Student Handbook
Introduction to the SUFONAMA Student Handbook
Welcome to the SUFONAMA Student Handbook – your trusted companion through your SUFONAMA studies.
This handbook aims to give you an overview of the most important issues as you move further along in your SUFONAMA studies.
In some sections you’ll find extensive descriptions of the topics, while in others you’ll find less information. You may not find all the answers to your questions in the handbook, but you’ll find references to where you can find more information on the topic – or who to contact about it.
The handbook is built in a chronological order, so topics that will be relevant for you before you start your studies will be in the beginning – and the topics that will be relevant for you when you graduate will be at the very end. Sometimes you may have to shuffle back in the handbook to refresh your knowledge on a given topic.
We hope you find it useful.
Please feel free to reach out to us on sufonama@science.ku.dk, if you have suggestions on how to improve the handbook.
Contact
As a SUFONAMA student, it can sometimes be confusing as to who to contact about different study related issues, as you move from university to university during your study period.
The rule of thumb is, that you must contact the university where the study related issue is located.
Before Beginning Your Studies
During Your Studies
After Completing Your Studies
Before Beginning Your Studies
Introduction to SUFONAMA
SUFONAMA is a joint study programme which awards a double degree, fully recognized in all the participating countries, upon graduation. To obtain the SUFONAMA double degree, you must
- obtain 60 ECTS from two different SUFONAMA universities, totalling 120 ECTS
- transfer all credits to both your first- and second-year university
Your way through the programme
You will start your studies at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) together with all other SUFONAMA students.
For the second year of studies, you and the other SUFONAMA students will travel to your second-year university according to your chosen mobility track:
- Bangor University (BU), United Kingdom
- University of Göttingen (UGOE), Germany
- University of Padua (UP), Italy
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
You have been informed which second-year university you will go to in your letter with offer of admission to the programme. Your mobility track is binding and cannot be changed.
The SUFONAMA double degree
Getting a double degree means that you receive two national degrees – one degree from each university where you’ve completed 60 ECTS.
To graduate and obtain the double degree you must complete 120 ECTS in total (60 ECTS at two different SUFONAMA universities):
- 60 ECTS at UCPH the first year of studies
- 60 ECTS at your second-year university
Issuing of diplomas
To obtain a diploma from both two universities you’ve attended, you need to transfer credits from
1. UCPH > your second-year university
2. your second-year university > UCPH
You’ll need a certified transcript of records from each of the partner universities on your mobility track, which shows all the courses and grades, to start the process of a credit transfer. It is your own responsibility to get the transcript of records and to start the credit transfer.
In this handbook we will also explain, how you transfer credits.
The academic calendars and the time of your study start vary amongst the SUFONAMA universities.
Here you’ll find an approximate academic calendar for all SUFONAMA universities.
Your academic performance is evaluated with national grades at each university. The grades are related to the ECTS grading scale in the table below. Please note that no official conversion table exists. The table is constructed based on the practices of the involved universities, so this cannot be used as an official conversion table but an indication of conversion.
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Financial and Legal Matters
As an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship holder, you must be enrolled and a full-time student to be eligible for the scholarship. In case of interruption of enrolment, e.g. maternity leave, sick leave or similar absence, you must inform the SUFONAMA office at UCPH (sufonama@science.ku.dk). Your scholarship will then be stopped for your period of absence and started again upon your return to your studies.
Duration of the scholarship
The maximum duration of the scholarship is 24 months (33,600€ in total). If you extend your studies beyond 24 months, the scholarship cannot be extended.
Transfer of scholarship
Throughout your studies the SUFONAMA office at UCPH will transfer your monthly scholarship of 1400€ to your preferred bank account.
Your residential address is the determining factor in whether the scholarship instalment is transferred in DKK (Danish Kroner) or in Euros.
The scholarship is transferred in
- DKK if your residential address is in Denmark
- Euros if your residential address in any other country.
You are responsible for the charge of fees for the transfer if your account is in another currency.
The scholarship is always paid in advance for the forthcoming month and will be at your disposal on the last bank day of a given month. For example: the instalment for November is paid on the last bank day of October.
The last possible scholarship instalment will be available on the last bank day of July for the month of August of the second year of study.
The first instalment
The first instalment of the scholarship is prepaid for 3 months and to disposal no later than the end of September.
To receive the first instalment, you must
- inform the SUFONAMA office of your preferred bank account
- show up in person at the Department of Food and Resource Economics – how to find us.
We will contact you in June before study start with further information on the process.
