About
Roskilde University, founded in 1972, was initially intended as an alternative to traditional Danish universities. In the 1970s the university was known for its very liberal education; the focus was shifted from traditional lectures to group orientated methods and projects rather than traditional exams. Today Roskilde has approximately 6,800 students and 1000 teaching and administrative staff members.
Denmark is ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world with a very safe society and a high level of trust. Roskilde itself has around 50,000 inhabitants and is located not far outside of Copenhagen, 20 minutes by train which allows for lots of opportunity to enjoy the capital in your free time! Learn more about Roskilde University here.
Consult Roskilde University on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas.
Location
Take a virtual tour of the campus
RUC is a one-campus university, located in the beautiful green surroundings between the capital, Copenhagen, and the historic city of Roskilde, which is known for its UNESCO world heritage listed cathedral, the Viking Ship Museum, the majestic fjord, the beautiful natural surroundings and the largest music festival in Northern Europe – The Roskilde Festival.
Located close to the City of Copenhagen, and with excellent infrastructure, Roskilde is an attractive place to live, work and study.
Being a part of the Greater Copenhagen area, RUC has its own train station in the neighbourhood of Trekroner, and Copenhagen Central Station is only 20 minutes away by train. It is easy to get from the dynamic study environment at RUC to the vibrant city life of Copenhagen.
Level of competitiveness
This destination is only open to students in the School of Geography.
Less competitive *
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Language of Instruction
All courses as part of the School of Geography agreement will be taught in English.
You will be able to get by easily in Denmark as approximately 86% of Danes speak English as a second language. However, you are encouraged to learn some basic Danish phrases and greetings. This could be through language tandems or by enrolling in a Danish language course. Clavis is a language school that offers Danish classes for international students but you are encouraged to do your own research if this is something you want to pursue.
Academic Calendar
Academic year
Autumn semester: 1 September – 31 January
Spring semester: 1 February – 30 June
The university is in general open all weekdays except public holidays and between Christmas and New Year. Some public holidays are fixed dates and others can vary. You can always find the current dates by searching online.
The last two weeks of a semester are always reserved for the project exam period.
The university offers a foundation course for exchange students which is a 5–8-day induction programme which introduces students to life at the university and in Denmark in general. For the Autumn semester this take place during the last two weeks of August. Find out more about the foundation course here.
Courses
An exchange programme at Roskilde University typically reflects the specific learning principles of Roskilde University namely that every semester consists of 50% project work and 50% courses.
The learning model at Roskilde is Problem-oriented Project Learning. You can find out more about this on their website here. There is also a video about this here.
The exchange agreement is with the Department of People and Technology. However, students joining an exchange at RUC are allowed to choose subjects from any fields of study as long as relevant academic prerequisites are met.
Courses for bachelor’s and master’s students can be found here.
RUC have a range of semester packages for incoming exchange students for all English taught programmes. They will always be available for an academic year on their website. Autumn semester will be similar to next Autumn semester:
You will benefit from:
- No overlap in lectures and exams
- Your activities will most likely be with the same group of fellow students
- Project and courses within each package work together in order to give you more than each activity gives on its own.
Full catalogue of study activities
Restrictions
Only open to students in the School of Geography.
Credits
Students must enroll on a full courseload: 30 ECTS per semester / 60 ECTS for the full academic year (equivalent to 60 Queen Mary credits per semester / 120 Queen Mary credits for the full academic year). 1 ECT equates approximately to 28 working hours.
Grading
All Danish educational programmes from elementary school to university use the so-called seven-step grading scale.
The top grade is 12. This corresponds to an ‘A’ on the ECTS scale. The lowest grade is -3. This corresponds to an ‘F’ on the ECTS scale.
The scale consists of the following grades:
12. Corresponding to ‘A’ on the ECTS scale.
10. Corresponding to ‘B’ on the ECTS scale.
7. Corresponding to ‘C’ on the ECTS scale.
4. Corresponding to ‘D’ on the ECTS scale.
02. Corresponding to ‘E’ on the ECTS scale.
00. Corresponding to ‘Fx’ on the ECTS scale.
-3. Corresponding to ‘F’ on the ECTS scale.
