Entry requirements

Required international school leaving exams
On the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science  website you can find out what is required from your country to fulfil the general entry requirement of an upper secondary leaving exam.

The Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science is the national agency under the Danish Ministry of Education, which supports the internationalisation of education and training in Denmark and provides information about education in Denmark. You can see an overview of various countries and an assessment of the educational levels (including grade conversions to the Danish scale) here. Please note that this is available in Danish only.

Danish school leaving exams
Please follow this link to see an overview of the accepted Danish school leaving exams: Bacheloroptag: Adgangskrav

Applicants with an upper secondary exam from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland
This section is for those with an upper secondary school exam that has been done outside of the EU, EEA and Switzerland and for those with certain EU upper secondary exams (where we cannot convert your GPA to the Danish grading system)

An overall assessment is made for each application based on the following criteria:

• Your educational background and grades: we look at both your grades overall plus the grades for the specific entry requirements (in the context of the grading scale for your country)
• Relevant extra-curricular activities: periods abroad, work experience, further education etc. Read more under ‘Extra-curricular activities in Quota 2’ here
• Motivational essay: you should write a motivational essay for each of the programmes in your application. Read more about ’Motivational Essay’ here for inspiration on the content

You may have to translate your documents
If you have documents that are not in English, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, French, Spanish or German, then you must upload a translation as well as a scan of the originals. Documents that are not in one of the above languages will not be assessed as part of your application.

Applicants without a formal upper secondary exam (dispensees)
This section is for those who have not completed a full upper secondary exam.

Your application will be processed as a dispensee if one of the following applies to you:

• You have not completed an upper secondary school exam, but are able to apply on the basis of other relevant experience and education.
• You have an IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme)
• You have completed an upper secondary school exam that is not equivalent to a Danish upper secondary exam, e.g. you have received a Waldorf education (Rudolf Steiner School).

Dispensee applications are processed in the Quota 2 selection and must adhere to the rules and deadlines for Quota 2. Please be aware that very few places at CBS are allocated to dispensee applicants and the selection process can be very tough. For this reason, we strongly advise all dispensee applicants to upload a Motivational Essay for all of their applications to CBS (regardless of programme).

You must be able to document that you have passed the following as a minimum for all bachelor degree programmes for which you wish to apply:

• The specific entry requirements
• 2-3 extra subjects at upper secondary school level (A, B or C) so that overall you have passed exams in at least 6 subjects at upper secondary school level. The 6 subjects altogether are being used as alternative fulfilment of the general entry requirement.

An overall assessment is made for each dispensee application. An overall assessment includes:

• Your educational background: you must fulfil the entry requirements for the relevant programme(s) as given in Entry Requirements
• Relevant extra-curricular activities: periods abroad, work experience, further education etc. Read more about in Quota 2 here.
• Motivational essay: Please see the section ’Motivational Essay’ here for inspiration on the content. You should write a motivational essay for each programme in your application.

You may have to translate your documents
If you have documents that are not in English, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, French, Spanish or German, then you must upload a translation as well as a scan of the originals. Documents that are not in one of the above languages will not be assessed as part of your application.

Check this table of specific entry requirements

International applicant? You can see the international equivalents of the specific entry requirements in our tables of comparisons here.

BACHELOR PROGRAMME	SPECIFIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
BSc in Business Administration and Digital Management	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A. Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in International Business	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A.  Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in International Shipping and Trade	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A. Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in International Business and Politics	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A.  Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in Business Administration and Service Management	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A. Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in Business Administration and Sociology	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A.  Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in Business, Language and Culture with French German Spanish	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B French: French at Intermediate level B with minimum 6.0 OR Beginner’s level A with minimum 6.0 German: German at Intermediate level B with minimum 6.0 OR Beginner’s level A with minimum 6.0 Spanish: Spanish at Beginner’s level A with minimum 6.0   Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A.  Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.
BSc in International Business in Asia - Japanese	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B* Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B *from the admission year 2025 a min. grade of 4.0 (on the Danish grading scale) in Mathematics B is required Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A.  Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.   Japanese language level: You do not need to have any prior knowledge of Japanese to apply for the programme. If you are accepted to the programme without any prior knowledge of Japanese, you will follow the full 4-year programme (240 ECTS-points). Applicants accepted who have Japanese A with minimum grade 10.0 will automatically be exempt from the course “Japanese Propaedeutics A” (15 ECTS-points) and contacted in August regarding a language level verification test. The level verification test will determine whether you can be exempt from further language courses up to a maximum of 60 ECTS-points. This will be done on a case by case basis with a view to an individual study scenario. Applicants accepted who have documented one of the Japanese language qualifications listed under 'Japanese' (at the bottom of this page) will be contacted in August regarding a language level verification test. The level verification test determines the amount of any possible exemptions from Japanese language courses during the programme. Only applicants who have uploaded documentation for the Japanese language qualifications approved by Admissions and who have been offered a study place will be contacted in August.
BSc in International Business in Asia - Chinese	English level B with the Danish grade level of at least 6.0 Mathematics level B* Social Studies level B OR International Economics level B OR History of Ideas level B OR Contemporary History level B *from the admission year 2025 a min. grade of 4.0 (on the Danish grading scale) in Mathematics B is required Note: To qualify for an English taught bachelor programme, you also need to meet the language requirement. This means that you need to fulfil English level A.  Read more on how to fulfil this at the bottom of the page.   Chinese language level: You do not need to have any prior knowledge of Chinese to apply for the programme. If you are accepted to the programme without any prior knowledge of Chinese, you will follow the full 4-year programme (240 ECTS-points). Applicants accepted who have Chinese A with minimum grade 10.0 will automatically be exempt from the course “Chinese Propaedeutics A” (15 ECTS-points) and contacted in August regarding a language level verification test. The level verification test will determine whether you can be exempt from further language courses up to a maximum of 60 ECTS-points. This will be done on a case by case basis with a view to an individual study scenario.  Applicants accepted who have documented one of the Chinese language qualifications listed under 'Chinese' (at the bottom of this page)  will be contacted in August regarding a language level verification test. The level verification test determines the amount of any possible exemptions from Chinese language courses during the programme. Only applicants who have uploaded documentation for the Chinese language qualifications approved by Admissions and who have been offered a study place will be contacted in August.

