The University of Southern Denmark (SDU), founded in 1966, has its main campus in Odense and campuses in Esbjerg, Kolding, Sønderborg, Slagelse and Copenhagen. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it climbed 20 places to 283rd in the world, its best-ever result, and was the fourth-highest-ranked university in Denmark. It’s known for health sciences, engineering, robotics, business and the humanities.
SDU offers several bachelor’s programmes in English, and nearly all international applicants are assessed through an online admission test. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on SDU’s own guidance and official Danish government information.
1. Choose an English-taught bachelor’s programme
SDU offers a number of bachelor’s programmes taught in English, such as Electronics and Economics and Business Administration in Sønderborg, Engineering, Innovation and Business, and European Studies. Check each programme’s page for its campus, language and requirements. SDU bachelor’s programmes.
2. Apply through optagelse.dk by 15 March
You apply for bachelor’s programmes at SDU, and at other Danish universities, through the national admissions portal, optagelse.dk, which opens on 1 February. You can apply for up to eight programmes in total, and the deadline for applicants with international qualifications is 15 March at 12 noon (Central European Time). Late applications aren’t accepted, and if you don’t have a Danish personal number, you also need to send a signed signature page by the same deadline.
3. Get your qualifications recognised
Your upper secondary qualifications must be recognised as equivalent to a Danish upper secondary education, and you must meet the specific subject requirements for your programme. SDU: admission with exams from outside the EU/EEA.
4. Prepare for the uniTEST
All non-EU applicants are invited to SDU’s admission test, the uniTEST, because their grades can’t be converted to the Danish grading scale. The test is taken online between late March and late April, and SDU now uses test-based admission for nearly all its programmes, so your result decides whether you get a place.
5. Pay the application fee before the deadline
From the September 2026 intake, applicants from outside the EU/EEA must pay an application fee of €200 before the application deadline, or SDU won’t process their application. Some residence permits, such as a permanent Danish residence permit, exempt you from the fee.
6. Prove your English
For English-taught programmes, you’ll need to document English at the level SDU requires, through your school qualification or a recognised test. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests.
7. Understand the fees
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t pay tuition fees. Other students pay fees set for each programme, for example €15,000 a year for Economics and Business Administration in Sønderborg and €17,300 a year for Electronics, and SDU asks you to pay a full year in advance. Check your programme’s page for its current fee.
8. Look at the campus and housing
SDU’s campuses are in cities that are generally cheaper than Copenhagen, which can help your budget. Start looking for accommodation as soon as you’re admitted, especially if you’re studying in a smaller city with fewer student rooms.
9. Apply for your residence permit
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t need a permit to study in Denmark, but they must register for an EU residence document if they stay more than three months. Other students apply to the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) for a residence permit once SDU has admitted them, paying a processing fee and creating a case order ID first. You must show that you can support yourself with DKK 7,426 a month (2026 level), up to a maximum of DKK 89,112 if you’ll study for more than a year, and paying your first semester’s tuition counts as part of your documentation. From 1 October 2026, students on state-approved programmes can no longer bring a spouse, partner or children as accompanying family members. New to Denmark: higher education.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
As a student on a state-approved programme, you get a limited work permit: up to 90 hours a month from September to May, and full time in June, July and August. When you complete your degree, you’re normally entitled to a job-seeking permit with the same work rights. If you applied for your residence permit on or after 1 October 2026, this is generally 6 months or 1 year (it was previously up to 3 years). If you get a job offer, you can apply for a new residence and work permit based on the job.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at SDU?
SDU offers many master’s programmes in English, each with its own requirements and deadlines, and non-EU applicants usually have earlier deadlines. PhD positions in Denmark are usually paid and advertised by each faculty. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one university to give yourself options. Read our guides to the University of Copenhagen, DTU, Aarhus University and Aalborg University. Our guide to studying in Denmark explains how the Danish system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Southern Denmark’s official admissions and programme pages, Danish government sources and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on SDU’s website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Southern Denmark.