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About the programme

Where biology teaches us to understand nature, biotechnology gives us the chance to use it. With an MSc in Biotechnology you will be able to develop environmentally friendly solutions, make organisms more resilient towards climate changes, and develop sustainable food and products. During the programme, you will be working both theoretically, as well as in the laboratory. The programme is offered in English.

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Admission and application

To apply for admission to this master's degree programme, you must have completed, or expect to complete, a qualifying bachelor’s degree or a similar Danish or international degree programme which is assessed to be relevant. Apply for admission via the application portal.

Below, you can read more about admission requirements and which documents to upload in the application portal. 

Academic admission requirements

Here you'll find the different academic requirements depending on which qualifying degree you hold.

With a Bachelor's degree in

  • Biotechnology (bioteknologi) from University of Copenhagen

you are granted legal right of admission and guaranteed a place on the Master’s programme in Biotechnology if you apply in time to begin within 3 years of the completion of your Bachelor’s degree.

Learn about when and how to apply

You meet all academic requirements if you hold one of the degrees listed below. Learn about when and how to apply. Note, however, that you still need to document that you meet the programme's language requirements.

  • Biotechnology (bioteknologi) from University of Copenhagen (note, that if you apply in time to begin within 3 years of the completion of your Bachelor’s degree, you have legal right of admission to the Master's programme)

Check which master’s programmes at UCPH your bachelor programme is pre-approved for admission - only available in Danish

If you have a Bachelor’s degree other than those listed above, you must submit additional documentation along with your application so we can evaluate whether or not you meet the admission requirements. Learn about when and how to apply.

If you have a Bachelor’s degree, Professional Bachelor's degree or equivalent from Danish or international universities you are qualified for admission if your programme includes the following:

  • 15 ECTS credits within a biological system (plants, animals or microbiology)
  • 15 ECTS credits within biochemistry/organic chemistry
  • 15 ECTS credits within biotechnology methods
  • In total, you must have a minimum of 30 ECTS credits derived from courses with experimental laboratory exercises.

We may also admit applicants who, after an individual academic assessment, are deemed to possess educational qualifications equivalent to those required above.

Qualifying degree and other courses/projects

When we assess whether you meet the admission requirements for the Master's degree program, Danish legislation only allows us to assess your Bachelor's degree. Consequently, you cannot study supplementary courses between Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in order to meet the admission requirements.

If you have passed courses/projects before you complete the qualifying Bachelor's degree, these can be included in the assessment, even though they are not part of the Bachelor's degree program.

  • It applies to courses/projects you have taken as single subjects and courses/projects you have taken as part of another study program.
  • A maximum of 30 ECTS credits of these courses/projects may be included.

International Bachelor’s degree

You can only get an answer to whether or not your degree meets the admission requirement by applying for admission to the MSc Programme. Only the admission committee can evaluate whether you are qualified or not and they only do this once they have received your application.

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

You are entitled to 1 pre-assessment for 1 study programme, where, based on an assessment of the documentation you have submitted, we will inform you whether you meet the admission requirements.

This is a service offered by SCIENCE, but it is not a service you have to make use of in order for you to apply for admission.

Read about pre-assessment

Language requirements

Unless you have a legal right of admission to the programme you are applying for, you are required to document proficiency in English.

See language requirements

Application deadlines

Study start in September

1 March at 23:59

Application deadline for Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 16 January. You will receive a reply by 10 June.

15 January at 23:59

Application deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 15 November. You will receive a reply by 1 May.

Submit your application

Study start in February (legal right of admission only)

15 October at 23:59

Application deadline for Danish applicants and applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 15 August. You will receive a reply by 10 December.

1 September at 23:59

Application deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Open for applications from 1 July. You will receive a reply by 1 December. 

How to apply

Choose the category below that fits you and read more about how to apply for admission. You will also find information about application deadlines and documentation on the websites.

Citizen in a country outside EU, EEA or Switzerland

Bachelor’s degree from Denmark

International bachelor’s degree

Prioritisation of applicants

If the number of qualified applicants to the programme exceeds the number of places available, applicants will be prioritised according to the following criteria:

  • Grades in relevant courses in biological system (plants, animals or microbiology), biochemistry/organic chemistry and biotechnology methods and courses with experimental laboratory exercises.

Limitation on second degrees

If you have already completed a Master's degree, please check out the rules concerning a second degree.

