Who may teach and supervise

At DTU, we regard teaching as being just as important as research. That also means we strive to offer our students the best possible teaching and project supervision. It requires course coordinators and supervisors to have in-depth knowledge of DTU’s study programmes and to be in tune with the level of teaching required at a university. The individual student will not encounter level requirements that are too high, nor too low.

 

Therefore, it is natural that we have a range of strict requirements for persons allowed to offer, assure the quality of, and have the main responsibility for teaching and supervision of DTU’s study programmes. It has become clear that there is a need to clarify and write down these requirements. It is not a question of new guidelines but simply a question of former unwritten practice now having been set down in writing.

 

The Executive Board has thus decided the following:

Who may be mainly responsible for courses
The following people at DTU may be mainly responsible for courses:

  • is employed at DTU as a VIP with one of the following job categories: assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or senior researcher,
  • is permanently employed (assistant professors exempted),
  • has a teaching obligation of at least 20 per cent,
  • has completed UDTU (DTU's education in university teaching), UP (course for experienced teachers - contact LearningLab DTU) or other similar pedagogical competence development at the university level; for assistant professors, however, it is sufficient that one is in the process of UDTU, and
  • has in-depth knowledge of the study conditions at DTU.

For assistant professors, however, there is an additional requirement that an associate professor, senior researcher, or a professor (docent, ingeniørdocent or professor) must be connected to the course as co-coordinator so that the assistant professor does not have sole responsibility for the course.

 

Who may be the main supervisors
The following people at DTU can be the main supervisor for final projects (B Eng project, BSc project, master's thesis, diploma project, master project):

  • is employed at DTU as a VIP with one of the following job categories: assistant professor, associate professor, professor, researcher, senior researcher, or senior adviser,

  • is permanently employed (assistant professors and researchers exempted),
  • has completed DTU's course 'Supervision of larger projects at DTU' or similar pedagogical competence development at the university level, e.g. a course in PhD supervision; for assistant professors., it is sufficient that one is in the process of UDTU

  • has in-depth knowledge of the study conditions at DTU.

For assistant professors and researchers, however, there is an additional requirement that an associate professor, senior researcher, senior adviser, or a professor (docent, ingeniørdocent or professor) must be connected to the project as co-supervisor so that the assistant professor/researcher does not have sole responsibility for the project.

 

The head of department can approve that a VIP who, for a number of years, has gained extensive experience in supervising final projects can be the main supervisor without having completed the course 'Supervision of major projects at DTU' or equivalent.

 

Who may be co-course coordinators and co-supervisors
In addition to the above groups of persons, the departments have a staff of employees, such as researchers, post.docs., PhD students etc., who can participate in elements of the teaching and supervision, as long as they do not have the main responsibility. Thus, an associate professor or a professor has the main responsibility for the course/supervision, and this person - following possible involvement of the researcher, PhD student etc. - is responsible for grading/other assessment forms.

 

An external associate professor may not be main course coordinator or principal supervisor on final projects. However, this group of persons has greater freedom to offer teaching on a course than researchers, PhD students etc. and can handle grading and other forms of assessment in collaboration with the main course coordinator/principal supervisor.

 

Project courses
You are referred to the rules on project courses (special courses) here.

 

Employees at centres
There is a special issue in relation to DTU’s centres. Resources and competencies are available for teaching and supervision at several centres. However, there is a great difference between departments and centres in that centres do not have a department board of studies and thus have nobody to undertake the responsibility for quality assurance of the teaching, including evaluations, complaints handling etc. Courses must therefore be established and evaluated through related departments, whose boards of studies involve the head of centre in connection with course evaluations, complaints about teaching etc., if deemed necessary. As regards supervision, efforts will be made to find a technical solution which makes it possible for assistant professors, associate professors, and professors at centres to carry out project registrations (special courses and final projects).