Please note: If you hold a Danish residence permit, you may be exempted from some or all of the extra procedures related to applying as a non EU-citizen. Please refer to the exemption criteria found under each relevant step.
To be admitted to a Master’s programme, you must have a relevant Bachelor’s degree, professional Bachelor’s degree or another degree on the same level (European Qualification Framework level 6).
Please be aware that not all foreign Bachelor’s degrees are considered equivalent to a Danish Bachelor’s degree in terms of level and workload. You are always welcome to submit an application, even if you are unsure if your Bachelor’s degree is at a sufficient level. You can also consult the website of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, where you can find general assessments of educational levels for some countries, as well as a information about how to apply for an assessment of a specific degree.
If, at the time of application, you await your Bachelor's diploma, please note that Non-EU/EEA applicants without an EU/EEA Bachelor's degree must submit their Bachelor's diploma, or an official confirmation of graduation from the university, by:
- May 15 for the September intake
- December 1 for the February intake
The official confirmation of graduation must contain the information below:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Name of Bachelor’s programme
- Amount of credits/units passed out of the amount of necessary credits/units, e.g. (180 ECTS out of 180 ECTS)
- Date of completion/graduation
- Stamp and signature from the university
If your official graduation depends on an award ceremony, the confirmation must show that you meet all the requirements for graduation.
Programme specific requirements
Most of our programmes have a number of minimum requirements regarding the academic content of your qualifying degree. As a rule, all academic requirements must be fulfilled in your Bachelor’s degree, though some programmes allow you to follow supplementary courses.
On the websites of the individual programmes you will find the academic requirements listed as well as information on any special admission procedures or documents to be included in the application for this particular programme.
Requirements are stated in terms of ECTS points. 1 ECTS point is equivalent to 25-30 hours workload.
Language proficiency requirements
To ensure that all students are able to profit from and contribute to a an engaged learning environment, applicants are required to submit proof of their proficiency in the relevant tuition language (Danish and/or English).
For ways to proof your language proficiency, please refer to our general Language requirements.
Occupational requirements for Master's programmes for working professionals
If you are applying for admission to a Master's programmes for working professionals, it is a requirement that you are engaged in relevant employment during your studies.
As a general rule, SDU requires non EU/EEA/Swiss citizens to pay an application deposit fee of 100 EUR. The fee must be paid prior to submission of the application.
Please note that a Danish residence permit or Danish education may qualify for an exemption in some cases. For a full list of exemptions, see below.
How to pay the fee
- To pay the fee, use the link below.
- Upload the email receipt to your application.
Please note that SDU has an earlier deadline for non-EU/EEA citizens without a valid Danish residence permit: February 1 (September intakes) and September 1 (February intakes).
To apply for a vacant study place you must have a Danish residence permit, which is valid until at least the start of the Master’s programme.
You must apply for admission through the online application portal DANS.
The portal is open for applications in the following periods:
- January 1 - February 1 for the September intake
- July 1 - September 1 for the February intake
Please be aware that not all programmes have a biannual intake.
In the Application portal you will be able to follow the status of your application.
The Admission team will go through your application and check all relevant documentation. Once we begin processing your application its status will change from "Received" to "In progress". If we need further documents, you will receive a message about missing documentation and a deadline for re-submitting.
Any messages regarding your application will be available under the tab 'Messages'.
As an international student at SDU, you have easy access to housing.
The application process differs depending on the campus cities.
You will receive the answer to your application no later than June 1o for the September intake and December 10 for the February intake.
If you are offered a study place in a programme, you must confirm your study place in the Application portal no later than June 15 for the September intake and December 15 for the February intake.
Generally, non EU/EEA/Swiss applicants are required to pay tuition fees. You will find the specific fee rate listed under each programme.
Enrollment to SDU and access to SDU's facilities will require payment of the first rate.
For non EU/EEA/Swiss citizens the process of becoming a student at SDU includes an application for a student residence permit.
The application for a residence permit is handled by The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), and the application process will be initiated by SDU once you have been admitted as a student and paid the first tuition fee.
If you wish to know more about the residence permit process, please visit Before you arrive.
