Campus life

Study environment
While the campus areas are integrated into the city of Copenhagen and students have easy access to the facilities available in the city, there are plenty of on-campus options to go for.
On each campus you will find:
- Study spaces and quiet zones where you can read, or use the wifi and work.
- Common areas, lounges and meeting rooms for discussions and meetings with your study group.
- Outdoor areas, where you can work, relax or meet with fellow students between classes.
- The bookshop ’Academic Books’, where you can buy books, compendia etc.
- Canteens and cafés where you can buy breakfast, lunch, coffee, cake etc.
- Friday bars, where you can welcome the weekend in good company.
- Libraries
The Copenhagen University Library (CULIS) is a joint venture between the University of Copenhagen and the Royal Library.
CULIS has several branches in Copenhagen (most of them on campus). The locations are split by subject material:
Libraries
KUB Frederiksberg - Natural and Bioscience
KUB Nord - Natural and Health Science
KUB South Campus - Humanities and Law
Faculty Library of Social Sciences
For more information, visit the Copenhagen University Library website (culis.ku.dk).
The University Post's guide to the four campuses gives you an insider's view on student cafés, where the hide-outs, canteens and more.
Friday bars take place all over the campus areas. They are a place for students to talk or play games while drinking tea, coffee, beer or whatever the volunteers who run the Friday bars provide.
Pick your favourite from The great UCPH Friday bar guide by University Post.
Associations and clubs
Check out the many options at the University and in the city of Copenhagen. Also, see this very helpful list of organisations and mentor programmes.
KSI, KU Studenteridræt (UCPH Student Sports) is the University’s student sports association (‘forening’), offering more than 70 sports teams with levels ranging from beginners to intermediate, experienced and skilled. The club is a non-profit association, so prices are reasonable. In mid-August, you can sign up for the September-to-May season, and it is also possible to join some teams after the season has started. There is a summer season too. In addition to the once-a-week sports teams, you can join hiking, kayaking and skiing tours, which are a good way of exploring Denmark and its neighbouring countries. At KSI, the coach will be happy to teach in English, unless otherwise indicated in the sports description.
Some examples of sports are:
Indoors: badminton, basket, yoga, pilates, various dance genres, gymnastics, handball and football.
Outdoors: running, mountain biking, tennis, hiking, beach volley and parkour.
Water: kayaking, swimming (both indoor swimming pool and open water), and SUP/stand-up paddleboard.
In KSI’s own words, the ambition is “to create immersion, develop skill sets and obtain better cardio-vascular endurance and, as an added bonus, better health and thereby a possible betterment of your academic achievements due to heightened attentiveness, concentration and stamina”.
In central Copenhagen is Studenterhuset, which is the place to meet fellow Danish and international students across the University. Drop in and hang out – the atmosphere is ‘hyggelig’ (cosy) with cheap coffee, drinks and snacks and a calendar full of concerts, debates, dancing and other activities, mostly in English. Studenterhuset (‘the student house’) engages plenty of volunteers coming from more than 40 countries. You can volunteer in the kitchen, the bar and café, the Film Club, Sustainable City, Language Café and at the Spring Festival.
Studenterhuset is an independent association affiliated with the University of Copenhagen. A volunteer board consisting of students is in charge of Studenterhuset, while a small secretariat of paid staff runs it.
If you are a student or a group of students who have an idea that you want to commercialise, our UCPH innovation hubs may be the place for you. The UCPH Innovation Hubs organise workshops, events, go-home meetings and training sessions for all students at the University. Innovation consultants run the hubs and collaborate with a number of partners from the corporate world.
The hubs also offer free office space, counselling and a network of students looking to inspire each other, partner up and develop their businesses.
Each faculty has its own vibrant student community. Meetings and events are mostly in Danish, but you can reach out even if you don’t speak Danish – your fellow students are likely to switch to English so you can engage in their community too.
Studenterhuset has a list of organisations and mentor programmes where you can search by faculty.
Below is a general description of student life at each faculty, but please keep in mind that these things change quickly. Once you're enrolled at the University, you can find specific information on the intranet, KUnet.
- Humanities: The QA Programme is the backbone of the faculty’s international study environment. The Student Council of the Faculty of Humanities is called HUMrådet.
- Law: The student organisations at Law demonstrate the faculty’s diversity: Casus Clima, Lex Loci, European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), Law Debating Club and more. ELSA is also in charge of the mentor programme for international law students.
- Science (natural sciences): Students meet at the old renovated greenhouse or at the annual party, 'Smedjefesten', at Frederiksberg Campus – or develop ideas at Science Innovation Hub on North Campus. (Once you're enrolled, you can join Facebook groups for students at North Campus and Frederiksberg Campus).
- Social Sciences: Run by students for students, Café Kommunen is the centre of social activities to drink coffee, join parties, hang out at Thursday and Friday bars and get new perspectives at academic events. Social activities at Social Sciences on Facebook.
- Theology: The academic association Teologisk Forening invites students and employees to a traditional Christmas Dinner and party with a student Christmas Cabaret. In Summer, the Dean welcomes students and employees to the annual Summer Dinner Party with speeches and songs. Also, the Student Congregation (SMiK) has a range of events for all students at UCPH.
- Health and Medical Sciences: Students at the faculty engage in a huge variety of clubs and associations – we suggest you contact them directly in order to find out how you can participate.
Four campus areas in central Copenhagen
As distances in Copenhagen are relatively small, it is easy to get from one campus to the other either by bicycle or public transportation. Learn more about each campus area by clicking on the map below.
