MSSc in Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

The MSSc SDE programme will give you in-depth knowledge of strategic design and business. You will learn methods for developing and commercialising sustainable products and processes. You will work on real industry challenges in close collaboration with students from design and architecture and supervisors from CBS and the Royal Danish Academy.

About the programme Structure Study environment Entry requirements Career

About MSSc in Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

Level

graduate

Programme type

2-year master programme

Duration

2 years

ECTS

120

Time commitment

Full-time

Language

English

Students

Gender distribution – men / women

10% / 90%

Average age

25.3 years

Foreign students

76%

Topics

Organisation and management Innovation and entrepreneurship

Why study MSSc SDE?

3 good reasons to choose MSSc SDE

Interest in working across disciplines

You are motivated by collaborating with students from business, design, and architecture, and enjoy learning how different perspectives can be combined to solve complex challenges.

Curiosity for innovation and entrepreneurship

You have a drive to explore new business models, create sustainable solutions, and even start your own venture is essential. You enjoy working with real-life industry problems and experimenting with creative solutions.

Passion for design, sustainability, and business development

You have an interest in how design and strategic thinking can be used to build more sustainable products, services, and organisations that respond to global challenges like climate change and technological disruption.

“I mostly enjoy the collaborative aspect of the programme, working closely together with both architects, designers and business students with a variety of backgrounds.” Emilie
Student, MSSc SDE

Joint master programme

The MSc in Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship (SDE) is a joint programme offered by Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and the Royal Danish Academy. You will study and work across both campuses, combining business, design, and architecture in a truly interdisciplinary environment.

Different sets of skills

The programme equips you with critical skills in entrepreneurship, innovation, design processes, and business development, combined with strong collaboration and management abilities. You will gain both hard skills, such as entrepreneurial finance, accounting, legal strategy, design management, and research methods. Also you’ll get soft skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary communication.

“The most thrilling part of the programme is the collaboration between CBS and Academy students. The first year is spent in cross-collaborative real projects .” Pedro
Student, MSSc SDE

Cross disciplinary opportunities

A key feature of MSSc SDE is hands-on learning. From day one, you collaborate with students from design, architecture, and business to solve real-life challenges provided by industry partners across sectors such as construction, healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. The activities include innovation sprints, design competitions, and entrepreneurial projects supported by the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship.

New perspectives on value creation

With its mix of theory, practice, and collaboration, the programme prepares you to tackle today’s major business challenges. Right from sustainability to technological transformation. You will also learn to create new forms of value through design and entrepreneurship.

See the programme regulations for MSSc SDE

See you in February 2027

Are you considering a master programme at CBS? Then come to our next Open Day and learn more about your options.

Master events

See upcoming events that can help you with your study choice and admission.

Event

Open day for master programmes 2027

Date:

4 February 2027

Location:

Solbjerg Plads 3, 2000 Frederiksberg

Are you considering a master programme at CBS? Come visit us for Open Day and hear what your options are. Here you can meet students and staff, pose your…

View event

Structure

Organisation and management

You learn how leadership, collaboration, and organisational design influence creativity and innovation. In MSSc SDE the focus is on leading interdisciplinary teams, managing creative processes, and transforming design ideas into viable business strategies.

Innovation and entrepreneurship

You learn how to develop, test, and scale new ideas that create value in business and society. The focus is on integrating design thinking, business modelling, and strategic creativity to turn opportunities into sustainable ventures.

MSSc SDE

Organisation and management – 45%

Innovation and entrepreneurship – 55%

3 things to consider

Interdisciplinary collaboration

You will work closely with students from both business and design/architecture backgrounds. You should enjoy teamwork across disciplines, value and respect learning perspectives and teaching cultures different from your own.

Balance of hard and soft skills

The programme combines business tools (finance, accounting, legal strategy, design management) with collaboration and communication skills. You should be motivated by both analytical problem-solving and creative, people-oriented teamwork.

