Study start
What is it like being a new master student at CBS? Read more about our intro days, the Danish Student Grant, housing, and all the other things you would like to know before starting your studies at CBS.
Intro days in week 35
Curious about your study start?
When you begin a master programme, you are no longer all new to the university world. You have already been through the name games during the intro days, you have probably sweated through the exams for your bachelor degree, and you know that the amount of reading can be overwhelming.
But in spite of your experience, we still believe you can benefit from a great intro. Maybe you have studied at another university and are curious about what studying at CBS is like? Or maybe you have already taken your bachelor degree here, but are wondering what is required for a master programme?
No matter what, we will do our best to welcome you properly and prepare you for your time at the master programme when you show up for your study start at CBS.
Mark your calendar 26-28 August
As a new master student at CBS, you are invited to join introductory activities from 26–28 August to help ensure a great start to your studies. Wednesday has a joint program for all new master students, where you will meet students from your own program and across the studies.
The introductory activities are not mandatory, but it is a good opportunity to get to know your fellow students and teachers. You will also receive a professional introduction to your programme and will thus be better prepared for when everyday life starts. We therefore recommend that you participate, regardless of whether you are new to CBS or have studied here before.
From 1 July, you can read more and find dates and programme for your introductory activities at the student intranet my.cbs.dk.
Note: you may need to register in advance.
How your study start might look
Read more about intro at your programme
Log in with your CBS user profile.
Things you might need to apply for
Student Grants (SU) - apply from 12 June
If you are a foreign citizen, you must meet special conditions and follow a special application process to receive the Danish Student Grants (SU).
If you are eligible for SU, You must apply for Student Grants (SU). This applies regardless of whether you continue your studies directly after your bachelor degree or not, and regardless of which master programme you are starting.
You apply for SU via MinSU at www.su.dk
When to apply?
- If you start a master programme directly after your bachelor program, you can apply for SU from 12 June - however, no earlier than two days after you have said "yes" to your study place at CBS. Note: If you are going to retake the exam in August, you can apply for SU from 1 July, and you must apply no later than 31 July to receive SU for July.
- If you do not start a master programme directly after your bachelor degree, you can apply for SU at the earliest one month before you can receive SU. This means that you can apply for SU at the earliest from 1 August and can receive SU from September.
- Winter admission: If you are admitted to a programme starting on 1 February, you can apply for SU no earlier than 1 January.
- Read more at my.cbs.dk > Student life > SU > Apply for SU - foreign citizen (requires a CBS login) or at www.su.dk
- Note: the processing time is up to 3 months.
Housing
It can be difficult to find a place to live in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, CBS cannot provide accommodation for students.
If you are looking for housing in Copenhagen, you can find more information and register for residence halls, rental and youth apartments here:
- Kollegiernes Kontor i København
- Bolig og flytning - Studieby København (in Danish)
- Student Housing - The City of Copenhagen website
- Other tings you can do yourself:
- Make use of your network: maybe you know someone who lives in Copenhagen or Denmark who can help you. So try reaching out in your network
- Use Facebook: here you can join groups where private people seek tenants for a room or an apartment.
-
Apply for student housing: Many students live in single rooms with shared common rooms, known as a "kollegie". There are numerous kollegier, youth apartments and other student housing in Copenhagen.
- Look for housing outside central Copenhagen: it is often easier to find housing outside central Copenhagen. You can easily get to the various CBS campuses by public transport from most places - if it is not within biking distance.
Private housing
You can also find many private residence halls in Copenhagen. The easiest way to find them is to google: “kollegium København” or “residence hall Copenhagen”
There are also numerous housing websites, where you can get in contact with people who are renting out rooms or apartments. However, you need to be aware when searching for a place to live, as there are many scammers.
Beware of scam!
You should always watch out when you are looking for accommodation. There are many scammers who will try to rent a room or apartment to you which they do not own or which does not exist.
The police offers good advice on how to make yourself more secure in your hunt for housing and avoid scam.
