**Two intakes a year — September and February** — which is rare in this catalogue and is the single most useful scheduling fact about the programme.¹ The dates are published as **standing annual deadlines** rather than as a dated calendar for one cycle, so the day and month below are SDU's and the year is our projection: **1 March** for a September start and **15 October** for a February start if you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen; **1 February** and **1 September**, both at **23:59 CET**, if you are not.¹ ³ Note the direction of that difference before you plan around it — **the non-EU deadline is the earlier of the two**, by a month, which is the opposite of what most applicants assume. Non-EU applicants also have to clear the **EUR 200 deposit** before submitting, so the real personal deadline sits a little before the published one.³ Line the dates up against the rest of the field on the [deadline tracker](/deadlines), and see [European MiMs with a January or spring intake](/blog/european-mims-with-a-january-or-spring-intake) if the February start is what brought you here.
University of Southern Denmark runs 3 application rounds. Earlier rounds generally carry higher acceptance odds and earlier scholarship visibility.
| Round | Deadline |
|---|---|
| February 2027 intake — EU/EEA/Swiss | 15 October 2026 |
| September 2027 intake — non-EU/EEA | 1 February 2027 |
| September 2027 intake — EU/EEA/Swiss | 1 March 2027 |
Dates are confirmed against the school's official admissions page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the SDU cand.merc. cost?
Nothing in tuition if you are a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland — SDU is a public Danish university. Everyone else pays EUR 15,000 per year at the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, about DKK 112,500 at SDU's own stated conversion rate, and must pay a full year ahead. A EUR 200 application deposit is also due before you can submit, and is deducted from the first tuition payment if you are admitted.
When are the SDU application deadlines?
SDU publishes standing annual deadlines rather than a dated calendar for a single cycle. EU, EEA and Swiss applicants apply by 1 March for a September start and 15 October for a February start. Non-EU and non-EEA applicants apply by 1 February for September and 1 September for February, both at 23:59 CET — so the non-EU deadline is a month earlier than the EU one, not later.
Sources
- University of Southern Denmark — Economics and Business Administration, International Business and Management, Odense (programme page: language of instruction English; campus Odense; 'February / September' intakes; 'six compulsory courses in the first two semesters (60 ECTS), 30 ECTS to be collected in elective courses in the third semester, and the master thesis in the fourth semester (30 ECTS)'; compulsory content covering 'international business strategy, international strategic partnerships, international organizational structures, marketing channels and international entrepreneurship'; the programme prepares graduates for 'classical positions in international business both in large corporations as well as in SMEs' and for roles as 'line managers, country managers, international product and brand managers, as well as product and business developers'; 'Guaranteed student housing for all internationals'; tuition for non-EU/EEA 'EUR 15,000 per year (you must pay a full year ahead)'; deadlines EU/EEA 'September intake: 1 March | February intake: 15 October' and non-EU/EEA 'September intake: 1 February | February intake: 1 September') ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Entry requirements and admission, International Business and Management (legal right of admission for 'BSc in Economics and Business Administration from SDU' and 'BSc in Market & Management Anthropology from SDU'; otherwise 'a minimum of 75 ECTS within the field of Economics and Business Administration' with at least 5 ECTS in each of microeconomics or managerial economics, accounting, corporate finance, marketing, organizational theory, statistics and methods for data collection and analysis, plus 5 ECTS theory of science and scientific methodology or a thesis of at least 15 ECTS, plus a further 35–40 ECTS in business economics; 'If you hold a relevant degree, but lack one or more specific subject areas, admission to the Master's programme will require that you follow supplementary courses'; English proficiency required 'unless your Bachelor's gives you a legal claim for admission'; selection when places are limited — legal-claim applicants first, then 3 points for meeting entry requirements without supplementary courses, 1 point for 10+ ECTS organizational theory, 1 point for 15+ ECTS quantitative analysis, and 'Available study places are offered to the applicants who achieve the highest total score. If more applicants achieve the same score, a simple average mark will be used for selection') ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Admission as a non-EU citizen, Master's (deadlines 'September intake: February 1, 23:59 (CET)' and 'February intake: September 1, 23:59 (CET)'; application deposit of EUR 200 required before submission and deducted from the first tuition payment on admission; tuition payable for the entire first year; verified official bachelor documentation required; 'In 2026, SDU aims to allocate approximately 16% of the remaining study places, following admission of applicants with a legal right of admission, to fee-paying applicants') ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Tuition fees at the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences ('Full-degree students with a non-EU/EEA-citizenship or non-Swiss-citizenship must pay tuition fees'; EUR 15,000 per year at master's level; 'The prices presented in EUR are a guideline only and subject to EUR exchange rate fluctuations. The prices presented correspond to a rate of 750 DKK per 100 EUR') ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Tuition fees (rates stated 'As of September 2026 intake', with no later table published; payment accepted only in DKK or EUR; tuition exemptions for holders of a permanent Danish residence permit, family-reunification permits, refugee status and the Ukrainian and Afghan ministerial orders, documented by uploading the residence permit or passport with the application) ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Fees and Funding ('SDU offers a very limited number of scholarships for non EU/EEA citizens. Scholarships can only be awarded for programmes offered on our campuses in Sønderborg and Vejle'; living-cost guidance is delegated to Study in Denmark's budget page rather than published by SDU) ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Get a master's degree in Economics and Business Administration (the cand.merc. hub: 'Esbjerg, Sønderborg, Kolding or Odense' as study sites; sixteen specialisations grouped under Marketing Management, Accounting and Finance, Strategy and Leadership, and Innovation, Growth and Sustainability; '1 March (start September)' and '15 October (start February)'; 2 years) ↗ — University of Southern Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark — Language requirements, Master's admission (TOEFL iBT or iBT Home Edition minimum total 83 with no section below 20; IELTS Academic minimum overall band 6.5 with no section band below 6.5; Cambridge C1 Advanced minimum 180, C2 Proficiency accepted; tests must have been taken within the last two years; exemptions for International Baccalaureate English B at standard level with a minimum score of 3 and for English passed at an EU/EEA or Danish high school with a minimum grade of 2.0) ↗ — University of Southern Denmark