The University of Southern Denmark was established in 1998 through a merger involving Odense University, the Southern Denmark School of Business and Engineering and South Jutland University Centre.
On 1 January 2006, Odense University College of Engineering was incorporated into the University of Southern Denmark, establishing the Faculty of Engineering.
On 1 January 2007, the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and the Business School Centre in Slagelse were also incorporated into the University of Southern Denmark. NIPH retains its status as a national public health institute and will remain in Copenhagen. The Business School Centre will be a department within the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences and forms SDU’s campus in Slagelse.
In 2006, the university celebrated its 40th anniversary, as the former Odense University was founded in 1966. You can find out more about the origin of the university in a special issue of Ny Viden (only available in Danish) published in connection with the anniversary.