English language requirements

All applicants must provide documentation of excellent communication skills in English which are considered essential, and you must therefore be able to read, write, and speak academic English fluently. English language requirement is comparable to a minimum of TOEFL 83 or IELTS 6,5.

Your qualifications can be documented by uploading one of the documents seen below.

Attach supporting documentation of your English proficiency.

The PhD administration may ask you to document your proficiency in English at any time during the recruitment process if you have uploaded insufficient documentation to your application or if the assessment committee considers it necessary to document your skills further.

See our Application guide (Language skills) if you have any questions.

Below you will find examples on ways to document your English skills.

Danish upper secondary school ('gymnasium')

Diploma from Danish upper secondary school ('gymnasiebevis').

The diploma must state B level in English.
- Do you have an old diploma from Danish upper secondary without a level in English please see this "Oversigt over niveaubetegnelser" from 2011.
- Applicants with a Danish degree (HF/STX) similar to the Danish upper secondary school ('gymnasium') can get their qualifications assessed if the diploma does not state that English was taught on B level. Please see this page: Individuel Kompetencevurdering (IKV)

Language tests (TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge)

English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B level' in Denmark can be documented as follows:

TOEFL:
- For test results achieved before 21 January 2026: English B – Overall score of minimum 83 (internet-based) with a minimum subscore of 20 in each section
  For test results achieved after 21 January 2026: English B – Overall score of minimum 4.5 (internet-based) with a minimum subscore of 4.0 in each section
- Aarhus University accepts the TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition test.
  Aarhus University does not accept the TOEFL ITP, TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL MyBest scores or paper-based tests (incl. TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution).
IELTS:
English B – Overall score of minimum 6.5 with a minimum subscore of 6.0 in each section
- Aarhus University accepts the IELTS Academic, IELTS Academic for UKVI, and IELTS Academic online.
- Aarhus University does not accept IELTS General Training or IELTS one skill retake.
Cambridge English tests
- Aarhus University accepts the following Cambridge English Qualifications tests:
  - Certificate of Proficiency (CPE)/C2 Proficiency with a minimum of 190 points.
  - Cambridge English Advanced (CAE)/C1 Advanced (with grade A, B, or C) or a minimum of 180 points.
  - Cambridge English First/B2 First (with grade A) equivalent to at least 180 points on the Cambridge English Scale.
- Aarhus University does not accept Oxford Online Placement Test, Duolingo English test, Trinity ISE III, Pearson PTE, Euroexam or Michigan Language Assessment.
- The grade must be within the blue area:

In addition, the following applies:

We accept test results older than two years.
You must upload your test result to your application through the application portal.
Both IELTS and TOEFL are offered in Denmark. TOEFL is specifically offered in Aarhus.

Applicants exempt from submitting an English test

Here are examples of English skills at Danish B-level:
- A Danish qualifying entry examination ('gymnasium')
- A Nordic qualifying entry examination
- A qualifying entry examination from the Duborg School/A.P. Møller School
- A qualifying entry examination from International Baccalaureate (from the IB diploma programme)
- A qualifying entry examination from European Baccalaureate (from the “ScholaEuropaea”)
  
  The qualifying entry examination with an English level the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education considers comparable to a Danish B-level in English and which is passed with a single subject GPA equivalent of 3.0 on the Danish 7-point scale as a minimum.
  
  Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland: The comparison of the Nordic subject levels.
  
  Diploma from your entry examination must be uploaded to your application as proof of language skills.
Applicants with a complete high-school diploma/Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination, Bachelor’s or a Master's degree taught in English.

The applicant must upload a document stating that the programme was taught in English.
Native speakers can upload a complete high-school diploma/Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination, Bachelor’s or a Master's degree from their country.
Applicants holding a Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife (Abiturzeugnis) from Germany with the subject English Leistungsfach/eA level. The subject must be passed with a single subject GPA equivalent of 2.0 on the Danish 7-point scale.

Read before you ask questions regarding English proficiency

You must document your proficiency in English by uploading one of the approved tests or exemptions mentioned above to your application before the application deadline.

If you do not have one of the approved documents, please upload a declaration from your university stating that your degree programme was taught in English, or upload documentation from another type of language test.

Your application will not be rejected if you do not upload the required documentation; however, please be aware that your application may not be considered due to insufficient documentation. You may also be asked to further document your English proficiency by taking a language test.

Please refrain from uploading large documents in English, such as your Master's thesis, as proof of English proficiency.

We cannot add any documents to your application after the deadline.

Revised 27.10.2026

Bettina Holmbo Acthon