What it’s like to study in Denmark

How teaching works

Danish higher education is built around group projects and independent work. You’ll spend less time memorising and more time solving real problems, often together with Danish companies. Expect to speak up in class – participation is part of how you learn.

Many programmes include an internship, especially at business academies and university colleges. That’s one of the best ways to build a Danish network and find a job after graduation.

Types of programmes taught in English

Academy Profession (AP) degree – 2 years

Offered by business academies (erhvervsakademier). Practical and job-focused, with an internship. Typical fields: marketing, IT, logistics, hospitality, multimedia design. You can continue to a top-up bachelor afterwards.

Top-up bachelor (PBA) – 1.5 years

For students who already hold an AP degree or similar. Takes you to a full professional bachelor’s degree.

Professional bachelor’s degree – 3.5 to 4 years

Offered by business academies and university colleges (professionshøjskoler). Applied, with an internship. Fields include engineering, business, design and more.

University bachelor’s degree – 3 years

Research-based and more theoretical. Fewer bachelor’s programmes are taught fully in English than master’s programmes.

Master’s degree (kandidat / MSc) – 2 years

Requires a relevant bachelor’s degree. Universities offer a large number of master’s programmes in English.

Life outside the classroom

• Everyone speaks English. You can get by without Danish, but learning some helps with jobs and friends. Free Danish classes are often available to residents.
• Cycling is the default. Cities are compact and bike-friendly.
• Housing is the hard part. Start looking as soon as you’re admitted, especially in Copenhagen and Aarhus.
• You can work part-time. See cost of living for the rules.

Official source

The Danish government’s portal for international students is studyindenmark.dk.