Hands-on, high-engagement learning

A large part of the programme is project-based, solving real-life challenges for industry partners. This means a high workload, active participation in innovation sprints, competitions, and entrepreneurial projects.

Programme overview

1st semester

1st year

2nd semester

1st year

3rd semester

2nd year

4th semester

2nd year

More about the programme progression

Two sets of culture - one shared responsibility

The programme also brings together two different learning cultures. At CBS, students are used to working independently and managing their time flexibly. At The Royal Academy, learning is more hands-on and based on close dialogue with teachers and supervisors. Here, progress is made through feedback and collaboration.

As an SDE student, it’s important to recognise and embrace both approaches. You will be part of a small, collaborative community where attendance and participation matter. Being present and engaged is essential in getting the most out of this unique, cross-disciplinary experience.

Entrepreneurial activities

The student incubator Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE) gives you an important networking opportunity and you can use the financial, intellectual and institutional support of CSE for your own entrepreneurial activities.

Studying in English

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

All CBS students have access to a specialised career services.

Read more about Teaching and working methods.

Options during the 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 Courses at master level.

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.

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.

“We're in the centre of knowledge, experiments, innovation and development, and it's extremely inspiring and giving.” Emilie
Student, MSSc SDE

See you in February 2027

Are you considering a master programme at CBS? Then come to our next Open Day and learn more about your options.

Study environment

You will be part of a vibrant study environment with committed and caring fellow students . The student cohort is international and multi-disciplinary with a drive for collaborative problem solving and active learning.

Students work together to organise and participate in business sprints, exhibitions and in design and architecture competitions.

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.

Read more on International students.

Meet the students

Emilie

“ The biggest difference is working in teams for almost every course and project, which really makes us learn how to collaborate with many different skills, experiences, knowledge and perspectives. ”

Programme: Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

From: Grubberholm, Denmark

Age: 29

Educational background: BA in Design Culture and Economics, SDU

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?

I chose to study Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship for my master’s, because I found it a unique opportunity to enter the creative industry, working closely with designers and architects from the Royal Danish Academy. Being enrolled in two universities, working with design and architecture from a strategic, entrepreneurial and managerial perspective, is a rare opportunity that I immediately knew I would seek, when the master’s programme was created in 2018.

What do I like the best?

I mostly enjoy the collaborative aspect of the programme, working closely together with both architects, designers and business students with a variety of backgrounds. The class is very international, why many different perspectives are added in the collaborative process, which just makes the process more exciting and inspiring.

In addition, I also enjoy the courses and content given, that facilitate the journey of becoming a strategic designer really well, balancing the business-oriented content with the artistic.

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?

I previously studied a BA in Design Culture and Economics, which was also a mix between business courses and design-theoretic courses, so this combination isn't new to me. The biggest difference is working in teams for almost every course and project, which really makes us learn how to collaborate with many different skills, experiences, knowledge and perspectives. Most of the projects are based on client challenges, meaning there are high ambitions, speed and engagement, which is a great way to practise and work in your master’s.

What are the biggest challenges in my programme?

Not being able to really try out new ways of learning from each other, for example becoming better in doing graphics, building prototypes etc. Since time is limited, we easily do what we're good at, so the business students tend to write, and the design and architecture students tend to create. Now that we're in the same programme, we'd all love to really learn from each other and develop our skills a bit more across disciplines. On the other hand, it's also a journey of really understanding what skills you have and use them in practice.

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?

I'd like to have known that the classes are spread all over the week, because of the Royal Academy’s way of working. There is therefore very little time for other activities throughout the week, since there're classes almost every day. This master’s really requires that you're invested time wise if you want to get the most out of it. Thus, there has been a discussion about clustering the classes for the upcoming years, so people can schedule ahead, coordinating with work etc.

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?

I want to work with strategic consulting in the creative industry. I want to use my experience in working with both design thinking, actor-network theory etc., together with more traditional consultant tools, to guide companies into the green transition on a holistic level. Because of my BA background and now also this master’s, I see myself as the intermediate link that can create sustainable business development in a variety of ways, but most importantly with an empathic, innovative, conscious and holistic mindset.

