Study start

Before you accept your study place

Before you accept your study place at CBS, you should consider whether you are in fact ready to start studying.

Studying at a university can feel like a big change, and you will need to get used to many new things. You will meet many new people. You have to get to know a new place with all its new systems, rules and procedures. The curriculum will be a lot bigger than what you are used to from your upper secondary education, and you will have to get used to new ways of learning and working with knowledge. For many new students study start can be quite tough.

In our experience, the students who navigate study start with the greatest ease and enjoy their programme the most have considered the following beforehand:

Are you ready to study?

As a university student, you are in charge of your own education. What and how much you learn will depend on how much effort you put in. Of course, we do not expect you to master everything from day one – but we do expect you to be aware of the new challenges and put in the work to learn how to deal with them. We also expect you to take responsibility for your own learning, even when it gets tough or difficult to do so.  

How is your motivation?

Do you really want to study, or have you chosen to apply because you didn’t know what else to do? You should know that it requires a lot to study at university level, so you have to feel motivated as well as be prepared to spend many hours learning and studying.

What about housing, finances and all the other practical things?

Starting university is a big change. As such, it is best if you have a handle on your finances, your living situation and other practical matters before you start, so that you can spend all your energy getting a great start on your new programme.

Have you been accepted for a lower priority?

Have you been offered a place on a programme you just chose as a fallback option? Do you really know what that programme is about, and what you will be studying for the next three years? Some students find that their programme is really about something other than what they thought or expected. This is often because they did not spend enough time researching what it was really about beforehand.

If you have any doubts about whether a programme is right for you, you are always welcome to call a student guidance counsellor. They can help you reach some clarity on what is and is not right for you. Contact your student guidance counsellor.

Ask!

If you have question or doubts about anything – ask us.

You can find a lot of information online. But if you have any doubts, or there is something you just need to talk to someone about, you are always welcome to contact us. All kinds of questions are welcome.
CBS can be a very big, and sometimes confusing, place – we know. But there are also a lot of us ready to help you.

Contact your student guidance counsellor

Accept your study place no later than 1 August
You must accept your study place before 1 August 23:59.

If you do not accept your study place before the deadline, your place will be annulled. 

Learn more in your admission email and at cbs.dk > Answer to your application

Teaching periods and holidays

The academic year is divided into 2 semesters:

• Autumn semester: 1 September to November/December with exams in December/January
• Spring semester: 1 February to April/May with exams in May/June

In some programmes each semester is divided into 2 quarters. There are 4 quarters in a year, with exams following each quarter.

Teaching:

There is about 12-18 hours of teaching every week, which is typically take place in the daytime Monday to Friday. You will mostly use the additional time preparing individually, group work and writing assignments.

Classes can be spread out throughout the entire week or you can be off some days. It can also change from week to week depending on your programme. 

Holidays:

CBS follows the regular holidays in Denmark, and there are no classes and exams during these.  

• Christmas and New Years: There are no classes and exams between Christmas and News Years - however you may have exams in the beginning of January that you need to prepare for. 
• Summer Holidays: There are no classes and exams in July and August - however the summer retakes are held in August.

Please note: the Danish autumn holidays (week 42), winter holidays (weeks 7 and 8)  and the days before Easter are not holidays at CBS. Depending on your courses and teachers, you may have classes and/or exams. Some programmes may have less classes in those weeks as the lecturers takes some days off.

Timetable

Before each semester or quarter start, you will get a personal timetable that shows the classes in the courses that you are registered for. The timetable changes each semester and can vary from week to week.

Student grant (SU) - apply from 1 August
You can apply for SU when you are enrolled in a full degree programme at CBS. Therefore the earliest you can apply for SU is 1 August.

You can read more about SU on studystart.cbs.dk from 27 July on my.cbs.dk > Student life > SU > Apply for SU – Danish citizen (CBS-login required) or www.su.dk

SU for international students
If you are a foreign citizen, there are certain conditions you have to meet and you must follow a special application process before you can receive any SU.

Read more about SU on my.cbs.dk > Student life > SU > Apply for SU – foreign citizen (CBS-login required) or www.su.dk

Please note that processing time may be up to 3 months

Housing

It can be difficult to find a place to live in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, CBS cannot help you find accommodation, but there are things 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.

Find more information and sign up for residence halls (kollegier), rental and youth apartments here:

• Student Housing on the City of Copenhagen website
• Bolig og flytning - Studieby København (in Danish)
• Kollegiernes kontor

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 can find the police’s good advice on the Police's webpage (only in Danish)

Here you can also find more information about how to report scam.

Read more here to learn about your rights as a tentant and how to receive legal aid. 

Please note: that the link is for the City of Copenhagen. If you live somewhere else, you need to contact that specific municipality.

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 my.cbs.dk > Student Life > Special Educational Support (SPS) (CBS login required)

For international students

Moving to another country to study can be quite challenging, but help is available.

For internationals 

You will find much more information about student life as an international student at CBS on For internationals

Welcome activities for international students

The welcome activities are a special offer for our international students as a supplement to your programme’s introductory activities. We recommend that you also attend these activities, so you do not miss out on important information or the chance to connect with other international students.

So make sure to save the dates:

• 16 August 2023: Online Pre-arrival Seminar for all new international students
• 27 August 2023: Welcome event for all new international students
• 31 August 2023: Reception for CBS Global Students

Read more about the 3 events on: Events for internationals

International Student Ambassadors

The International Student Ambassadors (ISA) are current international students who voluntarily organise social events for international full degree students and offer advice about a variety of topics related to settling into your new life at CBS and in Denmark. 

Read more about the ISAs and their activities and connect with them on their ISA Facebook page