Full-time Master’s Degree Programme (2 years)
| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (See if this programme also offers a January/February start for international applicants) | Programme type: Full-time Master’s Degree Programme (2 years) |
The two-year MSc programme in Economics allows students to design their own academic profile through their selection of courses. Students can choose either the general programme in Economics or the specialisation in Public Policy, which combines courses in economics and political science.
The general programme in Economics offers courses in the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and finance, and the students are allowed to create a personal academic profile within one or across several of these fields. Compulsory progression between courses ensures students' academic development. Each year, the department offers about 25 elective courses so there are plenty of opportunities to combine courses to create a specific profile. The courses are taught at an advanced academic level and require that students are interested in and are thoroughly versed in economic theory, mathematics, econometrics and finance. In the fourth semester the programme is concluded by writing a Master’s thesis under supervision of faculty members from the Department of Economics and Business Economics.
The specialisation in Public Policy consists of four compulsory courses in economics and public policy that are supplemented with elective courses from the economics and political science programmes. In the fourth semester the programme is concluded by writing a Master’s thesis under supervision of faculty members from the Department of Economics and Business Economics and the Department of Political Science.
As an MSc student, you will be based at the Department of Economics and Business Economics and become part of an ambitious and international academic environment. The department is known for its high academic standards and close collaboration with leading researchers from around the world. It ranks high in international rankings and hosts several research centres that support a vibrant academic environment.
The department is characterised by international diversity, with more than one-third of faculty members and PhD students having an international background. The international atmosphere provides the basis for an enriched and challenging student life.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the master's degree programme in Economics. Depending on your educational background and your qualifications, there are different ways to meet the admission requirements:
This section is relevant for you, if you have:
The two sections listed below are relevant only for students with a bachelor's degree from a Danish institution:
Below these sections, you can learn more about the English language requirement. You can also find out which ranking criteria we use to assess your application when prioritizing among the submitted applications.
If you have an international educational background, you must meet both the general admission requirement and the specific admission requirements:
You must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent that is comparable to a Danish bachelor's degree in both level and duration (180 ECTS).
For more information about how your bachelor's degree is assessed, please see the national database.
If you meet the general admission requirement, the university will continue on to assess whether or not you meet the specific admission requirements.
You can be admitted to the master's programme if the university assesses that your education has a level, scope, and content that corresponds to the academic requirements specified below.
| Subject area | Number of ECTS |
| Microeconomics | 20 |
| Macroeconomics | 20 |
| Statistics and Econometrics | 20 |
| Accounting, Finance and Investment | 20 |
| Mathematics | 15 |
| Total | 95 |
Certain Professional Bachelor's degrees or similar covering specific subject areas from other Danish institutions have been determined to fullfill the admission requirements to this master's degree programme:
| If you hold a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Aarhus University, you are qualified if you have passed the following electives in your 5th semester: |
One of the following courses:
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Two of the following courses:
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We cannot assess in advance whether your specific degree will meet the above requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for the programme if you believe that you meet the academic requirements. In this regard, it is a good idea to compare your degree with the programmes that provide direct admission.
As of the summer 2027 admission round, a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration with the above mentioned electives will no longer fulfill the admission requirements.
The following bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University entitles you to an offer of admission to the master's degree programme in Economics:
Please note that the you must apply for admission to the master's degree programme witin three years of completing your bacherlor's degree programme.
Learn more about 'Legal right of admission'
Certain bachelor's degree programmes from Aarhus University and various other Danish Universities have been determined to meet the admission requirements to this master's degree programme in Economics:
If you hold a Bachelor’s degree from a non-Danish university, you must complete the appendix below and upload it to the application portal. The appendix helps the academic assessors with the assessment of your application.
Download appendix
All Master’s degree programmes at Aarhus University have limited intake. This means that you are not guaranteed admission even if you meet the entry requirements. When we prioritize among applicants, we assess your application based on a set of fixed ranking criteria, which you can see below.
If you have a legal right of admission, you are guaranteed a place in the programme and do not need to consider the ranking criteria.
Ranking criteria:
* The relevant subject fields are evaluated based on the following point system: 1 point per additional ECTS within the relevant field. You can earn a maximum of 15 points in this criterion. Example: If you have 25 ECTS in a relevant field where the requirement is 20 ECTS, you will receive 5 points.
In order to be admitted to this programme you must meet the university's English language requirements.
Students with bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'Legal right of admission' are exempt from the English language requirement.
Unfortunately, Aarhus University is not able to assess your qualifications beforehand. In order for your qualifications to be assessed you must apply for admission. To learn more, please go to Assessment of your qualifications.
Here you can finde the academic regulations for the programme
At the Department of Economics and Business Economics, you will become part of an active and welcoming academic community where there are plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow students, engage with faculty and become involved in the wider student community.
The department is located in the newly developed University City, right next to the spectacular City Auditorium. Here, you will find modern teaching facilities, lecture halls and study areas, as well as the offices of faculty members. The campus brings together students from different economics and business administration programmes, creating a lively environment where you can meet people across disciplines.
Teaching typically combines lectures with smaller classroom tutorials, giving you opportunities to explore key topics in depth, ask questions and engage in academic discussions. Close contact between students and lecturers helps create an open and collaborative learning environment.
There is more to university life than studying. At the department, student organisations contribute to an active and varied environment with academic events, company visits, study trips and social activities throughout the year.
Getting involved can be a good way to meet other students, pursue your interests and build a network alongside your studies whether you are new to Aarhus or already know the city.
Økonomisk Forening (ØF)
At the Department of Economics, Økonomisk Forening organises both social and academic activities for students and staff. ØF hosts academic seminars, courses and study trips in Denmark and abroad. In addition, ØF organises Friday bars and a number of larger parties each semester.
Oeconrådet
If you would like to help improve the study environment – both academically and socially – you can become part of Oeconrådet. Here, you will also gain insight into how decisions are made at the department and at the university as a whole.
Kvindeligt Økonomisk Netværk (KØN)
The Department of Economics also has an association for female students. Its purpose is to create a network for female students across classes and year groups, helping to strengthen the community and make student life at the department even more enjoyable.
FinanceLab
The student organisation FinanceLab connects the financial industry with the academic world, which is beneficial to economics students.
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Economics graduates are in very high demand in the job market. Many graduates achieve top executive positions in the corporate world (e.g. financial institutions and consulting firms) or management advisory positions in the public sector (e.g. ministries and local authorities). Graduates of Economics enjoy some of the highest lifetime earnings and lowest unemployment rates among university graduates in Denmark.
Students who are interested in pursuing an academic career may also progress to the PhD programme. There are options for both a three-year programme for students having completed their master degree and a four-year programme, where students are enrolled after having completed the first year of the master programme.
Below you can see the typical job categories and industries that our graduates from the two tracks Economics and Public Policy work in.
The distribution of graduates working in the private and public sectors is as follows:
The distribution of graduates working in the private and public sectors is as follows:
These analyses are based on Aarhus BSS graduates from 2015–2025 and were conducted in 2026. The information reflects the most recent job and industry identified at the time of the analysis. Data were gathered from publicly available sources and interpreted with the assistance of large language models. Although a sample of results was manually verified, the findings may involve incompleteness or classification uncertainty.
