DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia
 | |
| Established | 1959 |
|---|---|
| Executive Director | Malene Torp |
Academic staff | ~180 |
Administrative staff | ~100 |
| Location |
Copenhagen, Denmark 55°40′40″N 12°34′16″E / 55.6779°N 12.5710°ECoordinates: 55°40′40″N 12°34′16″E / 55.6779°N 12.5710°E |
| Website | http://www.DISabroad.org |
DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia (DIS) is a Danish study abroad program, founded in 1959. It has been known as ‘DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad’ but due to a new study abroad location in Stockholm, it is now known as ‘DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia’. It is a non-profit organization promoting international university-level education and exchange. All classes are taught in English on or close to Vestergade in central Copenhagen.
DIS is known for providing both an academically challenging and hands-on education with international students regularly involved in practical exercises that complement their traditional academic studies. Students at DIS can choose single semester or full-year programs, while shorter summer sessions are also offered. Currently DIS offers 22 academic programs encompassing over 190 courses taught across a wide range of majors and disciplines. Courses are designed for upper-level undergraduates (3rd-4th year).
A standout feature of the DIS program is the inclusive study tours, where students travel twice a semester with their core course class to academically relevant areas in Denmark and another European country to enhance their theoretical studies. These tours are credit-bearing, faculty-led, course-integrated academic tours and are taken by every student. Students also have the choice to participate in optional study tours, which are academic, or a selection of non-academic DIScovery Trips, which are organized by DIS.
Most students participating in the program are North American, with the vast majority from the U.S. DIS has approximately 195 partner universities (though students from other establishments are admitted).
The program is organized around the choice of core course a student makes. This course determines the student's academic program, and in many cases their study tour destination. Programs at DIS range from international business, global economics and communication to medical practice and policy, psychology, sustainability and architecture. Instructors at DIS are sourced from Danish academia, as well as from the public and private sectors, where industry experts teach classes according to their expertise. A number of visiting professors from U.S. universities also teach classes at DIS.
Academic staff
The DIS academic staff comprises full-time academic directors and a small number of full-time faculty. Most courses are taught by a part-time faculty with most holding positions in academia, government, business and the professions. The faculty is mostly Danish but must be fluent in English. Every fall, DIS invites around 25 instructors to participate in a ‘Danish Educators Workshop’ at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Teaching and Learning Services for training in modern teaching techniques focusing on student learning outcomes.
Programs and courses
DIS offers more than 190 academic courses spread across 22 different programs, all taught through English. The curriculum includes contemporary academic topics, such as the environment, ethnicity, inequality, urban issues, design, gender, child development and health care. DIS programs consist of a program core course and two course-integrated program study tours, usually a brief Danish study tour and a longer study tour to Europe.
Most courses count for three credits, while a few carry one or six. Due to a curriculum developed together with partner universities in the U.S., course approval and credit transfer from DIS to American institutions tends to be straightforward but is judged on a course-by-course basis by most universities. All courses are designed for upper-division students, with the exception of Danish Language and Culture.
Programs at DIS are: Architecture, Biomedicine, Child Development & Diversity, Communication, Environmental Science of the Arctic, European Humanities, European Politics, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Global Economics, Graphic Design, Interior Architecture, International Business, Justice & Human Rights, Medical Practice & Policy, Neuroscience, Prostitution & the Sex Trade, Psychology, Public Health, Science & the Environment, Sociology, Sustainability in Europe, Urban Design, and Urban Studies in Europe.
Study tours
DIS places significant emphasis on program study tours as a fully integrated component of the academic program. Study tours are one of three types of tours offered, with optional study tours and DIScovery Trips also organized by DIS. Participation in the program study tours is required, while optional study tours and DIScovery Trips are optional. The program study tours involve visits to course-relevant sites such as famous art collections, European Union institutions, multinational companies, schools and kindergartens, architecture and design projects, university hospitals, media headquarters and NGOs.
Student body
The student body at DIS is mostly North American, but some students come from a few other countries. Around 10-12 percent stay for the year. The average incoming GPA is an average 3.4. On average, over 120 universities are represented in the program each semester. Courses are designed for upper-level undergraduates (3rd-4th year).
Partner universities and admittance
DIS works in partnership with approximately 195 partner universities. 92% of enrollment comes from partner institutions, of whom 79% are ‘most’ or ‘more selective’ institutions according to U.S. News & World Report. DIS also works closely with non-Partner Institutions. Normally, a cumulative B average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) is required, though applicants not meeting this requirement may be considered. A partner approves DIS and forms a formal relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Partners are not obligated to send any specific number of students to DIS, and no fee is charged to obtain or maintain partner status. After a Memorandum of Understanding is signed, DIS and the partner university establish a mutual understanding of each institution’s expectations and requirements in regard to academics, admissions and administration.
The DIS application process varies by university. Most students apply to DIS from their home campus, typically through the study abroad or international office. Other students apply directly to DIS on a rolling basis, with deadlines of April for summer, mid-May for fall and full year and November for spring. Many schools now require students to go through a formal interview process.
Accommodation
DIS students choose from a number of different housing options designed for various degrees of cross-cultural interaction with Danes, from maximum immersion (homestay with Danish host families) to a more independent option (DIS Residential Communities). Students live scattered around greater Copenhagen, which promotes integration into Danish society. Housing options arranged by DIS include: Homestay (students stay with a Danish family), Kollegium (shared student accommodation), folkehøjskole (living on a liberal arts college campus with young Danes), Danish roommate (rented furnished room in an apartment), DIS Residential Communities (DIS shared student residences) and Living & Learning Communities (an cocurricular housing option that integrates Danish culture and academics with housing).
Student life and cultural integration
As the student body is mainly from U.S. colleges and universities, DIS places a strong emphasis on intercultural leadership and cultural immersion into Danish society. Students are given several ways to integrate culturally and socially into Copenhagen and Denmark, with over 60% enrolling in Danish Language and Culture courses for example. Other initiatives and programs focused on cultural integration and engagement include the DIS Buddy Network which pairs students with young Danes to improve social understanding, an Intercultural Leadership Award given to outstanding students, and a Visiting Family program which gives students the chance to experience Danish family traditions and values.
At an Activities & Immersion Fair at the start of each semester, students can choose to sign up with any of the up to 40 organizations that attend, which cover religious communities, sports clubs, LGBTQ groups, and so forth. DIS also arranges a number of social and cultural events during the semester that mix students with Danes.
Administration
Founded in 1959, DIS is a Danish non-profit educational foundation governed by an external board of directors. It is tuition driven, but receives a subsidy from the Danish government. DIS is recognized by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation which appoints three members of the governing board. Remaining members are selected by the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, and the DIS faculty and staff (one member each). An elected DIS faculty committee oversees consistency of quality, content and structure of the curriculum. DIS is recognized and subsidized by the Danish government, and governed by an external board of directors.