After the assessment - what next?
This page explains what is in the assessment from the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science and how to make use of it.
How to use the assessment report
You can use the assessment in Denmark: when applying for a job, for admission to a study programme or for membership of an unemployment fund.
Further study or training
When applying for admission you can include a copy of the assessment report to help the admissions officers understand your qualifications. It is always up to the individual educational institution to decide whether you are eligible for admission to a specific programme. However, the level of education indicated by the assessment is binding on the educational institution when it decides whether you satisfy the general entry requirements.
Specific admission requirements may apply to the study programme in question. In higher education, there are often requirements concerning grades obtained and subjects studied in your previous education. The educational institution decides whether you fulfil the specific requirements.
If you hold a degree equivalent to a Danish Master's degree, you can only enter a degree programme if there are vacant study places. This rule does not apply to adult education programmes and programmes under the Ministry of Culture.
The application deadline for most higher education programmes, for students with foreign qualifications, is 15 March, 12:00 noon. If you apply for a Master's degree programme, you can find the application deadline and procedure on the university's website. If you apply for a programme in English and need a residence permit to study in Denmark, you should ask the institution about the deadline.
Employment
You can include a copy of the assessment report with your job application to help the employer understand your qualifications. It is, however, always up to the employer to assess whether your qualifications match the job. If they are not recent, your chances will largely depend on your professional experience.
Public employers must abide by the level of education stated in the Agency's assessment, while respecting the regulations and collective agreements in force. As a graduate being appointed to a position in the state, regional or municipal administration, your pay grading must comply with the assessment if it compares your qualification to one of the Danish degrees listed in the collective agreement.
Unemployment fund membership
If you apply for admission to an unemployment fund where a certain qualification level is required, you can enclose a copy of the assessment. The assessment does not in itself entitle you to membership, as you must also fulfil other requirements. However, if the unemployment fund requires a specific level of education, it must abide by the level of education specified in the assessment.
Where to go for guidance
Where do I get guidance on finding a job?
If you would like to get individual guidance on career options and job hunting, you should contact a job centre. The assessment may be helpful when you talk to the job centre. Find the nearest job centre: jobnet.dk.
Where do I get guidance on continuing my education?
For programmes in English, go to
You can get education and career guidance:
Do I need supplementary courses?
You should contact the educational institution you wish to apply to well in advance of the deadline. Ask to talk to a student advisor. The student advisor can tell you whether you need to take any supplementary courses or obtain any documents in support of your application. If supplementary courses are required, it may be a good idea to get those requirements in writing. First, read about the entry requirements on ug.dk and on the websites of the individual educational institutions.
Can I transfer credit?
If you enrol on a Danish programme of education and you have already studied in the same field abroad, you can apply to the educational institution for credit transfer (merit) in order to be exempted from parts of the Danish programme. The educational institution decides whether you are entitled to credit transfer. You should discuss your application with a guidance counsellor at the educational institution.
How to read the assessment report
The assessment (evaluation) report first explains the basis for the assessment:
- Issued by: The educational institution or authority which has issued the qualification certificate. The Agency has verified that the issuing body is recognised by a competent authority.
- Nominal length: The official duration of the programme of education.
- Year of completion: The calendar year when you completed your qualification.
- Access requirement: The qualification that was required before you could study for the qualification assessed.
- Details about programme contents etc. may be given here.
- Assessment: The level and, if possible, the field of education.
Level
The assessment indicates the level to which the qualification assessed corresponds within the Danish education system. If the level of the qualification is between two levels of the Danish education system, the assessment normally indicates a number of years of a Danish programme.
Field of education
As far as possible, the assessment also indicates the field of education to which your qualification belongs in the Danish education system. If possible, the foreign qualification is compared to a specific Danish qualification. If no corresponding Danish qualification exists, the assessment normally mentions a broader field of study.
What is the assessment based on?
The assessment only includes qualifications gained through formal education and training, not competencies acquired through professional experience, short courses, non-formal education or life experience.
As far as possible, the assessment focuses on the learning outcomes of the education.
The Agency makes a comparison between the foreign qualification and Danish qualifications taking into account, in particular, the following elements:
- Access requirements of the education programme: Do the access requirements of the programme that you completed match the access requirements of a corresponding Danish programme?
- Nominal length of the programme: Is the length of the programme comparable to that of a similar Danish programme?
- Aims of the programme.
- Subject combination and structure of the programme: How does the subject combination compare to that of a similar Danish programme? Does it include subjects that are not related to the main field of study? Does the programme include an independent project or thesis work? If so, what is the time allotted to this part of the programme? Is the programme research-based or not?
- The ratio of theory to practice within the programme.
The assessment is based on the information available to Agency at the time of assessment. If the Agency later receives new information about the qualification assessed, it may affect any future assessments of the same qualification.
Legal basis
The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science provides its assessments under the Assessment of Foreign Qualifications Act (Consolidation Act no. 579 of 1 June 2014).
Complaints procedures
You cannot appeal to any other administrative authority against the content of the Agency’s assessment. This is laid down in section 7 (2) of the Act mentioned above.
If you contact the Agency, it will deal with your query and may choose to conduct a new assessment, e.g. if you have new information changing the basis for the assessment.