Master in Biotechnology

Master in Biotechnology is one of 5 English-taught Biotechnology programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 3 institutions. 4 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 7,455 to EUR 8,700; this programme lists EUR 8,700 a year. 4 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students. The same programme title is offered at 2 institutions, so compare the content, campus and requirements before you choose.

The MSc in Biotechnology at the University of Copenhagen is a two-year master's programme taught in English. It builds on a bachelor's degree in biotechnology or a closely related field and mixes theory with a lot of laboratory work. You learn to use biological systems to develop environmentally friendly solutions, make organisms more resilient to climate change, and create sustainable food and products.

What you study

The programme starts with the compulsory course Big Data in Biotechnology (7.5 ECTS). After that, you choose restricted elective courses (37.5 ECTS) and elective courses (15 ECTS) that shape your degree around your interests. The programme ends with a 60 ECTS master's thesis in your second year, where you can work in a laboratory or with data analysis. Recent thesis projects have been done with companies such as Novo Nordisk and Novonesis, and with Oxford University. Examples of thesis subjects include yeast that produce vanilla, frost-resistant tomatoes, genes in grass for golf courses, cell recognition and drugs for specific cells, and biotechnology for non-slurry smelling pigs.

If you hold a Danish bachelor's degree in Biotechnology, you can also take a minor subject in biology or chemistry alongside the programme.

How the programme is organised

Teaching is in English, including lectures, seminars, practical and theoretical exercises, and a high proportion of project work. You work both independently and in project groups. The programme is structured in blocks: one block equals nine weeks of study and 15 ECTS. If you start in September, you follow the course table for a September start; if you start in February, you begin in blocks three and four.

You can use elective courses to do a project in practice in Denmark or abroad, for example with a company or institution. You need a supervisor who approves the host company and guides you through the project and the final oral examination. You can also study abroad for one or two semesters at a partner university, or take a summer school, and transfer the credits back. The Faculty of Science has around 100 Erasmus+ exchange agreements and more than 100 university-wide agreements outside Europe.

Who it suits

This programme suits you if you want to work with biotechnology in practice, not just in theory. You should be comfortable in a laboratory and interested in data analysis, since Big Data in Biotechnology is compulsory and the thesis can combine lab work with data. You should also be ready to work in project groups and to take responsibility for your own course choices. The programme is taught in English, so you need to be able to follow lectures, write reports and present your work in English.

Admission, language and next steps

To apply, you need a qualifying bachelor's degree or another relevant Danish or foreign degree that the admission board assesses as meeting the academic requirements. If you hold a bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from the University of Copenhagen, you have a legal right of admission and are guaranteed a place if you apply by the deadline. You can wait up to three years after finishing your bachelor's to start the master's.

If you have another Danish or international degree, you are eligible if your programme includes 15 ECTS in a biological system (plants, animals or microbiology), 15 ECTS in biochemistry or organic chemistry, 15 ECTS in biotechnology methods, and at least 30 ECTS in total from courses with experimental laboratory exercises. You must also meet the English B language requirement.

Applications for master's programmes go directly to the University of Copenhagen through its application portal. The deadline for applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland is 15 January for a September start. For applicants from within the EU, EEA and Switzerland, the deadline is 1 March for a September start. There is also a February start for applicants with a legal right of admission, with a deadline of 15 October. The university does not offer pre-assessment of your educational background, so compare your courses with the requirements before you apply.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland study free of charge. Other students pay a tuition fee set by the institution, and applicants from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland also pay an application deposit.

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.