Master of Business Development
Executive degree for those passionate about creating new, innovative solutions and want to take responsibility for elevating and developing the business – for those who want more.
What is MBD?
In a world where change is the only constant, the ability to evolve is the key to success. Master of Business Development (MBD) is designed to equip you with the essential tools and knowledge to drive innovation and growth within your company.
Learn to identify the broader perspectives, tackle specific challenges, and create ground-breaking solutions that can take your business to new heights.
The programme is targeted at professionals in the private sector and is your opportunity to become a catalyst for positive change—ensuring your company does not merely survive, but thrives in the dynamic market of the future.
Is the MBD right for you?
The programme is also highly relevant for companies looking to invest in their employees' development. This opportunity for upskilling provides new perspectives and ensures the organisation is well-positioned to seize future opportunities and navigate challenges.
Strategic depth with a specialisation in Innovation
Do you want to achieve greater professional depth, a clearer profile and a sharper strategic focus?
At MBD, our English-taught track offers a dedicated specialisation in Innovation. This path is designed for professionals who want a clear academic structure where courses build upon one another to systematically develop expertise in driving growth and change.
Why choose the Innovation specialisation?
✔️ Targeted Expertise: Gain the tools and strategic insight needed to lead innovation in the private sector
✔️ Professional Coherence: Build a coherent learning journey tailored to your professional profile.
✔️ Direct Application: Built for immediate impact, enabling you to apply new knowledge directly to your work.
Flexible composition
Do you want to strengthen your competencies – without necessarily following a fixed professional track?
With a flexible composition, you can choose individual courses across different themes to create a programme that matches your current needs. You can combine various subject areas, explore new perspectives, or focus on specific challenges within your organisation.
This option is for those who do not see themselves in our specialisation in Innovation, or who simply wish to take selected courses.
If you are in doubt, we are always on hand to offer advice on how to best structure your education.
Meet our participants
Anna Bjerre
CEO, GirlTalk
Kim Lundberg
Director for Tech & Venture Lending, EIFO
Tobias Keil
Head of Vendor Management Operations, Nets Group
Join our events
Any questions?
You are also always welcome to contact us directly by email or phone.
Download MBD brochure
If you’d like to learn more about how the Master of Business Development can benefit you and your organisation, simply fill out the form to receive an email with a link to our brochure.
In the same email, you’ll also receive an overview of relevant courses. We’ll continue to keep you updated as new courses are launched.
Build your programme
You also decide whether to follow our specialisation in innovation or combine courses across different themes to gain a broader understanding of business development.
Explore this page to learn more about the elements of the MBD programme and how they can be combined.
Structure
A full MBD programme consists of individual courses that add up to 60 ECTS credits.
The programme can be completed over a period of 2-6 years.
A full MBD programme includes:
- 2 mandatory courses worth 5 ECTS credits each
- 4 core courses worth 5 ECTS credits each
- 3 elective courses worth 5 ECTS credits each
- 1 Master Project worth 15 ECTS credits
Read more about the different types of courses below.
Mandatory courses
The two mandatory courses form the foundation of the programme, which is why we recommend starting with these courses.
The mandatory courses provide you with a fundamental understanding of how to drive development and change within your organisation.
Both courses are offered in Danish and English.
Business Development
All businesses need to understand their operations, find ways to develop them and, if necessary, completely overhaul their business to remain relevant.
Organizational Change
All organisations need change and development. Take this course to become proficient in leading processes from idea to success.
Core courses
The purpose of the core courses is to provide you with the knowledge, skills and competencies within key business disciplines and topics that are essential to business development.
You can choose to delve into innovation through our specialisation, giving you both academic depth and targeted professional development, or you can combine core courses across different topics if you want a broader understanding of business development.
To complete the full MBD programme, you must complete four core courses.
Managing Innovation
Innovation is key to maintaining a competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving business environment.
Strategic Communication
Learn to manage leadership and crisis communication and create effective campaigns - enhance your communication skills to drive real change in your organisation.
Strategic Practices and Execution
Master strategic execution and learn how to turn strategy into action with practical tools and insights from others’ experiences.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Enhance your decision-making skills by combining data analytics with intuitive judgement in this course, designed for executives in today’s dynamic business environment.
Elective courses
The elective courses give you the flexibility to tailor your MBD programme to your needs and ambitions.
If you are following the specialisation in innovation, you can either choose the recommended elective courses for the specialisation, or select courses that provide insight into other aspects of business development, allowing you to build a broader professional profile.
As part of the full MBD programme, you must complete three elective courses.
