
“I am both practically and theoretically strong”
Marianne Bom & Rie Jerichow, Publicér
Bachelors of science in engineering have the opportunity to continue to the master’s course. But why would you jump back on the horse and do two more years at the university? Read about Christoffer Haubroe Hansen’s considerations here.

“It is my belief that close to half of the students from Kemiteknik and International Business continue on to become a master of science in engineering,” says Christoffer Haubroe Handen, who, in the fall semester of 2019, went on exchange to Lancaster University in England. Private photo.
When Christoffer Haubroe Hansen received his diploma as a bachelor in engineering from Kemiteknik and International Business at DTU in the summer of 2018, it was a milestone, but not his ultimate goal. At that time, he had known that he wanted the master’s degree as well for a long time.
“I won’t say that it was my plan from the start, but it has been in the back of my mind the entire time — all the way back from when I was in high school, and had an internship at ‘Produktion og Konstruktion’ at DTU. One of the lecturers back then said that, in his eyes, it would be a good idea to combine the bachelor with a master’s degree. Then you would be both practically and theoretically strong,” tells Christoffer Haubroe Hansen, who will finish his master of science in engineering from Kemisk og Biokemisk Teknologi at DTU in 2020.
However, the lecturer’s recommendation was not the only reason Christoffer continued studying to get a master’s degree.
“I was 19 on the introduction trip when I started at DTU, and only 22-and-a-half when I finished as a bachelor in engineering. Then you are very young, and I wondered if it would be hard to get a job in an engineering company where the average age is a bit higher? But the most important reason was probably that I didn’t think I was finished studying at DTU, and that I wanted to keep studying,” he explains.
Difference between types of education
There is a difference in the way of approaching the study of the two types of course. Where the bachelor course is more practically oriented, the master’s degree is far more theoretical. Furthermore, the master’s course is only taught in English.
“I have no issue with that. Already in the third semester, I’d got a study job in Novozymes, where I was once a week. The working language was English, and I had a lot of colleagues from outside of Denmark. This is probably where I made the mistakes and polished my English. Later I had a foreign girlfriend, so today I have no issues with English,” says Christoffer.
Still, he suggests honing your English skills before starting on a master’s degree.
“But you don’t need an international study job or a foreign girlfriend. There are so many international students at DTU that there is plenty of possibility to talk English during your daily life,” he says.
Christoffer’s best advice to others who want to become a master of science in engineering
- Start searching for opportunities, courses, and admission.
- Go to the university’s master’s days.
- Make sure to practice your English skills — for instance, through a study job.
- Talk to international students.
- Stop thinking about becoming a master of science in engineering if you do not care for theory.
Preparation is important
When Christoffer was halfway through his bachelor degree, he seriously started to look into what it took to continue on to the master’s degree.
“I decided to take the master’s course from Kemiteknik. It would be a natural extension of my bachelor course. I talked to the student counsellor and made sure to pick courses during my bachelor’s course which fit with the master’s course that I wanted to study,” he explains.
He also participated in a ‘master’s day’, where he got information about options and admission.
“To me, it meant I had to take more maths courses. And about that, I want to say that if maths is not your cup of tea, you probably will not enjoy the master’s course. But if you think it is okay and you will get through it, even if it is not your area of interest, it will be fine. You can later pick courses that are not centred on mathematically theoretical maths,” he explains.
So what will Christoffer use his double education for?
“In my field, it is a given to work with companies that produce tools for the industry. I would very much like a position where I can combine the theoretical and practical — for instance, as a project engineer with the task of setting up systems and making sure they run right. That would be a versatile job, where I could combine the best of the two worlds,” says Christoffer.