More information on the Danish grading system can be found on the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s website.
Please note that it is not possible to give individual grades to exchange students in courses with pass/fail assessment.
Roskilde is a picturesque city in Denmark that blends rich history with a vibrant modern atmosphere. Home to the renowned Roskilde University, this city offers an unparalleled study abroad experience. With its cobblestone streets, stunning medieval architecture, and a bustling cultural scene, Roskilde invites students to immerse themselves in a dynamic learning environment while exploring its UNESCO-listed landmarks, diverse museums, and lively festivals.
Accommodation
The University of Roskilde advises that finding accommodation for students in Denmark is generally quite challenging. Danish students usually live in private or rented flats, rooms or in dorms or residence halls (called ‘kollegium’ in Danish).
In Denmark, it is common to pay a deposit of the amount of approximately three months’ rent when you are making a mutual signed rental lease. You will get the deposit back upon moving out unless anything has been damaged. It is also common to have three months’ notice for terminating a lease agreement.
Apartments and rooms are usually rented out without furniture. However, you can apply specifically for rooms with furniture via different platforms – just note that there are significantly fewer furnished rentals and that they are more expensive. If you need to buy furniture, you can find cheaper furniture in local second-hand shops.
Due to the housing situation, it is therefore essential that your accommodation has been secured before you arrive in Denmark.
University housing
Roskilde University has secured a limited number of rooms for exchange students on campus at three different dorms – ‘Korallen’, ‘Kolibrien’ and ‘Rockwool’. Recognising that the social aspect of living near campus is an important factor for a successful exchange stay for most students. No guarantees can be made but normally they are able to accommodate all exchange students who applied before the deadline for the spring semester – and most students for the autumn semester. More information about university accommodation.
The dorms have kitchen and laundry facilities. The rooms are self-serviced and furnished with basic furniture and equipped with the most necessary kitchen utensils, as well as a pillow and duvet. However, you have to provide sheets and towels yourself. For the dorms on campus, you will need to put down a deposit of DKK 11000 when applying and pay rent of DKK 3600-5100 per calendar month depending on the room/dorm.
The application procedure
You will receive an e-mail containing information on campus accommodation and application procedure when you are accepted as an exchange student at Roskilde University. You can expect to receive the information in June for your start in the autumn.
Independent housing
Global network: Housing Anywhere
Roskilde University supports the global network Housing Anywhere, which is a peer-to-peer platform where people can rent out rooms to international students.
Receive a Roskilde University VIP profile on HousingAnywhere.com by signing up:
For students: Sign-up >
As a student at Roskilde University, you are entitled to priority access to all accommodation available on HousingAnywhere.com. The platform allows you to choose from rooms listed by local students or verified landlords and securely book prior to your arrival.
For more information, check the local guide on living in Roskilde.
Keep in mind: The housing market in Roskilde is very seasonal. So, if you don’t find a room listed right away check back regularly.
If you need more information or have a specific question, send an email to vip@housinganywhere.com and be treated with priority.
Cost of living
Information about living costs and tips and tricks to search for accommodation in Denmark can be found in Roskilde’s guide and in the ‘International Students’ Survival Guide to life in Denmark’ (pdf).
You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Roskilde here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Support services
RUC has a dedicated student hub including study and career advice and a counselling service.
Activities and Societies
There are many clubs that you can choose to engage in, from nature conservation to choir to robot building. And you can create your own club - perhaps an evening of ignite-speak, build-a-city garden or performance poetry. Campus can be what you make of it. See more information about the Student House here.
There is a student area called Trekoner Hub where students can skate, play basketball, petanque, table tennis and walk on slacklines. There is also a large patio area where you can barbecue and there are pavilions, for instance to be used for project work.
The campus also has two multi courts, soccer, disc golf course, nature trails along lakes, streams and fields, a gym, innovation workshops, a student house, a canteen, a cinema, all of which are places to meet for social moments.