Business Data Analytics
Turn big data into actionable insights for competitive advantage.
Risk-based Compliance and AML in the national defence
Become an AML expert!
Future Tech for Business
Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain & Quantum Computing
Risk Management and Compliance
Gain a comprehensive understanding of compliance, risk and regulation with this course, featuring insights from industry experts.
Corporate Finance
Unlock the world of corporate finance: Master every aspect of financial decision-making.
The Master Project
You are responsible for collecting and processing data, but you will be assigned a supervisor to help you through the process.
Strategic Depth with a specialisation in Innovation
Do you want to achieve greater professional depth, a clearer profile, and a sharper strategic focus?
At the Master of Business Development (MBD), our English-taught track offers a dedicated specialisation in Innovation.
Why choose the Innovation specialisation?
✔️ Targeted Expertise: Gain the tools and strategic insight needed to lead innovation in the private sector
✔️ Professional Coherence: Build a coherent learning journey tailored to your professional profile.
✔️ Direct Application: Built for immediate impact, enabling you to apply new knowledge directly to your work.
Flexible composition
Do you want to strengthen your competencies – without necessarily following a fixed professional track?
With a flexible composition, you can choose individual courses across different themes to create a programme that matches your current needs. You can combine various subject areas, explore new perspectives, or focus on specific challenges within your organisation.
This option is for those who do not see themselves in our specialisation in Innovation, or who simply wish to take selected courses.
If you are in doubt, we are always on hand to offer advice on how to best structure your education.
Build your MBD
Here is an example of what an MBD path might look like. The participant begins with the two mandatory courses, continues with four core courses and completes the programme with three elective courses followed by the Master Project.
The programme can be tailored in terms of pace, sequence and content to match both your needs and those of your organisation.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
FAQ
We have gathered the answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive from our participants and their employers.
About MBD (Panel content)
What is MBD?
Master of Business Development (MBD) is a flexible master degree at CBS. It’s aimed at experienced key employees who are responsible for boosting and developing business areas of their companies.
You can gain insight into a wide range of topics such as business and organisational development, digitalisation, innovation, strategic communication, personal development, finance and management.
How many ECTS credits does the entire programme consist of?
A Master degree in business development amounts to a total of 60 ECTS credits.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) is a trans-European credit unit used at accredited educational institutions that indicates the workload associated with a specific course. One ECTS point corresponds to an expected workload of approximately 28 hours.
Which course should I start with?
At MBD, you may begin with any course you prefer. If you have a specific interest in one of our core or elective courses, you are free to start from there. However, we would recommend starting with our mandatory courses Business Development and Organisational Change, which will give you a solid foundation for the rest of our courses.
If you are in need of guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Where do lectures take place?
Lectures take place at CBS’s Dalgas Have campus: Dalgas Have 15, 2000 Frederiksberg.
Please note that we do not offer online, weekend or evening courses.
When do the lectures take place?
Lectures are held during weekdays between 9 am and 4 pm.
In which language are the courses taught?
We offer courses in both English and Danish.
Visit our Danish course overview to see all available courses.
How many participants will there be per course?
There is a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 students on each course.
Admission and registration (Panel content)
How do I sign up for a course?
You register for courses via our digital application portal. If you are new to MBD, you must first apply for admission. If you're already enrolled, simply register for your next course.
When is the application deadline?
There are no application deadlines at MBD. You may apply for admission all year round.
If you are already enrolled, you can sign-up for a course up to a few days before the course starts.
If you are new at MBD, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible, but no later than 4 weeks prior to the course starts.
We recommend that you register for a course well in advance, so you have time to familiarise yourself with the curriculum prior to the beginning of classes.
What are the admission requirements?
To be enrolled at MBD, you need to fulfil our admission requirements:
- A minimum of one higher education degree within the area of business economics at a bachelor or diploma level (at least)
- A minimum of two years of relevant full time professional experience in market-oriented organisations after graduation, e.g., within sales and marketing, financial management, financing, management, logistics or HR
- Language skills in English at level B2 CEFR or higher, equivalent to the Danish B-level
Can I apply for credit transfers from previously completed courses or educational programmes?
You can apply to the study board for credit transfer for courses previously completed at a level equivalent to a Danish master level. However, the courses you wish to transfer credits for must live up to the following requirements in order to come into consideration:
- The specific course must have been taken at a level equivalent to a Danish master level at an accredited educational institution – outside of Denmark this usually equals an executive master/post graduate programme.
- The course(s) in question must in some way fit in to the scope of the courses currently offered at MBD.
