The climate crisis, the covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have made it clear that society needs good economists who can find solutions to contemporary problems associated with inflation, the green transition, energy supply, international trade and much more. Study economics if you want to deeply understand society and take part in decision making at the macro- and microeconomic levels.
To apply for admission to the master's programme, you must be enrolled in or have completed either a qualifying bachelor's programme or another relevant Danish or foreign degree programme which is deemed relevant.
You apply for admission through the application portal.
Below you can read more about the admission requirements for the programme including which documents you must upload along with your application.
You must meet a number of admission requirements, to apply for the master’s programme. You can read about the various admission requirements below:
If you have completed one of the following bachelor’s degrees and meet the language requirements – Danish A and English B – you automatically fulfil all the academic admission requirements.
From the University of Copenhagen:
From the University of Southern Denmark:
From Aarhus University:
From Aalborg University:
Other applicants may be admitted based on a specific, individual, academic assessment of whether they are able to document knowledge, expertise and skills corresponding to the Bachelor Programme in Economics at the University of Copenhagen.
This assessment will be based on the following requirements:
Applicants who have completed other educational activities that can be equated with a completed bachelor's degree can be admitted after individual assessment.
As of September 2024, there are no professional bachelor programs that serve as qualifying for admission to the Master's program in Economics. An annual assessment is made regarding whether new professional bachelor programs may provide eligibility.
You must also meet the language requirements for Danish A and English B.
As part of your application, you must attach a number of documents which vary depending on your educational background.
Legal right of admission
Degrees that automatically meet the admission requirements
Other Danish or international degrees
There are two application deadlines for Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
The application portal opens on 16 January. You will receive a reply by 15 May.
The application portal opens on 15 August. You will receive a reply by 10 December.
There are two application deadlines for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
The application portal opens on 15 November. You will receive a reply by 13 March.
The application portal opens on 15 August. You will receive a reply by 10 December.
Find information about available places on the study programme, as well as the distribution of students admitted last year.
| Admission statistics Economics (English) 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Available study places | 40 |
| Admission statistics Economics (Danish) 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Available study places | 365 |
| Admission statistics Economics (English) 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Admitted (of which have start in February) | 45 (20) |
| Admission distribution (legal right/other) | 0% / 100% |
| Applicants | 185 |
| Age average | 27 |
| Nationality (dk/international) | 9% / 91% |
| Admission statistics Economics (Danish) 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Admitted (of which have start in February) | 331 (180) |
| Admission distribution (legal right/other) | 92% / 8% |
| Applicants | 398 |
| Age average | 24 |
| Nationality (dk/international) | 97% / 3% |
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available places, applicants will be prioritised according to the following criteria:
Any improved grades are not considered. This is due to the fact that in Denmark it is not possible to improve grades in courses that has already been passed on the Bachelor's degree programme. Thus, if you have been awarded more than one grade in the same course, we will only consider the grade that you were awarded the first time that you passed the course when calculating your grade point average.
All applicants from non-Danish universities must, consequently, upload a complete transcript showing all examination attempts, the date of each examination attempt and the appurtenant exam result. If the applicant is unable to obtain a complete transcript from the home university, a confirmation that the applicant's transcript does not contain improved grades issued by the current home university is required instead.
Random checks of the applicant's basis for admission may also be made to the home university. In the case of admitted students, any fraudulent information in terms of grades may result in the student being deregistered from the degree programme in case of admission without entitlement.
However, any grade awarded on the basis of an appeal against the original grade will be considered. In this case, it must be clearly stated that this is an improved grade as a result of a complaint. Any such grade must be made available to the Faculty no later than the deadline for applications. Otherwise, the grade can only be considered in subsequent application rounds.
Random checks of the validity of international exam results will be carried out.
If you are in doubt about the rules or have questions about your entry qualifications please contact Student guidance.
If you already have a master's degree from Denmark or another country, you can, in principle, only be admitted to a new degree programme if there are places available on the programme for which you are applying for admission (the master's degree admission rule).
In exceptional cases, we may grant dispensation from the master’s degree admission rule. Read more about the master's degree admission rule and the possibility of applying for dispensation here.
Before you apply to the master's degree programme in Economics, please make sure to acquaint yourself with all the important information on the application procedure, application deadlines and details about how to apply. Select an option below to read more about your application.
Starting in 2028, you can apply for focused 1-year master’s degrees, 2-year master’s degrees, and several new types of degrees for working professionals, combining study and relevant work.
The new master’s opportunities are relevant for you if you wish to apply for a master’s degree from 2028.
To apply for a master’s degree, you must apply before the application deadlines.
| Application deadline | Applicants | Study start |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January at 23:59 | Applicants with citizenship outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland | September |
| 1 March at 23:59 | Applicants with citizenship within EU, EEA, and Switzerland (incl. applicants with legal right of admission) | September |
| 15 October at 23:59 | Applicants with legal right of admission | February |
In addition, there are other deadlines you should be aware of. Including the deadline for accepting your study place.
If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you must pay the application deposit and tuition fee.
