DIS Identity DIS - Study Abroad with a Difference

This is DIS: This is Study Abroad

DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad, is a specialized institution focused solely on offering a comprehensive study abroad experience based around academic programs, courses and study tours taught in English. DIS students are from American universities in their third or fourth year of study and benefit from straight-forward credit transfer to their home school. Altogether, some 160 American and other universities and colleges constitute the DIS network of partner schools – but you do not have to be enrolled in a partner school in order to study abroad at DIS.

DIS was founded in 1959, making it one of the longest established study abroad programs in Europe. Among alumni and partners, DIS has a reputation of being intense, demanding and rewarding; providing a challenging educational environment in a complete study abroad framework that includes housing, integrated study tours around Europe and a full cultural immersion program. Here’s who we are and what we believe in:

Academic Study Abroad Goals

In today’s globalized world, you study abroad to qualify for the international job market, enhance your majors, broaden your intellectual horizons, discover Europe, meet the unexpected, have fun, and grow as an individual.

A central aim of DIS is to meet these aspirations by offering site-specific courses and programs of the highest quality, involving interactive and cooperative learning processes (high-impact learning), leadership training, individual and team-based research, experiential learning through course-integrated field studies and study tours, and housing with Danes.

The objectives are to ensure that you:

• develop leadership expertise for a globalized world – informed decision making, cross-cultural cooperation and motivation techniques
• expand subject-specific knowledge for use in professional environments
• gain the ability to connect theory and knowledge through observation and practice – high-impact learning
• increase intercultural and interdisciplinary communication skills
• grow intellectually and as an individual

In recognition of the importance placed on serious academic performance DIS presents an Award of Academic Excellence of $500 each semester to a student who – according to the faculty – has performed exceptionally well during the term.

Close Academic Attention

Having a large student body enables DIS to offer a wide variety of programs, courses and study tours. To ensure you always get individual attention, DIS is divided into smaller units – the academic programs. Through program-integrated core courses, study tours and other academic and social events, each program constitutes a learning community that you will identify with and through which you will meet many new friends.

DIS courses are taught by permanent part-time faculty who hold full-time positions in academia, government, business, and the professions. Crucial to the DIS philosophy, they ‘teach what they do’, adding a unique real-life perspective to the classroom theory. DIS lecturers ‘own’ their courses and teach and develop them in close cooperation with the DIS academic staff, while many lead academic study tours.

A High Service Level

As DIS is a dedicated study abroad institution, its staff is knowledgeable, well-experienced and focused on helping you. DIS firmly believes your study abroad experience should not be hampered by bad planning or faulty execution, and you should only deal with matters that are relevant for you while in Copenhagen. You will find the staff very service-minded, ready to deal with your individual questions or problems, and well-informed.

DIS maintains an elaborate system of quality control in which your feedback plays a major role. At the end of the semester, you will fill out questionnaires on each of your courses and study tours, your academic program as a whole, your housing, and on DIS facilities and services. This feedback is discussed and acted upon by the staff on a continual basis.

The DIS North American Office

DIS has a North American Office at the University of Minnesota. Whether you are looking into DIS for your study abroad experience, are applying to DIS, have been accepted, or are about to leave for Copenhagen – you are always welcome to contact them with any questions you may have. Call them on 1-800-247-3477, or mail dis@umn.edu.