English level B with Danish grade level 6.0

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of English B during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here

• Cambridge C2 Proficiency (Certificate of Proficiency in English) passed with min. C, corresponding to a score of minimum 200: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. Read more about the CPE and how to register. 
   
• Cambridge C1 Advanced (Certificate of Advanced English) passed with min. C AND a score of minimum 185: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. Read more about the CAE and how to register here.
   
• If you have passed one of the accepted language courses in your country with the grade equivalent to the Danish grade level of 6.0, you fulfil English B. For some countries you can learn which international language courses are accepted by CBS as well as the equivalent grades. Read more under our section for international applicants (“Find your country”)
  
   
• A passed school leaving certificate showing fully completed national upper secondary school education taken in English and in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK or USA. (If you have taken an upper secondary school exam that is taught in English and accredited by an English-speaking country, but has been physically taken in a non-English speaking country, you do not automatically fulfil the English language requirement and you will need to take a test such as the TOEFL or IELTS.)
   
• A passed bachelor degree that has been fully taught in English and taken in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UK or USA.
   
• Supplementary course in English B (Gymnasial supplering or HF enkeltfag) with grade level at least 6.0. Further information can be found under ‘Engelsk B’ on the Danish-language version of this website: Specifikke adgangskrav.

• You need to upload documentation that you fulfil minimum 210 hours of English as part of your upper secondary school and have passed with a final exam with grades that are higher than the minimum passing grade. You also need to document that you have covered the following topics: Understanding, as well as conversing and writing fluently and accurately in English in terms of grammar, spelling and punctuation; have vocabulary that enables you to engage in conversations and discussions pertaining to general, but also specific subjects e.g., cultural, or societal topics in the UK, USA, and other English-speaking countries

Mathematics level B

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of Mathematics during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here

You can take a Mathematics level B and A course as a GSK course/ HF enkeltfag in Denmark. These courses are only offered in Danish. 

You might be able to find courses that cover Mathematics level B online or on a campus. This could be AS-level Mathematics (UK educational model) with at least an E grade for the 2,0 requirement and C for the 6,0 requirement (from 2010 onwards). Or the Dutch VWO A, B, C or D with at least a passing mark/grade of 6 for the 2,0 requirement and 7 for the 6,0 requirement.

CBS does not offer any Mathematics courses to fulfil the entry requirements. 

If you believe that you have taken and passed courses that equate to Mathematics level B, you must upload documentation and course descriptions that show the Mathematics that you have taken to match the following:

A minimum of 250 full teaching hours (of 60 minutes per hour) with an exam passed at upper secondary school level or above. The curriculum must contain the following topics:

• Statistics and probability theory
• Functions and equations
• Circular functions and trigonometry
• Matrices
• Vectors
• Calculus
• Algebra
• Use of IT-tools and mathematical programmes when solving mathematical problems

You may send official documentation (e.g. signed and stamped CBS verification form - we do not assess links, unofficial documentation etc.) of the above for an individual course assessment to bacheloradmission@cbs.dk between 01 December and 01 January. You will receive an answer no later than 01 February. We cannot guarantee that we can pre-assess documents sent after 01 January. 

Social Studies/History level B

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of Social Studies/ History during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here 

Supplementary courses in Social Studies / History level B in Denmark are currently only taught in Danish. For information, please see under ‘Samfundsfag/Historie B’ on the Danish-language version of this website.

