According to top-engineering-schools, the Kingdom of Denmark is surrounded by the North and Baltic Seas. It borders the Federal Republic of Germany to the north and extends over almost 43,000 square kilometers. In summer, the country’s vast coastal areas are popular holiday destinations for Danes and Germans.
In addition to Jutland, as the mainland is also called, the kingdom is divided into numerous islands. Then there are the two autonomous Danish areas: the Faroe Islands in the North Sea and Greenland, which is the largest island in the world with over two million square kilometers.
Facts about the Kingdom of Denmark
A total of around 5.5 million people live in Denmark, around one million of them in the capital Copenhagen on the island of Zealand. It is the country’s cultural, economic and industrial center. The current head of the constitutional monarchy is Queen Margaret II.
In the European core area of Denmark there is a moderate climate with mild winters and summers. In summer, the country’s vast coastal areas are popular holiday destinations for Danes and Germans.
As in many European countries, the service sector employs the vast majority of Danish workers and accounts for three quarters of the gross domestic product. Another important employer is the industry, with the production of machines, electronic items, food or chemical products.
Studying in Denmark: types of universities
The Danish higher education landscape currently comprises eight state universities. Half of them are classic full universities that offer a wide range of subjects. The remaining four specialize in specific fields such as economics, engineering or pharmacy.
What all universities have in common is that they are strongly research-oriented and can offer study programs up to doctoral degrees. In addition to courses in Danish, some universities also offer international courses in English.
Alternative universities in Denmark
The Danish university landscape also includes 13 art colleges, which in turn are subdivided into music colleges, higher art schools and schools of architecture. There are also eight vocational schoolr or university colleges with university status, which are similar in terms of their focus to German universities of applied sciences. In particular, they offer bachelor’s degrees specializing in natural sciences, social sciences, economics and technical subjects. A particularly job-related training takes place on them, in which practical phases are often integrated.
In addition, there are ten so-called Erhvervsakademier in Denmark who offer both vocational and academic study programs and further training.
Quality assurance in the Danish higher education system
The Danish Ministry of Education is the central head of all higher education institutions. The quality assurance is provided by two institutions – the Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut and Danmarks Akkrediteringsinstitution. Both institutions check and control the universities, their study programs and on-site teaching.
Study system in Denmark
The Danish academic year consists of two semesters, the autumn semester from August / September to the end of December and the spring semester from February to June.
In Denmark, lessons usually consist of a large number of lectures and seminars. The student groups are smaller than in Germany. The students benefit significantly from this, as they are encouraged to participate actively: This includes oral participation, submission of term papers and participation in projects and working groups. The high quality of the Danish higher education institutions results largely from this strong involvement of the student body and their good contact with the lecturers.
As part of the Bologna Process, there was also a comprehensive reform of the study programs in Denmark: In addition to the standardization of European degrees, credit points have since been awarded in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for academic performance.
Undergraduate studies in Denmark
The first stage of studying in Denmark is the bachelor’s degree. In the first year, the subject-specific basic knowledge is imparted, followed by two or two and a half more, now more research-oriented years of study. They offer the possibility of a professional specialization. The bachelor’s degree in Denmark ends with a written examination in the form of a term paper and an oral defense. With the bachelor’s degree, both direct entry into the professional world and continuation of studies are possible.
The Candidatus or Master’s degree in Denmark
The second stage of study leads to the Candidatus degree in Denmark and is comparable to a master’s degree. As a rule, it lasts two years and aims at the individual orientation of the students on their field of study. The Candidatus degree ends with a written and an oral exam. In the meantime, however, there are also a large number of master’s courses in Denmark, which are often offered in English.
The doctorate in Denmark
The doctorate is the last part of the course. It usually lasts three years and concludes with the written doctoral thesis and its public defense. If a career in science is planned, this degree is almost inevitable.
Alternative degrees in Denmark
Bachelor courses can also be completed at the vocational school. These study programs usually last 3.5-4 years and are aimed at direct career entry. The practical training at the Erhvervsakademie usually ends after two years with an in-house degree. The international recognition of these degrees should be clarified in advance.
