Danish Government Scholarships

Denmark has entered into a Cultural Agreements Programme with a number of other countries. Long term scholarships under the Cultural Agreements programme can only be offered for 1-2 semesters, and ONLY FOR NON-DEGREE STUDIES. Students accepted for a degree programme at the University of Copenhagen are not eligible for Danish Government Scholarships under the cultural agreements.

Further information is also available from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education website.

Who Can Apply? - EU countries

Students enrolled at higher education institutions in the following countries can apply for admission to the University of Copenhagen through the International Office:

• 19 EU-countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, and the Netherlands
• Iceland, Switzerland, Serbia and Turkey

Scholarships are only available to Master’s and PhD-level students. However, Bachelor's students wishing to study Danish language and literature can also apply if they have studied the Danish language for two years.

Please note that, scholarships are only offered to students enrolled in full-degree studies at higher education institutions in the countries listed above.

PhD students must likewise be employed at, or affiliated with, higher education institutions in the abovementioned countries.

Who Can Apply? - non-EU countries

Students enrolled at higher education institutions in the following countries can also take part in the programme, but must apply through the Ministry for Science, Innovation and Education. Please refer to the ministry website:

• China, Japan, Israel, Egypt and Russia

Students from higher education institutions in other countries cannot apply for a long-term Danish Government Scholarship under the Cultural Agreements Programme.

Period of study

Students on Master’s and Bachelor’s level can apply for a period of at least 5 months (one semester) and not more than 10 months (2 semesters).

PhD students can apply for a period of no less than 3 months and not more than 12 months. The period of study must take place from 1 June and 30 September for the relevant academic year.

The Scholarships

The Long Term Scholarships include free tuition and a monthly stipend of DKK 5,000. Scholarship periods lasting more than 3 months include health insurance. As a general rule, scholarships are tax-free in Denmark. However, as there are exceptions to this rule, scholarship recipients should contact the local tax authorities for an individual assessment.

Danish Government Scholarships can be used towards living, travel, and visa expenses and are for one person only. Additional amounts for accompanying family members are not available.

Please note that students cannot apply for more than 2 higher education institutions in Denmark in the same academic year using a Danish Government Scholarship. All completed applications received at the relevant universities will be coordinated by the Danish Agency Universities for Internationalisation.

Selection Process

In the selection process, we will give priority to candidates:

• Who are enrolled at a higher education institution in a country under the Cultural Agreements Programme.
• Who motivate their choice of a specific field of study through its relation to Danish language, culture or other Danish areas of expertise. Successful applicants will describe the Danish dimension in their choice of studies or research when applying in fields such as: design, music, architecture, welfare, environmental studies, etc.
• Who are nominated by a lecturer who teaches Danish in their home country. Applicants should include a reference from the lecturer in their application.
• Who study Danish or Scandinavian languages and literature.
• Who refer to an internationally acclaimed lecturer at the desired Danish host institution with whom they would like to study.
• Who have contacted the desired Danish host university and received an invitation from a lecturer to conduct studies or research there.
• Who study at a partner university or institution of the desired Danish host university.

Please note you are NOT eligible for a scholarship if:

• You are enrolled at a higher education institution in a country which is NOT included in the Cultural Agreements Programme.
• You are already enrolled or planning to enrol in a full degree, joint degree, or double degree programme in Denmark. Full, joint, and double degree students are not considered exchange students and are ineligible for scholarships.
• You are not currently enrolled in an institution of higher education in your home country.
• You intend to pursue studies at a Bachelor’s level during your stay in Denmark in fields other than Danish language and literature.
• You intend to pursue studies at post-doctorate level during your stay in Denmark.
• You plan to conduct studies on a part-time, rather than a full-time, basis.

How to Begin your Application

Send an e-mail to the International Office at UCHP on int-admission@adm.ku.dk with information about

1. Number of months you wish to apply for (remember to check the rules of period above)
2. When do you wish to start your study period in Denmark?
3. Name of home university
4. Field of study
5. Level of study you are currently doing and wish to pursue at the University of Copenhagen (Bachelor, Master, PhD)

Online application

If the information you have provided is complete, we will send you an invitation to fill in an online application and attached in the e-mail, an application form, specific for Danish Government Scholarship applicants. In the online application you are required to upload the following documents:

• Certified transcripts of all university studies completed so far and university diplomas

• Application form

• Proof of English proficiency if you wish to apply for English Studies, Education, Film & Media, Philosophy, Rhetoric, Geography/Geoinformatics and Geology/Geoscience.

When you have submitted your complete online application (i.e. including the required documents) for admission to the University of Copenhagen, it will be forwarded for academic assessment to the relevant department(s). Do NOT send a hard copy of the application by mail.

Application Deadline

Deadline for a complete online application to the University of Copenhagen:

• For the academic year 2014-2015: 1 March 2014

Please note that an online application is not considered complete unless the required documents have been successfully uploaded or if any required information is missing.

Summer language courses under the Cultural Agreements Programme

For information regarding summer language courses under the Cultural Agreements Programme, please refer to the Ministry for Science, Innovation and Higher Education website.