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The master’s degree reform

Implementation of the master’s degree reform at SDU

The Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science is currently working on a national reform of all master’s degree programmes. The reform is set to take effect with the 2028 intake and may impact you if you apply for a bachelor's programme in 2025. 

At SDU, we are currently implementing the reform. This means that we will soon be able to inform you about the master’s degree programmes you will be guaranteed admission to with your bachelor's degree if you enrol at SDU from 2025. 


What does this mean for students applying for a bachelor's degree programme in 2025?

As a student with a bachelor's degree from SDU, you will be guaranteed admission to one of our master’s programmes and able to apply for admission to a number of other master’s degree programmes at SDU. 

We expect that you will be able to see which master’s degree programmes you are guaranteed admission to shortly, and no later than 15 March 2025 at 12:00 CET.

 

New master’s degree opportunities from 2028

A 1-year master’s degree is a full-time programme of 75 ECTS, which provides you with a quick transition to the labour market while ensuring new opportunities for further and continuing education. The programme follows on from your bachelor’s degree from university or a professional bachelor’s degree from a business academy or university college. 

  • You can be admitted to a 1-year master’s degree programme if you meet the admission requirements and have a relevant bachelor’s degree or another relevant Danish or international qualification at the same level, such as a professional bachelor’s degree.  

If you choose the 1-year master’s degree, you have the option to supplement it with 45 ECTS later. This can be done at university or via further and continuing education courses, e.g. part-time. The opportunity will depend on admission requirements, academic relevance and the capacity of the programme. 

When studying for a 1-year master’s degree, you can apply for SU (student grants). 

A 2-year master’s degree is a full-time programme of 120 ECTS, which provides you with a greater degree of specialisation. The programme follows on from your bachelor’s degree from university or a professional bachelor’s degree from a business academy or university college. 

You can be admitted to a 2-year master’s degree programme if you meet the admission requirements and have a relevant bachelor’s degree or another relevant Danish or international qualification at the same level, such as a professional bachelor’s degree.  

When studying for a 2-year master’s degree, you can apply for SU (the State Education Grant and Loan Scheme in Denmark). 

A master’s degree for working professionals builds on your bachelor’s degree from university or a professional bachelor’s degree from a business academy or a vocational college. This gives you the opportunity to connect academic skills and competencies from your education directly with relevant work tasks.  

You can be admitted to a master’s programme for working professionals if you meet the admission requirements and have a relevant bachelor’s degree or another relevant Danish or international qualification at the same level, such as a professional bachelor’s degree.  

SDU offers three types of master’s programmes for working professionals:

  • Flexible master’s degree for working professionals 
    A flexible master’s degree for working professionals is a part-time study of either 75 or 120 ECTS. The length of the programme may vary. It is a requirement that you are an entrepreneur or employed in a company throughout your education. The number of hours you must be employed depends on the structure of the programme. 
     
    You cannot apply for SU (student grants) when studying for a flexible master’s degree for working professionals.
     
  • 1+2 master’s degree for working professionals 
    A 1+2 master’s degree for working professionals is a 1-year full-time study followed by two years of part-time study combined with relevant employment of, for example, 25 hours per week. The programme comprises 120 ECTS and is targeted at certain natural science and engineering programmes. It is a requirement that you are an entrepreneur or employed in a company during the 2-year part-time study. 
     
    You can apply for SU (student grants) for the part of the programme that is a full-time study.
     
  • Combined master’s degree for working professionals 
    A combined master’s degree for working professionals is a shorter full-time study followed by a longer part-time study combined with relevant employment. The programme comprises 90–120 ECTS, and the length of the full-time and part-time study parts may differ between programmes. It is a requirement that you are an entrepreneur or employed in a company during the final part of the programme, which is part-time study. 
     
    You can apply for SU (student grants) for the part of the programme that is a full-time study. 
 

Read about the implementation of the master’s degree reform

We are continuously updating this page with information about the implementation of the master’s degree reform at SDU.

Last Updated 31.01.2025