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…

That the high expectations you have for this master’s programme will actually be fulfilled and even surpass the dreams and hopes. You'll really be a part of a great adventure that only a few can get. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work with these amazing people, both at CBS and at the Royal Academy. We're in the centre of knowledge, experiments, innovation and development, and it's extremely inspiring and giving.

Pedro

“ I would say that a big difference was how much more 'freeing' I find the studies to be here in Denmark. The relation with the professors at CBS is quite 'one-to-one', of course still aware of the professional and academic respect of both parts. ”

Programme: Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

From: Lisbon, Portugal

Age: 26

Educational background: Communication Sciences, FCSH-NOVA

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?

I wanted to apply to a different programme at CBS, yet I could not do it, as I lacked ECTS. However, as I have always been drawn to graphic and editorial design, I was also curious to apply to the Royal Danish Academy. After reading the programme description and goals thoroughly, I found this to be the right fit to merge my communication background with the design field - that was my main motivation for applying, considering back then, I wanted to work as a Head of Communications in a design or architecture studio.

What do I like the best?

How interdisciplinary the programme is, but by far, the most thrilling part of the programme is the collaboration between CBS and Academy students. The first year is spent in cross-collaborative real projects - for instance, I worked in real cases for the Copenhagen Light Festival and Rigshospitalet (one of the leading hospitals in Denmark). Also, one of my favourite parts of the programme is sitting at the Academy's studio and watching my artsy classmates work on design or architecture projects and what that involves (i.e. software, ceramics...).

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?

The master’s has been more independent oriented, which I believe is more of a cultural difference between studying in Portugal when compared to Denmark. Academically, I don’t feel a big difference because when I was a bachelor student in the social sciences field, I had to write a lot of reports. Nevertheless, I would say that a big difference was how much more 'freeing' I find the studies to be here in Denmark. The relation with the professors at CBS is quite 'one-to-one', of course still aware of the professional and academic respect of both parts.

What are the biggest challenges in my study programme?

Coordinating between two institutions. However, it’s only a matter of time before you get the hang of it. At the beginning, getting used to all of CBS' software, internal platforms and more was a tad confusing – more, when multiplied by two, considering the Academy had similar platforms. Furthermore, working with art students is of great value, and at the same time, one of the challenges in the programme. It is a 'growth pain', as one of the goals of this master’s is to learn how creative professionals think, and for these to know "how business thinks".

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?

That contrasted to the first year, the second year is quite lonely. We move from an intense, collaborative and stimulating first year, where there is an almost 'creative ecstasy', to a quite independent second year. At first, it was pretty challenging to get used to it, but then you get easily acquainted to it. What helped was to think of this programme as two master’s programmes: the first year you learn about strategic design and entrepreneurship with fellow art students. The second year you specialise in whatever area you are fond of.

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?

Still pretty blurry, but I would like to work with design for the public sector. I am very interested in the role of public sector innovation labs, but more, how design-led practices can be included in governance in a systematic way instead of being a "one trick pony". Other student usually work as strategic design consultants in-house, or they do it as consultants (something I have definitely not excluded as well).

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…

Align expectations. CBS and the Academy have a lot to offer. Problem is, there is only so much time available when you have to study, work, have a social life, cook and so on... I would have loved to be part of a CBS club, as I would have liked to have attended more conferences. Also, choose electives based on what you are curious about, even if just a hint. I chose some of my electives based on what I thought my thesis topic would be - plot twist, it did not happen. My favourite elective was in policy making, something I had never thought of.

Student life at CBS

Being a CBS student is about more than going to lectures and doing exams.

Get a glimpse of student life at CBS. Here, you can explore what a typical day of teaching and exams looks like.

Also, you can learn how our programmes are structured and read about social life on campus, including the many ways to connect with fellow students.

Teaching and exams

Teaching

You should know that it is demanding to study in a graduate programme, and both the curriculum and workload is significantly higher than at bachelor level.