Admission statistics Biotechnology 2023
Admitted 24
Admission distribution (legal right/other) 87% / 13%
Applicants 214
Age average 24
Legal gender distribution (cpr. - m/f) 33% / 67%
Nationality (dk/international) 71% / 29%
Available spots No
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Programme structure

As an MSc student at Biotechnology, you begin with following the compulsory course "Big Data in Biotechnology". After that you can choose a number of restricted elective and elective courses. In that way you can shape your education based on your biotechnological interest.

You can also study biotechnology with a minor subject in either biology or chemistry (only for applicants with a Danish Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology; see descriptions of these options further down this page).

No matter what your interests are, you will get an education which develops your analytical skills. Solid experience with laboratory work in cutting-edge research facilities will enable you to find innovative solutions to specific problems in collaboration with the industry.

Do a Project in Practice or Study Abroad

You can use some of your elective courses to do a Project in Practice in collaboration with a company or an organisation. You can also choose to study abroad as part of your programme. Read more here:

Teaching

To prepare you for the international labour market, the programme is taught in English. This means that lectures are in English, as are your reports.

Teaching takes place in the form of lectures, seminars, practical, and theoretical exercises, and there will be a high proportion of project work. You will be working independently as well as in project groups.

During the programme you are working with biotechnological challenges that are also important outside the walls of the university. There is a well-established collaboration between students and the business community that ensures excellent prospects for projects in practice, providing you with a unique experience and a good network.

Master's Thesis

The programme is concluded with a thesis where, during your second year of study, you have the opportunity to work in depth with a biotechnological issue that you are enthusiastic about. It is an advantage if you have an idea for a topic that can be the focus of your thesis early on. Then, in collaboration with your supervisor, you can select the restricted elective and elective courses that will match the academic profile you are developing.

You can work both in laboratories and with data analysis, and your thesis may relate to your supervisor’s research or can be prepared in collaboration with other research institutions or relevant companies.

Recently completed projects have, for example, been done in collaboration with Novo Nordisk, Chr. Hansen, and Oxford University. These projects have studied the significance of genes for diabetes or obesity, or the use of plants and microorganisms to produce drugs and other therapeutic products.

Other examples of thesis subjects include:

  • Yeast that produce vanilla
  • Frost-resistant tomatoes – genetic engineering of enzymes from arctic fish
  • Genes in grass – producing grass especially for golf courses
  • Cell recognition and drugs for specific cells
  • Non-slurry smelling pigs with biotechnology

Programme Overview

The programme can be structured in two different ways, depending on whether you start in September or February:

Course Table, Study Start September

Compulsory courses: 7.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 37.5 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Master's thesis: 60 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Big Data in BiotechnologyElective courseRestricted elective courseRestricted elective course
Restricted elective courseElective courseRestricted elective courseRestricted elective course

Year 2

Block 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Thesis

Course Table, Study Start February

Study start in February is only for students with legal right of admission to the programme. Read about legal right of admission.

Compulsory courses: 7.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 37.5 ECTS
Elective courses: 15 ECTS
Master's thesis: 60 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 3Block 4Block 1Block 2
Restricted elective courseElective courseBig Data in BiotechnologyRestricted elective course
Restricted elective courseElective courseRestricted elective courseRestricted elective course

Year 2

Block 3Block 4Block 1Block 2
Thesis

Study Biotechnology with a Minor Subject

If you hold a Danish Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology, including the required courses, you can study Biotechnology with a minor subject. Read more below:

Please note: The MSc in Biotechnology with a minor subject is only for applicants with a Danish Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology including the required courses from the minor subject. The minor subject consists of courses taught in Danish, where the first part is compulsory in the Bachelor’s degree, and the remaining is part of the MSc.

You can study biotechnology with a minor subject in biology if you want to acquire the competences to teach or disseminate both subjects. This enables you to teach in Danish upper secondary schools.

You will also be qualified to work e.g., in other educational establishments, within research, quality management or product sales in the biotechnical industry, as a scientist at research institutions, or as consultant in governmental agencies.

See the full description of the admission requirements, as well as the knowledge, competences, and skills you obtain in the curriculum for Biotechnology with a Minor Subject >>

Programme Overview

The programme can be structured in two different ways depending on whether you start in September or February:

Course Table, Study Start in September

Compulsory courses in biotechnology: 7.5 ECTS
Compulsory courses in biology: 22.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses in biotechnology: 30 ECTS
Elective courses: 30 ECTS
Master's thesis: 30 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Big Data in BiotechnologyPopulationsbiologiElective courseFeltbiologi I,II, og III
Elective courseMenneskets fysiologiRestricted elective courseRestricted elective course

Year 2

Block 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Elective courseElective courseThesis
Restricted elective courseRestricted elective course

Course Table, Study Start in February

Study start in February is only for students with legal right of admission to the programme. Read about legal right of admission.

