Working with DIS

Danish Institute for Study Abroad, our history

Thank you for choosing to collaborate with DIS. Below you will find an overview of the nuts and bolts of working with us, so that you can walk your students through the process with ease.

North American Office (NAO)

Our staff in Minnesota, and around the U.S., are the first point of contact for prospective and admitted students, alumni, parents, and U.S. university partners. We look forward to working with you! Our team has over 150 years of combined experience at DIS, both onsite and at the NAO. We are on the road and in the office, each of us expert in a certain work area but also cross-trained to advise you on any element of our work together. We invite you to contact us by either sending an email to DIS@DISabroad.org or calling 800-247-3477 and we will connect you with the right person to answer your question.

Admission

After students initiate an application, DIS responses within two business days, sending each qualified student a link to continue the application. At partner institutions, the DIS Enrollment Contact on campus is copied on these messages in order to stay informed of student interest.

Complete applications are reviewed on a rolling basis according to the DIS Admission Requirements. Several programs and courses typically reach capacity before published application deadlines. Students not meeting all criteria are occasionally considered. Partners should contact Kari Thiel, Director of Enrollment Management (kt@disabroad.org) to discuss an exceptional student’s profile and determine together whether DIS may be an option.

DIS reserves the right to reject an applicant or registrant for any reason. In waitlist situations, DIS favors applicants from partner institutions who have an outstanding personal essay and cumulative GPA.

Registration

Admitted students are invited via email to register online for their DIS program, courses, and housing preferences; and must also submit supplementary materials. All DIS offerings fill on a first-come, first served basis, and it is in students’ best interest to register as soon as possible. We appreciate your help in encouraging students to do so. The Enrollment Contact is copied on admissions notifications as well as on each registration form submitted by your students.

Partner Portal

From the application through the students’ time enrolled at DIS, our partner institutions have access to a secure page on our website displaying enrollment and contact information for their students. The DIS Enrollment Contact on your campus, and their designees may click here to access the Partner Portal. For more information, contact the DIS North American Office.

Health, Safety, and Security

DIS is committed to supporting the health, safety, and security of our students. This process starts before a student arrives on-site with pre-departure advising and resources, and continues throughout the student’s program with DIS. More information is available on the student health and safety pages:

As a Danish entity, DIS is not directly controlled by legislation impacting U.S. institutions of higher education. However, DIS is committed to compliance with the intent of the law (including but not limited to FERPA, Title IX, and the Clery Act) to the extent reasonable, and will support partner institutions’ compliance efforts by working cooperatively with partner institutions to resolve any student incidents including health, safety, or disciplinary matters. Please contact Stacey Tsantir, Director of Health and Safety with questions, or to discuss a specific case.

Housing

DIS offers four diverse housing options, and we encourage students to carefully consider which would best meet their needs:

Contact the North American Office with any questions, and to indicate in registration the preferences that best match their level of independence and desired level of cultural interaction.

Residence Permit

All DIS Copenhagen semester or full-year students need to apply for a Danish Residence Permit, but typically can do this after arrival. Most DIS students (including U.S. citizens) are considered ‘visa free’ and can therefore enter Denmark as tourists and apply for a residence permit once in country. Upon arrival, these students will receive the necessary steps to complete the application. Students from these countries are considered non-visa-free and must obtain a visa in order to enter Denmark, even for short-term study. DIS staff are in direct communication with all non-visa-free students as soon as they register, to advise on next steps.

DIS Stockholm semester and full-year students need to apply for a Swedish Visitor’s Permit prior to departure. The guidelines outlined on this page are relevant to students from Entry Visa-Free countries, including the United States, Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Japan. If your passport nationality is not on this list, you are considered ‘Entry Visa-Free.’ For visa questions, you may contact us at visas@DISabroad.org.

Billing

DIS can customize billing agreements to meet the needs of partner institutions. Please contact the DIS North American Office (DIS@DISabroad.org) with inquiries.

Scholarships

There are several DIS scholarships from which to choose — Need-Based, Diversity and Merit. The Need-Based and Diversity scholarships may be up to $6,000 per semester and from $250-$1500 during the summer. These scholarships are available for study in either Copenhagen or Stockholm.

There are three Merit-Based scholarships — the Jacob Buksti Memorial Scholarship, the James Larson Memorial Scholarship, and the Anders Uhrskov Leadership Scholarship. Each scholarship awards up to $10,000 to a single student for one semester in either Copenhagen or Stockholm.

Lastly, many governmental and private organizations offer study abroad scholarships, and you can find several recommendations on our website. Students may apply at any time — even before being admitted — by submitting a scholarship application.

Academic Reporting & Final Grade Report

Upon arrival in Copenhagen and typically until after the second course meeting, students may drop or add courses if allowed by your institution. You may access student enrollment information at any time through the Partner Portal (see above).

Approximately 30 days after students have returned home, DIS sends official final grade reports to each student’s university and also an unofficial copy directly to each student. Students whose institutions are unable to accept the DIS Final Grade Report as credit may request a University of Minnesota transcript before their departure for Copenhagen or Stockholm; click for more about our School of Record agreement.