Inform us of your preferred bank account
You must inform us of the bank account where you wish to receive the scholarship.
In June before study start, we will contact you and ask you to submit a bank form with the relevant information on your bank account for the first instalment.
For the rest of the first year in Copenhagen, you must assign and activate a NemKonto, to get your monthly allowance of the scholarship. We will contact you in July before study start with further information.
You can read about NemKonto here.
Before you move to the country of your second-year university we will contact you again and request information on which bank account you’ll use during your second year of studies. You must send us an updated bank form with your new address and tax identification number.
Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Maybe you can find the answer on the SUFONAMA scholarship page – otherwise contact sufonama@science.ku.dk.
Students required to pay tuition fee will be contacted by the SUFONAMA office 2-4 weeks before the deadline for paying tuition fee. Tuition fee is collected for each semester of the programme.
The payment deadlines are:
- 1st semester: 15 April
- 2nd semester: 15 January
- 3rd semester: 15 August
- 4th semester: 15 January
Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Maybe you can find the answer on the SUFONAMA tuition fee page – otherwise contact sufonama@science.ku.dk.
The Erasmus Mobility Grant is administered by UCPH. You can apply for the Erasmus Mobility Grant if you
- weren’t awarded the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship
- are going to University of Padua, University of Göttingen or Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences on your second year of studies.
You cannot apply for the grant if you are going to Bangor University on your second year, as the United Kingdom is no longer apart of the Erasmus Mobility Scheme.
You can read more about Erasmus Mobility Grant on UCPH Study Information.
How and when to apply
You apply for the Erasmus Mobility Grant through the application portal Mobility Online.
The deadline is 1 November at 12.00 (noon) CET.
Find a guide and Mobility Online on UCPH Study Information.
You’ll receive a preapproval of your second-year courses
UCPH will send you a preapproval of your second-year courses in February/March. You will need this document for your Learning Agreement.
SUFONAMA will provide you with insurance coverage for the two-year period of the programme in compliance with the Erasmus+ Requirements for Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s.
You will be insured through Dr. Walter with PROTRIP-WORLD-PLUS, which includes health, liability and accident insurance. You are covered in all countries SUFONAMA is offered.
The insurance takes effect when you start your journey to the UCPH, but no earlier than two months before official study start on 1 September.
You will receive your Insurance Confirmation by July before study start.
Before starting your studies, we will send you a Student Agreement. The Student Agreement is an Erasmus Mundus specific contract between you and the programme. You must sign the Student Agreement and return it to sufonama@science.ku.dk.
Please read the Student Agreement carefully before signing and returning it.
As a SUFONAMA student you can make use of the student services available at each partner university.
Before Arriving in Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen)
UCPH oversees the admission of all SUFONAMA students to the programme. As part of this process, you will be enrolled at UCPH, and you will stay enrolled at the university through your entire study period until you’ve graduated. During your first year of study, you will be contacted from your second year university with information on the enrolment procedure to that university.
This means that you can make use of all services for UCPH-students when you are a SUFONAMA student – even when you are studying at your second-year university.
You can read about student life and services on UCPH Study Information.
From the end of May, you will receive information emails from The Faculty of Science (SCIENCE) at UCPH. In the first email, you will get an invitation to the online study start course How to MSc.
Amongst other topics, the course introduces you to
- the university and your study programme
- living and studying in Denmark – incl. visa and CPR-number, finding a place to stay and more
- setting up your alumni email, student ID and WIFI and printing on campus
- course registration, getting ready for your courses and exams
How to MSc is a great tool for you to prepare yourself for the move to Copenhagen and getting acquainted with SUFONAMA.
We encourage you to read How to MSc carefully and join the scheduled webinars.
Access How to MSc through your study start room ‘SUFONAMA 2024’ from Absalon.
Living in Copenhagen can be expensive, so it is important that you make a realistic budget. Many students in Copenhagen supplement their budget with a student job.
We’ve made a rough estimate of the expected living costs in the city, both with a lower budget and a higher budget. It might be possible to live in the city on a smaller budget than what we’ve estimated.
Other sources with info on living costs in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, and life in the city is affected by that. It is a vibrant and cycle-friendly city with exciting career opportunities and a great student culture, with good job opportunities and endless cultural opportunities – and lastly it is a comfortable city to live in.
Accommodation in Copenhagen
As a SUFONAMA student you’ll need to find accommodation in the city. This can be a challenge, especially in July, August and September.
You need to be patient when looking for accommodation and make a plan for your apartment/room hunting.