Compulsory courses in biotechnology: 7.5 ECTS
Compulsory courses in biology: 22.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses in biotechnology: 30 ECTS
Elective courses: 30 ECTS
Master's thesis: 30 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 3Block 4Block 1Block 2
Elective courseRestricted elective courseBig Data in BiotechnologyPopulationsbiologi
Elective courseElective courseRestricted elective courseMenneskets fysiologi

Year 2

Block 3Block 4Block 1Block 2
Elective courseFeltbiologi I,II, og IIIThesis
Restricted elective courseRestricted elective course

Restricted Elective Courses

Choose your restricted elective courses from the list below. Click on each course for a detailed description.

Please note: The MSc in Biotechnology with a minor subject is only for applicants with a Danish Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology including the required courses from the minor subject. The minor subject consists of courses taught in Danish, where the first part is compulsory in the Bachelor’s degree, and the remaining is part of the MSc.

You can study biotechnology with a minor subject in chemistry if you want to acquire the competences to teach or disseminate both subjects. This enables you to teach in Danish upper secondary schools.

You will also be qualified to work e.g., in other educational establishments, within research, quality management or product sales in the biotechnical industry, as a scientist at research institutions, or as consultant in governmental agencies.

See the full description of the admission requirements, as well as the knowledge, competences, and skills you obtain in the curriculum for Biotechnology with a Minor Subject >>

Programme Overview

The programme can be structured in two different ways depending on whether you start in September or February:

Course Table, Minor Subject in Chemistry, Study Start September

Compulsory courses in biotechnology: 7.5 ECTS
Compulsory courses in chemistry: 52.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 30 ECTS
Master's thesis: 30 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 1

Block 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Big Data in BiotechnologyMaterials ChemistryUorganisk kemisk synteseKemisk binding
Videregående organisk kemiRestricted elective courseRestricted elective courseAnvendt spektroskopi

Year 2

Block 1Block 2Block 3Block 4
Termodynamik og kinetikEksperimentel fysisk kemiThesis
Kemiske undervisningsforsøgRestricted elective course

Course Table, Study Start in February

Study start in February is only for students with legal right of admission to the programme. Read about legal right of admission.

Compulsory courses in biotechnology: 7.5 ECTS
Compulsory courses in chemistry: 52.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 30 ECTS
Master's thesis: 30 ECTS

One block each year equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. The table is primarily for guidance and may be subject to revision.

Year 2

Block 3Block 4Block 1Block 2
ThesisBig Data in BiotechnologyRestricted elective course
Kemiske undervisnings-forsøgRestricted elective course

Restricted Elective Courses

Choose your restricted elective courses from the list below. Click on each course for a detailed description.

Please note: The programme curriculum is for the current academic year. A revised curriculum for the coming academic year will follow.

Video: Sofie and Tawsif talk about the study programme in Biotechnology

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Career opportunities

In the Biotechnology MSc programme you will learn how to identify and solve problems in relation to biological production.

Competence Description

With an MSc degree in Biotechnology, you will, among other things, be able to:

  • use living organisms such as plants and animals to produce non-allergenic foods or biomedicine as an alternative to chemically produced medicine.
  • make organisms more resistant to the future environment and climate.
  • switch on and off genes which increase the utilisation value of plants or animals for food, energy etc.
  • develop biomedicine, bioactive components and solutions which benefit health.
  • map biological processes in living cells through changing the organism’s genes.
  • discover and develop new enzymes for use in, for instance, the food industry.

Employment

Your knowledge, communication skills and your experimental competences ensure that you have good job opportunities within many areas in Denmark as well as abroad:

  • You can work within research and development in public and private companies such as Novo Nordisk, Chr. Hansen and Novozymes.
  • You can work in companies producing foods, enzymes, drugs, textiles, new energy resources or environmentally beneficial processes.
  • You can also work with management, risk analysis, teaching and communication in either public or private companies.
  • Furthermore there are good opportunities for continuing your research at the University of Copenhagen as the biotechnological research is at a high, internationally recognised level, particularly in the molecular field involving foods, plants and animals.
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Student life

High quality education in English, a flexible study structure, excellent facilities, an international study environment, attractive and green campus areas, and the opportunity to experience life in Copenhagen, the cool capital of Denmark. These are some of the qualities about studying at Faculty of Science (SCIENCE) at University of Copenhagen that you can expect.

