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Study in Denmark or Canada

Spending a semester abroad is always a good idea. With a little preparation, your time away from home will definitely be great. Denmark and Canada are not at the top of German students' minds when choosing to study abroad. But it's always worth it.

Denmark

Denmark is a small country and therefore has few universities. Although there are several locations across the country where you can study, the main population center is clearly the capital Copenhagen. However, the standard of the Danish university landscape is consistently high.

University landscape

  • There are nine universities and around 175 colleges in Denmark
  • Most of the courses offered can be found at the University of Copenhagen

Study structure

  • Lectures and seminars at Danish universities are quite academic. In addition to the classic lectures, there are also seminars and working groups, but compulsory attendance is not uncommon.
  • Lecture period summer semester: mid-January/February to March/April
  • Lecture period winter semester: August/September to the end of December
  • 1st academic degree: Bachelor, duration: 3 ½ years
  • 2nd academic degree: Candidatus (equivalent to Master), duration 2 years
  • 3rd academic degree: Doctor, duration 3 years

Admission/application

  • If you want to spend a semester abroad in Denmark, you have two options: either through an exchange program at your home university or as a so-called “free mover”.
  • “Free movers” apply directly to the university of their choice in Denmark. Every university has different application requirements. The best thing to do is to contact the “Office for International Relations”, they will help the applicants.
  • The international office of the home university is responsible for exchange students. This decides which university and which course of study you will be assigned to in Denmark.-

Language

  • Danish is spoken in Denmark, including at the university. Therefore, foreign students must provide proof of having passed a language course at least three months before the start of their studies.

tuition fee

  • Danish universities and colleges are generally free, although fees are charged for some master's courses.

visa

  • Since Denmark is part of the EU, a visa is not necessary provided you are a citizen of another EU country.

Cost of living

  • The cost of living in Denmark is quite high. You should expect to pay around 300 to 400 euros – excluding rent.
  • Some examples:
    • Cup of coffee: €3
    • Beer (0.4 l): €4.50
    • Day ticket for buses, trains etc.: €20

Accommodation

  • Living in Denmark isn’t exactly cheap either. Places in a dormitory (around 200 to 250 euros per month) are even cheaper than private accommodation (around 250 to 650 euros per month).

Helpful links

Culture & language courses

Search for shared apartments and apartments

Canada

The North American country is in ninth place among the most popular destinations for German students studying abroad. In total there are around 900,000 students there.

University landscape

  • At first glance, the Canadian higher education landscape looks very confusing, if not even confusing. There are many different types of universities and colleges. An overview of all Canadian universities and colleges is available from the Association of Universities and Colleges. http://www.aucc.ca/

Study structure

  • Each university in Canada decides for itself how many students it admits. The big advantage of this is that the number of course participants is deliberately kept small. As a rule, the academic year is divided into two semesters, as in Germany. Every now and then there is also the form of three semesters, which means that the semester holidays are shorter, but also the study time.
  • Lecture period summer semester: mid-January to April/May
  • Lecture period winter semester: September to the end of December
  • Lecture period third semester: May to August
  • 1. academic degree: Undergraduate (Bachelor), duration: 3 to 5 years
  • 2nd academic degree: Graduate (Master or PhD), duration 2 years
  • 3rd academic degree: Doctor, duration 3 years

Admission/application

  • If you want to do a semester abroad in Canada, you have two options: either your university has a partner university in Canada or you can find a place to study yourself
  • If you look for a place to study yourself, you also have to take care of the admission requirements of the relevant university yourself. Above all, you should plan enough time, at least six months, but preferably a whole year.
  • If your university has a partner university in Canada, you can contact your university's international office. This then decides which university and which course of study you will be assigned to in Canada.

Language

  • Canada is bilingual: English and French. Depending on which part of Canada you want to study in, you will need to pass an English (TOEFL or IELTS) or a French language test (there are no standardized tests for this).

tuition fee

  • As in other Anglo-Saxon countries, tuition fees are the norm at Canadian universities. However, these are relatively inexpensive, especially compared to the USA, but still amount to around $12,000.

visa

  • If you want to stay in Canada for longer than six months, you need a student visa, which you must apply for at the Canadian embassy in Germany.

Cost of living

  • The cost of living in Canada is significantly higher than in Germany. You should expect to pay around 300 to 400 euros – excluding rent and tuition fees.
  • Some examples:
    • Cup of coffee: €2
    • Beer (0.4 l): 3-4 €
    • Monthly ticket for buses, trains, etc.: €90

Accommodation

  • In Canada, most students live directly on campus, which is also where the on-campus student residences are located (around 170 to 450 euros per month). Of course, you can also live off-campus in a shared apartment or apartment (around 170 to 1000 euros). In addition, many Canadian families accept guest students (around 280 to 550 euros per month).

Helpful links

Scholarships

Culture & language courses

Search for shared apartments and apartments

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Spending a semester abroad is always a good idea. With a little preparation, your time away from home will definitely be great. Denmark and Canada are not at the top of German students' minds when choosing to study abroad. But it's always worth it. Denmark Denmark is a small country

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