Ex­change stu­dent at CBS

Apply through your own university

To apply for exchange to CBS, you need to be studying at one of CBS' partner universities. You can find a list of them all on International opportunities

You apply through the study abroad office of your own university. If you are selected for exchange to CBS, your university will nominate you.

You must study full-time

You must be a full-time student at CBS. A full workload per semester is 30 ECTS credits. Almost all courses at CBS are 7.5 ECTS, so it means that you must sign up for four courses.

If you are close to graduation and you need to complete less than four courses, you should not select CBS as your exchange destination.

After nomination

After you have been nominated by your university, we will contact you, and you will get a CBS e-mail account. 

In your CBS e-mail, you will receive a welcome e-mail with general instructions and the link to online registration. This may take some weeks. 

Communication from us

Once you have received your CBS e-mail account, your CBS e-mail and the student intranet, my.cbs.dk, are our mediums for communicating with you.

We will e-mail you the following: 

• your CBS e-mail account
• online registration
• course application instructions
• housing application instructions
• an official acceptance letter
• your application form for a Danish residence permit/certificate

How to apply

You apply via the online application system, so you do not have to send us any documents by post or email. 

You will not receive any documents from us by post. All information from us to you is sent via your secure CBS email.

Registration and course application takes place: 

• in September/October: for students arriving in January
• in March/April: for students arriving in August

Apply in the application portal 

You will find all application forms in our application portal. Our application process is two-step:

1. Submit your formal application
2. Submit your course application

Read more about the two steps below.

Documents you need to apply

You must upload the following registration documents: 

• Colour scan of your passport (photo page only) or EU national identity card stating your citizenship.
• Your most recently updated university transcript. It must be either an official transcript or a verified unofficial transcript. An unofficial must be verified by your university with the name of the signee, a signature and a university stamp appearing in the document.
• Documentation that you fulfil our English proficiency requirement - how to do so below. 

All documents must be in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Swedish or Norwegian. 

1. Formal application 

The application form will be available soon after your nomination. 

Application deadlines are:

• in the last week of October for the spring semester
• the last week of April for the autumn semester. 

You must complete the application and upload the required documents no later than the stipulated deadline. 

We process applications and issue an official acceptance letter to students continuously - if you have submitted the necessary application documents.

Link to the application portal

You will receive the link to the application portal in your CBS e-mail. 

2. Course application

The course application form is available once you have submitted your formal application and when the course list is ready. Please wait until you receive an invitation in your CBS e-mail. 

Before applying, you need to check out our information about how to apply on Course application

Find course lists on: 

• Undergraduate courses and minors for exchange students
• Graduate courses and minors for exchange students

You will receive information about which courses you have been allocated in:

• November for the spring semester
• May for the autumn semester

Semester dates

When considering spending a semester in Copenhagen, you might be wondering how a semester in Copenhagen will impact any other obligations you might have, for instance an internship. 

The official semester dates are:

• Autumn semester: 1 September - 31 January
• Spring semester:  1 February - 30 June 

You are not expected to be present in Denmark for this exact period. You can plan your courses so that you can travel back earlier than the semester officially ends. 

In general, full semester course exams often take place in December (autumn semester) or May (spring semester).

See Period of attendance - what to expect

Before the semester starts

Prior to the start of the semester, there are various activities that you should consider participating in:

• Danish Crash Course (optional) - two weeks before semester start
• Orientation week (mandatory) - one week before semester start

The specific dates vary slightly from one year to the next. 

You can find the specific dates in the Exchange Calendar and more information about our Welcome Programme below.

Semester breaks

At CBS we have no winter break and no autumn break, but there is no teaching during national holidays. And you can still find time for weekend trips. 

Class attendance is not mandatory, however we do expect you to prioritise your academic obligations. 

Danish and English

Danish is the national language of Denmark. 

However, due to our education system and close geographical and historical relation to the UK, communicating in English is relatively easy for Danes, especially the younger generation. 

Get a jumpstart by learning Danish

We encourage you to get a jumpstart on your life here in Denmark by getting a feel for the Danish language already now.

Although your academic programme may be in English, having some Danish language skills is helpful in getting to know your Danish classmates on a personal level, as well as giving you many more opportunities if you would like to work in Denmark.

Adapting to a new culture

Moving to a new country is a big decision – especially if you have never lived abroad before. It takes time to adapt to a new culture, even if the culture is not entirely different. 

Even though Denmark is systematised and people are eager to make you feel comfortable, you may feel disoriented, anxious or overwhelmed – both physically and psychologically. 

This is called culture shock and it is entirely normal. Be patient and give yourself time to settle into your new environment.

A learning process

Such feelings and reactions will most likely occur at some point during your stay. When this happens, it is important for you to remember that you are going through a learning process. 

If you accept this brief period as one of transition, you will ultimately return home with greater self-confidence and the ability to succeed in a multicultural environment.

Get engaged

The best way to tackle the culture shock is to get engaged and keep active, explore your social opportunities on- and off-campus and, if possible, try to learn Danish. 

By keeping an open mind, you will soon be drawn into the many impressions and activities on offer. We encourage you to speak to other international students – after all, chances are they know exactly what you are going through – or even CBS staff about your concerns. 

Tips on easing yourself into a new culture:

• Accept that you cannot know everything about your new country and the local language.
• Keep an open mind and be flexible.
• Try to do things that you did at home.
• Talk to other students about how you feel.
• Stay active and get involved with local organisations or student associations.