Study start

Here you can find all you need to know about starting your master programme at CBS

Here you will find information that may be nice to know before starting your studies. You will also receive much more information once you have been admitted to CBS.

Introductory activities - week 35

All study programmes at CBS start with introductory activities, which take place between Wednesday 28 August - Friday 30 August 2024 (week 35).

The activities are not mandatory, but we do recommend that you participate as you will get a good introduction to the programme and the opportunity to get to know your fellow students and professors.

From 1 July, you can read more and find the dates and programme for your introductory activities on the student intranet: my.cbs.dk > Student life > Study Start > Introductory activities (CBS login required)

Get ready for starting your studies

Here are 3 things you need to do or know before study start: 

My.cbs.dk - your digital entry to CBS

In the beginning of July, you will get access to your student intranet, my.cbs.dk. Here you will find information about study start, your study programme, CBS Library, campus, student life and much more. On the front page, you will find news about starting your studies at CBS, and we recommend that you read them thoroughly.

You can also access your personal timetable and CBS's other digital platforms through my.cbs.dk

Access to CBS's digital platforms
To get access to my.cbs.dk and CBS's other digital platforms, you will need your CBS user profile. Your user profile consists of a user name and a password. Your CBS user profile is strictly personal. You should never pass this information on to others.

  • New student at CBS: at the beginning of July, you will receive an email with information about your CBS profile and how to activate it. The email will be sent to the email address you have stated in the Application Portal.
  • Current student at CBS: use your current username and password.
  • Student at CBS within the last 6 months: If you have taken single courses, Summer University courses, diploma or executive programmes at CBS within the last 6 months, your CBS username and password are still active and you should use these. 

SU - apply from 12 June

To receive SU at you master's programme, you need to apply for it. This applies whether you are continuing your studies directly after your bachelor's degree or not, and no matter which master's programme you are starting.

You apply for SU at MinSU on www.su.dk

When can you apply?

  • If you take up a graduate programme immediately after the completion of your bachelor studies, you can apply for SU from 12 June - however, no sooner than two days after you accept your study place at CBS. Please note: If you are to attend re-take exams in August, you can apply for SU from 1 July. You must apply no later than 31 July if you want to receive SU for the month of July.  
  • If you do not take up a graduate programme immediately after the completion of your bachelor studies, you can apply for SU one month before you are eligible to receive SU. That means the first day you can apply for SU is 1 August.
  • Winter intake: if you have been accepted with study start 1 February, you can apply for SU 1 January

Processing time can be up to 4 weeks and your SU will not be disbursed until the middle of July or beginning of August.

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

SU for foreign citizens

If you are a foreign citizen, there are certain conditions you have to meet. You must also 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 take up to 3 months.

Study start test

When you start your studies at CBS, you will have to take a course and pass a test on academic integrity and conduct. This goes for all new students - no matter which bachelor programme you have studied. You must take the test in September and you can take it again in October.

What is academic conduct?
Good academic practice is a competence you will need throughout your studies. It is an important part of being a university student. That is why we want to ensure that all our students are well prepared from the very beginning of their studies.
 
The purpose of the course and test
The course deals with how to work with sources and how to write an academic assignment. The purpose of the course is to ensure that you are prepared for writing academic projects at an adequate level without accidently cheating or committing plagiarism.
 
Read more about the Study start test on my.cbs.dk (CBS login required). 
 



Teaching and exams

As a new student, you will automatically be enrolled in your courses for the academic year 2023/2024. However, there are a few programmes with elective courses in the 1st semester, where you will have to register yourself. You will get more information if this applies to you. 

The teaching officially starts 1 September for the autumn semester and 1 February for the spring semester. 

Your personal timetable will be ready in August. You will find it via my.cbs.dk (CBS login required).

Read more about teaching on cbs.dk > Student Life > Teaching and working methods

Read more about exams on cbs.dk > Student Life > Exam and exam types

Teaching and exam periods - autumn

The autumn semester runs from 1 September to 31 January. But you will not necessarily have classes and exams during the entire period. It depends on your specific courses and exam dates. 

Exam periods are published on 1 September for the autumn semester. The exact dates and times for your exams are published no later than a month before the exam. 

Course type

Teaching 

Exam

Retakes

Semester 

September - November

December - January

February - March

1st quarter

September - Mid October

Late October - start November

December - January

2nd quarter

Mid October - November

December -January

February
Teaching and exam periods - spring

The spring semester runs from 1 February to 30 June. But you will not necessarily have classes and exams during the entire period. It depends on your specific courses and exam dates. 

Exam periods are published on 1 February for the spring semester. The exact dates and times for your exams are published no later than a month before the exam. 

Course type

Teaching 

Exams

Retakes

Semester

February - April 

May - June

August

3rd quarter

February - Late March

Late March - Early April

Late May - Early June

4rth quarter

Mid-April - Early June

June

 August

Public Holidays

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

  • Christmas and New Years: There are no classes or exams on campus 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) and winter holidays (weeks 7 and 8) are not holidays at CBS. Depending on your courses and teachers, you may have classes and/or exams.

Holidays in 2023/2024

24-26 December Christmas
1 January  New Year's Day
28 March - 1 April  Easter
9 May Ascension Day
19 May Whit Monday
5 June Constitution Day
July - August Summer holidays - retakes in August
 

 


Other things you may need to know:

Here you will find information about other things that may be relevant for you as a new student at CBS.

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:

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

Need a confirmation on your studies?

In order for us to confirm that you are a student you need to have a CBS-mail. We use the CBS-mail to send you to the confirmation securely.

Are you a new student at CBS you will recieve your CBS user profile and CBS-mail in the beginning of June. We will send this to you on the mail that you have written in the application portal.

You can get two types of confirmation:

1. Verified copy of your acceptance letter

You can have your acceptance letter digitally signed as a proof that you are accepted to CBS.

To get a verified copy of your acceptance letter, send an email to confirmations@cbs.dk. You must attach your acceptance letter to the email. We will sign the letter and send it back to you by email as a PDF file.

2. Confirmation of enrolment

A confirmation of enrolment is your proof that you are enrolled in a programme at CBS. You can only get a confirmation of enrolment if you are fully accepted to CBS.

To get a confirmation of enrolment, send your acceptance letter to confirmations@cbs.dk. We will make the confirmation and send it to you by email as a PDF file.

Read more about confirmations of enrolment on my.cbs.dk > IT and Campus > Guide to the Online Student Service > Confirmation of enrolment (CBS login required)

Credit transfer - courses from previous studies

If you have previously taken and passed courses at graduate level, you may need to apply to have the courses transferred to your master's programme at CBS – a so-called initial credit transfer. To apply for a credit transfer, you need your CBS user profile.

You can read more about how to apply for an initial credit transfer on my.cbs.dk > Credit transfer for previous education (CBS login required)

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:

  • 14 August 2024: Online Pre-arrival Seminar for all new international students
  • 25 August 2024: Welcome event for all new international 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


Take a tour on campus

In the video you can take a virtual tour around campus.

You will find maps and tips to finding your way around campus on my.cbs.dk > Find your way (CBS login required)

 

The page was last edited by: Web editor - Student Communications // 04/11/2024