Aarhus, Denmark
Beginning with the Fall, 1997 semester and continuing each semester thereafter, several Danish students from the University of Aarhus School of Law have taken courses as exchange students at South Texas College of Law. South Texas has now received ABA approval for a cooperative exchange program, which enables a group of our students to spend a full semester abroad studying law at the University of Aarhus. This is the first such arrangement for South Texas with a foreign school and an opportunity not to be missed.
The University of Aarhus is the second oldest and second largest university in Denmark. It has formal co-operation agreements with more than 260 educational institutions in Europe alone, and is in contact with approximately 500 institutions worldwide. The Law School is engaged in more than 40 bilateral agreements with European and American Law Schools. It should be noted that a Danish university education is not a "guided tour". It is up to the individual student to get the most out of what is offered. Individual studies and participation in informal study groups with fellow students are encouraged. A distinctive feature is an academic environment, which may seem informal to foreign students. Professors and other staff members chat informally with the students and associate with them during breaks.
SCHOOL OF LAW (JURIDISK INSTITUTE)
The School of Law is one of the largest schools at Aarhus University with 2,200 students enrolled under its bachelor and master's level programs. The faculty of Social Sciences, which encompasses the law school, receives nearly 100 guest students per year, and a slightly larger number of Danish students leaves Aarhus to study abroad. Cultural agreements have resulted in student exchanges with a number of countries outside Europe. Computers are available for guest students (WordPerfect for Windows, access to the Internet, and individual e-mail addresses). The academic staff includes 15 professors, 25 associate professors, 3 assistant professors, 20 Ph. D. candidates, and a number of external teachers (civil servants, judges, and advocates). The School of Law is organized in four departments: Department of Private Law Department of Public and International Law Department of Procedure and Criminal Law Department of Jurisprudence, Legal History, and Legal Sociology.
The university law study is a full time study. Teaching is offered in the form of lectures holding between 80 to 400 students, as well as classroom discussions in groups of 20 to 50 students. All courses under the law curriculum are open for guest students and several law courses each semester are taught in English.
The following is a tentative outline of the courses conducted in English to be offered within the coming year:
EU - The Constitutional and Administrative Law
Comparative Commercial Law
Comparative Constitutional Law
Comparative Labor Law and Labor Relations
EC Competition Law
EU - The Internal Market and International Trade
European Private International Law
International Trade and Finance Law
The Common Law
The academic year is divided into two semesters as follows:
Autumn semester: September - January
Spring semester: February - June
Examinations are held in December/January and in May/June.
Students must register for examinations in all courses at the beginning of the semester. Examinations for U.S. law students are offered in English and may be written, oral or take-home exams. Exams can be scheduled early enough in the semester so that South Texas College of Law students in Aarhus can return home prior to the beginning of the next semester. Guest students have full access to the State Library, a public library with 36,000 meters of bookshelves and over 25,000 titles on all subjects, both in Danish and foreign languages. In addition, the library is connected to various Danish and European CD-ROM databases, and cooperates closely with the departmental libraries.
Denmark, one of Europe's oldest kingdoms, is a country with a century old tradition of peace, democracy and welfare. Aarhus is Denmark's second largest city with a population of 270,000. The history of Aarhus dates back more than a thousand years and people have lived there since the Vikings settled at the mouth of the river. The town began to develop rapidly about 1860, when industrial growth attracted rural population to the town. The city has an outstanding location; surrounded by woods and bordered by beaches, it invites you to enjoy an extensive number of attractions.
The University of Aarhus arranges a pre-semester course in Danish Language and Culture for the students from abroad, twice a year, in January and August. It is a 3 ½ - week course with intensive language training every morning and introduction to Danish culture, social life and institutions or excursions in the afternoon. It is recommended that students attend this course before starting their study period at the University of Aarhus. The course aims at imparting linguistic skills sufficient for everyday use. It does not, however, give students enough knowledge of Danish to match an academic working level.
You can apply to become a guest student at the University of Aarhus if you have completed at least one year of full-time study at South Texas College of Law and your cumulative GPA is at least 2.333.
Students from South Texas College of Law who are interested in applying for one of the five open slots to spend a semester in Denmark during the Spring 2000 semester should contact Assistant Dean Morrow at (713) 646-1825, email at wmorrow@stcl.edu or stop by Room 236T. If you have an interest in practicing international law or have always wanted to immerse yourself in the culture of another county while earning course credit, this may be your chance to accomplish both objectives and enjoy the experience of Europe as well. Under terms of our cooperative agreement, students are not required to pay tuition or fees to the University of Aarhus.
South Texas College of Law students continue to pay normal tuition and fees to South Texas College of Law during the period of study abroad. The University of Aarhus will assist students in finding lodging, and early application is required to secure housing. Accommodation will usually be found in student halls of residence in Aarhus, either within or outside the University campus; rents vary from $230 to $330 per month. Cost per month in Denmark including local transportation, room and board is estimated to be $650.