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Career Statistics

What do PhDs from AU do after graduation? 

Where Do Newly Graduated PhDs Find Work?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get in the career service is "what do people do with a PhD from my field?" To answer this question we have developed the  PhD employment statistics to get a detailed overview of what type of first job PhD graduates typically get and where they find work. The overview is based on publicly available information regarding PhD graduates from 2020/2021. The overview represents the PhDs’ employment situation at the time the study was conducted.

Overall Findings

We have found that 53% of all PhD graduates find their first next job outside of academia, and that now only 35% continue in (most often) a postdoc.

We have also found that:

  • 69% work in large companies or institutions (+500 employees)
  • The most frequent geographical location is the Region of Central Jutland, where 59% find employment

PhD graduates from the faculty of ARTS

Frequent job titles outside of academia

  • Senior Advisor
  • Consultant
  • Editor
  • Composer 
  • Coordinator
  • Museum Inspector
  • Archeologist
  • Senior analyst 
  • Project developer
  • Curator
  • Antropologist

Companies/organizations

  • Food Bank
  • Lix Technologies 
  • Kulturstyrelsen
  • Museums
  • Libraries
  • Den Frie Forskningsfond
  • Vejle Stadsarkiv
  • Dansk Sprognævn

PhD graduates from the faculty of BSS

Frequent job titles outside of academia

  • Consultant
  • Psychologist
  • Attorney
  • Project Advisor
  • Project Manager
  • Researcher
  • Data Scientist
  • Analyst
  • Senior Statistician
  • Economist
  • Pricing Acuary
  • Higher Executice Officer 

Companies/organizations

  • Novo Nordisk
  • Talents Unlimited
  • Boyum IT Group
  • Grundfos
  • OECD
  • Nordea
  • Ørsted
  • Arla Foods
  • Municipalities
  • Gældsstyrelsen
  • Mærsk
  • Nationalbanken 
  • Finansstyrelsen 

PhD graduates from the faculty of Health

Frequent job titles outside of academia

  • Researcher 
  • Software Engineer
  • Clinical Specialist
  • Perfusionist
  • MD
  • Therapist
  • Chemist
  • Coordinator
  • Medical doctor
  • Biologist
  • Scientist
  • Analyst
  • Consultant

Companies/organizations

  • Arla Foods
  • Bayer
  • Fertin Pharma A/S
  • Høiberg
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Qiagen
  • Vision RT Ltd. 
  • DEFACTUM
  • Hospitals
  • Municipalities
  • Novozymes
  • Staten Serum Institut
  • Steno Diabetes Center
  • VIVE
  • FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
  • Gubra
  • IQVIA Nordics
  • NMD Pharma A/S
  • Ranger Biotechnologies A/S

PhD graduates from the faculty of Natural Sciences

Frequent job titles outside of academia

  • Specialist
  • IT consultant
  • Research Scientist
  • Engineer
  • Software engineer
  • Quantitative analyst
  • Chemist
  • Associate
  • Application scientist 
  • Data Scientist
  • R&D Manager 
  • Full Stack Developer
  • Patent Attorney
  • Analyst
  • Software Developer
  • Consultant
  • Biologist

Companies/organizations

  • Arla Foods Ingredients
  • Vestas
  • Agencies
  • Netcompany
  • Boston Consulting Group
  • Eurofins
  • InCommodities
  • Google
  • Amazon
  • Lundbeck
  • HØIBERG
  • Netcompany
  • NIRAS
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Qiagen
  • LEGO
  • Vestas
  • Det Kgl. Bibliotek
  • Statens Serum Institut 

PhD graduates from the faculty of Technical Sciences

Frequent job titles outside of academia

  • Senior Scientist
  • Data Scientist
  • Consultant
  • Senior Engineer
  • Quantitative Analyst
  • Senior Specialist
  • Principal Scientist
  • Product Development Engineer
  • Biostatistician
  • R&D Scientist
  • Chemist
  • Project Manager

Companies/organizations

  • Grundfos
  • Dupont Nutrition
  • Vestas
  • Danske Commodities
  • Teknologisk Institut
  • Haldor Topsøe
  • COWI
  • Environmental Agencies
  • Seges
  • Chr. Hansen
  • Arla Foods 
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Rambøl
  • LEGO
  • Vestas
  • NIRAS