If you believe that you have taken and passed courses that equate Social Studies / History level B, you must upload documentation and course descriptions that show the Social Studies / History that you have taken to match the following:

A minimum of 200 full teaching hours (of 60 minutes per hour) with an exam passed at upper secondary school level or above.

The curriculum must contain the following subject matters:

• History
• Social studies
• Sociology
• Politics
• Economics
• Globalization
• Ideology
• Philosophy
• Technological advances
• Quantitative and qualitative methodology
• Cultural studies

You may send official documentation (e.g. signed and stamped CBS verification form - we do not assess links, unofficial documentation etc.) of the above for an individual course assessment to bacheloradmission@cbs.dk between 01 December and 01 January. You will receive an answer no later than 01 February. We cannot guarantee that we can pre-assess documents sent after 01 January. 

French

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of French during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here

• Single course in French 'further level' B or 'beginner level' A (Gymnasial supplering or HF enkeltfag): Further information can be found under ‘Fransk’ on the Danish-language version of this website.
   
• DELF B1 - Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française B1 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DELF, please refer to: DELF B1
   
• DELF B2 - Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française B2 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DELF, please refer to: DELF B2
   
• DALF C1 - Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française C1 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DALF, please refer to: DALF C1
   
• DALF C2 - Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française C2 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DALF, please refer to: DALF C2

German

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of German during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here 
 

• Single course in German 'further level' B or 'beginner level' A (Gymnasial supplering or HF enkeltfag): Further information can be found under ‘Tysk’ on the Danish-language version of this website.
   
• Goethe-Zertifikat B1 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the Goethe-Zertifikat B1, please read more here. 
   
• Goethe-Zertifikat B2 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the Goethe-Zertifikat B2 please read more here.
   
• Goethe-Zertifikat C1 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the Goethe-Zertifikat C1, please read more here.
   
• Goethe-Zertifikat C2 – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the Goethe-Zertifikat C2, please read more here.
• Deutsche Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz – zweite Stufe (DSD II) – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about DSD II, please read more here.

Spanish

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of Spanish during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here

• Single course in Spanish A (Gymnasial supplering or HF enkeltfag): Further information can be found under ‘Spansk’ on the Danish-language version of this website.
   
• Diploma de Español Nivel B1 (Umbral) – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DELE B1, please read more here.
   
• Diploma de Español Nivel B2 (Avanzado) – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DELE B2, please read more here.
   
• Diploma de Español Nivel C1 (Dominio Operativo Eficaz) – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DELE C1, please read more here.
   

• Diploma de Español Nivel C2 (Maestría) – passed: Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. For information about the DELE C2 please read more here.

Chinese

You do not need to have any prior knowledge of Chinese to apply for the programme. If you are accepted to the programme without any prior knowledge of Chinese, you will follow the full 4-year programme (240 ECTS-points).

Please note that it is NOT possible to supplement with alternative fulfilment of Chinese during the summer. All required documentation must be uploaded to Optagelse.dk. You can check the deadline for uploading here.

• Upper secondary school education taught in Chinese from a Chinese-speaking country.
   
• Single course in Chinese A (Gymnasial supplering or HF enkeltfag): Further information can be found under ‘Kinesisk’ on the Danish-language version of this website. 
   
• 45 ECTS-points in Chinese language courses at undergraduate level.
   

Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - we accept the following test for Chinese A. You need to upload your official certificate to www.optagelse.dk before the deadline of the 5th of July 12:00 noon, CET. Please note we do not accept tests that are more than two years old by the 5 July deadline:

• Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - "HSK" level III – passed.
   
• Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - "HSK" level IV – passed.
   
• Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - "HSK" level V – passed.
   
• Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - "HSK" level VI – passed.

Japanese

• Upper secondary school education taught in Japanese from a Japanese-speaking country.
   

• Single course in Japanese A (Gymnasial supplering or HF enkeltfag): Further information can be found under ‘Japansk’ on the Danish-language version of this website.
   
• 45 ECTS-points in Japanese language courses at undergraduate level.

 

Japanese Language Proficiency Test - we accept the following test for Japanese A. You need to upload your official certificate to www.optagelse.dk before the deadline of the 5th of July 12:00 noon, CET. Please note we do not accept tests that are more than two years old by the 5 July deadline (For information about the JLPT, please read more here):

• Japanese Language Proficiency Test - N4 passed. Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. 
   
• Japanese Language Proficiency Test - N3 passed. Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. 
   
• Japanese Language Proficiency Test - N2 passed. Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. 
   
• Japanese Language Proficiency Test - N1 passed. Please upload your exam certificate to your application at Optagelse.dk before the given deadline. 

Language requirement for English taught bachelor programmes: English level A