If you are studying on a full-time graduate programme, you should expect spending approximately 37 hours on average on your studies each week. The workload will vary during the year.

The time leading up to assignment submissions and exams can be hectic, and you can easily work more than 40 hours a week in this period. Preparing for oral exams can be especially time consuming, because you have to be able to explain and discuss the covered concepts and theories and learn things by heart.

Read more on Teaching and working methods.

Student job

Most programmes are quite flexible in terms of combining studies with a student job. Most students work a maximum of 15 hours a week in order to have sufficient time for their studies.

Exams

The are different exam forms in the programme. Both written sit- in exams on a CBS computer and also exams where you hand in a written product followed by an oral examination.

Read more about Exams.

Time consumption

Workload

On the master’s programme, you will work more independently than on the bachelor’s programme, and teaching places greater emphasis on preparation as well as in-depth individual study.

If you are studying on a full-time graduate programme, you should expect spending approximately 37 hours on average on your studies each week. The workload will vary during the year.

Hectic around exams

The time leading up to assignment submissions and exams can be hectic, and you can easily work more than 40 hours a week in this period. Preparing for oral exams can be especially time consuming, because you have to be able to explain and discuss the covered concepts and theories and learn things by heart.

Read more on Teaching and working methods

Student job

Most programmes are quite flexible in terms of combining studies with a student job. Most students work a maximum of 15 hours a week in order to have sufficient time for their studies.

Studying in Denmark - for internationals

If this is your first time studying in Denmark, you may find teaching and exam formats, the grading scale and the academic calendar very different from what you are used to.

Read about everything you need to know as an international student studying at CBS on International students

In need of special support?

Do you have a disability such as dyslexia, anxiety, autism, ADHD, long-term effects of concussion or another physical, psychological or neurological disability?

Then you have the opportunity to apply for Special Educational Support (SPS) and special conditions while studying.

This ensures you can study on equal terms with your fellow students.

Entry requirements

You are qualified for admission to the study programme if you fulfil the following requirements.
Please note that fulfilling the requirements does not guarantee you a study place.

1. Bachelor degree

You must have a bachelor degree before study start.

2. Language requirement

You must fulfil the language requirement before the application deadline.

3. Academic requirements

You must fulfil the academic requirements before study start.

1. Bachelor degree

You must hold a bachelor degree to fulfil the general requirement for admission to CBS’ master programmes. You must have completed your bachelor degree before study start.

Legal claim

No applicants have a legal right of admission to this programme as it is not the natural progression for any bachelor degree.

Have you not yet completed your bachelor degree?

You can apply for admission even if you have not yet completed your bachelor’s degree. However, you must finish it before study start. If you are offered a place, you will be conditionally admitted, which means:

You must complete your bachelor’s degree before you can begin your studies at CBS.
You must upload your bachelor diploma and transcript no later than 31 August.

2. Language requirement

English level A Danish upper secondary exam Other upper secondary exams Language tests CBS bachelor degree

Find your country

Only the exact qualifications listed below fulfil the English A language requirement.

In your application you must upload the exact documentation described below, as proof that your upper secondary qualifications fulfil the language requirement.

If you do not have one of the upper secondary qualifications below, you will need to take a language test.

Austria

Required courses and levels

Minimum total sum of 11 weekly lessons over years 10, 11 and 12 and Erste lebende Fremdsprache and Wahlpflichtgegenstände in English language. Subjects that are taught in English even as Wahlpflichtgegenstände do not count.

Required documentation

Reifeprüfung diploma certificate including Stundentafel covering (min.) 4 years of the Oberstufe OR

Reife- und Diplomprüfung diploma certificate including Stundentafel covering (min.) 5 years of the Oberstufe.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Required courses and levels

English A1, higher level
English A2, higher level
English B, higher level
English A1, standard level
English A2, standard level
English A Language and Literature, higher level
English A Language and Literature, standard level
English A Literature, higher level
English A Literature, standard level

Required documentation

Official IB transcript issued by IBO. Alternatively, you can give CBS access to your results via IBO.org.

