Transcripts & Credit Transfer

Transcripts, Accreditation & Credit Transfer

DIS is a non-profit educational foundation affiliated with the University of Copenhagen, recognized and in small part subsidized by the Danish government. It is governed by an external Board of Directors, which is appointed by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and by the presidents of the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture.

In addition, all of our courses are examined and approved by our own faculty committee including DIS academic administrators. We have curriculum committees and courses are reviewed very closely to make sure that they are upper-division and fulfill our requirements of workload, analytical writing, research, and so forth.

It is up to individual partner universities to award credit for the DIS courses. To facilitate this process, DIS hosts US faculty and administrators each semester who observe classes and offer feedback on the curriculum. The University of Minnesota — DIS’ School of Record — periodically conducts a review of the program to ensure academic standards. Contact the DIS North American Office for the latest review report.

Credits and Grading Policy

DIS' credit structure mirrors most North American institutions. Most DIS courses are 3 semester credits, while a few carry 1 or 6 semester credits. Students must take at least 12 credits and may take up to 18, including no more than five 3 credit classes (or three 3 credit and one 6 credit). Summer students take 3-9 credits, depending on term of study.

All courses are evaluated by letter grades. One course per semester may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis if this option is approved in writing by the home institution. Core courses in the various academic programs may not be taken on this basis. DIS records the grades of A, B, and C (including C-) as Pass (P). D, though a passing grade, does not qualify for a P.

Incomplete (I) is recorded on the Final Grade Report when it is impossible for a student to complete a course during the program and the student, the instructor, and the DIS Registrar have agreed on a later deadline. The grade will be reported on a revised Final Grade Report. Withdrawal (W) from a course after midterm requires approval of the course instructor, the DIS Director of Teaching & Learning and the Partner Institution, and can only be granted under extraordinary circumstances.

Final Grade Report

DIS credit transfer policy meets AACROA standards and regional accrediting agency standards in the United States. Upon completion of a term by a student, DIS issues an official Final Grade Report, which is the transcript of the results obtained in the courses in which the student was enrolled.

Final Grade Reports are generally sent out by DIS within 60 days of the completion of the program. The Final Grade Report is sent directly to the student's partner institution. A copy is sent to the student's permanent mailing address. If a grade change is received from an instructor, DIS will issue a new Final Grade Report with an explanation of the change. Final Grade Reports will only be issued if all fees have been paid to DIS and there are no academic or administrative holds on the student’s record.

DIS alumni are entitled to 10 free DIS transcripts and must simply submit a written request to the DIS North American Office.

School of Record

A student’s home institution determines whether credits from DIS will be accepted directly, or whether an official transcript from a United States accredited institution is needed. If this is the case, the University of Minnesota acts as the School of Record and provides an official US transcript for an additional fee — e-mail dis@umn.edu for details.

If a student does not attend a DIS partner institution, they are advised to check with their home institution as to whether a Final Grade Report from DIS is acceptable, or if an official transcript from the University of Minnesota is needed in order to receive class credit. This must be arranged prior to the beginning of the semester as part of the registration process.