The two corps of external examiners for the engineering programmes
The engineering programmes are divided into two corps:
- Bachelor of Engineering Corps of External Examiners (also includes part-time diploma programmes in the field of IT and engineering)
- Civil Engineering Corps of External Examiners (also includes part-time master's programmes in the field)
The two corps of external examiners are governed by different examination regulations, and there are varying requirements for the qualifications of external examiners, cf. Section 7 of the Executive Order on External Examiners. According to § 7, item 4, the external examiner must have "the same or a higher level of education as the programme in which they are to serve as an external examiner." This means that, to be admitted to the corps of external examiners for MSc in Engineering programmes, the examiner must hold a Master's degree, as examinations are conducted at the bachelor's, master's, and continuing education levels.
For the corps of external examiners for BEng programmes, the requirement is that the examiner must hold at least a bachelor's degree.
The executive orders can be found in the menu on the right under 'Acts and orders’.
Appointment Period 2026–2030
New appointments for the upcoming appointment period 2026–2030 is now open. During the transition period, please be mindful of whether you are inviting a candidate for the current or the upcoming appointment period.
The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science furthermore encourages the invitation of both new and experienced suitable examiner candidates, suitable candidates of all genders, and suitable candidates with diverse professional backgrounds.
Appointment period 2022-2026
The current 4-year appointment period runs from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026.
Educational institutions may still invite candidates for appointment as external examiners during this ongoing period — the deadline for applications is October 1, 2025. However, it is important that the institution first checks on CensorNet whether there are already appointed examiners in the database who can be used. If the institution does not believe this is the case, a justification must be provided for the request to appoint the specific candidate.
If a candidate is approved by the external examiner leadership, the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science will then appoint the candidate. The External Examiner Secretariat submits appointment requests to the agency twice a year — once in the spring and once in the autumn. Therefore, applications must be submitted to the external examiner chaimanship via CensorNet no later than March 1 and October 1, respectively.
Educational institutions may experience having an external examiner candidate rejected because the vice chairperson finds that there are already qualified appointed external examiners in the database. You can always contact the vice chairperson for help and guidance in finding a suitable external examiner in the database.
Here you can find information about which vice chairperson you should contact in either the Bachelor of Engineering Corps or the Civil Engineering Corps.
Under the 'Help' menu, you can find instructions on how to invite an external examiner candidate, just as external examiner candidates can find instructions on what to do if they receive an external examiner invitation.
System support for the corps of external examiners
For your information, a working group has been established with participation from universities across the external examiner corps. The group is currently exploring options for future IT support for the two corps. A broad communication will be issued once a new system is ready for implementation.