Study and teaching environment
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Study and teaching culture
The study environment at Aarhus BSS is informal and the open dialogue between students and professors make for a very exciting and dynamic learning experience. You will experience high academic standards combined with a great balance between studies and leisure time.
An informal classroom culture
The hierarchy in the university is flat as it also is in Danish society. It affects life in university in several ways.
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The dialogue between lecturer and student is central to the teaching at Aarhus BSS. Students are expected to take active part in the academic discussions, and students often say that they enjoy the informal relationship between lecturers and students. Student's enjoy that the professor's door is always open to them.
The flat hierarchy is also seen in the fact that students address their teachers by their first name - not by Dr., Mrs., Professor or the like.
Study methods and active participation
Most courses at Aarhus BSS are taught as a combination of large lectures and smaller classroom-based seminars.
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Lectures are held in auditoriums with many students present. They are usually mostly one-way communication from the professor, however, the structure also allows room for students to interact and ask questions. Most professors also enjoy some smalltalk with students in the breaks.
In seminars, you are expected to participate more actively by for example joining discussions, asking questions or doing presentations for your fellow students.
Most often, students join in study groups of 3-4 students who meet regularly to discuss the academic texts used in class and prepare joint presentations or projects. Classes will be a mix of Danes and internationals, creating a vibrant and diverse learning environment.
Critical thinking and high academic standards
Danish higher education is characterized by a focus on preparing students to turn knowledge into solutions.
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Critical thinking and problem-solving are important elements in the Danish teaching model, meaning that students get the ability to use what they learn and turn that knowledge in solutions.
This focus is also reflected in exams: Students are not only expected to accumulate and reproduce knowledge but also to compare, analyse and evaluate on an individual basis. This enables the students to turn knowledge into solutions for the real world.
Just like any other university, Aarhus BSS has high academic standards and requires that all students keep up with these standards. Students are expected to complete 30 ECTS credits per semester.
Learn more about study practices at Aarhus BSS - Aarhus University in the AU Studypedia.
Balance between school and leisure time
University life in Denmark lends you time for an active life besides your studies.
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What many international students point out as special, is the fact that in Denmark, we value a fine balance between studying and time for leisure activities.
As a student at Aarhus BSS you are expected to keep up with the high academic standards and take responsibility for your own learning. But at the same time, you will experience that there will also be time to see your friends, do sports, work a student job, and so much more. The university has great recreational facilities, e.g. the Royal Library and the large green university park, making sure that students can take breaks in between studying.
