The University Sector Has Become More Application-Oriented: Evidence From Course Descriptions Using Text Analysis for the Case of Higher Education in Denmark

Abstract

In this article, we analyse changes in the language use to describe the content of higher education in Denmark between 2014 and 2021. Based on text analysis of course descriptions of every university course in Denmark, we show steady growth in the use of applied, practical and vocationally oriented terminology. This trend is not only driven by a transformation towards more applied fields within higher education, but also directly affects courses offered within the arts and humanities, for example, which have been under strong political pressure to adapt to market needs during the period in question. Within the humanities, languages have largely followed this path, while fields such as philosophy and theology have resisted the trend and only implemented minor changes. Overall, our findings demonstrate a shift towards highlighting the application of knowledge and competences within Danish higher education. This is in line with the broader international discourse in recent years, including conclusions of several qualitative studies and theoretical contributions. © 2025 The Author(s). Higher Education Quarterly published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords

Author Keywords

curriculum higher education curriculum policy practical content text analysis vocationalisation web data

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations

Danmarks Institut for Pædagogik og Uddannelse, Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark, Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science (SODAS), Copenhagen, Denmark

Danmarks Institut for Pædagogik og Uddannelse, Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark

Funding & Acknowledgements

Carlsbergfondet

Grant: CF20‐0259

Funding text 1: Funding: Snorre Ralund has received generous financial support from the Carlsberg Foundation, grant no CF20-0259. We would like to thank Sietske Mulder and Mie Pil Henningsen for assistance with the training of our measurement model. Helpful comments on an earlier version of this work by the research programme Educational Effectiveness and Inequality, the Center for Higher Education Research and Miriam Madsen, all Aarhus University, are gratefully acknowledged, while we are responsible for all remaining errors.; Funding text 2: Snorre Ralund has received generous financial support from the Carlsberg Foundation, grant no CF20\u20100259. Funding:

Carlsbergfondet

Funding text 1: Funding: Snorre Ralund has received generous financial support from the Carlsberg Foundation, grant no CF20-0259. We would like to thank Sietske Mulder and Mie Pil Henningsen for assistance with the training of our measurement model. Helpful comments on an earlier version of this work by the research programme Educational Effectiveness and Inequality, the Center for Higher Education Research and Miriam Madsen, all Aarhus University, are gratefully acknowledged, while we are responsible for all remaining errors.; Funding text 2: Snorre Ralund has received generous financial support from the Carlsberg Foundation, grant no CF20\u20100259. Funding:

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The University Sector Has Become More Application-Oriented: Evidence From Course Descriptions Using Text Analysis for the Case of Higher Education in Denmark

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