Denmark
Note: This program is no longer partnered with St. Lawrence University after Spring 2025. This will not impact students who have been accepted to study off-campus in Denmark during the Spring 2025 semester. For prospective students, please consider some of our alternate partners. CIIS staff are available to discuss your academic and professional goals for off-campus study.
Qualified St. Lawrence University students have the opportunity to spend the fall or spring in Copenhagen, studying with DIS-Study Abroad in Scandinavia. The DIS Copenhagen program offers students a rich educational and cross-cultural experience in the heart of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Through theory-based courses in Copenhagen, two course-integrated study tours, and unique hands-on learning experiences, students develop critical thinking skills and acquire new intercultural skills.
Each student must select a program (or core course), which will determine the destinations of the long and short study tours. In addition to the program course and required Danish Language and Culture course, students will select from a wide array of elective courses. DIS encourages engagement with Danish culture through activities such as joining athletic clubs or attending Studenterhuset activities.
Please note that the number of students attending this program is limited and admission is highly competitive. Meeting program application requirements does not guarantee acceptance and students should clearly articulate their academic rationale for study on the DIS program. It is strongly recommended that students planning to apply to this program discuss this in advance with a member of the CIIS staff.
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Based in Copenhagen.
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Fall or Spring semester.
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Combined enrollment for DIS Denmark and Sweden is capped at 12 students per semester (a backup option is encouraged for competitive programs).
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Note that students can only apply for either Denmark or Sweden, but not both. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for an SLU signature program for an alternative option.
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Pre-requisites: 3.0 GPA, one European Studies course or a course with significant European content (preferably with a focus on Western Europe) and additional requirements based on core course choice.
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Students must enroll in a "core course" and enroll in "Danish Language and Culture" while on the program.
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Live with homestay families.
Note: This program is no longer partnered with St. Lawrence University after Spring 2025. This will not impact students who have been accepted to study off-campus in Denmark during the Spring 2025 semester. For prospective students, please consider some of our alternate partners. CIIS staff are available to discuss your academic and professional goals for off-campus study.
Location Academics Co-Curricular Housing Calendar Orientation Program Contacts
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark's capital, is a European capital city in every sense of the word. The history of Copenhagen goes back more than 800 years, and every period has left its mark on it. It is the seat of Parliament and government, the center of the country's economic, scientific and cultural life, and has everything to offer in terms of music, entertainment, and nightlife. It is a modern city of one and a half million inhabitants, yet it still has a relaxed and welcoming small-town atmosphere that is rare among big cities. Students have the chance not only to ‘see', but to discover and understand crucial global issues in a European context through participation in study tours in locations such as Belgium, Finland, England, Germany, and Poland.
Academics
St. Lawrence University students must:
- Enroll in a full course load, 15 credit hours - typically five courses
- Enroll in a core course and a Danish Language and Culture course
Students choose a program from the list below and enroll in the relevant required course. (Note some programs may require two courses; students may not enroll in more than one core course). Enrollment in a particular core course is not guaranteed until DIS registration is complete after acceptance to the program.
Students also choose from a variety of elective courses. Generally, each course in Denmark is worth 3 credits, but courses in architecture and design program may be worth 6 credits. When researching courses, students must pay close attention to the number of credits awarded in each course and labs, keeping in mind that students must register for a minimum of 15 credits. This is not an overload.
DIS core courses span a wide variety of academic interests-- including Biology, Education, Architecture, Environmental Studies, Public Health, Computer Science, Human Rights, Neuroscience, and more.
Please see the DIS-Study Abroad in Scandinavia website for further information on available courses.
Course credit from the DIS Copenhagen program transfers back to SLU, provided you have received course approval from the department chair of the particular academic department in question. Some courses at DIS have already been pre-approved by St. Lawrence and can be found on APR2 if you search by location. Please keep in mind that these are just the courses that have been pre-approved, but students may enroll in other courses as well, and seek approval (as described above) after they have been accepted. You will receive more information about this during orientation.
DIS Grades: Points are given rather than letter grades on all assignments. Many assignments will be out of 100 and automatically will be calculated into letter grades by Canvas at the end of the semester: Plus (+) and minus (-) grades are used for final grades. For purposes of calculating grade points and averages, the “+” is equal to plus .3 and the “-” is equal to minus .3. The average of the individual grades multiplied by their respective weights determines the final grade as indicated below:
Grade = Points Grade = Percentage
Letter Grade
Percentage
A: 93% to 100%
A- : 90% to less than 93%
B+ : 87% to less than 90%
B : 83% to less than 87%
B- : 80% to less than 83%
C+ : 77% to less than 80%
C : 73% to less than 77%
C- : 70% to less than 73%
D+ : 67% to less than 70%
D : 63% to less than 67%
D- : 60% to less than 63%
F : 0% to less than 60%
SLU Grade scale for DIS program
A = 4.00
A- = 3.70
B+ = 3.30
B = 3.00
B- = 2.70
C + = 2.30
C = 2.00
C- = 1.70
D+ = 1.30
D = 1.00
F = 0.00
(the .7 and .3 breakdown is on the back of the transcript and this is the only program where SLU still uses it to equate SLU.)
Co-curricular
The DIS classes offer an exciting dimension: the integration of classroom teaching with field studies in and around Copenhagen. Most of the DIS courses have several field study events during the semester to add depth and perspective to classroom teaching.
In addition, each of the academic programs includes a 3-day course-related study tour (usually located in Denmark-Sweden-Germany) and a 1-week study tour to various locations in Europe. Field visits and study tours are conducted by DIS faculty and staff and form an intense combination of academic exploration, experiential learning, and fun. The field visits and the study tour for your academic program are included in the cost of the program. DIS offers other optional study tours and adventure trips to several other countries for an additional fee to be paid by the student.
Housing
As with many SLU Off-Campus Programs, students are required to live with homestay families. Living with a Danish family and taking part in its daily routines and conversations provides students with a unique and valuable insight into Danish culture that they could not otherwise attain. It is the most popular housing option at DIS and ranks highest in student satisfaction. Homestays are located in neighborhoods throughout the greater Copenhagen area, and often require a commute of 30-60 minutes by train/bus/bicycle. Students are given the choice of receiving a transportation pass or a rented bicycle from DIS at the beginning of the semester.
Calendar
See the DIS website for program dates. The Fall semester typically begins in late August and ends in mid-December. The Spring semester typically begins in mid-January and ends in mid-May.
Orientation
Pre-departure: The CIIS office organizes in-depth orientation sessions on-campus prior to the student's participation in the program. This includes program-specific session(s) in which the students will learn more about the program, local culture, academic expectations, and other important information. There is also an orientation session led by the CIIS office on culture shock, pre-departure preparations, as well as safety and security while abroad.
On-site: During the first week in Copenhagen students will participate in a four-day arrival workshop. Students will be introduced to DIS, to Copenhagen, to Denmark and to all the facets of being an international student. DIS staff will guide students in obtaining transportation passes and the Danish Residence permit, teach students how to navigate the city, and will provide an activity fair with over 40 organizations.
Students are required to participate in all orientation activities, on-campus and in Copenhagen.
Program Contacts
If you are interested in learning more about the Denmark program please contact:
CIIS Office: Kim Longfellow, Assistant Director of Off-Campus Programs - Questions about eligibility, program logistics, and other off-campus opportunities.