Master in International Business and Politics (MSc)

Master in International Business and Politics (MSc) is one of 7 English-taught International Business programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 5 institutions. 7 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 3,582 to EUR 15,000; this programme lists EUR 8,000 a year. 5 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

The MSc in International Business and Politics at Copenhagen Business School is a two-year, full-time master's programme taught in English. It is built for students who want to understand how companies, markets and governments interact, and who are ready to work with theory, data and real-world cases rather than political debate.

What you study

The programme rests on four academic streams: business economics, business strategies, international business regulation, and business and public policy. In the first semester you take four mandatory core courses, one for each theme:

• Analysis of Industry and Competition (7.5 ECTS)
• International Business: Market and Non-market Strategies (7.5 ECTS)
• Applied International Political Economy (7.5 ECTS)
• Applied Policy Analysis (7.5 ECTS)

The second semester has two mandatory methods courses, Advanced Quantitative Methods and Advanced Mixed Methods (7.5 ECTS each), followed by two specialised courses in your chosen specialisation. You pick one of four:

• Business Economics: optional courses include Topics in Public Economics and Advanced Macroeconomics.
• Business Strategies: optional courses examine people management, innovation processes and how firms access, transfer and use globally dispersed knowledge.
• International Business Regulation: optional courses look at distribution problems in the governance of the green transition and global risk management.
• Business and Public Policy: optional courses cover corruption in developed and developing countries and evidence-based policymaking.

The Business and Public Policy stream uses policymaking simulations, negotiation exercises and real-world situations. Across the programme you analyse firm decisions, market and non-market strategies, the institutions that mediate between markets and states, and how states and businesses respond to sustainability, inequality and market uncertainty.

How the programme is organised

The degree is 120 ECTS over two years. The first year is structured: four core courses in the autumn, two methods courses in the spring, then your specialisation courses. The third semester (30 ECTS) is open, with electives, an internship, an exchange or CEMS. The fourth semester is the 30 ECTS master's thesis. Exams are a mix of written on-campus exams, written assignments and oral exams, some individual and some group. The programme has 135 students, 27% from outside Denmark, and an average age of 24.5.

Who it suits

You should have prior knowledge in either business or politics and be willing to strengthen the side you lack. The programme is analytical, not a debate club: you need curiosity about the structures behind power, policy and markets. It helps if you follow international affairs and want to work on global challenges such as the green transition, international regulation or inequality.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is in English. The natural progression is from the BSc in International Business and Politics at CBS, but the programme welcomes students from diverse academic backgrounds. Apply directly to CBS for the master's programme. Check the entry requirements and programme regulations on the CBS website, and use Open Day and master events to meet students and staff before you apply.

Master’s applications go straight to Copenhagen Business School, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, residence permits and housing.