Make sure to:
- check that the person in fact owns the room or apartment in question
- make any payments to a Danish bank account – if possible
- always use your common sense
- never let yourself be pressured by an eager letter or landlord
You should report scams to the police. You can find more information on the police's website:
Find the police’s good advice on how to avoid scams (only in Danish)
Special support for e.g. ADHD, concussion or dyslexia
If you have an functional disability that prevents you from you from completing your programme at the same conditions as other students, you can apply for support and aids, the so-called Special Educational Support (SPS).
A functional disability can be e.g.:
- dyslexia
- a chronic disease
- a psychological or neurological illness
- a diagnosis
You can read more about SPS and how to apply on In need of special support
Credit transfer
Credit transfer
If you have previously passed courses at another study programme then you may have to apply for a credit transfer from previous education if you are admitted to a new study programme at CBS.
Note, you cannot start your credit transfer application before you have been enrolled in the new study programme.
Are you eligible for credit transfer?
We cannot in advance say anything about your chances of getting a credit transfer from previous education approved. It is up to the individual study programme to decide, once you have been admitted to CBS.
However, you can makea self-assessment by comparing course descriptions of your passed courses with course descriptions of courses on the new study programme. The more the courses are alike both in academic content and ECTS the better are your chances are of getting a credit transfer approved.
Can you finish ahead of time?
You should not expect to finish your studies ahead of time even though you might get courses credit transferred. Whether it is possible depends on how many courses you get credit transferred and which semesters the courses are offered on.
How to apply for a credit transfer:
- Click “yes” under “previously accepted on a higher education” and note your previous studies in the application portal optagelse.dk
- If you are admitted to a new study programme you will be contacted by CBS and asked to initiate your credit transfer application.
Prepare your credit transfer application
Prepare your credit transfer application by having the following documentation ready:
- You either need a diploma or a verified grade transcript documenting which courses you have passed.
- You need course descriptions describing the courses’ content, purpose and learning objectives. You also need a list of literature or syllabus and the number of ECTS or credits per course.
International student?
It can be challenging to move to another country to study. Fortunately, help is available.
We have gathered a range of information about student life for you as an international student at CBS.
Teaching and exam periods
Teaching and exam periods - autumn semester
The autumn semester runs from 1 September to 31 January, but you will not necessarily have classes and exams throughout the entire period. This depends on your courses, your timetable and your exam dates.
Exam dates for the autumn semester are published on 1 September. The specific dates for your individual exams will be published no later than one month before the exam takes place.
| Classes | Exams | Reexams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester | September - December | December - January | February |
| 1st quarter | September - mid-October | October | December - January |
| 2nd quarter | November - December | January | February - March |
Teaching and exam periods - spring semester
The spring semester runs from 1 February to 30 June, but you will not necessarily have classes and exams throughout the entire period. This depends on your courses, your timetable and your exam dates.
Exam dates for the spring semester are published on 1 February. The specific dates for your individual exams will be published no later than one month before the exam takes place.
| Classes | Exams | Reexams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester | February - May | May - June | August |
| 3rd quarter | February - March | Late March – early April | Mid-May – late May |
| 4th quarter | Mid-April – May | Late May – late June | August |
Public holidays
CBS follows the official public holidays in Denmark, during which there are no classes or exams.
- Christmas and New Year: There are no classes or exams between Christmas and New Year. However, you may have exams in early January that you need to prepare for.
- Summer break: There are no classes in July and August. However, reexams for the spring semester take place in August.
Do you have an autumn or winter break?
There is no break during the autumn holiday (week 42) or the winter holiday (weeks 7/8). There may be both classes and exams during these weeks, depending on your courses and lecturers.
| Holiday schedule: 2026/2027 | |
|---|---|
| 24 - 26 December | Christmas |
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 29-25 March | Easter |
| 6 May | Ascension Day |
| 16-17 May | Whit Sunday and Whit Monday |
| 5 June | Constitution Day |
| July - August | Summer break - retake in August |
Teaching and exams
Your personal schedule will be ready in August. You need your CBS- profile to log in.
As a new student, you are in general automatically registered for all your courses and exams for the upcoming academic year. However, there are some programs where there are optional courses in the first semester, and where you must therefore register yourself. You will be notified if this applies to you.