Copenhagen Business School (CBS)

The Copenhagen Business School (CBS) was established in 1917 and has grown to be one of the largest business schools in Europe with around 20,000 students. It is considered one of the top business schools in the world and, with more than 50 per cent of the academics recruited from abroad, one with a truly international academic environment.

Academic Highlights

CBS is considered a world leader in the fields of finance, economics, accounting, production, marketing, strategic management and organisation. It aims to develop business leaders who can operate in a wider social, political and cultural context.

Location

CBS operates out of four striking modern buildings in the fashionable Copenhagen suburb of Frederiksberg.

Did you know?

CBS offers special programs to help international students acclimatise including Crash Course Week, a social, cultural evening activity program that takes place two weeks before the semester begins.

Handbook/Catalogue

Undergraduate courses
Graduate courses

It is expected by CBS that exchange students will study a full load courses for a semester, that is a total of 30 ECTS.

Full-time Credit Load Equivalents

ECTS = European Credit Transfer System

Academic Calendar

CBS ‘Fall’ semester (Monash semester 2): early September – late December/early January
CBS ‘Spring’ semester (Monash semester 1): late January – late June

Dates and deadlines, and scroll down to Exchange calendar.

Note

• The listed disciplines are not necessarily exhaustive and other fields of study might also be available at the institution.
• Approval to study particular subjects at any institution is always at the discretion of the departmental/discipline and faculty advisers in your managing faculty(ies) and subject to available places at the host.

Important notes

Due to the popularity of this partner institution, for semester 1, 2026 onwards Monash students can only apply to study here on exchange for one semester.

To begin your application and study plan, click the button below.

Apply here

Have you been to Copenhagen Business School and want to share your experience? 
Let us know about your exchange via this survey form and your testimonial could be shown here!

Aimi Tran
Bachelor of Commerce/Laws
Semester 1, 2017

Study Experience

Copenhagen Business School has several campuses and is a very urban university. It has modern facilities and is considered very prestigious for business studies not only in Denmark, but also Europe. I loved the opportunity to study units like Introduction to Sustainable Business and Tourism, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship offered at CBS. Denmark is a very progressive country, and their universities reflect this. I also had a chance to learn the Danish language. Another unique aspect of the Danish education system is that they often have 100% exams, rather than smaller assessments during the semester. Two out of four of my exams were oral exams, which was a unique experience.

Culture

In some ways, Copenhagen (or as you'll find out in Danish is København) is very similar to Melbourne. It's urban, progressive and has a good food and bar culture. However, there are slight nuances about Danish culture which make it very different to living in Australia. Notably, I was only able to discover these slight nuances through meeting Danes, so I would encourage you to get to know your buddy assigned through CBS and/or try to make Danish friends in classes. The Danish stereotype is somewhat true - Danes can be reserved and shy. They view small talk as generic and are not as open or friendly to talking to strangers as Australians. However, their English is near perfect, and once you get past the initial layer of being a 'stranger' they are some of the most friendly and warm people I have ever met. One of my favourite parts about living in Copenhagen was that biking is the main mode of transport. Unlike the urban sprawl of Melbourne and its suburbs, Copenhagen is considered a 'big small city'. Any two points in the city are not far from each other, and everything is within biking distance.

Benefits of going on exchange

Studying in a different country has exposed me to different learning/teaching techniques and styles. As I mentioned, I had several oral exams, which developed my oral skills and confidence presenting content and information in an oral context. Further, CBS offered electives that I would not be able to take here at Monash, and has developed my understanding of areas of sustainability that I am interested in.

Career Benefits

It was great meeting people from all over the world. Given the workplace is becoming increasingly globalised, I think it is a good thing to be aware of other cultures and have had the opportunity to work with them. I did a group assignment with a Canadian student and Czech student, and it was a great opportunity to see their different working styles.

Money and Budgeting

Copenhagen is an expensive city. However, I think working with any budget would be manageable. I found that eating out was one of the things that I had to budget for, and most nights I cooked in. The most expensive part of my trip was my personal travels. I think it is possible to keep it at approx $15,000 for 5 months in Copenhagen including flights, accommodation and living costs if you exclude any extra personal travel.

Top tips

• Make as many new friends as possible. But definitely try and meet some people from the actual country you're visiting!
• Make an effort to learn some of the language, even if they speak English. It's fun and helps integrate you more into the culture.
• Although tempting, don't do too much travel/weekend trips. I did most of my travel before/after exchange. I liked staying grounded in the one place and feeling like I actually 'lived' in Copenhagen, rather than jet setting every second weekend