Prerequisites for Computer Science and Engineering
Academic requirements for this programme
National Applicants (holding a Bachelor from Denmark)
The following BSc Eng programmes at DTU give students legal right of admission to the MSc Eng Programme in Computer Science and Engineering:
Students from the following bachelor programmes at DTU have access to be admitted to the MSc Eng Programme in Computer Science and Engineering:
Students from the following bachelor programmes from outside DTU have access to be admitted to the MSc Eng Programme in Computer Science and Engineering:
- B Eng in Software Technology (AU, SDU)
- B Eng in Software Technology Engineering (VIA)
- BSc Eng in Software (AAU)
- BSc in Computer Science (AAU, AU, KU, RUC, SDU)
- BSc in Software Development (ITU)
- BSc in Software Engineering (SDU, University of the Faroe Islands)
Students with similar qualifications can be admitted after individual evaluation.
It is expected that students themselves can acquire any prerequisites within computer science that they may be missing due to an atypical background.
In order to get the optimal benefit of the MSc Eng programme, it is recommended that the elective parts of the bachelor education are used to build up the right prerequisites for the desired study plan.
Students with a BSc Eng in Artificial Intelligence and Data from DTU have access to be admitted subject to having completed courses as follows:
It is mandatory to take at least three of the following courses and it is strongly recommended to take all four:
| 02141 | Computer Science Modelling | 10 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) and Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02156 | Logical Systems and Logic Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| 02157 | Functional Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02161 | Software Engineering 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
Furthermore it is recommended to take at least one of the following courses:
| 02110 | Algorithms and Data Structures 2 | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02155 | Computer Architecture and Engineering | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 02159 | Operating Systems | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02162 | Software Engineering 2 | 10 | point | Autumn E3 (Tues 8-12, Fri 13-17) |
| 02170 | Database Systems | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
Students with a BSc Eng in Cyber Technology from DTU have access to be admitted subject to having completed courses as follows:
It is mandatory to take at least three of the following courses and it is strongly recommended to take all four:
| 02105 | Algorithms and Data Structures 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02141 | Computer Science Modelling | 10 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) and Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02157 | Functional Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02161 | Software Engineering 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
Furthermore it is recommended to take at least two of the following courses:
| 02110 | Algorithms and Data Structures 2 | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02155 | Computer Architecture and Engineering | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 02156 | Logical Systems and Logic Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| 02159 | Operating Systems | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02162 | Software Engineering 2 | 10 | point | Autumn E3 (Tues 8-12, Fri 13-17) |
| 02170 | Database Systems | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02180 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 5 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) |
Students with a BSc Eng in Electrical Engineering from DTU have access to be admitted subject to having completed courses as follows:
It is mandatory to take at least two of the following courses and it is strongly recommended to take all three:
| 02105 | Algorithms and Data Structures 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02155 | Computer Architecture and Engineering | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 02161 | Software Engineering 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
Furthermore it is recommended to take at least two of the following courses:
| 02110 | Algorithms and Data Structures 2 | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02141 | Computer Science Modelling | 10 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) and Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02156 | Logical Systems and Logic Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| 02157 | Functional Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02159 | Operating Systems | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02162 | Software Engineering 2 | 10 | point | Autumn E3 (Tues 8-12, Fri 13-17) |
| 02170 | Database Systems | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02180 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 5 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) |
Students with a BSc Eng in Applied Mathematics from DTU have access to be admitted subject to having completed courses as follows:
It is mandatory to take at least four of the following courses and it is strongly recommended to take all five:
| 02105 | Algorithms and Data Structures 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02141 | Computer Science Modelling | 10 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) and Spring F4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02156 | Logical Systems and Logic Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17) |
| 02157 | Functional Programming | 5 | point | Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12) |
| 02161 | Software Engineering 1 | 5 | point | Spring F2A (Mon 13-17) |
Furthermore it is recommended to take at least two of the following courses:
| 02110 | Algorithms and Data Structures 2 | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02155 | Computer Architecture and Engineering | 5 | point | Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17) |
| 02159 | Operating Systems | 5 | point | Autumn E2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02162 | Software Engineering 2 | 10 | point | Autumn E3 (Tues 8-12, Fri 13-17) |
| 02170 | Database Systems | 5 | point | Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12) |
| 02180 | Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 5 | point | Spring F3A (Tues 8-12) |
Other students with a relevant BSc Eng or B Eng degree from Denmark may be admitted subject to an individual evaluation.
