How to apply with a bachelor degree from another university

Photo: Kasper Kristoffersen

All you need to know about graduate admission at CBS

Applying for a graduate programme requires a lot of work. First, you need to choose which programmes you want to apply for. Then you have to make sure you fulfil the language and entry requirements. And finally, you have to make sure that you apply correctly and in time.

To help you get started and get through the application process, we have gathered some information for you on how to choose and apply for a graduate programme.

Choose the graduate programme that is right for you

The trick is to find the programme that is right for you. If you are unsure about which programme you want to apply for, you can read our 5 tips on choosing the right graduate programme on cbs.dk

Do you meet the requirements? 

Before you apply for a graduate programme you have to make sure that you fulfil the entry requirements. On cbs.dk, you can find advance assessments for bachelor degrees from Denmark and other countries. In the advance assessment, not to be confused with the academic entry requirements, you can see if your bachelor degree meets the entry requirements for a specific programme.

You can find the advance assessments by clicking on the link below and then:

• Click on the relevant graduate programme
• Scroll down to Advance Assessments
• Click on "Bachelor degrees from other Danish institutions" or the country where you took your bachelor degree
• See if you can find your bachelor degree in the list
• In the column "Academic requirements to be fulfilled", you can see if you fulfil the academic entry requirements. 
• In the column "Language requirement to be fulfilled", you can check if you fulfil the language requirement

Find a list of CBS’ graduate programmmes and read more about entry requirements 

Is your bachelor degree not on the list? 
If your bachelor degree is not listed under advance assessments, you can make a self-assessment to find out whether you meet the requirements for a specific programme. Unfortunately, CBS is not able to make a preliminary assessment of whether you meet the requirements for the programme(s) you are applying for.

Please note: Even if you meet the requirements, you are not guaranteed admission to a programme.

Read about how to make a self-assessment and how to qualify for a graduate programme 

Do you need to write a personal statement?

A number of the graduate programmes require a personal statement as a part of the selection criteria.

If you apply for one of the graduate programmes below, you must write a personal statement. If a programme you are interested in is not on the list, you do not need to write a personal statement. If you choose to submit one anyway, it will not be read and will not serve as a part of the selection criteria.

Programmes with a personal statement:

• MSc in Business Administration and Data Science
• MSc in Business Administration and Information Systems
• MSc in Business, Language and Culture – Business and Development Studies
• MSc in Business, Language and Culture – Diversity and Change Management 
• MSc in Business Administration and Innovation in Health Care
• MSc in Economics and Finance - Advanced Economics and Finance 
• MSc in Business Administration and Digital Business 
• MSc in Social Sciences in Public Management and Social Development
• MSc in International Business and Politics
• MSc in Social Sciences – Organisational Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• MSc in Social Sciences - Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship
• MSc in Business Administration and Bioentrepreneurship
• Cand.merc.aud. (revisorkandidat)
• Cand.merc.(kom.) - erhvervsøkonomi og kommunikation
• MSc in Social Science i Human Resource Management 

Photo: Bjarke MacCarthy 

How to apply for a graduate programme

You must apply online via the Application Portal for admission to CBS’ graduate programmes. The Application Portal is now open and you must submit your application no later than 1 March 2025 at 23:59 CET. It is a good idea to start your application well in advance as you may experience some queueing.

You can read more about the application process and find the link to the Application Portal on cbs.dk >How to apply

 

Prepare your documentation

Check out the documentation requirements well in advance, so you have your documentation ready by the application deadline.

Read about Documentation

Prioritise your applications 

When applying to CBS, you have the option of applying for up to three graduate programmes. If you apply for more than one programme, you need to prioritise your applications.  You must prioritise your applications according to which programme you would most like to get accepted into. You must place the programme you want the most as number one in the Application Portal. 

 

How do we process your application? 

We process your applications in the order you have specified in the Application Portal. For example, if you have applied for three programmes, we start by processing your first priority. If we cannot offer you a study place in that programme, we will process the application for your second priority. If we can offer you a place in your second priority, we will not process the application for your third priority. 

 

When is the application deadline? 

You must submit your application no later than 1 March 2025 at 23:59 CET. 

 

Fulfil the language requirement before the deadline

All graduate programmes at CBS have a language requirement. You must fulfil the language requirement already when you send in your application.

Read more about the language requirement in the article Do you know the language requirement for your graduate programme?

 

Assessment of your application

If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of offered study places, we choose between applicants on the basis of an overall assessment. The applicants’ bachelor degrees will be included in the overall assessment where we add special emphasis to courses and grades that are relevant to the graduate programme applied for.

Read more about what is considered important on the individual programme by clicking on the programme and choosing "Selection Criteria".

Click here, find the programme and read about the selection criteria

 

Make a plan B

The last years we have received more applications than we have available study places. This means that even if you fulfil the entry requirements for a graduate programme, you are not guaranteed a study place.

Therefore, we recommend that you make a plan B (and C) in case you are not accepted.

You can consider:

• applying for more than one programme and possibly at other universities
• applying for your legal claim programme, if your bachelor is from a Danish university. If you have a bachelor degree from a Danish university you have legal claim of admission to a specific graduate programme at the same Danish university. If you apply correctly and on time, you are guaranteed a study place on your legal claim programme.
• what to do if you are not accepted at all - perhaps find a job, go abroad, etc.

 

Do you need to pay tuition fee?

The following applicants do not have to pay tuition or application fees:

• EU citizens
• Citizens from Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein

If you have a Danish residence permit, you might be exempt from paying tuition fee. Read more under "Non-EU/EEA citizens" here on cbs.dk-
 

Contact

If you have questions about admission to CBS’ graduate programmes, you can contact CBS Admissions or a student guidance counsellor.

Send an email to CBS Admissions

• Send your email to graduateadmission@cbs.dk.
• Please include your full name and application ID from the Application Portal in the email if you have submitted your application.

We will get back to you as soon as possible. After the application deadline, you may experience a longer response time. This does not mean that the application process has stopped; we are simply busy processing the many applications we have received.

Call a student guidance counsellor

You can call a student guidance counsellor during our extended opening hours:

• Telephone.: +45 3815 2764
• Wednesday 26 February, 10.00-15.00
• Thursday 27 February, 10.00-15.00
• Friday 28 February March, 10.00-16.00

You are also welcome to contact us during our normal opening hours. Find our opening hours and contact information