University of Copenhagen

Overview

The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) is a public research university located in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, it’s the second-oldest university in Scandinavia and it’s the largest institution of higher learning and research in Denmark. Having been in existence for more than 530 years, the university has morphed into one of the best institutions not only in the Nordic region, but also in Europe.

The University of Copenhagen was inaugurated by King Christian I following approval by Pope Sixtus IV in 1475. Three years later, the king issued a royal decree by which the institution was established. The university adopted a German model of education and initially, it consisted of four faculties: Law, Theology, Philosophy, and Medicine.

From this point, the pace and space for a successful institution was set, and over the centuries, the university recorded tremendous growth. In 2007, the university merged with the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Royal Veterinary and Agriculture University to form what is now the fourth largest and the highest ranked institution of higher learning in Denmark.

At present, the University of Copenhagen has five campuses. The first four are located in the Capital Region—North Campus, South Campus, City Campus, and Frederiksberg Campus. These are integrated into the city and are relatively small distances from each other to help students access the state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities with ease. The strategic locations of the campuses offer a first-hand feel of the original charm and lively buzz of one of the modern cities in the world. The other UCPH’s campus, on the other hand, is situated near the outskirts of the city at Taastrup.

UCPH offers a wide range of academic disciplines, which are organized into six faculties. The faculties (except the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Theology, which are single-entity faculties) are further subdivided into departments. In total, there are 36 departments, and more than 200 research centers, which are run in collaboration with private companies, foundations, and public institutions.

Combined, the six faculties provide more than 200 academic programs for students to choose from, which include Bachelor’s, Masters, and Doctoral degree programs. Popular areas of study at the University of Copenhagen include Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, and Theology.

As of 2019, there were more than 37,000 students enrolled at the University of Copenhagen. Meanwhile, there are more than 9,000 employees, of which more than 4,800 are full-time academic staff and over 400 are part-time academic staff.

The university has been the breeding ground for multiple scientific theories and innovation ideas. For example, the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics is a famous scientific theory conceived at the university’s Niels Bohr Institute. In addition, the University of Copenhagen has produced many great minds, nine of which have gone on to win the coveted Nobel Prize Award.