Transferring to MSc programme

Transferring to an MSc programme (transitional semester) and early start of studies

Please note that starting from the academic year 2025/2026, effective from September 1, 2025, new requirements have been announced for approval of a transitional semester. See the announcement and the new rules in Study Announcement s1895.

Transferring to an MSc programme (transitional semester)

Students lacking 55 ECTS credits or less in their BEng/BSc programme at DTU can apply to take MSc courses worth a total of up to 30 ECTS credits, provided that they wish to apply for admission to an MSc programme at DTU and meet the admission requirements and academic prerequisites for admission into the MSc programme in question. The student cannot be granted an exemption to take more than a total of 30 ECTS credits, regardless of how many semesters the student follows the transitional procedure. 

The desired MSc courses can be project courses. In that case, the student in their application must specify the department that delivers the special course and how many ECTS credits the individual special course constitutes.

Students must take courses or the final project as part of their BEng or BSc programme concurrently with the courses forming part of the future MSc programme. However, this rule can be waived if there are special study-related circumstances. Transfer to the MSc programme must not cause an extension of the study period for the BSc Eng/BEng programme beyond the maximum duration of the programme.

The student must file their application via a digital form found at DTU Inside under ‘Study rules’ / ‘Transferring to an MSc programme’. The application must be filled in and sent from the student email to kandidatopt@adm.dtu.dk. The decision regarding the application will be sent to the student email.

When processing the application, DTU emphasises whether the student is deemed to have the academic prerequisites to complete courses on the MSc programme concurrently with completing the BSc/BEng programme.

Deadline for applications:

  • 13-week periods: Three weeks after the beginning of the semester at the latest
  • 3-week periods in June, July, and August: 1 May
  • 3-week period in January: 15 November

Students can only apply for one semester at a time. The autumn semester runs from September to and including January, and the spring semester runs from February to and including August. 

Students who have taken MSc courses concurrently with completing their BSc/BEng programme must still comply with the study activity requirement of 5 ECTS following admission to the MSc programme. The number of transferred ECTS credits will not be deducted from the study activity requirement. 

The maximum study duration is reduced by one semester if students have passed 30 ECTS credits of MSc courses under the transitional procedure.

Registration for courses under a transitional procedure
Course registration under the transitional procedure must be done via the digital application form. If the student wishes to change his/her course during the transitional semester, including unsubscribing for a course, this must be done by sending a new, updated application form to the Study Administration via student email at studadm@adm.dtu.dk. 

Application for a master's programme after the transitional procedure
The student must apply for admission to the master's programme when they are about to complete the BEng or BSc programme. See more about applying for the master's programmes at dtu.dk under 'Master'/'How to apply for MSc programmes'. 

MSc courses passed under the transitional procedure
MSc courses passed under the transitional procedure will automatically be transferred from the BEng/BSc programme when the student is admitted to the MSc programme.

If the student chooses a different MSc study programme than that originally planned, only passed MSc courses, which are mandatory for the new study programme, will be transferred. The student can always ask to have passed electives transferred. The same rules then apply when changing the study programme.

MSc courses not passed under the transitional procedure
MSc courses not passed under the transitional procedure are binding to the student, cf. the rules on binding courses. That also applies to elective courses if the student applies for admission to the same MSc programme that they chose during the transitional procedure. Find more information on DTU Inside under 'Study Rules'/'Teaching'/ 'Binding Courses'. Thus, not passed courses will be transferred from the BEng/BSc programme when the student is admitted to the MSc programme.

If the student applies to do a different MSc study programme than that originally planned, his or her binding registration for a failed course will be cancelled unless the course is mandatory in the new study programme.

SU on completion of BEng/BSc programme
The BEng/BSc programme is completed when the grade in the last course/project on the study programme has been registered. That also applies even if the final grade is registered in the middle of the semester and even if the courses in the semester that the transfer of courses concerns are not yet concluded.

When the BEng/BSc programme is completed, the student will no longer be entitled to receive SU or a completion loan because the student is no longer enrolled in a study programme, even though the student is still following courses in the semester that the transfer of courses concerns.

Early start of studies at the MSc programme

When a student has been finally admitted to the MSc programme and thus also passed any supplementary courses, it is possible to take courses from the MSc programme in the 3-week periods leading up to the start of studies. If you start the MSc programme on 1 February, you can, therefore, take a course in January, and if you start the MSc programme on 1 September, you can take courses in July and August.

If you want to apply to take courses before the formal start of studies on the MSc programme, you must write from your student email to kandidopt@adm.dtu.dk and state which course(s) you wish to follow with course numbers. This is also evident in your admission letter.

Information about the possibility of receiving the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU) for early start of studies can be found on DTU Inside under 'Academic Offers and Guidance/State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (SU)'.

When you get a reply that it is possible to take the course, you must register for the course yourself at Studieplan.dtu.dk. Registration must be done within the registration and deregistration deadlines for the teaching period in question. See registration and deregistration deadlines on DTU Inside under 'Study rules'/'Teaching'/Registration deadlines for courses and examinations'.