For internal students: Exchange

You are already a student at the Royal Danish Academy and want to apply for an exchange stay. 

The Royal Danish Academy has exchange agreements with partner institutions abroad (find link to the list in the right hand side). Through the agreements the institutions exchange students for a semester and the students are exempt from paying tuition fees at the partner institution. There are a limited number of places on the agreements and there must be a balance between in and outgoing students. The partner institution sets possible language and admission requirements on the agreements.

If you want to apply for an exchange stay abroad you must apply to the Royal Danish Academy before a deadline. The Academy will decide which institution you will be nominated for. After this you will apply for the partner institution.

Find information about the application process in the step by step guide below.

When can I go on exchange?

It is possible to go on an exchange on the following semesters:

Architecture:
6th semester of the bachelors programme and/or 2nd semester of the masters programme

Design:
3rd or 4th semester of the bachelors programme and/or 2nd semester of the masters programme

Crafts in Glass and Ceramics:
3rd semester

Conservation:
1th and/or 2th semester of the masters programme (please see the Danish intranet page for further information)

It is not possible to get a dispensation to study abroad on other semesters.

Application deadlines

  • 5th February for exchanges in the autumn semester
  • 10th September for exchanges in the spring semester

Application process

In order to arrange an exchange on Architecture, Design or Crafts in Glass and Ceramics you have to follow these steps:

Step 1: Seek information about exchange options

Start searching for information early and consider carefully if you want to apply for an exchange and where you want to go.

Exchanges are demanding academically and personally so you should only apply for an exchange place if you are strong mentally and academically. You must take 30 ECTS while you are on an exchange which often gives you a higher pressure and work load than for the local students and other exchange students.

Look at the list of Royal Danish Academy partner institutions partnerliste.kglakademi.dk Start with choosing your education, semester, level and teaching language to make sure that you only look at institutions in the list that are available for you.

Investigate which institutions have course offers that fit to your profile and interests. Read carefully on the institutions webpages and course lists. Also look at institutions that you did not consider or find interesting in the first instance.

Students in architecture can only apply for exchange agreements in architecture. Students in design can only apply for exchange agreements in design. This is also the case for master students on "Spatial Design", "Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship" and "Furniture design".

Make sure that the exchange and the institutions that you are interested in have offers that fit into the academic subject and scope of your programme at the Royal Danish Academy. You may consult the academic head of your programme at the Academy.

You may prioritise three partner institutions when you apply for an exchange place. You can not change your priorities after you have applied. It is therefore important that you have made a thorough research into which courses the schools offer and made sure that you fulfill the language requirements.

Step 2: Apply to the Study Administration for an exchange place

To apply for an exchange you must fill in the electronic application form for study abroad. You will find the user guide and link to the application form at the top of the page.

The application form is in English but you may write in Danish if you wish.

In the electronic application form you must write about your academic motivation and the reasons for applying for each of the partner institutions that you have prioritised on the application form. If possible please write which courses you will like to participate in at the institution(s). You may decide how long your letter of motivation will be (max 3000 characters).

Important: remember to check in the list of The Royal Danish Academy partner institutions if the exchange agreement is available for students at your educational level (Bachelor/Master) before you choose the agreement in the application form.

If there is a requirement for language proficiency in the description of the partner institution in the list, you must upload documentation for the required language proficiency in the application system. The documentation is usually the transcript of records from your secondary school. If there if no information in about language requirements in the description of the partner institution then there are no language requirements.

Step 3: Reply from the Study Administration

The academic head of the study programme is involved in the assessment of the applications. In the selection the following criteria are used:

  • The academic level of the student, including an academic assessment of the students work and grades.
  • The students academic motivation and reasons for applying to the partner institution.
  • Taking into consideration that as many qualified students as possible are offered an exchange place.

1-2 weeks after the application deadline you will receive a message in your study e-mail about the result of your application.

If you have been nominated for an exchange place you must in confirm the application system that you accept the study place before a deadline. If you do not confirm the study place before the deadline you will loose the offer of an exchange place. Therefore please check your Academy e-mail and the application system on a regular basis.

Please note that you are not guaranteed an exchange place even if The Academy has nominated you. The partner institution has the right to reject your application.

If you accept to be nominated for an exchange place you can not afterwards cancel your exchange.

Step 4: Application to the partner institution

In the next step you have to send an application to the partner institution before their application deadline.

The Academy's Study Administration will send you a link to the website of the partner institution which contains information about the application deadline and requirements. Most partner institutions require, that exchange students submit a portfolio.

Step 5: Reply from the partner institution

It normally takes 6-8 weeks (after the partner institutions application deadline) before you get an answer on your application.

If you are accepted to the partner institution you can not afterwards cancel your exchange.

Step 6: Application for scholarships, visa and accommodation

Depending on which partner institution you have been admitted to you will possibly be able to apply for scholarships (for instance Erasmus) and you must apply for a visa, accommodation etc. You will receive further information from The Academy and from the partner institution.

Step 7: Exchange at the partner institution

Now you are ready to go on the exchange.

Please note the following rules for choosing courses at the partner institution:

  • You have to earn 30 ECTS credits during the exchange. This is also the case for institutions where the local students and other exchange students do not need to earn 30 ECTS per semester.
  • The 30 ECTS credits must consist of academically relevant courses. Language and culture courses are for instance not accepted as part for the 30 ECTS.
  • Master students are only allowed to take master level courses at the partner institution.

If you are studying at a partner institution where have a credit point range per semester you must earn the maximum number of credits in the range. This is the case for a number of institutions in for instance USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Step 8: Reporting on exchange stay and return home

After you return from your study abroad you will be asked to fill in some surveys and you must send your transcript of records from the partner institution to the Academy's Study Administration.

The exchange stay will be registered in your education at The Academy as “passed”. The specific courses and grades from the partner institution will not appear on your Royal Danish Academy transcript.