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How to Apply - Admission procedures for degree programmes

Bachelor's degree programmes 

Master's degree programmes

Bachelor's degree programmes taught in Danish

Study programmes available

The Study Guide is an entry point to all the degree programmes at the University of Aarhus. Here you will find information about the structure of the programmes, student life on campus, career opportunities and contact information for student counsellors.

Applicants to Danish-taught programmes must document proficiency in Danish on academic level both orally and in writing (see the Danish language requirements below).

General admission requirements

Admission to a Bachelor’s degree programme in Danish requires a recognised university entrance examination or an examination assessed as comparable to a Danish entrance examination. This means that your foreign certificate must be on a level with a Danish upper secondary school leaving certificate. For further information please go to the web site of the Danish Agency for International Education  to find out whether the level of your foreign certificate satisfies the general admission requirements to higher education in Denmark.

Specific subject level requirements

In addition to having a recognised entrance examination, you must (like applicants with a Danish high school diploma) meet the specific subject level requirements that apply to the degree programme in question. This applies to those who apply for admission to a full Bachelor's programme as well as those who apply for transfer from other universities.

Further information about the specific subject level requirements is available in the Study Guide (select specific programme and then Admission).

Assessment of your subject levels from your foreign entrance examination is based on a comparison to the specific subject levels in the Danish upper secondary school/high school system.

The subject levels are expressed in number hours required for Danish high school students for specific subjects. See an overview of the number of hours required for specific Danish subject levels (1 lesson/hour = 60 minutes).

To obtain an assessment of your subject levels, you must provide official documentation of the total number of hours/lessons of teaching you have received in the specific, relevant subjects during your final three upper secondary/high school years, including course and examination descriptions. Documentation must be submitted with your application.

Danish A: Applicants with a foreign entry examination who apply for a Bachelor's programmes taught in Danish, the requirement for a Danish A-level can be fulfilled by a documented A-level (= 260 hours) in the language of instruction of your entrance examination (first language/mother tongue) combined with a passed Study Test in Danish as a Second Language ("Studieprøven" - see below).
Exempted from the "Study Test in Danish" are students from the Nordic countries who have had Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish or Icelandic as part of their entry qualification.

Danish language requirements

Most of the Bachelor’s degree programmes at the University of Aarhus are taught in Danish (please note that the Aarhus School of Business and the Institute of Business and Technology offer Bachelor's degree programmes taught in English). This means that students holding a foreign entry qualification must be proficient in Danish both orally and in writing. It is a requirement for admission to a Danish-taught BA programme that you have passed Studieprøven i dansk som andetsprog (the “Study Test in Danish as a Second Language”) or the former “Danish Test 2”.

Exemptions

  • Students from the Nordic countries who have had Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish or Icelandic at the highest level as part of their entry qualification are not required to pass a Danish language test.
  • Danish citizens with foreign entry qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate) are not required to pass a Danish language test if they can document that they have passed the Danish primary and lower secondary school leaving examination ("Folkeskolens Afgangsprøve" or "Folkeskolens Udvidede Afgangsprøve").

Studieprøven must be successfully passed with grade 2 in each discipline according to the new Danish 7-point grading scale, or if you have passed the test before 1 September 2007, grade 6 according to the former 13-point grading scale.

Please note that for studies in Medicine, Dentistry, and Dental Hygiene, Studieprøven must be passed with at least grade 7 in each of the 4 examination disciplines, according to the new Danish 7-point grading scale. If you have passed the test before 1 September 2007, you must have obtained grade 8 according to the former Danish 13-point grading scale.

Foreign students applying for French or Spanish must obtain grade 7 in the written examination discipline and grade 2 in the remaining disciplines, according to the new Danish 7-point grading scale. If you have passed the test before 1 September 2007, you must have obtained grade 8 in the written examination and grade 6 in the remaining disciplines, according to the former Danish 13-point grading scale.

All applicants with foreign qualifications applying for the partly Danish-taught BA programmes in International Business Communication at the ASB must obtain grade 10 in each of the 4 examination disciplines. In this case, a Danish lower secondary school leaving certificate is not sufficient even for Danish citizens.

Studieprøven can be replaced by a written and oral examination at Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) level.

Contact

For further information and registration for "Studieprøven", please contact:

LærDansk Language Centre
Vestergade 72, 3. sal
DK-8000 Århus C

Tel.: +45 8732 5400

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-15pm, Friday 9am-12, Mondays also 4.30-5.30pm and Tuesdays also 6-7pm.
Closed in July and in Danish festive seasons.