L or LK or Leistungskurs
P or Profilfach
K or Kernfach*
eA or erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau
E and designated as erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau in the certificate legend
HF or Hauptfach
PF or Profilfach
Highlighted in grey and and designated as Leistungsfächer in the certificate legend

*If you have had English as a Kernfach your Abiturzeugnis needs to state that this means you have had English at either erhöhtes Anforderungsniveau or as Leistungskurs.

For applicants with a Waldorfschule/Rudolf Steiner Schule Abitur or Deutsche Internationale Abitur/prüfung (DIA/DIAP) please contact graduateadmission@cbs.dk for more information.

Required documentation

All pages of your Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife (Abiturzeugnis): cover, diploma and report card for all 4 half-years showing the Qualifikationsphase as well as the Abiturprüfung

Iceland

Required qualifications

For upper secondary studies completed according to the 2008 reform:
Minimum 25 Fein (new credits) obtained in English; of these, minimum 15 Fein must be at Þrep (qualification level) 3 or higher

For upper secondary studies completed according to the 1999 reform:

Minimum 18 einingar (old credits) obtained in English; minimum one English subject must be at level 6 or higher (e.g. ENS 603)

Required documentation

Required documentation

National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) levels 1 and 2 and 3

Norway

Required documentation

High School Diploma as well as High School Grade transcript (covering all four years’ worth of subjects and grades) taken in the US.

The following upper secondary qualifications do not fulfil English level A

The highest upper secondary level of English from the following countries does not fulfil English level A. If your upper secondary education is from one of the countries listed below, you will need to take a language test:

Belgium
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Estonia
Finland
France
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
All non-EU countries other than Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Singapore, South Africa and the US

Language tests

If you need to take a language test for master programmes, your scores must be available to CBS Admissions by the application deadline at the latest.

Make sure you register for your English language test well before the deadline. It can take up to three weeks from the test date before CBS receives your results. We therefore recommend that you book your test as early as possible.

If you have already taken an IELTS or TOEFL test, remember to check the test date. The test date – not to be confused with the date your test results were issued – must be less than two years old by the application deadline. If it is older than that, we cannot accept the result.

TOEFL

TOEFL iBT/iBT Home Edition

The TOEFL iBT/ iBT Home Edition taken on or after 21 January 2026 must be passed with both

a minimum overall score of at least 5 and
a minimum score of 4.5 in each of the four different sections

For the 2026 admission round, we accept an overall score of 94 (old scale) and 4.5 (new scale) in 2026. Both of these results must be present on the certificate. The subscores must still be a minimum of 4.5 in each of the four sections.

The TOEFL iBT/ iBT Home Edition taken before 21 January 2026 must be passed with both

a minimum overall score of at least 94 and
a minimum score of 20 in each of the four different sections

MyBest scores are not accepted.

Read more about the TOEFL and how to register on ETS.org

Documentation

Your TOEFL scores will be verified in the TOEFL database. You must list Copenhagen Business School as one of your score recipients when you sign up for the TOEFL test, or order a score sheet for Copenhagen Business School if you have already taken the test.

The TOEFL institution code for CBS is 7035.

You must upload either your digital copy, or a scan of your hard copy, TOEFL score sheet to the Application Portal.

Have you already passed a test?

Remember to check that your test date is no older than two years by the application deadline.

Be aware that it is your test date and not the date your test results were issued. If your test date is more than two years old by the application deadline, your test will not be accepted.

IELTS

IELTS Academic test

An IELTS academic test result of at least 7.0 with minimum 6.0 in each discipline is required.

IELTS tests that are more than two years old by the application deadline are not accepted

IELTS Online is accepted.

IELTS One Skill Retake scores are not accepted.

Required documentation

Your IELTS results will be verified in the IELTS database. Please instruct your test centre to make your results available to Copenhagen Business School, either when you book your IELTS test or after the test date.

You must also upload a scan of your IELTS test report form to the Application Portal. If you have not received the physical test report form, you can upload a document with the "Test Report Form Number" (TRF Number) so we can verify your scores.

