Part-time master
What is a part-time master?
A part-time master is a full degree you study part time. This means that it will take you 4 years to complete rather than 2. This gives you the flexibility to combine a graduate programme with a relevant job at min. 25 hours a week.
The part-time master bridges theory and practice. You get the opportunity to connect what you learn at CBS directly with relevant tasks and projects at work. You can contribute with the newest academic knowledge at work, and you will get practical experience using that knowledge.
Part-time masters at CBS
CBS offers 5 part-time masters:
- Cand.merc.aud. - revisorkandidat - taught in Danish
- Cand.merc. i finansiering og regnskab - taught in Danish
- Cand.merc. i økonomisk markedsføring - taught in Danish
- MSc in Business Administration and Digital Business
- MSc in Economics and Business Administration in Supply Chain Management
Contents and structure
The part-time master has the same academic content and level as the full-time equivalent. You will attain the same competencies and knowledge as the full-time version of the programme you are interested in.
As a part-time student it will take you 4 years to complete the programme, divided over 8 semesters with 15 ECTS each semester. Read more about the structure of the programme:
- The first 4 semester you will complete your mandatory courses.
- During your 5th and 6th semesters you can select electives that match your specific interests. You can also choose to take electives at other Danish universities. The electives you choose must be relevant for your programme.
You can see a list of all the electives we offer at CBS here - Courses at graduate level
- You will finish your 7th and 8th semester with a master’s thesis. You choose the topic you write about, so you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in your specific interests. Typically, you will write your master’s thesis with a thesis partner.
Overview of the part-time programme:
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | ||||
| 1st sem | 2nd sem | 3rd sem | 4th sem | 5th sem | 6th sem | 7th sem | 8th sem |
| Course | Course | Course | Course | Elective | Elective |
Master'st hesis
|
|
| Course | Course | Course | Course | Elective | Elective | ||
Classes and preparation
Classes during the day
As a part-time student you will have classes together with the full-time students in the programme. Typically, classes are scheduled in the daytime Monday – Friday between 09:00 and 17:00. You can expect to have 6-9 class hours per week, divided between 2 to 4 classes. These will be spread out throughout the week, so you might have classes e.g. Monday and Wednesday morning, as well as Thursday afternoon.
Please note that classes will not be recorded and will not be scheduled outside of regular working hours as is the case for e.g. diploma or other part-time masters.
Be active during classes
We expect you to show up and actively participate in your classes. In some courses you will work in study groups, where you e.g. have to prepare a presentation or write an assignment together. Your study group may consist of both part-time and full-time students.
You may also have courses where you need to pass certain mandatory activities or assignments during class as a pre-requisite for participating in the exam. This could e.g. be a multiple-choice test, a presentation, or a paper you hand in. It is important that you and your employer have an understanding to make sure that you have the flexibility and time to prepare for and participate actively in classes.
Preparation for classes
Your lecturers will expect you to show up prepared for classes. This means that you have done the reading for the class or sometimes prepared a case. Classes are planned with the assumption that students are prepared for the topic or theory you will be working on in class. Preparation is the key to getting as much out of your studies as you can.
You should expect to spend 10 hours per week on average on preparation for classes. This could both be on your own and in groups. You might spend less time at the start of the semester, and more in the time leading up to an exam.
Admission to a part-time master
The admission process and entry requirements for the part-time master are the same as for the full-time programme. There is not a set number og places reserved for part-time students, and therefore, it is not easier or harder to get into the part-time master.
In your application for the programme you must select whether you want to study as a part-time nor full-time student. You must also document your employment together with your application.
Read more about admission requirements and how to apply on:
- Cand.merc.aud. - revisorkandidat - taught in Danish
- Cand.merc. i finansiering og regnskab - taught in Danish
- Cand.merc. i økonomisk markedsføring - taught in Danish
- MSc in Business Administration and Digital Business
- MSc in Economics and Business Administration in Supply Chain Management
Requirements for employment
To be eligible for admission to the part-time master, it is a requirement that you have relevant employment for at least 25 hours a week.
What exactly constitutes relevant employment depends which programme you want to apply to. You can find more information in the description of the programme and in the description of the specific entry requirements for the programme.
Change in employment or responsibilities
Twice a year you need to document that you are employed within a relevant field, working at least 25 hours a week.
You must inform CBS if your terms of employment or your tasks and responsibilities change.
Changing between full-time and part-time
You can apply to change between the part-time and full-time programme during your studies.
You can always change from being a part-time student to being a full-time student in the same programme if you need to.
You should note, however, that you are not guaranteed the option to change back to being a part-time student again.
You can apply to change from the full-time programme to the part-time master. However, we cannot guarantee that it will be possible for you to change.
You can read more about changing from full-time to part-time on CBS' student intranet, my.cbs.dk, once you have been admitted.
Salary and SU
As a part-time student you are not eligible to receive SU as you are paid a regular salary from your employer. You have to negotiate your own salary with your employer. Please note that the salary should reflect your level of education and competencies.
In need of special educational support?
You should note that you cannot receive Special Educational Support, SPS, in a part-time programme. The reason is that the part-time programme is not eligible for SU, and this is a requirement in order to receive SPS. You can still apply for special conditions e.g. at exams.
Read more about Special Educational Support.
Tuition and other payment
You do not have to pay tuition in order to study a part-time master.
However, if you are not an EU/EAA citizen, you have to pay an application and tuition fee, as for any other graduate programme.
Read more about tuition and application fee.
Information for the employer
The part-time master programme was developed in order to meet a demand from students and companies for more flexibility in the educational system, and better options for combining a master programme with relevant work.
By hiring a part-time master student your company gets highly qualified employee while they are still studying.
They can contribute with:
- new knowledge, theoretical and methodological input.
- new perspectives on your organisation.
- contact to the education and research environments at CBS.
- contact to the student environment at CBS, which could e.g. be used inconnection with future recruitment.
A part-time master is a commitment for all parties in terms of time, commitment and planning.
For your employee it is a learning proces where the complexity and difficulty of the tasks should match what you would expect from an employee with a finished bachelor or diploma degree. The tasks themselves should reflect the competencies the student has and will develop during their 4-year master programme.
Flexibility between work and studies
The company is expected to include the student on the same terms as any other full-time employee. But at the same time there must be a level of flexibility to allow the student to prepare for and attend classes during the day and participate in exams.
Requirements for employment
To study a part-time master at CBS it is required that:
- The student must have an employment contract with your company for at least 25 hours a week on average.
- Be employed based on a relevant bachelor’s degree or other equivalent Danish or foreign education at the same level.
Documentation for employment
To be admitted to the part-time master programme the student must provide documentation that confirms employment for at least 25 hours a week on average.
Twice a year, the student must renew this documentation in order to remain enrolled in the programme.
Salary and other terms of employment
Salary is negotiated between the employee and the employer as normal. Please note that part-time students are not eligible for SU. Therefore, the salary should reflect their level of education and competencies.
Changes in employment or tasks
Both the company and the student can end the employment at any time as normal. You are not obligated to keep the student employed for the full 4 years. If the student no longer can document relevant employment at at least 25 hours a week, they can be transferred to the full-time version of the programme and continue their studies full-time instead.
The student can be assigned new responsibilities during the 4-year period. These still have to be relevant for the programme, as that is a requirement for studying a part-time master.
If there are changes in employment status or significant changes to responsibilities, the students has to inform CBS of these changes.
You can read more about the rules for studying a part-time masters degree at The Ministry of Higher Education and Science.