The required level may be gauged by comparison with the contents of the DTU courses listed above.
International Applicants (holding a Bachelor from outside Denmark)
The MSc in Computer Science and Engineering programme requires a bachelor degree in computer science or related fields, for example a BSc Eng in Software Technology degree. Students with a bachelor degree in related fields can be admitted if they can document competences as described below. To be eligible for admission, applicants must document a relevant Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent). Applicants must have completed a minimum of 75 ECTS credits within the subject groups defined below:
- 20 ECTS mathematics and theoretical computer science
- 20 ECTS programming and computational thinking
- 10 ECTS algorithmic foundations and system performance
- 25 ECTS software technology and computer engineering
The assessment will be based on completed and documented courses. Admission is based on an overall academic assessment. Meeting the minimum ECTS requirements does not in itself guarantee admission.
Limited intake and selection criteria
The master's degree programme has a limited intake. Meeting the admission requirements does not automatically ensure your offer of admission. Because of the limited intake all qualified applicants will be prioritised according to a set of selection criteria and a point-based system.
Only if you are a student with a Bachelor’s degree from a Danish institution and meet one of the four criterias listed below will you be guaranteed an offer of admission:
- Legal right of admission
- Direct admission
- Students who have been conditionally admitted under the Supplementary admission
- Pre-approved students under the *Transition semester* category
Other National and International applicants
Selection criteria
If there are more qualified applicants than available student places, the selection will be based on the following criteria:
Evaluation Criteria and Weighting:
Criterion | Max Points | Details |
Academic Performance | 80 | Based on overall GPA, and GPA within the prerequisites for admission and grade harmonization, additional number of ECTS within the defined subject areas |
Signs of academic excellence | 10 | Research/Publications/Awards (Minimum Bachelor level) |
Study-related work | 10 | Industry, internships, projects within Industry (Minimum Bachelor level) |
The minimum point requirement for the programme will be determined based on the overall competitiveness of the other applicants.
General admission requirements
Only applicants holding a relevant Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a Bachelor in Engineering (diplomingeniøruddannelse) or a Bachelor of Natural Science degree can be admitted to a Master of Science in Engineering programme. The bachelor's degree must be less than ten years old.
Supplementary educational activities (only applicable for National students): The individual MSc Eng programme states in detail which bachelor programmes qualify and whether applicants must complete supplementary educational activities. Requirements for supplementary educational activities can equate to up to 30 ECTS credits and are specified as a list of courses under the individual MSc Eng programmes. The specific requirements must be met before graduating from the bachelor's programme or in connection with conditional admission to a particular MSc Eng programme. The courses must be passed prior to the commencement of studies within one year from the conditional admission. Supplementary educational activities in connection with conditional admission to an MSc Eng programme do not form part of the MSc Eng programme, and tuition fees are charged. If the supplementary courses have not been passed within the specified deadlines, the conditional admission to the programme is withdrawn.
The Master of Science in Engineering programmes are offered in English. Therefore applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English (B-level, IELTS, TOEFL, CAE) Applying for an MSc at DTU - Language test requirements
DTU offers an Honours Programme as part of all MSc Eng. programmes. The admission requirements are described at https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/honours-programmes
Specific prerequisites for the Industry MSc Eng Programmes
The prerequisites are similar to the specific ones that apply to the 2-year-programmes, but in addition, the applicant must have a job relevant to the studies with a workload of at least 25 hours a week, or the applicant may be self-employed in a start-up company. Read more about the rules on https://www.dtu.dk/english/education/graduate/industry-master-of-science-in-engineering