E-mail: aarhus@remove-this.laerdansk.dk

How to apply

  • All applicants with foreign entrance examinations applying for a Bachelor’s degree programme must submit an application before 15 March .
  • As from app. 1 February, the official application form of the Coordinated Enrolment System (KOT) including admission guidelines can be downloaded from the website: www.optagelse.dk. The KOT brochure is also available at the University Studies Office in Aarhus, at other institutions of higher education and at Public Employment Service Centres (AF).
  • The application form must be completed and returned with all the required documents to the University Studies Office (Studieforvaltningen) before15 March at  12 noon
  • On 29 July, the University of Aarhus will send out a letter to all applicants informing them whether or not they have been offered a study place at the University of Aarhus.
  • The applicant must meet and document the general and specific admission requirements before 5 July in order to be considered for admission.
  • The required Danish language test must also be passed and documented before 5 July .

The application form should be sent to:

University Studies Office (Studieforvaltningen)
The University of Aarhus

Fredrik Nielsens Vej 5
DK-8000 Århus C

Tel.: +45 8942 1025
E-mail: stuf@au.dk

Check list

The following documents must be submitted with the application form:

  1. Proof of a recognised entrance examination, or (before 15 March)
  2. Proof of an examination assessed as comparable to a Danish entrance examination (before 15 March)
  3. Documentation that you  meet the specific subject level requirements (before 5 July)
  4. Documentation that you have passed the required Danish language test (before 5 July)
  5. Any other relevant documentation of activities resulting in supplementary points for the quota 2 intake at the Aarhus School of Business (before 15 March).
  6. Documentation of your citizenship (e.g. copy of passport)
  7. Copy of your permanent residence permit in Denmark (if applicable)

The documents enclosed must be officially certified copies (e.g. certified by the applicant’s school or university, an embassy or consulate). If the documents are not in one of the principal European languages or in Norwegian, Swedish or Icelandic, they must be accompanied by officially translated and certified copies.

Bachelor's degree programmes taught in English

The University of Aarhus offers the following Bachelor's degree programmes taught in English:

Aarhus School of Business

Please contact the Aarhus School of Business for further information on admission and programme contents.

Institute of Business and Technology (Faculty of Social Sciences)

Please contact the Institute of Business and Technology for further information on programme contents.

Regarding admission, please read the below instructions. If you have further questions, please contact stuf@remove-this.au.dk

General admission requirements

Admission to a Bachelor’s degree programme taught in English requires a recognised university entrance examination or an examination assessed as comparable to a Danish entrance examination. This means that your foreign certificate must be on a level with a Danish upper secondary school leaving certificate.

For further information please go to the website of the Danish Agency for International Educatio n to find out whether the level of your foreign certificate satisfies the general admission requirements to higher education in Denmark.

Specific subject level requirements

In addition to having a recognised entrance examination, you must (like applicants with a Danish high school diploma) meet the specific subject level requirements that apply to the degree programme in question. This applies to those who apply for admission to a full Bachelor's programme as well as those who apply for transfer from other universities.

Further information about the specific subject level requirements is available in the Study Guide (select specific programme and then Admission).

Assessment of your subject levels from your foreign entrance examination is based on a comparison to the specific subject levels in the Danish upper secondary school/high school system.

The subject levels are expressed in number hours required for Danish high school students for specific subjects. See an overview of the number of hours required for specific Danish subject levels (1 lesson/hour = 60 minutes).

Example: If you apply for the ICM programme, the subject level requirements are:

  • English A = a total number of 335 hours of instruction (or other documentation, see below)
  • History B or History of ideas B or Contemporary History B = 150 hours of instruction
  • Foreign language A = 325 hours of instruction.

To obtain an assessment of your subject levels, you must provide official documentation of the total number of hours/lessons of teaching you have received in the specific, relevant subjects during your final three upper secondary/high school years, including course and examination descriptions. Documentation must be submitted with your application.

English language requirements - 'English B' and 'English A'

According to the Danish Ministry of Science's Order no 32 on Admission to Danish Universities, all applicants to Bachelor's programmes taught in English must as a minimum document English language qualifications comparable to an "English B level" in the Danish upper secondary school (gymnasium). A few programmes require 'English A', which is one level higher than 'English B'.

