Student Research

Study Abroad Research Projects

If you would like to conduct research while in Denmark, perhaps even as part of a project or thesis for home, you may apply for a three-credit Research Project under the guidance of a Danish faculty supervisor. The project should be something that uses Copenhagen specifically as a resource. This option is open to all students accepted to DIS for a fall or spring semester, however is primarily geared for students interested in completing desk and field research in the humanities and social sciences. Lab options for science students at DIS are rare, but full-year students participating in the Medical Practices & Policy program or Biotechnology & Biomedicine program may be able to arrange a lab project in their second term.

Full year students in other programs wanting to do research in either term should start the process before departing.

Plan Your Project Ahead

If you are interested in this option, you should plan your research project the semester before DIS with a professor or advisor at your home university. This faculty member should be willing to communicate with you and your DIS research supervisor while you are in Denmark. (Please refer your faculty to Student Research for Faculty and Advisors for more information on their role).

How to Apply for a Research Project

• Apply and be accepted to DIS
• In the online registration system:

• Sign up for the three-credit Research Project on the “Course Registration” page of Online Registration
• Submit a brief summary of your proposal on the “Course Registration” page of Online Registration
• Complete the Research Proposal Form and upload it with all supporting materials to the “Upload Transcripts/Documents” page of Online Registration by the deadline.

• Your application will be reviewed by the Director of Teaching and Learning and the relevant Program Director in Copenhagen. If your research project proposal is accepted, you will receive confirmation at least one month before the start of the semester.
• If DIS feels your proposal is not achievable during your semester in Copenhagen, we will work with you to revise the proposal and/or you will be allowed to choose a course to replace the Research Course.

Research in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen, you’ll carry out the project, maximizing your use of the Danish/European environment. You will have weekly meetings with your supervisor, but the bulk of your work will be self-directed. DIS faculty will be available to guide you on your methodology, and help you find resources to conduct your research in Europe.

At the end of your semester in Denmark, you’ll have the option of taking your research home to present it or turn it into a thesis, honors project or senior capstone. If you are also planning to use the project when you return to your home campus, you should also speak with your professor/advisor about this option before you depart, as there may be specific requirements you’ll need to be aware of as you conduct your research.

Students interested in conducting research abroad should be self-motivated, inspired, and tenacious – this takes advance planning, on-the-ground hard work, and the ability to work independently. If this sounds like you, complete the Research Proposal Form and upload it in the DIS Online Registration System by the deadline. The results can be extraordinary!