curriculum and literature for your subject, the information will be ready at the beginning of June.
Unfortunately, Summer University subjects do not come to mystudies.au.dk, so you will not be able to see the schedule there, but only on Brightspace.
In general, the summer courses are very intensive, and the workload can be heavy, so don't count on too much free time during the weeks the course runs.
You can't count on the academic quarter applies in the summer - unless it says so directly. So if it says that teaching starts at 9.00, be there at 9.00! At least the first day.
As some subjects have international guest lecturers, you have to expect that things are not quite as they usually are. Break structure, teaching methods, etc. may be different. Take it as part of the experience and talk if necessary. with the teacher if you think there is too little or too much of something.
Literature and other course materials
The literature lists will be posted on Brightspace as soon as we receive them from the teachers. This happens at the end of May at the earliest and during June at the latest.
Library
The Nobel Library
AU Library, Nobelparken has (like the other libraries in AU Library) open during AU Summer University.
You can get access with your student card.
AU Library, Nobelparken
Jens Chr. Skous Vej 5, Bygning 1461-63
DK 8000 Aarhus C
Tlf: 9135 6447
Mail: nobelparken.aul@kb.dk
Exam
Information about the exam is/will be posted on Brightspace, but the date for the vast majority of courses can already be found in the course catalogue.
Be aware that the flow is activated / the exam is made visible later than you may be used to in your own studies. You can expect to be able to see your exam in Wiseflow approx. 1 week before the exam starts.
Remember to check whether you can see your exam either in Wiseflow well before the exam starts, so that we have the opportunity to help you if there are problems.
Exactly the same rules apply regarding uploading as for all other exams. If the exam is not uploaded in time, you must apply for a waiver to have your exam assignment graded. Please note that this is only given in special cases. So make sure you upload your exam paper in good time.
Contact
You can always contact us if you have any questions. Our email is: summeruniversity@au.dk.
During the Summer University, in July and August, you can also get help at our Information Desk, which is located in 1451-116.
Our Information Desk is staffed by student assistants who will do their best to help you. The opening hours are 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM in July and August (weeks 27-32).
Outside the Summer University period, you are welcome to stop by for guidance and information at Høegh Guldbergsgade 4a (International Center); just ask for Summer University at the reception.