Throughout the year, various social activities are arranged for all SCIENCE students and for international students specifically. These activities include:

  • Introduction Days for new students 
  • A welcome programme for international students
  • International dinners, courses, and lectures
  • Sports activities such as fun runs or bicycle races
  • Career workshops

Students live in residence halls outside campus or share a flat in the Copenhagen area. You will find that the relatively small size of Copenhagen makes it easy to get around, even by bike.

Where Will I be Studying?

The Biotechnology programme is primarily based at Frederiksberg Campus.

The Frederiksberg Campus hosts part of the Faculty of Science and the veterinary area of Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. It is located a few kilometres west of the city centre in beautiful green surroundings, and Frederiksberg is a popular residential area. The Gardens, which are part of the Frederiksberg Campus, are popular with both students and locals. In the summer months, you can drop by Café Væksthuset, which is located in an old greenhouse, for a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a delicious sandwich.

At campus, you can join student clubs and societies of a more or less academic nature. Regardless of whether you are interested in choral singing, sports, the theatre or a special academic subject, there is a club for you.

Here you will find some useful links and videos about student life and housing in Copenhagen, and the welcome programme for international students at Faculty of Science.

Video: Study Science at University of Copenhagen

Meet Elizabeth and Alex who study at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. See what it is like to live and study in Denmark.

Video: SCIENCE Welcome Programme

The SCIENCE Welcome Programme is a great way for international students to be introduced to the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen.

Testimonials

Read interviews with students and graduates from the Master of Science programme (MSc) in Biotechnology.

Simon Noel Brown, MSc graduate from Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen
“It’s an incredibly exciting sector in which a lot is happening,” says Simon Noel Brown. He started his career at CMC Biologics, a pharmaceutical company in Søborg.

Why did you choose Biotechnology?

I had a good biology teacher in upper secondary school, so I found it interesting and exciting.

I was actually planning to do biology, but then someone told me about Biotechnology. Since I knew I wanted to work in the pharmaceutical sector developing medicines, this seemed an obvious choice. I wanted to work with cancer medicines, and that’s exactly what I’ve ended up doing. 

I got a shock when I started studying. I did quite badly in the first two exams. These were difficult subjects – mathematics and biophysics. I feared that I would never get through the degree programme. But when we began doing more biology it started to get really interesting.

What are you doing now?

I now work for CMC Biologics*, a contract-based company that produces medicines for other companies. For example, a customer orders a given quantity of a product, and CMC produces this. It might sound simple, but it’s not. Otherwise there would be no work for us. It could be cancer medicine, malaria medicine or something else. 

Did you feel ready for the labour market? 

Yes, but it’s a totally different world, going from writing a thesis to working in a production company. There are all sorts of documentation and traceability requirements you have to comply with. For example, if a person becomes ill from a given medicine in five years’ time, you have to be able to go back and document all the processes involved in the production.

So you have to familiarise yourself with reams of formalities, documentation systems and procedures, which you don’t learn about at university. And so there are generally many more checks and much more monitoring compared to university.

I feel that I’m very good at reading and quickly appraising new material. So, I’ve learned the necessary methods at university. I’ve tried my hand at a lot of different things at university and have done a lot of laboratory work. The combination of theory and practice during my studies has suited me well. Working with theory in practice helps you understand and remember better. So I’m good at learning new things. 

When you were doing your bachelor’s degree, did you know that you would go on to do a master’s?

Yes, I knew I wanted to do a master’s degree in Biotechnology. At the start of my master’s programme I went to Australia for six months and studied at the University of New England in Armidale. That was really great. I lived in a college, travelled around and enjoyed myself – but I also got a lot out of it academically. I had a really good chemistry professor who pushed me hard.  

What about the future? 

I’d like to go abroad in a couple of years’ time, once I’ve acquired some more competences, so I have something to offer. I may be able to apply for a job at CMC’s sister company in Seattle.

Or I might go to the USA, Germany, the UK or even Australia. As long as it is somewhere with a strong biotech sector. My girlfriend, who has an MSc in Biology and works at Novo, would also like to travel abroad.  

Would you recommend this programme to others?

Yes, if you find biology, chemistry and science exciting, it’s an enjoyable programme. There’s a lot of choice, and you can go on to do a PhD, or find a job in the private sector, as an upper secondary school teacher, or as a researcher. It’s an incredibly exciting and dynamic sector. You cannot open a newspaper without seeing headlines about new advances in the field of biotechnology, so there’s a lot of money in the sector for equipment and research. 

