Master in Biosolutions

Master in Biosolutions is one of 8 English-taught Agriculture & Environment programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 4 institutions. 8 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 2,400 to EUR 15,000; this programme lists EUR 8,700 a year. 6 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.

The MSc in Biosolutions at the University of Copenhagen trains you to develop sustainable biological production of foods, biomaterials, biologicals and environmental technologies. It is taught in English and based in Kalundborg, next to biotech companies such as Novo Nordisk and Novonesis. Most courses are run in close collaboration with the biotech industry.

What you study

The first year gives you compulsory courses that build the knowledge you need to work with and improve bio-based production in industry. You take Biosolutions in Industrial Application, Bioprocess Engineering, Data Handling and Analysis, Biological Production Hosts in Industry, Fermentation at Scale, and Downstream Processing and Refining. Each is 7.5 ECTS. You then choose restricted electives and free electives. The restricted list includes Biosolutions for Circularity and Side Stream Valorization, Quality Assessment and Legislation - From Idea to Product, Sustainable Processing and Production Systems, Project Outside Course Scope, Project in Practice, and Thesis Preparation Project. You can use electives to focus on sustainable production, development of new biosolutions, regulation and legislation, quality control or project management.

How the programme is organised

The degree is 120 ECTS over two years. Compulsory courses make up 30 ECTS, restricted electives 30 ECTS, free electives 15 ECTS, and the master's thesis 45 ECTS. One block each year is nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. Most courses use real-life cases and collaboration with the biotech industry. You can do a Project in Practice in Denmark or abroad with a company or institution, with a supervisor who approves the host and examines the final report. You can also study abroad through the Faculty of Science's exchange agreements, for one or two semesters or a summer school, with credits transferred back. The thesis takes most of your second year and is often written with a relevant company, either at the company or at the university.

Who it suits

This programme suits you if you want to work where biology meets industrial production. You should be comfortable with biochemistry, biotechnology methods and data analysis, and interested in making production more sustainable. The teaching is in Kalundborg, a biotech city with large companies and start-ups, so you will be close to the industry from day one. It helps if you like solving practical problems in a company setting rather than only working in a lab.

Admission, language and next steps

You apply through the application portal. Some bachelor's degrees meet the academic requirements automatically, including Biotechnology and Food Science from the University of Copenhagen, Engineering (Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology) from the University of Southern Denmark, Engineering (Biotechnology) and Biotechnology (diplomingeniør) from Aarhus University, Biotechnology from Aalborg University, Engineering (Life Science Engineering) with a specialisation in Biotechnology from the Technical University of Denmark, and Biotechnology (diplomingeniør) from University College Absalon. Other Danish or international degrees need 7.5 ECTS in a biological system, 15 ECTS in biochemistry or organic chemistry, 15 ECTS in biotechnology methods, 15 ECTS in statistics or mathematics, and at least 30 ECTS from courses with experimental laboratory exercises. You must also meet the English B requirement. Applications from Danish, EU, EEA and Swiss applicants are due 1 March; applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland apply by 15 January. Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland study free of charge; other students pay a fee set by the institution. If qualified applicants exceed the 40 places, priority goes to total ECTS in relevant courses and grades in those courses. The programme starts 1 September 2027, with applications due 15 January 2027.

Master’s applications go straight to University of Copenhagen, not through optagelse.dk, and the institution sets its own deadline. The register shows 15 January 2027 as the next deadline for this programme. Intake, as the register states it: Starts 1 September 2027 (apply by 15 January 2027). 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.