If you want to apply for admission to a master’s degree or to apply for re-admission, study change, transfer, or re-enrolment at the University of Copenhagen, you must apply through the application portal.
Once you have submitted your application, you can follow the application in the application portal.
See the guide to the application portal
Read more about applying for re-admission, study change, transfer, and re-enrolment
Your bachelor’s degree is the basis for assessing if you meet the admission requirements for the master’s degree.
In the curriculum you can see how many ECTS credits from other courses can be included in addition to your bachelor’s degree. These courses must be completed before you complete the bachelor’s degree. Courses completed between your bachelor’s and master’s degree cannot be included in the assessment.
The MSc in Economics is a two-year degree programme of 120 ECTS.
You can select from a wide range of courses such as: Advanced Microeconometrics, Advanced Macroeconometrics, Behavioral Economics, Development Economics, Monetary Policy, Health Economics and Environmental Economics – and many others.
The programme consists of 4 modules: 22.5 ECTS compulsory courses, 15 ECTS seminars, 52.2 ECTS electives, 30 ECTS thesis
Teaching
There are two types of teachings: courses and seminars. Courses are offered as classes of 50 students with a professor presenting the curriculum. The seminars offer a more practical approach with assignments, class presentations and discussions. Finally, you have to write a master's thesis.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Microeconomics III (compulsory) | Economic seminar |
| Macroeconomics III (compulsory) | Elective course |
| Econometrics II (compulsory) | Elective course |
| Elective course | Elective course |
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Elective course | Master's thesis |
| Elective course | |
| Elective course | |
| Economic seminar |
Microeconomics III, Macroeconomics III and Econometrics II. The compulsory courses are placed in the first semester.
If you have already passed equivalent courses as part of your admission qualifications, you must take elective courses corresponding to 22,5 ECTS instead.
2 seminars of 7,5 ECTS each. We recommend that you register for seminars on the second and third semester.
At least 20 ECTS of these must be assessed with grades. If you have passed Econometrics II, Microeconomics III and Macroeconomics III as part of your admission qualifications, then at least 42,5 ECTS elective courses must be graded.
The thesis must be written during the second year. As an MSc student at the Department of Economics, you can choose freely from a wide selection of electives offered in English. This gives you the possibility of narrowing down your focus to one specialized area of study.
Below is an list of previous thesis topics at the Department of Economics:
Students on the Master’s degree programme in Economics may choose one particular track of specialization, i.e. the Finance Track.
To complete the specialization in Finance, students must have taken at least 45 ECTS F-marked finance courses, completed at least one F-marked seminar, and written their Master's thesis within the field of financing.
On the diploma, the specialization in financing will appear on the list of completed courses that the student has completed.
Students who wants this specialization on the diploma must contact the study administration the latest the day after you receive your last grade of your education.
If you are more interested in the academic content, regulations, and examination requirements, you should consult the curriculum, which serves as the legal foundation for the programme.
There is both a curriculum specific to each degree programme and a general curriculum that applies across the faculty.
Please note that curricula are often revised annually. Any new versions will be published no later than during the spring semester.
Upon completion of the master’s programme, you will obtain the title Master of Science in Economics.
The MSc in Economics is deeply theoretically founded. Studying for an MSc in Economics requires knowledge of mathematical theory and calculus, hard-core statistical devices such as SAS, and an intuitive feel of macroeconomics and microeconomics.
Students have the option of choosing a general approach to Economics or a more specialised approach focusing on subjects like finance, development economics, public spending policy and much more. No matter what you chose as your focus, you will attain the title of MSc in Economics upon graduation.
The intention of this flexibility in course choice is to offer an MSc degree programme full of diversity, reflection and knowledge-sharing.
The recent economic crisis has increased the demand for skilled economists enormously. There are infinite career opportunities for an MSc in Economics, such as:
Studying Economics is not only about sitting nose deep in your books. There are many social events and other facilities that give you a chance of being a part of the study environment.
“Cafélitten” is the place where you can play PS4 or table football and discuss the unfair amount of homework with other students of Economics. Find “Real l’Hôpital” on Facebook to play football with fellow students; go grab a beer at “Kommunen” and stay all night for the Friday party, which is alternately hosted by one of the six departments on Campus.
There are study trips twice a year; one in Europe and another one outside of Europe, and moreover, there is an annual skiing trip to France during the winter.
These social events are just a handful of the many things that you can spend your spare time on.
If you want to improve the academic level and general state of the Department of Economics, you can become a member of the student organization called “Politrådet”.
What is student life like across the rest of the University of Copenhagen?
Find out where you can live, get more information about student grants (SU), student jobs, student discounts, and all the many other things that are part of student life.
Teaching takes place at City Campus - located between the lakes and the Botanical Garden, close to Nørreport Station.
At City Campus, you will find degree programmes within social sciences, health sciences, and natural sciences.
Our student guidance are ready to assist you with answers to your questions about:
You can find answers to questions most often asked by potential students in the FAQ. Read the FAQ
Check out the guide to the application porIn case of technical problems, contact IT-support:
Mail: it-service@adm.ku.dk
Tel: +45 35 32 32 32