I would definitely recommend becoming a ‘student for a day’ and going along to the university’s open day events. I had no idea such events were held when I applied, and it could have affected my choice. 

Be sure to look at other options. You can find a lot of information on websites – also on the websites of the universities in Aarhus and Odense. I would also encourage everyone to go abroad during their studies. You get so much out of it – friendships, academic knowledge and contacts.

*Simon now works as Senior Project Manager at Novo Nordisk.

Sebastian Theobald, MSc student at Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen
Sebastian Theobald, from Germany, is doing his master’s programme in Biotechnology. "I searched for a programme where I could choose the courses I wanted. Here in Copenhagen I could choose almost everything."

Where did you study before you came to Copenhagen?

I went to Bonn University. It’s right next to Köln – 20 kilometers from there. I studied for my bachelor in Biology for three years.

And then right after my bachelor, I went to Copenhagen. I handed in my thesis, took the train and came here. The deadlines were so close because I wanted to do a language course, so I had to be here in August.

So you are learning Danish too?

Yes! Haha … jeg kan snakke lidt dansk. (‘I can say a few things in Danish’)

The language course was a good help. I came here without any knowledge of the language. It was actually pretty hard at first, because I couldn’t read the contracts I signed, I couldn’t read the signs in the supermarket, and with some people I couldn’t communicate. So it was really tough and the language course in August helped me a lot, because it was every day, and progress was fast.

So you are counting on using Danish in the future?
 

I live in this country, so I want to communicate with people in their native language, and I also want to get a job here. So it’s a requirement and it’s just better if you can speak Danish.

Did you choose Copenhagen because of the programme or did you just want to get abroad?

I think it was a combination. On one hand I really wanted to go abroad. And also the programme is pretty good. I

searched for a programme where I could choose the courses I wanted, and in other countries you had mostly quite strict structures and everything was preplanned. Here in Copenhagen, I could choose almost everything. So that was the main reason why I chose Copenhagen.

Which courses did you choose?

I began with computer programming for the life sciences, pharmaceutical analysis – so, a bit outside of biology. One course was actual plant biology and the other course was really technical … so a bit different, something interdisciplinary.

And then basic biotechnology afterwards – heterologous expression – which gave me a good basis for my work on my thesis, because it deals with everything you need for biotechnology, a broad basis.

What’s your choice of subject for your thesis?

Actually it’s a project which includes everything I learned in heterologous expression. You transfer a gene to another organism.

Heterologous expression is if a gene is transcribed to a protein in another host, which is not a native one. It makes an enzyme, for example you can produce insulin which is normally produced in us humans. You can produce it in yeast. That’s what Novo Nordisk does.

I will do genetic engineering of yeast for better protein production. If for instance the current yield of a protein which research groups are interested in is very low, I will use the genetic tools and attempt to increase this yield sufficiently, so we can use it for structural studies. And for that kind of studies you need a lot of protein.

Couldn’t you have found similar programmes somewhere else in Europe?

Well – I was in Scandinavia last summer and experienced a bit of the social system and the people and everything, so I also wanted to learn more about that too.

The education is very good and it’s free to study here, so that’s also a very good point. Because if you study in the UK it will cost you a lot of money.

What about the social life here?

We are a lot of people in the same situation, so you get together really easily. And there are a lot of social activities around here, sports you can do, and meeting places like the Friday Bar at A-vej (A-vej means A-road and refers to one of the roads in the campus), where you can have free coffee on Tuesdays and Thursdays, games you can enjoy with some friends, and the joy of just meeting people.

And Copenhagen is such a vibrant place – especially when the full degree students arrive in August and September, there’s a lot going on here. So it’s really easy to socialize in Copenhagen.

What are your plans when you finish your studies?

It would be great if I could find a job and work here for a while. I would like to become a scientist and stay in the university environment. Or maybe I’ll do my PhD in biotechnology directly after finishing my Master’s.

Would you recommend the programme to others?

I would recommend it, but I would definitely think a lot about which choices to make – about how to pick the right elective courses. Really think about what do I want to do, and where do I want to end up with my studies.

After graduation, Sebastian went on to do a PhD at the Technical University of Denmark. He now works as a Senior Computational Biologist in the pharmaceutical company LifeMine Therapeutics in the United States.

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Contact student guidance

Contact SCIENCE Student Service

Do you have questions about the programme structure, study or career opportunities, admission requirements or application procedure, please feel free to contact SCIENCE Student Services.

Contact SCIENCE Student Services

Location

  • Faculty of Science, Frederiksberg Campus, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg.
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