Have you already passed a test?

Cambridge

The following Cambridge exams/certificates fulfil the English A language requirement.

Cambridge C2 Proficiency (Certificate of Proficiency in English) passed with minimum C.

Read more about the CPE and how to register.
Cambridge C1 Advanced (Certificate of Advanced English) passed with minimum C and an overall score of minimum 185.

Read more about the CAE and how to register.

Documentation

In order for us to verify your results, you need to do the following:

Sign up and share your results with Copenhagen Business School via the Candidate Results Website. Your Cambridge results are only valid if we can check them on their website.
Upload your Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) or Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) Statement of Results and/or Certificate in the application portal

The Certificate of Proficiency in English and Certificate of Advanced English have no expiration date and are valid for life.

3. Academic requirements

We assess your educational background to confirm whether your bachelor degree qualifies you for the programme and whether you fulfill the academic requirements.

The academic requirements are a min. sum total of 30 ECTS across one or more of the following areas:

Organisation (incl. organisational learning and networks; organisational change; organisational structure and design; organisational theory; organisational behaviour)
Management (incl. human resource management; leadership; public management; intercultural management; change management; knowledge management)
Strategy (incl. corporate strategy; strategic management; state strategies; private/public partnerships)
Innovation and entrepreneurship (incl. user innovation; dynamics of creativity; firm formation; social entrepreneurship)
Social science methodology (incl. philosophy of science, research design, applied methods, qualitative methods or quantitative methods)
Media, communication and design (incl. organisational communication; communication design; design management; visual communication; aesthetics; media management; design concepts)

Applicants to Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship with a background within Design and/or Architecture
The Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship programme is offered by both the Royal Danish Academy and CBS.

Applicants with a Business Studies background should apply through CBS. Applicants with a Design / Architecture background (or similar) may find it more relevant to their profile to apply through the Royal Danish Academy.

You can read more about the Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship programme offered by the Royal Danish Academy on their website.

Check if you fulfil the academic requirements

Advance assessment CBS Denmark

Qualifying bachelor degrees

If you have one of the following bachelor degrees, you fulfil the academic requirements for 2026:

DMJX - Professional bachelor degree in Media Production and Management
Enrolled all years fulfils the academic requirements

DMJX - Professional bachelor in Communication
Enrolled all years fulfils the academic requirements

Professional bachelor degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (regardless of institution)
Enrolled all years fulfils the academic requirements

Non-Qualifying Bachelors Degrees

Your obligatory courses do not fulfil the academic requirements and it is unlikely that elective courses and/or taking supplementary courses will help you to fulfil the requirements in full.

PBA in Digital Concept Development (regardless of institution)
Enrolled all years is missing:

20 ECTS-points in one or more of the following academic areas: Organisation; Management; Strategy; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Social Science Methodology; Media, Communication and Design

PBA in Leisure Management (regardless of institution)
Enrolled all years is missing:

30 ECTS-points in one or more of the following academic areas: Organisation; Management; Strategy; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Social Science Methodology; Media, Communication and Design

PBA in International Hospitality Management (regardless of institution)
Enrolled all years is missing:

30 ECTS-points in one or more of the following academic areas: Organisation; Management; Strategy; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Social Science Methodology; Media, Communication and Design

PBA in Design and Business (regardless of profile and regardless of institution)
Enrolled all years is missing:

30 ECTS-points in one or more of the following academic areas: Organisation; Management; Strategy; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Social Science Methodology; Media, Communication and Design

Make a self-assessment

What is a self-assessment?

If there is no advance assessment available for your bachelor’s degree, you can make a so-called self-assessment of your educational background.

If there is an advance assessment of your bachelor degree showing that you are missing certain academic areas to fulfil the academic requirements, you can also use the self-assessment to show how you fulfil the missing academic areas.

Your self-assessment is not binding for us, but it can help you prepare your application and give us a better overview of your educational background.