When will I know whether my application has been approved?
Usually, you can expect to hear from us within two weeks of your application.
You will receive an e-mail with our answer to your application.
Can I get an exemption from the admission requirements?
If you do not meet the admission requirements, we may in some instances be able to grant you a dispensation. We can only give dispensation for educational activities below bachelor level – not for the two years of work experience criteria. Depending on your educational background, a dispensation might entail an entrance exam and possibly completion of an ECTS awarding methodology course.
If you would like to know more about your options, please send an e-mail to mbd@cbs.dk , enclosing your CV and we will give you a preliminary assessment of whether you might be eligible for enrolment.
When can I apply for admission?
Admissions are open all year.
Registration for fall 2026 and spring 2027 courses is currently open.
Payment (Panel content)
What is the cost of a full MBD programme?
In 2026, the total cost of the MBD programme is 214.000 DKK excluding expenditures for books and potential hotel accommodation.
Do all courses cost the same?
Mandatory, core and elective courses cost 21.000 DKK in 2026 and 22.000 DKK in 2027.
The Master Project costs 25.000 DKK.
How do I pay for a course?
Payment is made through CBS' payment system Epayment, where the invoice for the courses you have enrolled in will appear.
You have the option of paying by card, girokort (Danish banking system) or e-invoice (Danish public sector invoicing system).
If your employer is paying for you, you'll have the option of forwarding your payment to them – or someone else – directly.
Can you receive funding for your MBD?
Depending on your place of employment there may be options for funding.
For instance, if you work in the financial sector, you can apply for funding for several courses at the MBD through the Finanskompetencepuljen.
Practical information (Panel content)
Where can I find the teaching materials?
On CBS's learning portal CANVAS, you’ll find practical info, time/place, material etc.
The final curriculum will be posted as soon as it is ready, but no later than six weeks prior to the first day of class.
You cannot access CANVAS until you are finally enrolled and have received your CBS user-ID sent via digital mail.
Are food and beverages included in the course?
Yes, you will be served a light breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack as well as coffee, tea and water during all lectures.
What can I do if I'm unable to log on to your systems?
If you are experiencing issues logging on to one of our systems, we recommend you contact our IT support who will be happy to help you straight away.
CBS IT support can be reached at:
E-mail: help@student.cbs.dk / Tel: 3815 3575
How do I cancel my registration for a course?
You can cancel your registration for a course up until the day before first day of classes by sending an email to us at mbd@cbs.dk.
If your cancellation is received after the deadline, your registration and payment are binding.
Can I park at CBS?
As a student, you are eligible for a CBS parking license and with that may make use of all available CBS parking spaces.
Is it possible to postpone or change a registration?
In case of unforeseen circumstances that prevent you from following an upcoming course, you have the option to either postpone or change your course registration – as long as the course in question hasn’t started yet (see cancellation policy above).
For instance, you may choose to postpone the course until the next time it is offered or choose another course that fits your schedule better.
In this case, please contact the MBD team.
Study start (Panel content)
When do I start classes?
MBD courses have start dates spread out throughout the year.
Teaching days are listed under the specific course descriptions on our course page as well as in our semester calendar.
Exams (Panel content)
How is the exam held?
The examination for each course varies between an oral examination based on a written product or a written home assignment without an oral defense.
The examination format is specified under the course descriptions.
Didn't find an answer to your question?
Choose the courses that suit you
The list below gives you a quick and easy overview of the courses we offer. Click on each course to learn more.
Courses
Business Data Analytics
Turn big data into actionable insights for competitive advantage.
5 ECTS
Future Tech for Business
Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain & Quantum Computing
5 ECTS
Data-Driven Decision Making
Enhance your decision-making skills by combining data analytics with intuitive judgement in this course, designed for executives in today’s dynamic business environment.
5 ECTS
Data-Driven Decision Making
5 ECTS
See all lecture dates
Why choose a specialisation?
You will achieve significant depth and a targeted boost to your competencies. At the same time, you become part of a professional community with participants working on related challenges and ambitions.
The direction is clear, yet you retain your flexibility. You decide the pace, can take breaks along the way, and supplement your studies with the electives that match your current professional focus.
Currently, only one specialisation is available in English. To see the specialisations we offer in Danish, please visit our Danish website.
Innovation
Strengthen your capacity to drive strategic renewal and turn ideas into reality. This specialisation provides you with the tools to analyse opportunities, lead development processes, and ensure successful implementation.