UCPH is collaborating with Housing Foundation, an independent organization that helps international students enrolled at the university with finding accommodation.
All questions to for Housing Foundation should be directed to contact@housingfoundation@ku.dk.
Useful links when you are looking for accommodation:
- How to MSc, Module 2 Living and Studying in Denmark
- Housing – University of Copenhagen
- Living in Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen
- Housing Foundation
At UCPH, you must register for your compulsory, restricted elective and elective courses prior to showing up in class.
You can only register for courses in designated periods throughout the study year.
For courses in block 1 and 2 in the autumn semester, you must register from mid-May to end-May. For courses in block 3 and 4 in the spring semester, you must register from mid-November to end-November.
Even though you must register for courses at UCPH, it might be different at your second-year university.
Useful info about course registration at UCPH
- Guide to course registration: How to MSc in Module 5 – Register for courses and projects
- Course registration periods – UCPH Study Information
It is your own responsibility to
- make and pay for travel arrangements to Copenhagen
- secure and pay for the needed visa/residence permits.
As an EU citizen, you must apply for a registration certificate after you arrive in Denmark, if you plan to stay in Denmark longer than 3 months.
As a non-EU citizen you must apply for and obtain a Danish residence permit before you enter Denmark.
SCIENCE will assist you in beginning the visa application to Denmark. You will be contacted in late May on your UCPH alumni email (KUmail) with more information.
We encourage you to begin the visa application process as soon as possible.
More info on visa/residence permits
- How to MSc module 2 – Living and Studying in Denmark
- Higher education programmes – New to Denmark
During Your Studies
Studying at University of Copenhagen
Welcome and Orientation
Each SUFONAMA partner university oversees the local orientation and welcome days for new international students.
On your first year of studies at UCPH, SCIENCE organise the study start and Welcome Days for all new master’s students to the faculty.
The study start at SCIENCE consists of two parts:
- an online study start running from the end of May through August
- international Welcome Days on campus in the last week of August.
The online study start is your study start course How to MSc.
Apart from getting a lot of useful information in the course, you can also join webinars about certain topics from May to August.
Access How to MSc on through you study start room ‘SUFONAMA 2024’ on Absalon.
During the last week of August, the international Welcome Days take place for all new master’s students at the faculty.
During the welcome days you can expect
- to meet your Head of Study and the other students from your study programme
- an introduction to Danish educational culture, Danish culture and living in Denmark
- social activities with other new international students from across the faculty
We encourage you to participate in the welcome days in August to get acquainted with the university and the other students.
Practical Matters
Here you’ll find the most common topics on practical matters when you study at UCPH. The topics are not exhaustive, but they can give you an indication of where you can find more information.
The academic year at SCIENCE is divided into four blocks of 15 ECTS credits. A block consists of
- 8 weeks of classes
- 1 week of exams
- 1 week with planned study break/reexams from the previous block
You can read about the academic year and holidays on UCPH Study Information.
During your first year on SUFONAMA, you will be studying at the Department of Food and Resource Economics – the department is a part of the Faculty of Science (SCIENCE) and is located at Frederiksberg Campus.
As a student at SCIENCE, you can make use of campus facilities available, join webinars and seminars hosted by SCIENCE Student Services on different relevant topics, like career, well-being and study techniques.
Read more about
You will get information on the Danish language course in How to MSc in module 2 – Living and studying in Denmark. You can also register for the language course in How to MSc.
Learning some Danish can be very helpful when you live in Denmark, as it will help you with the practicalities of everyday life and even if you consider applying for a student job or working in Denmark after graduation.
We encourage you to register for the language courses offered by UCPH.
Academic Matters
In these sections you can read more about topics that relate to courses and teaching while you study at UCPH.
While you are studying at UCPH, you will experience different types of teaching. Amongst others you will experience:
- lectures
- theoretical exercises
- classroom discussions
- group work
You can always identify the teaching method for each course at UCPH when reading the course description.
Teaching in Denmark is characterised by an analytical approach. This means that you are expected to work independently, to discuss and form your own opinion on topics, as well as compare, analyse and critically assess information while you are studying at UCPH.
In How to MSc you will get a deeper introduction to Danish educational culture – we encourage you read the section to prepare for the ways of teaching at the UCPH.
None of the SUFONAMA partner universities tolerate plagiarism. It is a serious offence as the plagiarist takes credit for work that rightly belongs to someone else. In that sense it can be considered stealing.
If you plagiarise it can have serious consequences for your further studies.