English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B' level in Denmark can be documented as follows:

  • TOEFL test results of at least 560 (paper-based), or 220 (computer-based test) or 83 (internet-based test).
    'English A' requires 600 (paper-based), or 250 (computer-based test) or 100 (internet-based test)
    The Aarhus University TOEFL code is 8935 .
  • IELTS test with a minimum score of 6.5 points ('English A' requires a score of 7.0 points)
  • Cambridge/Oxford Certificate/Test in Advanced English ('English A' requires a Cambridge Proficiency Test)
  • "C1 level" obtained by examination from a CEFR -validated English language course (Danish A level requires a passed "C2 level")
  • English-taught entrance examination (“upper secondary school/high school”) or Bachelor’s degree
  • English language qualifications obtained through at least 210 hours of English lessons in a non-Danish entrance examination (A level = 335 hours). You must ask your upper secondary school/high school to provide documentation for the total number of English lessons/hours you have received during your final three upper secondary/high school years. You are required to enclose a copy of your upper secondary/high school certificate, including course and examination description of your English language course.

How to apply

  • All applicants with foreign entrance examinations applying for a Bachelor’s degree programme must submit an application before 15 March .
  • As from app. 1 February, the official application form of the Coordinated Enrolment System (KOT) including admission guidelines can be downloaded from the website: www.optagelse.dk. The KOT brochure is also available at the University Studies Office in Aarhus, at other institutions of higher education and at Public Employment Service Centres (AF).
  • The application form must be completed and returned with all the required documents to the University Studies Office (Studieforvaltningen) before15 March at  12 noon
  • On 29 July, the University of Aarhus will send out a letter to all applicants informing them whether or not they have been offered a study place at the University of Aarhus.
  • The applicant must meet and document the general and specific admission requirements before 5 July in order to be considered for admission.
  • The required Danish language test must also be passed and documented before 5 July .

The application form should be sent to:

University Studies Office (Studieforvaltningen)
The University of Aarhus

Fredrik Nielsens Vej 5
DK-8000 Århus C

Tel.: +45 8942 1025
E-mail: stuf@au.dk

Check list

The following documents must be submitted with the application form:

  • Proof of a recognised entrance examination, or (before 15 March)
  • Proof of an examination assessed as comparable to a Danish entrance examination (before 15 March)
  • Documentation that you  meet the specific subject level requirements (before 5 July). If you attend supplementary courses during the spring, documentation of enrolment must be enclosed.
  • Any other relevant documentation of activities resulting in supplementary points for the quota 2 intake at the Aarhus School of Business (before 15 March).
  • Documentation of your citizenship (e.g. copy of passport)
  • Copy of your permanent residence permit in Denmark (if applicable)

The documents enclosed must be officially certified copies (e.g. certified by the applicant’s school or university, an embassy or consulate). If the documents are not in one of the principal European languages or in Norwegian, Swedish or Icelandic, they must be accompanied by officially translated and certified copies.

Master's degree programmes taught in Danish

Study programmes available

The Study Guide is an entry point to all the degree programmes at the University of Aarhus. Here you will find information about the structure of the programmes, student life on campus and career opportunities. You will also find contact information of student counsellors and information about the application process.

The language of instruction of the individual programme is shown on the list of programmes available.

General admission requirements

Admission to a Master’s degree programme taught in Danish requires successful completion of a relevant and recognised university degree equivalent to a Danish Bachelor’s degree in level and contents.

For admission requirements, application deadlines, procedures and application form, see www.au.dk/kandidat/optag

Danish language requirements

Students holding a foreign university degree applying for a Master’s degree taught in Danish must be proficient in Danish both orally and in writing. It is therefore a requirement for admission that you have passed Studieprøven i dansk som andetsprog (the “Study Test in Danish as a Second Language”) or the former “Danish Test 2”.

Exemptions

  • Students from the Nordic countries who have had Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish or Icelandic on the highest level as part of their entry qualification are not required to pass a Danish language test.
  • Danish citizens with foreign entry qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate) are not required to pass a Danish language test if they can document that they have passed the Danish primary and lower secondary school leaving examination (Folkeskolens Afgangsprøve or Folkeskolens Udvidede Afgangsprøve).

Studieprøven must be successfully passed with grade 2 in each discipline according to the new Danish 7-point grading scale, or if you have passed the test before 1 September 2007, grade 6 according to the former 13-point grading scale.

