Quota 1 and quota 2 applications

It is necessary to understand the application process if you want to study abroad in Denmark.. Here you can read about the quota system and how to apply for admission to a Bachelor's degree at UCPH. However, it is important to know the admission requirements for the programme you wish to apply for. Among other things it is necessary to document that you have academic language skills in Danish since all bachelor's degree programmes at the University of Copenhagen are taught in Danish solely. Consequently, you need to have (and document) academic language skills in Danish when applying with Non-Danish high school education.

Quota 1

You are only eligible for admission through quota 1 if your upper secondary education is from within the EU or you have an International Baccalaureate (IB) or European Baccalaureate (EB). Furthermore, you are not eligible for admission via quota 1 if you have a vocational secondary education. In quota 1, your chance of admission to a bachelor's degree depends exclusively on the grade point average from the upper secondary school examination. In addition to your upper secondary (high) school education, your grade point average must be equivalent to the Danish 6.0 – or more. Furthermore, it is necessary to fulfil all the general and specific requirements for the study programme in question. See the minimum grade point averages for admission from the past few years (in Danish only). Learn more about quota 1 (in Danish).

Quota 2

You can apply for admission via quota 2 if:

  • your degree does not qualify for quota 1
  • you are uncertain of your grade point average is high enough to be admitted in quota 1.

When you have applied for admission via quota 2, you need to pass a quota 2 admission test..

Applicants who pass the test and perform the best will be invited to an oral or written interview. The interview can be held in either Danish, Norwegian or Swedish. 

Then the University of Copenhagen will make an overall assessment based on your test and interview. Learn more about quota 2 (in Danish).

For applicants with a non-Danish secondary (high) school education, the application deadline for bachelor programmes in quota 1 and quota 2 is 15 March at 12:00.
When you apply before 15 March at noon your application is automatically linked to quota 2 and quota 1 (it quota 1 applies to you). If you do not wish to apply though quota 2, please let us know through the self-service Mit KU.

Diplomas from the Nordic countries

Based on the Nordic Treaty on Recognition of Qualifications and Access to Higher Education, Nordic applicants are evaluated for admission on equal terms as applicants with a Danish upper secondary school examination − both in quota 1 and quota 2. 

Here you can read about admission requirements for quota 1 and quota 2 (in Danish)

IB and other international diplomas

Applicants with an International Baccalaureate (IB) or European Baccalaureate examination are evaluated for admission on equal terms as applicants with a Danish upper secondary school examination − both in quota 1 and quota 2.

Click here to find out more about International Baccalaureate (IB)

Diplomas from the EU/EEA

On the basis of the EU/EEA Treaty on Recognition of Qualification and Access to Higher Education, applicants from the member countries are evaluated for admission on equal terms as applicants with a Danish upper secondary school examination both in quota 1 and quota 2.

Click here to find out more about Diplomas from the EU/EEA.

Diplomas from non-EU/EEA and non-Nordic countries

Applicants with other foreign upper secondary (high) school examinations are evaluated on the basis of a Danish quota 2 test and interview. Only tandplejerskov- og landskabsingeniørteater- og performancestudier and veterinærmedicin (all in Danish) will conduct oral interviews.

Click here to find out more about Diplomas from non-EU/EEA and non-Nordic countries

Application process

You can apply for admission to the University of Copenhagen’s bachelor’s degree programmes via optagelse.dk. The information on optagelse.dk regarding the University of Copenhagen is in Danish only, as all our bachelor's degree programmes are taught in Danish.

The application deadline is 15 March at 12.00. You are welcome to send your application from 1 February, when the application period at optagelse.dk starts. All admission requirements must be documented on 5 July at the latest

The enclosed documents must be official; signed and stamped by the issuing school or institution. If the documents are not in one of the major European languages or in Norwegian or Swedish, they must be accompanied, not substituted, by officially translated and certified copies. Please see the checklist for documentation.

If you do not have a Danish civil registration number (CPR-nummer), you have to follow particular guidelines on optagelse.dk; print the signature page, scan it and send it by e-mail to optagelse@ku.dk before 12.00 at 15 March. Find more information on the University's Danish website or on optagelse.dk.

Late diplomas

Some certificates or diplomas are not issued before the closing date for registration, 5 July. Do you expect to complete your admission qualification before 5 July, but receive your certificate or diploma after this date? In that case, you must submit, together with your application form, a letter from the school confirming that they will examine you before 5 July but will receive your documentation later than 5 July. This letter must also include information about the subjects and level of subjects you follow.

In this case, you have to upload your final certificate immediately after it has been issued - and on 15 August at the latest. For obvious reasons, applicants will not be informed whether or not they have been offered admission until they have submitted their official examination results and we have had time to evaluate it.

When will I know if I am admitted to the study programme?

28 July you will know if you are admitted to any of the programmes that you have applied for. You will receive a notification to your application, which will be visible on the self-service Mit KU. If offered admission, you must accept or decline the offer within the deadline given on Mit KU. Please note that all communication with the University takes place on Mit KU.

For more information on admission to Danish higher education, please see the website of The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education

Enrolment to all bachelor’s degree programmes at the University of Copenhagen takes place once a year, on 1 September. There will be an introduction week in late August where you meet your fellow student. The only exception to this rule is the bachelor’s degree programme in Economics where students usually enroll twice a year, on 1 September and 1 February.