It is important that you always refer in a clear and concise manner to the source you’ve used in your assignments. You can always reach out to your teacher or Head of Studies if you are unsure about how to cite sources correctly.
On UCPH Study Information you can read about
During your first year on SUFONAMA, your courses will be graded with the Danish 7-point grading scale.
To get a further explanation of the grading scale and assessment of exams at UCPH, please visit Study Information on Grades and assessment.
At UCPH it is custom to evaluate the courses you’ve taken after the end of each course. You will be contacted by email when it is time to evaluate the course.
Evaluating courses is a good way for you to let the course coordinator know about the quality of the course. All evaluations are anonymous.
The type of examination will vary from course to course during your first year of studies. All exams are regulated by the university.
In addition, you can always identify the examination type for each course at UCPH by reading the course description.
Find your courses in the Course Catalogue.
You can read more about examination and regulations on UCPH Study Information:
Preparing for your Second Year of Studies
Making Preparations for the Second Year
In the spring semester on your first year of studies, you can begin preparing for your second year of study. This is also when your second-year university will contact you regarding enrolment.
This section will take you through what you need to know about preparing for your second year of study before you leave UCPH and Copenhagen.
Transcript of records from UCPH
You need a certified transcript of records from UCPH and apply for a credit transfer at your second-year university.
We encourage you to order a certified transcript as soon as all your courses (60 ECTS) from UCPH have been graded – you will complete your last courses at UCPH by the end of June.
You must request a certified copy of your transcript from SCIENCE Student Services.
This is what you must do:
1. Go to the contact page of SCIENCE Student Services
2. Click the accordion ‘Order’
3. Click on ‘Order a grade transcript’
4. Fill in the form (make sure to choose the English version of the form in the upper right corner)
5. Your certified transcript will be sent to you when your request has been processed by the Study Administration.
Credit Transfer to Second Year Universities
Once you’ve received your certified transcript of records from UCPH, you must ensure that your credits are transferred to your second-year university.
Each university has different procedures for transferring credits.
Below you can see how to transfer credits to each partner university.
How to credit transfer to BU
How to credit transfer to UGOE
How to credit transfer to UniPD
How to credit transfer to SLU
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Studying at your Second-Year University
Studying at Bangor University
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Academic Calendar at BU
Campus
Language Courses
Cultural Immersion
Thesis Requirements
Teaching and Learning
Plagiarism
Grading System
Course Evaluation
Examination and Regulations
Studying at University of Göttingen
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Academic Calendar at UGOE
Campus
Language Courses
Cultural Immersion
Thesis Requirements
Teaching and Learning
Plagiarism
Grading System
Course Evaluation
Examination and Regulations
Studying at University of Padua
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Academic Calendar at UniPD
Campus
Language Courses
Cultural Immersion
Thesis Requirements
Teaching and Learning
Plagiarism
Grading System
Course Evaluation
Examination and Regulations
Studying at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
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Academic Calendar at SLU
Campus
Language Courses
Cultural Immersion
Thesis Requirements
Teaching and Learning
Plagiarism
Grading System
Course Evaluation
Examination and Regulations
After Completing Your Studies
Issuing of Diploma
As SUFONAMA is a double degree, you will get a diploma from
- University of Copenhagen
- your second-year university.
The process of issuing the diploma varies from partner university to partner university. However, before each university can issue your diploma, you need to ensure that 120 ECTS credit is recorded at each university.
By now you should already have applied for a credit transfer from UCPH to your second-year university. If you have done this, you will now have 120 ECTS recorded with your second-year university. If you haven’t done this, please see this section for instructions.
Now you must ensure that the 60 ECTS credits from your second-year university are transferred to UCPH, so you’ll also have 120 ECTS recorded with UCPH as well. For that you need a certified transcript of records from your second-year university.
Transcript of Records: How to get it from your second-year university
In this section you can see how to get your transcript of records from the SUFONAMA partner you attended on your second year of studies.
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How to Credit Transfer to UCPH
Once you have a certified transcript from your second-year university, you must apply for a credit transfer of the remaining 60 ECTS to UCPH.
All credits will be transferred as pass/fail to your UCPH transcript.
You diploma from UCPH will be issued no later than 8 weeks after you’ve applied for a credits transfer of the 60 ECTS from your second-year university to UCPH.
You can read about the UCPH diploma on UCPH Study Information.
Title Awarded for the Double Degree
The title awarded for the SUFONAMA double degree depends on which universities you’ve attended through the programme.
In the table below, you can see which title is awarded from each university.
