Ranging from its luscious mountains, picturesque cities, standard education system, to welfare economic status, Denmark is a dream country for many. The country has consistently featured on the top list for higher studies ranking and placed fifth in the recent rankings of 2019.
Naturally, a lot of international students aspire to go to Denmark for higher studies and potentially make a career there. As a Schengen country, the facilities for foreigners in education and work are immense. In this article, we explore how Bangladeshi students can pursue higher studies in Denmark.
Why Study in Denmark?
In addition to consistently featuring in the overall top position globally, the universities of Denmark are also some of the bests in the world for different streams. Most of the universities consistently rank on top of the QS world university ranking.
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Danish universities also offer some of the best research facilities at all higher study levels. The classwork and lectures are all interactive where participation is of paramount importance.
And the best thing? Students are not required to show bank solvency documents to get accepted and move to Denmark to pursue their education. For many Bangladeshis, this is a golden opportunity to study abroad without an initial cost burden.
Moving on, the country has a high employment rate at over 65% with graduates having an even higher placement rate than the national median. With excellent economic performance, robust culture, and cosmopolitan cities, Denmark can be an easy choice for higher studies and potential settlement.
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Scopes of Higher Studies in Denmark
For anyone wishing to pursue their higher studies in Denmark, there are three options – bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. However, there are a few caveats. Let’s look at each of the opportunities individually. We’ll also explore the cost breakdowns for each level so that you can get a clear idea of the overall expense.
How to get admission in Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the first level of getting into Denmark through higher studies. Most bachelors require the prospective student to complete at least 12 years of education in their home country to be eligible for bachelors.
But in Denmark, a prospective student needs 13 years of education - which means to study for one additional year in a local university of the student’s home country after completion of Higher Secondary Degree- to be eligible for pursuing bachelors. This might often deter a student from pursuing bachelor’s in Denmark in addition to others that we will discuss later.
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As for the application process, it starts around February and runs through March for the fall intake. Some universities might start the application as early as October of the previous year. So make sure you’re prepared accordingly.
For application, the document requirements are fairly standard. Students will need –
1. Educational Transcripts
2. IELTS/ TOEFL scores
3. Statement of Purpose
4. 2 Letter of Recommendation
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That’s about it for the application. Many people wonder whether it’s possible to study in Denmark for free. Unfortunately, it’s not possible.
Denmark only offers free higher education to the natives and citizens of the EU and Switzerland. If you don’t qualify for any of the two, you will need to pay a tuition fee. The general tuition fee for each year runs between 6000 to 12,000 euros based on courses. That roughly amounts to 6,18,750 BDT to 12,37,501 BDT respectively (1 EUR = 103.13 BDT).
Masters degree admission process in Denmark
The process of getting into masters is also similar to the bachelors. Students will have to complete 16 years of formal education to be eligible for a master’s course in Denmark.
Masters in Denmark are of two types – 1-year masters and 2-year masters. Depending on the stream and major, the course duration will be determined.
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The application process is similar to the bachelors. The application windows are also the same. In addition to the standard requirements, most masters will require a research plan to be submitted along with the application.
In case the applicant wants to change streams, for example, if they come from a science background wishing to do an MBA, Denmark requires a mandatory pre-masters course for such students. This is done to acclimatize the students to the new curriculum and stream.
The tuition fee for masters per year is the same as bachelors. However, specialized streams might run as high as 35,000 Euros or 36,09,380 BDT per year.
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How to find a Phd opportunity in Denmark
The process of a Ph.D. is also similar to the masters. To be eligible for Ph.D. candidacy, students will have to complete 17 or 18 years of formal education based on the duration of their masters. However, there’s a second option. Instead of a 3-year Ph.D., potential graduates can combine an integrated masters and Ph.D. program together for a total duration of 5 years.
The application process varies depending on the university and integrated courses aren’t also commonly available. The tuition fees are the same as bachelors and masters.
Scholarship Opportunities for Internatial Students in Denmark
Scholarship opportunities in Denmark are rare. There aren’t as many scholarship opportunities as the likes of the USA or Canada or even Germany have. It's also especially low for the bachelor's program with the existing opportunities geared towards masters and Ph.D. students.
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The existing scholarship opportunities include –
1. Nordplus
2. Erasmus
3. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters
4. Fullbright
5. Denmark Government Scholarship for Non-EU students
6. The State Education Support.
Cost of Living in Denmark
The cost of living in Denmark is quite high. Being a Schengen country the cost of rent, living, and food are somewhat higher compared to its other European counterparts.
A student living in Denmark can expect to spend around 600 to 800 Euro per month on living costs which roughly translates to about 61,875 BDT to 82,500 BDT. Even if you are living in a metropolis like Copenhagen, this much will cover your basic livelihood. But of course, it might be higher depending on personal expenses and habits.
Job Scopes in Denmark
Denmark offers part-time job opportunities to incoming foreign students. A foreign student can work 20 hours a week as a part-time job both on and off campus. During the summer break, they are allowed to work full time without any time cap.
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Denmark has a high minimum wage ratio so students can easily cover either their tuition or living expenses with part-time jobs.
After graduation, students are required to get an Establishment Card which allows them up to 2 years to get a job in Denmark after graduation.
Permanent Residency in Denmark
Schengen countries are notorious for difficult and long PR processes. Realistically, a student who graduated from a Danish institution with a minimum bachelor’s degree can expect to get a PR in about 8 years.
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Of the 8 years, they need to be employed permanently for at least 3.5 years leading up to the PR application.
Final Words
So far, we have discussed how students from Bangladesh can study bachelor, masters or PhD in Denmark at low cost or with scholarship. Denmark can be a perfect destination if you’re looking for world-class education and a secured career path. The country has a near-zero crime rate, an excellent work environment, amazing research facilities, and many more to excite prospective students.
However, the cost might play a role for non-EU students wishing to study in Denmark. But if you can manage one of the many available scholarships, it will certainly become easy to pursue higher education here.
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