Designed for those who:
- Work in management or business development
- Want to translate strategic ideas into action
- Are responsible for change and implementation
3 benefits awaiting you
1 Sharpens your professional expertise
2 Increases your market value
3 The CBS hallmark of excellence
Flexibility
Download MBD brochure
If you’d like to learn more about how the Master of Business Development can benefit you and your organisation, simply fill out the form to receive an email with a link to our brochure.
In the same email, you’ll also receive an overview of relevant courses. We’ll continue to keep you updated as new courses are launched.
Application and Course Registration
If you are new to the Master of Business Development programme, you must first apply for admission. On this page, you can find information about admission requirements, the application process, payment and the application form for new participants.
Once admitted, you need to remember to sign up for courses on an ongoing basis to stay on track towards completing your degree.
Already an MBD participant?
Register for your next course via the form for enrolled participants.
3 steps – and you are on your way
1) Check the admittance criteria
Before you can start attending your first course at MBD, you need to check whether you meet the admittance criteria. See our admittance criteria below.
2) Get the funding in place
If you meet the admittance criteria, the next step is to figure out how to finance the courses you wish to take. Read more about funding below.
3) Apply for enrolment
Once you have your funding in place, you are ready to apply for enrolment. If you're not sure which course to choose as your first, we recommend starting with a mandatory course. Find the right course here.
Admittance criteria
There are two main criteria you must meet in order to be admitted to this executive programme:
- A minimum of one higher educational degree at bachelor or diploma level
- At least two years of relevant work experience after completion of the qualifying degree
- Proficiency in English equivalent to upper secondary B level is recommended. However, we do not require a certificate of this.
Unsure whether you are qualified?
Maybe it has been a couple of years since your last degree, or you have multiple degrees up your sleeve?
We are ready to help you quickly clarify whether you have the necessary prerequisites to be enrolled at MBD.
Send us an updated resumé, including all educational activities you have completed, and you'll get a quick answer as to whether you can take your first step towards a Master in Business Development today.
Payment
At MBD, you take your degree one course at a time and only pay for the courses you are signed up for.
In fall 2026, the cost of the full degree will be 214.000 DKK excluding expenditures for books and any potentiel hotel accommodation.
Prices 2026
Mandatory courses: 21.000 DKK
Core courses: 21.000 DKK
Elective courses: 21.000 DKK
Master project: 25.000 DKK
Why is the degree self-financed?
In the Danish educational system a master degree is a part-time self-financed executive education. As opposed to the ordinary full-time graduate-master programmes (kandidatuddannelser in Danish), master programmes are not state funded and – unfortunately – CBS doesn't offer scholarships. Please visit the ministry of education's website below to get a comprehensive overview of the different paths in the Danish educational system.
Funding options
Convince your manager
The majority of our students receive funding for their courses through their employer, as an MBD strengthens the individual employee as well as the company. To help you on your way, we have compiled a list of arguments you can use to convince your manager. Here are some arguments to convince your manager.
Gross salary scheme
This is known as a "bruttolønsordning" in Danish. It's an agreement you can make with your employer, if you prefer to receive employee benefits (e.g. a course/education) in exchange for a pay cut. To review the guidelines please visit SKAT's web page (only available in Danish).
Work in the financial sector?
As an employee in the financial sector, you can apply for funding for a number of courses at MBD through the Financial Competence Pool (Finanskompetencepuljen in Danish). Learn more about how to apply for funding through finanskompetencepuljen here.
Funding for civil servants
The Governmental Competency Fund (den statslige kompetencepulje in Danish) is your opportunity to develop your skills for the future. As a civil servant, you can apply for funding for educational activities and skill advancement. Learn more about the process on the fund's own website.
Ready to apply?
If you have never taken a course at MBD, you must first apply for admission. You can do this via the link below. You will be directed to our online application portal where you will be asked to upload an updated CV and certificates of your qualifying education.
Still in doubt?
If you need personalised advice on financing, course options or anything else, you’re always welcome to contact us.
Need guidance?
You can find answers to the most frequently asked questions in our FAQ.
You are also always welcome to contact the MBD team by calling +45 3815 3060, emailing mbd@cbs.dk, or visiting us at Dalgas Have 15, offices DH.V.1.15 and DH.V.1.20.
If you would like to get in touch with a specific team member, you can find their contact information below.
The MBD team
Sofie Marie Bremer
Head of MBD
Clara Baad Berkkan Damsø
Programme Manager
Sara Garshodn Olsen
Programme Manager
Katrine Trane
Programme Manager
Benjamin Coleman
Programme Manager (currently on parental leave)
Laura Sommer Adeltoft
Programme Manager
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