Admission Requirements

Assessment of your qualifications

Non-Danish citizens who do not have a Danish entrance examination are eligible for admission if they have qualifications recognised as being comparable to Danish entrance qualifications.

For an official pre-assessment of your qualifications visit http://en.iu.dk/recognition. The assessment briefly states what your qualifications corresponds to in Denmark and will improve your application. However, the individual institution is responsible for the final admission.

The institution in Denmark will require certified copies of your educational qualifications. That is, you must provide copies with original stamps and signatures, or have two people who are not related to you sign the back of the copy with their name, address and birth date. Some institutions require that they receive the documents directly from the issuing institution. This can often take several months, so be sure to arrange in time.

Further information about entrance qualifications, additional tests and potential credit transfers can be obtained from the institutions' admissions offices. See a list of all higher education institutions in Denmark.

General admission requirements

English language requirements

All higher education programmes in Denmark require a high standard of English. Applicants to English-taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes must, as a minimum, prove English proficiency comparable to 'English B' in the Danish upper secondary school (gymnasium). Some programmes require 'English A', which is one level higher than 'English B'.

To prove a satisfactory proficiency in English, the language tests TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge ESOL examinations (CAE) are often used:

Note: * These are minimum requirements. Some programmes require 'English A', which is one level higher than 'English B'.

Applicants who are native English speakers are exempted from these test requirements. Also, applicants who can document English proficiency at an equivalent level may contact the institution's International Admission Office to determine if their English level is sufficient.

Admission to higher education taught in Danish

If you are able to study in Danish you can find courses and degree programmes taught in Danish at www.ug.dk. For admission into these programmes you must prove a satisfactory level of proficiency in Danish by taking the test called ‘Danish as a Foreign Language’ (‘Studieprøven i dansk som andetsprog’) or ‘Danish Test 2’ (‘Danskprøve 2’). Some programmes may require that you have passed ‘Danish Test 3’ (‘Danskprøve 3’). Read more at www.iu.dk.

Note that as an international student you can take Danish lessons for free. In this way you may enroll first in an English-taught undergraduate programme and then continue your education in Danish at the graduate level once you have achieved the necessary Danish language skills.

Requirements for undergraduate studies

Admission requirements for Bachelor programmes are:

• An entrance examination comparable to a Danish upper secondary school leaving certificate
• Proof of proficiency in English (see above)

Certain study programmes have additional admission requirements, such as previous study of a specific subject area or practical work experience.  For more information on foreign qualifications and entry to Danish higher education, visit www.iu.dk.

Requirements for postgraduate studies

Admission requirements for Candidatus/Master programmes are:

• an internationally recognised Bachelor's degree of good standard or equivalent
• proof of proficiency in English (see above)
• proof of proficiency in Danish, if the programme is taught in Danish (se above)

Requirements for PhD studies

To embark on a PhD, you generally need to have a Master's/Candidatus degree or equivalent.  In some areas, a four-year PhD programme is offered to students who have completed a Bachelor’s qualification and one year of study at postgraduate level. See also current PhD positions

How and when to apply

Undergraduates

For undergraduate studies, the admission deadline is 15 March for courses starting in August or September. A few institutions have additional intakes in January or February. For those courses, the deadline is 1 September. The application forms are available from the institutions approximately two months prior to the deadline. Online application forms can also be found at www.optagelse.dk (read the guide carefully).

Postgraduates

For postgraduate studies, deadlines vary. We recommend that you contact the institution directly for details.

Useful links
Recognition of foreign qualifications
http://en.iu.dk/recognition/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

Online application forms - undergraduate studies only (read the guide carefully)
https://www.optagelse.dk/kot/pages/application/kotIndex.jsf?lang=en