How to make a self-assessment

Start by listing all the undergraduate courses you have taken, or are going to take, as part of your bachelor's degree or in addition to it, and compare them to the programme's academic requirements.

Read your course titles and descriptions carefully. Try to categorise the courses according to the master programme’s academic requirements.

To get an idea of how we assess each course category, you can use the course catalogue to see how we have categorised different CBS elective courses or CBS Summer University courses within each category.

CBS elective courses
CBS Summer University

Use the self-assessment form

We have created a form you can use for your self-assessment. The form is a tool to help you match your courses with the academic entry requirements for the programme and see to what extent you fulfil them.

Remember to include

Courses you have already passed
Courses you are currently taking
Courses you expect to pass (e.g. supplementary courses at summer university)

Download the form here and save it on your computer.

Chance of admission

More applicants than places

This programme has a limited number of study places.

If there are more qualified applicants than available places, we will select the best qualified applicants. The selection is based on an overall assessment of the applicants’ educational background at bachelor’s level.

Selection criteria

In the selection of qualified applicants, we look at

Relevance of educational background at undergraduate level, including general grade level and course content
Coverage of all academic areas of the academic entry requirements
Personal statement
Analytical skills and experience with social science methodology
Academic problem-oriented project work

Personal statement

The personal statement is your opportunity to describe yourself in relation to the master programme you are applying for.

You can, for example, describe:

Your experience from work, studies, leisure activities or similar
How your experience relates to the programme
How the programme relates to your future career ambitions

Requirements for the personal statement

Maximum 2 A4 pages
Minimum font size 11
In English

Connection to the Danish Labour Market

Your connection to the Danish labour market will be taken into consideration as part of the selection process. In your application, you will be asked to write a paragraph of no more than 500 characters (including spaces), describing your current circumstances and reflecting on your future career opportunities in Denmark.

Apply for admission

Read more about the application process, documentation and application deadlines

Admission and application

See you in February 2027

Are you considering a master programme at CBS? Then come to our next Open Day and learn more about your options.

Master events

See upcoming events that can help you with your study choice and admission:

Event

Open day for master programmes 2027

Date:

4 February 2027

Location:

Solbjerg Plads 3, 2000 Frederiksberg

Are you considering a master programme at CBS? Come visit us for Open Day and hear what your options are. Here you can meet students and staff, pose your…

View event

Admission in numbers

Study places

Applicants - 1st priority

223

Foreign students

76%

Gender distribution – men / women

10% / 90%

Average age

25.3 years

Career

Competencies

The MSc in Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship prepares you for careers in management, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Graduates are well-suited for organisations where the fusion of business and design creates a competitive edge. It can be as design and management consultancies or in technology, engineering, and service companies. Also, you can help public institutions that seek to improve their organisation, the user experience or the customer engagement.

The programme gives you the ability to identify and realise the strategic and economic value of design in business, and the skills to launch and grow your own venture.

The joint programme degree

Depending on whether you are a CBS Student or a Royal Academy student, you will obtain the following degree:

CBS students: MSc in Social Science – Organisational Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

Royal Academy students: cand.arch / Master of Arts in Architecture - Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship or cand.des. / Master of Arts in Design - Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

Competence profile

In the competence profile you can read more about the purpose of the programme and the competencies you achieve in the programme:

See the competence profile for MSSc SDE

What do you learn on MSSc SDE?

Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication

The ability to work effectively across business, design, and architecture, translating ideas between different professional domains and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.

Innovation and entrepreneurial problem-solving

Skills in identifying opportunities, developing new concepts, and creating sustainable business models and solutions for real-world challenges.

Strategic and business competencies

A solid foundation in entrepreneurial finance, accounting, legal strategy, and design management, enabling graduates to connect creative processes with business strategy and organisational value creation.

