MSc in Business Administration and Philosophy

The MSc PHIL develops your skills in business philosophy by combining business economics and philosophy. This combination enables you to identify and solve complex challenges in private companies as well as private and public organisations through philosophical reflection and analysis applied to business theory and practices.

About the programme

MSc PHIL combines philosophy and business studies. You will be trained in applying philosophical concepts, theories and analyses in the study of business practice as well as general economics.

You will learn how to:

Manage and navigate organizational fields with diverse forms of knowledge. This includes private companies where human and technical forms of knowledge intersect or public institutions where political and economic forms of knowledge must be integrated.
Use philosophical reasoning in order to identify not only new solutions to conventional problems but also new ways of posing the problem in the first place.
Use words with precision in writing as well as spoken language.
Challenge existing business models and look for new ways of integrating ethics, aesthetics, and sustainability into business practice.
Cut through the hot air that much of management lingo is infected with.
Understand the broader societal context in which private and public organizations operate.
Understand organizational problems and solutions from the perspective of management as well as from the perspective of the employees.
Spot and diagnose new trends in the economy as well as society at large.

Each course in the programme is organized as an encounter between philosophical theory and a specific theme that has relevance to business practice or general economics. The purpose is for students to attain specific knowledge about themes such as finance, leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility, money, sustainability or Human Resource Management, while providing them with methods and concepts to reflect critically on this knowledge.

Costumise your programme

During the programme, you have various opportunities to create your own academic profile.

Electives
On the 3rd semester, you can choose to study courses of your specific interest. CBS offers a large number of electives within a wide range of topics. You can also choose to take electives at other Danish universities. The electives you choose have to be relevant for your programme.

See the current selection of CBS electives on Single courses and electives - Master

Minor
On the 3rd semester, you can also choose to study a so-called minor. A minor is a package of electives within a specific academic area. Typically, it consists of 3 courses. By taking a minor, you strengthen your competences within a specific area of interest, and you can use it to qualify for specific jobs or industries.

See the current selection of CBS minors on Minors

Exchange
Many students choose to go on exchange on their 3rd semester; usually at one of CBS’ more than 300 partner universities. When you go on exchange through CBS, you do not have to pay for the teaching at the foreign university (with a few exceptions), and you can bring your SU (student grant).

Find a list of all CBS partner universities here

Academic internship
You can choose to replace some of your electives with a so-called academic internship. The academic internship consists of an internship period at a company, which is then completed with a project report. You can do the internship at a company in Denmark or abroad.

When doing an internship you get the opportunity to relate theory to practice and reflect on the academic training you receive at CBS in a practical setting. Therefore, the project report and work assignments during your internship have to be relevant to your study programme.

Master's thesis
Your 2nd year is completed with a master's thesis. You choose the topic you want to write about, which allows you to focus on a specific topic of your interest. Typically, you write your master's thesis with a fellow student.

What to consider

Studying in English
If you do not have bachelor’s degree taught in English, we recommend that you read more about what to consider before applying for an English taught programme.

Read more about Teaching and litterature in English on Teaching and working methods.

Study environment

Student life at CBS
Studying at CBS is much more than just preparing for and going to classes.

At CBS, there are more than 20,000 students with different backgrounds and nationalities. Teamwork is an essential part of studying at CBS both in classes and in extracurricular activities.

With more than 100 student organisations, you also have plenty of opportunities to engage and connect with students across programmes and classes.

Learn more about the vibrant student life at CBS, the student organisations, and the international environment on Student life

For internationals
If you are an international student, we have gathered a lot of information about what it is like to be an international student at CBS and how you can prepare for life in Denmark.

Course overview

1st semester	2nd semester	3rd semester	4th semester
Organizational Philosophy (15 ECTS)	3rd quarter	Electives / Internship / Exchange (30 ECTS)	Master's thesis (30 ECTS)
	Sustainable Business: Critical and Constructive Approaches (7,5 ECTS)
Philosophical Analysis in Business Studies (7,5 ECTS)	Behavioural Economics (7,5 ECTS)
	4th quarter
The Corporation and Society (7,5 ECTS)	Philosophical Investigations in Contemporary Worklife (7,5 ECTS)
	Economic Sociology of Markets and Innovation (7,5 ECTS)

You can read more about the programme, academic content and exams in the programme regulations for MSc in Business Administration and Philosophy.

The page was last edited by: Web editor - Student Communications // 10/03/2024