Please note that for studies in Medicine, Dentistry, and Dental Hygiene, Studieprøven must be passed with at least grade 7 in each of the 4 examination disciplines, according to the new Danish 7-point grading scale. If you have passed the test before 1 September 2007, you must have obtained grade 8 according to the former Danish 13-point grading scale.

Foreign students applying for French or Spanish must obtain grade 7 in the written examination discipline and grade 2 in the remaining disciplines, according to the new Danish 7-point grading scale. If you have passed the test before 1 September 2007, you must have obtained grade 8 in the written examination and grade 6 in the remaining disciplines, according to the former Danish 13-point grading scale.

Studieprøven can be replaced by a written and oral examination at Higher Preparatory Examination (HF) level.

Contact

For further information and registration for "Studieprøven", please contact:

LærDansk Language Centre
Vestergade 72, 3. sal
DK-8000 Århus C

Tel.: +45 8732 5400

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-15pm, Friday 9am-12, Mondays also 4.30-5.30pm and Tuesdays also 6-7pm.
Closed in July and in Danish festive seasons.

E-mail: aarhus@remove-this.laerdansk.dk

How to apply

Application deadlines for Danish-taught Master’s degree programmes are 20 December (study start in February) and 1 June (study start in September). However, please note that some programmes have special deadlines for foreign applicants, and generally, foreign applicants should apply at least 3 months before the official application deadline owing to the time required for assessing your foreign qualifications.

The application form is available at www.au.dk/kandidat/optag.

The application form should be sent to:

University Studies Office (Studieforvaltningen)
The University of Aarhus
Fredrik Nielsens Vej 5
DK-8000 Århus C

Tel.: +45 8942 1025
E-mail: stuf@au.dk

Check list

For applicants holding a foreign degree, the following documents must be submitted with the application form:

  1. Diplomas showing examination subjects and results for each examination (a diploma without specific examination results is not sufficient)
  2. Transcript of records (if you have not yet received your final diploma)
  3. Course descriptions, examination syllabus
  4. Major papers (e.g. Bachelor's project) which are part of the study
  5. Book lists, lecture lists
  6. Curriculum vitae
  7. Documentation of your citizenship (e.g. copy of passport)
  8. Copy of your permanent residence permit in Denmark (if applicable)
  9. Any other relevant documents

The documents enclosed must be officially certified copies (e.g. certified by the applicant’s school or university, an embassy or consulate). If the documents are not in one of the principal European languages or in Norwegian, Swedish or Icelandic, they must be accompanied by certified copies of official translations into English.

Master's degree programmes taught in English

General English language requirements ('English B level')

According to the Danish Ministry of Science's Order no 32 on Admission to Danish Universities, all applicants with non-Danish examinations to Master's programmes taught in English must document English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B level' in the Danish upper secondary school ('high school') .

English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B level' in Denmark can be documented as follows:

  • TOEFL test results of at least 560 (paper-based), or 220 (computer-based test) or 83 (internet-based test)
    The Aarhus University TOEFL code is 8935
    The Aarhus School of Business TOEFL code is 7993
    The AU-IBT (Institute of Business and Technology in Herning) TOEFL code is 8607
  • IELTS test with a minimum score of 6.5 points
  • Cambridge/Oxford Certificate/Test in Advanced English
  • "C1 level" obtained by examination from a CEFR -validated English language course.
  • English-taught entrance examination (upper secondary school/high school) or Bachelor’s degree
  • English language qualifications obtained through at least 210 hours of English lessons (1 hour = 60 minutes) in a non-Danish entrance examination. You must ask your upper secondary school/high school to provide documentation for the total number of English lessons/hours you have received during your final three upper secondary/high school years. You are required to enclose a copy of your upper secondary/high school certificate, including course and examination descriptions of your English language course.

Application deadlines, procedures and application forms

Faculty of Humanities

Faculty of Theology

Faculty of Social Sciences

The Aarhus School of Business

Application deadlines 1 July (commencement of studies 1 September)
Please contact the Aarhus School of Business at studies@remove-this.asb.dk for further information on admission.

The Danish School of Education

Please contact the Danish School of Education for further information on admission.

Faculty of Science

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences

  • Master's programmes in Agricultural Sciences  - Deadline 15 March/15 June (commencement of studies 23 August)
    4 different programmes available (Agrobiology, Biosystems Engineering, Agro-Environmental Management and
    Molecular Nutrition and Food Technology)

Practical information

Comments on content: 
Annette Larsen

Revised 11.03.2010