Graduates work in various industries such as:

Design and management consulting – helping companies innovate and integrate design into their strategy
Technology and engineering – especially in companies with a focus on design-driven solutions
Architecture, design, and construction – combining creative processes with business development
Service industries – improving customer experience, service design, and organisational processes
Healthcare and life sciences – applying innovation and design methods to patient care, products, and services

Typical job tasks for a graduate:

Innovation management
Business development
Service and experience design
Strategic consulting
Entrepreneurship
Project management
Sustainability and change management

Apply for admission

Read more about the application process, documentation and application deadlines

Admission and application

More about MSSc in Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

About the programme

Understand what the programme is all about and why it may be the right one for you.

Structure

See the programme structure and your options along the way to shape your own academic profile and the highlighted aspects.

Study environment

Meet the students and learn more about the teaching and exams.

Entry requirements

Check the entry requirements for the programme and your chance of admission.

Career

See the skills and the type of job you will get.

Other master programmes

Curious about similar study programmes? You may find other study programmes that also match your interests and dreams for your career.

About MSSc in Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship

Why study MSSc SDE?

In­terest in work­ing across dis­cip­lines

Curi­os­ity for in­nov­a­tion and entrepreneur­ship

Pas­sion for design, sustain­ability, and busi­ness de­vel­op­ment

Joint master programme

Different sets of skills

Cross disciplinary opportunities

New perspectives on value creation

See you in Feb­ru­ary 2027

Mas­ter events

Open day for mas­ter pro­grammes 2027

Structure

Organisation and management

Innovation and entrepreneurship

3 things to con­sider

In­ter­dis­cip­lin­ary col­lab­or­a­tion

Bal­ance of hard and soft skills

Hands-on, high-en­gage­ment learn­ing

Pro­gramme over­view

1st semester

Entrepreneur­ship The­ory and Fin­ance

Re­search Meth­ods

Col­lab­or­at­ive Design Pro­cesses

2nd semester

Stra­tegic Design, Law and Eth­ics

Man­age­ment Ac­count­ing for Design and In­nov­a­tion

Stra­tegic Design and Con­sult­ing

3rd semester

Elect­ives / In­tern­ship / Ex­change

4th semester

Mas­ter's Thes­is

More about the pro­gramme pro­gres­sion

Two sets of culture - one shared responsibility

Entrepreneurial activities

Studying in English

Op­tions dur­ing the pro­gramme

Elect­ives

Minor

Ex­change

In­tern­ship

Mas­ter's thes­is

See you in Feb­ru­ary 2027

Study environment

Student life at CBS

For internationals

Meet the students

Emilie

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?

What do I like the best?

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?

What are the biggest challenges in my programme?

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…

Pedro

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?

What do I like the best?

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?

What are the biggest challenges in my study programme?

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…

Stu­dent life at CBS

Teach­ing and ex­ams

Teaching

Student job

Exams

Time con­sump­tion

Workload

Hectic around exams

Student job

Studying in Denmark - for internationals

In need of spe­cial sup­port?

For in­ter­na­tion­als

Entry requirements

Entry re­quire­ments

1. Bach­el­or de­gree

2. Lan­guage re­quire­ment

3. Aca­dem­ic re­quire­ments

Interest in working across disciplines

Curiosity for innovation and entrepreneurship

Passion for design, sustainability, and business development

See you in February 2027

Master events

Open day for master programmes 2027

3 things to consider

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Balance of hard and soft skills

Hands-on, high-engagement learning

Programme overview

Entrepreneurship Theory and Finance

Research Methods

Collaborative Design Processes

Strategic Design, Law and Ethics

Management Accounting for Design and Innovation

Strategic Design and Consulting

Electives / Internship / Exchange

Master's Thesis

More about the programme progression

Options during the programme

Electives

Exchange

Internship

Master's thesis

See you in February 2027

Student life at CBS

Teaching and exams

Time consumption

In need of special support?

For internationals

Entry requirements

1. Bachelor degree

2. Language requirement

3. Academic requirements

1. Bachelor degree

2. Language requirement

Find your country

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European Baccalaureate (EB)

Australia

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England, Wales, Northern Ireland

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Norway

Scotland

Singapore

The following upper secondary qualifications do not fulfil English level A