Error in processing of 222 MSc students’ applications – CBS offers a change of lines
(Photo by Anna Holte)
Now, 222 students can change to their first choice of MSc line. Head of studies is sorry about the administrative error and says merits will be transferred with no added study time, if students choose to switch.
News | 16. Dec 2021
For years, CBS B.Sc. students on the MSc Programme in Economics and Business Administration were left wondering why they were not accepted for their first choice of study line on the program. As it turned out, the fault lies with CBS, and concerns how the applications were processed. Now, in an effort to correct the mistake, CBS has offered 222 first semester students the option of changing concentrations on their master’s program.
The offer comes in response to a complaint from a CBS student about how CBS allocates study places on its 14 concentrations at MSc Programme in Economics and Business Administration.
The complaint was dealt with by the Danish Agency for Education and Research. They determined that the process CBS so far has used to allocate and accept students for the study places on the 14 concentrations in the MSc programme was incorrect.
It instructs that CBS’s Study Administration “Must give CBS students with legal claim their first choice of line. It is not sufficient while handling legal claim to secure a place on one of the concentrations of the natural progression, the MSc Programme in Economics and Business Administration.”
In an official statement at cbs.dk CBS’ Head of Studies Bitta Nielsen says: “We are changing our evaluation of legal claims regarding students’ first priority on the 14 concentrations in the MSc programs to apply. This means that 222 students can change lines in connection with the spring semester 2022 if they wish.”
CBS did not process the CBS B.Sc. students with a legal claim to master’s programs first, as the rules state. Instead, the study administration did not assign the study places on the 14 lines until all students applying had been processed, causing some CBS B.Sc. students to miss out on their first choice of programs.
Students without a legal claim could be CBS students, students from other universities or from aboard.
“We are sorry about this situation. We were convinced that our praxis was correct, and as soon as it became clear that we were mistaken, we decided to change the process,” says Bitta Nielsen.
Normally, the number of study places on each of the 14 master lines is limited, but due to the error, the 222 students can choose regardless.
“It’s a major challenge and we are in the middle of a large-scale analysis to determine the extent of the resources required to accommodate everyone affected,“ says Bitta Nielsen.
If students wish to change concentrations, it will not affect the length of their studies and Study Administration is working out how to transfer merits, so they can continue directly on the second semester. If students prefer not to change programs, this will have no consequences.
Any students affected have had the chance to ask questions during two online meetings.
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So this means that as long as a CBS BSc student has a legal claim to the cand.merc programs, their grades are essentially irrelevant in determining their acceptance to a specific program?