Master’s programmes and career options

A small number of students choose to apply for a job immediately after having completed their bachelor studies. Having obtained a bachelor degree, you will usually be employed as a trainee or assistant within the areas you have studied in your programme - at least to begin with.

Most students choose to study a two-year master’s programme after their bachelor, studying five years in total. Each bachelor programme there is a certain master’s programme in which the student is guaranteed a study place. You can read more about this below under The natural progression after the bachelor programme

Opportunities after a master’s programme
Compared to the bachelor programme, the master’s programme will to a far greater extent decide which career opportunities you will have. A master’s programme ensures more and greater job opportunities often with greater responsibilities. However, it is important to add that you will always get a job based on your total profile, i.e. both your bachelor and master’s degree, work experience in addition to other academic and personal competences.

Since the master’s degree plays a significant role for your career opportunities, we suggest that you read about career under each master’s programme you are interested in. Please note that usually no tight couplings exist between a certain programme and specific jobs and job titles. Most jobs can be occupied by people with different educational backgrounds.

From bachelor to master’s

Differences between bachelor and master’s programmes
A bachelor programme includes many academic disciplines and usually offers a broad introduction to the fields you have chosen to study. In a master’s programme, you specialise within one or more of the disciplines you have worked with during your bachelor studies. It is therefore during your master’s that you form a more individual, academic profile.

In most of CBS’ master’s programmes, the four semesters are structured in the following way:

• First and second semester: Mandatory courses
• Third semester: Electives - and the opportunity to take the electives abroad on exchange
• Fourth semester: Master’s thesis, which is a comprehensive, final paper on a topic of your own choice.

Consequently, there are plenty of opportunities to point your master’s in the direction of your particular interests.
 
Choice of bachelor and master’s programme
Right now it can be difficult to decide on a master’s programme. It is important to remember that it is possible to enrol in different master’s programmes or specialisations - and that you to a great extent can form your master’s yourself. You can therefore safely choose the bachelor programme which interests you the most knowing that you later on will get the opportunity to concentrate on the area you want to work with afterwards.

A bachelor programme takes three years, and it can be three very long years whose full potential you will not even benefit from if you choose to study a programme of no interest to you. It is a good idea to already now get an overview of possible master’s programmes - but you have to follow your heart and not only focus on the master’s programme when you choose a bachelor programme.

The natural progression after the bachelor programme

All bachelor programmes have a so-called natural progression at CBS. This is the master’s programme which academically builds upon your bachelor studies, and to which you have have a legal claim. Legal claim means that you have the right to be admitted to the master’s programme after completing you bachelor degree if you apply within 3 years.

You also have the option to study other master's programmes than your natural progression both at CBS and other universities. However, you will need to fulfil different entry requirements depending on which master's programme you want to study and you are not guaranteed admission.  

You can see the natural master’s programmes for those who will be enrolled in a bachelor programme in 2024 here:

PLEASE NOTE:

• CBS continues to develop its programme portfolio, which means that changes can be made in the natural progressions.
• CBS offers a vast number of master’s programmes in addition to those mentioned above. You can find information on all master’s programmes under Graduate