Pre-Architecture
If you have a liberal arts background, this program offers you an opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge of, and professional skills within, the fields of architecture and design prior to pursuing a graduate degree.
Student profile
Students with a documented background in fine arts or studio art or completion of a course in drawing, or students in professional Architecture & Design programs with less than two spatial design studios completed before arriving in Copenhagen.
Choose Your Core Course
- Architecture Foundations Studio (6 credits)
- Information Design Foundations Studio (6 credits)
- Interior Architecture Foundations Studio (6 credits)
- Urban Design Foundations Studio (6 credits)
The studio course, the backbone of the design program, will introduce you to professional skills and knowledge through assignments and interaction with Danish architects and designers. You will explore design fundamentals such as scale, light, circulation, identity, user understanding and perception. You will solve small real life design problems and develop design solutions inspired by the Danish context.
Prerequisites: Documented background in fine arts or studio art, or completion of a course in drawing.
Study Tours
...joint program with the Architecture & Design students
Sites outside of the Copenhagen region are visited. This will broaden your understanding of the social and physical context of Danish architecture and design. You will sketch on site and reflect on your experiences individually and as a group. Inspiration obtained on the study tour will influence your work in the studio both in general and in your ability to design for the Danish context.
- A longer European study tour to Germany-Netherlands or Sweden-Finland (preference)
Germany is the European frontrunner in adaptive re-use of former industrial buildings and sites, while Dutch design is conceptually based. Sweden and Finland are exponents of the Scandinavian approach to architectural design emphasizing simplicity, context and user involvement. Prior to the study tour you have analyzed a selected site through research and studies in scale model. On the study tour you will be leading the group at the selected site.
A focus is placed on handling natural daylight as an essential design parameter on study tours, field studies and in studio assignments.
Elective Courses
In addition to the required Studio course, you are free to select any combination of courses from the DIS curriculum. Please click here for a full course overview. If you want to learn more about architecture and design, check out courses listed under Architecture, Design, Urban Design, and Studio Art. There is a lot to choose from!
