Exchange from abroad

An exchange student is a student from one of Aalborg University's partner universities (Erasmus, Nordic or overseas) who wish to study at Aalborg University for one or two semesters and who has been nominated for exchange at Aalborg University by the partner university.

For more information on the nomination process, please contact the international office at your home university.

Spring semester = 1 February - 30 June

Autumn semester = 1 September - 31 January

Studying at Aalborg University may be somewhat different from being a student at other Danish universities. 

What to expect at Aalborg University

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Studying at Aalborg University may be somewhat different from being a student at other Danish universities. This is due to the PBL method. To make sure everyone is on the same page, please read the short explanation of Aalborg University’s PBL method below.

Our study programmes are essentially package deals. There isn’t a course selection as such, as the semesters are pre-planned and stated in the curriculum. In the Choosing your study programme section below you’ll find more information on how to find the different programmes.

Where other universities to a larger extent offer more electives so students can create their own unique academic course profile, students at Aalborg University build their academic profile via the semester project. The project is a free-topic subject (however it must fall under the theme of the semester) where the students, in groups, do research about a subject that interests them and they write a joint group report on it. It is through the semester projects each semester that the students can create their own unique academic profile, as they choose what to research. The project groups only last for the semester project. The next semester the students form new groups based on interest and thus the group one is in could be entirely, or only somewhat different the next semester.

Each semester has a certain theme and there is a planned learning outcome. To achieve the learning outcome there are certain theory modules that must be followed. Typically there are three theory modules (5 ECTS points each) which all are prerequisites for the project module (15 ECTS points). There is no set number of lectures for a given module. It follows our PBL setup (problem based learning) where the project module is a synthesis of the theory modules used on a real life problem. The learning outcome for the project is also found in the curriculum.
The project module has a threefold (or more) purpose; 1) Project group work strengthens the students’ cooperation capabilities, 2) It requires students to reflect on their own learning – it must be argued how and why they used the taught theory in the project or why not if they didn’t and why they chose to use a different theory, and 3) It helps students in transferring their knowledge into “how do I use this in the real world” as most often the group project will be undertaken in cooperation with a company, where the company presents a case/the problem to be solved/or is the data.

The illustration below shows how time is spent throughout a typical semester (with the semester start to the left). Most time in the beginning of the semester is used on courses/lectures but gradually that decreases and the project work increases. The project exam is an oral group exam where the project report is defended. See more here: http://www.pbl.aau.dk/resources/films-about-group-exams/

• More information on the PBL method

So the project report is like a very long essay, and it is not necessarily fun all the time – most likely it will be quite frustrating as there not only will be the academic troubles in learning new theories and learning how to apply them, but also the aspect of finding out how to work together in a group may prove to be frustrating. Afterwards, hopefully, you will discover that that is when you perhaps learned the most.

Choosing your study programme

As mentioned in the section above our study programmes are essentially package deals, which means that there isn’t a course selection as such. Semesters are pre-planned and as stated in the curriculum. Thus, it is not possible to mix and match courses from different programmes. You can find the curriculum for each study programme on the study programme’s website. Click your way to a specific study programme from the links below and then click on the link to the Curriculum (found on the right hand side of the study programme’s webpage in the box “Facts about the programme”).

Keeping the above in mind applicants can look for relevant teaching packages in the following ways:
Students currently pursuing a Bachelor degree may look in our Bachelor list: http://www.en.aau.dk/education/bachelor and in the Bachelor part of the guest & exchange list: http://www.en.aau.dk/education/guest-exchange.
The two lists differ in the way that the former has programmes fully taught in English, whereas programmes on the latter only have one or two English taught semesters. Therefore, only exchange students can apply for programmes on the latter list. However, as an exchange student, you do not need to limit yourself to the exchange list; you may also look through the full bachelor list.

Likewise, if you have already successfully completed your Bachelor degree you may instead choose from the Master programmes list: http://www.en.aau.dk/education/master or the master part of the guest & exchange list: http://www.en.aau.dk/education/guest-exchange.

Please note that some semesters have pre-requisites. E.g. to follow the 6th semester of Energy Engineering you need to have successfully completed the equivalent of 5 semesters of Bachelor studies in a similar field. This should be apparent from the curricula.

September intake

Deadline: 15 March

february intake

Deadline: 1 October

What is nomination for exchange?

• Universities that hold an exchange agreement with Aalborg University select the students that they would like to go abroad during the upcoming semester(s). For more information on this process, please contact the international office at your home university
• The universities then let Aalborg University know which students they would like to send to Aalborg University

September intake

Deadline: 1 April

february intake

Deadline: 15 October

Your application must be submitted in the Danish Application Portal. We expect the portal to open 6 February.

You need to create a profile in the application portal in order to submit your application for exchange.

Please note: You are responsible for keeping yourself updated on the status of your application by often logging into the Application Portal and by reading and responding to any new messages. 

Spring semester = 1 February - 30 June

Autumn semester = 1 September - 31 January

The entire set of documentation must be uploaded to your application in the Application Portal.

Please note: Aalborg University does not accept documents sent by post or email.

If the documents you have uploaded are not sufficient, you will be requested to submit further documentation. We will give you a detailed explanation of the extra documentation we need from you and give you a deadline for uploading it to us.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTation

• Certificates and academic transcripts in English
   
• Documentation for English language level. Please read the section below on language requirements carefully to find out how you need to document your English skills
   
• Copy of the section in your passport or National ID where your name, picture and nationality is seen
   
• Learning agreement

Programmes offered in English at Aalborg University require that your command of the English language is equivalent to level B (Danish level) in English. Level B (Danish level) in regards to languages is considered equivalent to level B2 referring to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Applicants must submit the results of one of the below mentioned tests with the required minimum scores by uploading the test results or receipt confirming that you have signed up for a test to the Application Portal. 

We do not accept IELTS and TOEFL tests that are more than 2 years old at the time of the application deadline.

Minimum requirements – a Danish B level in English

IELTS (academic test): 6.5
TOEFL (internet-based): 88
C2 Proficiency (CPE): 180
C1 Advanced (CAE): 180
ECPE: Passed test including certificate

Valid reasons for exemption from submitting an  English test

• Applicants with a complete (professional) Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a Danish educational institution to which a Danish B level in English (‘English B’) was a requirement at the time of admission.
   
• Applicants holding an English taught qualifying upper secondary school exam, Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree from USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK or Ireland (Minimum two years of  the bachelor or master must have taken place in one of the mentioned countries)
   
• Applicants holding a complete Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in English linguistics.
   
• Applicants holding a Danish, Nordic, German, or European Baccalaureate (from Schola Europaea) qualifying exam with an English level, which the Danish Agency for Higher Education considers equivalent to a Danish B level in English.
   
• Applicants who have passed either 'English level B' in upper secondary school in Denmark (minimum average grade 02) or a skills set test (realkompetencevurdering at VUC) at 'English level B'.
   
• Applicants holding a passed International Baccalaureate (from the IB diploma programme (www.ibo.org).

Please note that applicants attending or holding a Professional Bachelor’s degree are not exempted from submitting one of the above-mentioned English tests.