Undergraduate Studies in Denmark

Denmark is known for its highly reputed education system, positive and lively campus atmosphere, amazing social security system and student-friendly cities. Denmark also provides an exceptional quality of life to its students. The highly advanced country has a robust economy, gives a lot of importance to gender equality and has a very well developed welfare system.

According to the QS World Ranking 2023 the 5 top universities in Denmark are: University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark, Aarhus University, Aalborg University and University of Southern Denmark (SDU).

There are two types of bachelor degrees offered by Denmark:

a. Professional Bachelor’s degree: A Professional Bachelor’s degree qualifies you to enter a specific profession. It is awarded after three to four and a half years of study. Learning is research-based and provides students with a broad academic foundation, as well as specialized knowledge. In addition to attending lectures, students participate in seminars, project work and group activities. The theoretical foundation is also applied practically through work placements.

Professional Bachelor’s degrees are offered at university colleges (‘Professionshøjskoler’). These institutions have strong links to businesses and universities, as well as other research institutes within their region.

With a great selection of subject areas to choose from, including engineering, IT management, nursing, health and nutrition, teacher training, journalism and social education, university colleges offer you a unique opportunity to undertake a career-oriented education programme. For example: Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology from University College Absalon.

b. University Bachelor’s degree: The University Bachelor’s degree is awarded after the completion of a three-year undergraduate programme, normally undertaken within one or two subject areas. The bachelor programmes are research-based and are offered in all scientific disciplines. Towards the end of the programme you are required to submit a final project. The bachelor programmes provide students with a broad academic foundation as well as specialist knowledge combined with theoretical, applied and analytical skills.The programme qualifies you to either enter the professional domain or to pursue postgraduate studies. The degrees cover academic disciplines such as humanities, social sciences, natural science, health science, technical science and theology. For Example: Bachelor of Science in General Engineering from Technical University of Denmark.

What undergraduate courses are available in Denmark?

International students can have their pick from the 600 bachelors degree programs offered in English. These programs range from STEM programs to Fine Arts and Humanities degree programs.

In general international students do not need to learn the local language (Danish) to study in Denmark.

What are the costs?

International students from Non EU/ EEA countries are required to pay the tuition fees. In some universities, the maximum cost for 3 years of study could be 25,500 EUR (approx USD 27,793 as per 2023).

Students from EU/ EEA are not required to pay any tuition fees.

What are the application deadlines?

Denmark has two intakes: the Winter intake and the Summer intake. But most higher education programmes start in August or September. Very limited programmes in Denmark start in January/ February.

The application deadlines for international students for both Summer and Winter Intake is 15th March.

What are the documentation requirements?

1. Transcript in the original language for each qualification that you want to have assessed. If you are unable to provide the transcript, please list in your own words the subjects studied and passed.
2. English language proficiency tests.

What are the General entry requirements to study in Denmark?

Only students from CBSE or ICSE boards aspiring to pursue a university bachelor’s degree from Denmark need to take supplementary courses. For example Aarhus University requires international students to supplement their qualifying examination with Advanced Placement tests (AP test) issued by the College Board.

International students with a minimum 65% from the CBSE and ICSE boards can apply for admission. While students with a Higher Secondary Certificate or equivalent from other boards require minimum 85% marks to study in Denmark.

What are the Specific Entry Requirements to study in Denmark?

International Students must meet the specific entry requirements that apply to the individual study programme. Specific requirements typically include the level of the subjects passed, marks (grades) obtained in individual subjects and the overall average of marks (grade point average). *Every university has their own specific requirements. For example: Technical University of Denmark (DTU) requires students to submit a CV and a personal statement for its BSc in General Engineering program.

Do I need to take an English language proficiency test?

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.

Some programmes require ‘English A’, which is one level higher than ‘English B’.

What is Quota 2 in Denmark?

Quota 2 is for international students hailing from Non- EU/EEA countries.

Students applying for Quota 2 need to have a good GPA. Check the university website for more information on this. Many universities have their own entrance exams and interviews.

For example: University of Southern Denmark (SDU) requires international students to take the uniTEST entrance exam to get admission to their undergraduate programs. It is a multiple-choice test that consists of 95 questions (critical, quantitative and linguistic thinking) and lasts 2½ hours. Tests are held every year in April.

Is there a common application portal?

In Denmark there is a common portal for all the students( both from EU/EEA and Non-EU/EEA students. This portal is called Optagelse.dk. You can apply for up to 8 programmes at the same time.

What are the job opportunities in Denmark?

International students can stay in Denmark for two years after they have completed their degree, which has to be either a bachelor’s degree, a professional bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or a PhD.

Denmark is the home to various top brands like Lego, Maersk, Carlsberg, Royal Copenhagen, Vestas etc where students can look for jobs after graduation.

Denmark offers a wide variety of possibilities for working after graduation. Whether you are strictly focused on advancing your career or want to find the right balance between work and life, the Danish job market will have opportunities for you.

What are the opportunities of higher education in Denmark?

Research-based Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s degrees are offered by the Danish universities. The degrees cover academic disciplines such as humanities, social sciences, natural science, health science, technical science and theology.

The PhD programme trains PhD students at an international level to undertake research, development and teaching assignments in the private and public sectors, for which a broad knowledge of research is required.

Denmark’s worldwide reputation for academic excellence, high quality learning institutions and excellent standard of living make it an attractive option for students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies.