Since 2007, AU has conducted a graduate survey in order to maintain ongoing dialogue with graduates from the university. The survey contributes knowledge about graduates' transition to the labour market, labour market demands and graduates' further career paths. It is crucial to include the graduates' perspective and assessments in ongoing development of degree programmes and adaptation to society's needs.
The graduate survey at AU consists of a questionnaire survey of graduates 1-2 years after graduation. Since 2018, the survey has been an integrated part of the national survey carried out by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science: the Danish Student Survey. The survey includes graduates from Master's degree programmes and professional Bachelor's degree programmes as well as graduates from the clinical dental technician programme. AU graduates are asked additional questions in some years. In 2020, AU conducted a parallel questionnaire survey of Master’s degree graduates 5-6 years after graduation.
As a supplement to questionnaire results with graduates' assessments, register-based data on the graduates' transition to the labour market and labour market conditions are also collected.
The Danish Student Survey - the graduate survey is carried out every other year, but this cycle has been adjusted and therefore it was conducted in both autumn 2020 and 2021. Register-based data is updated on an ongoing basis.
The results of the survey are communicated via topic reports in AU's Power BI system, and in general memos with the main results from the survey.
Follow-up on the results of the survey is partly through day-to-day, ongoing quality assurance of the degree programmes, and partly through clearly defined elements in AU's quality assurance system such as annual status reviews of the degree programmes and degree programme evaluations. The results can also be used in dialogue with employers about labour market demands and graduates' transition to work.
Selected data from the results of the survey is also used as information for future students and to support recruitment and guidance activities, e.g. on bachelor.au.dk and kandidat.au.dk as well as the Arts career catalogue.
