Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Sciences, Environmental Science
Established in 1972, Roskilde University (RUC) is a Danish public university known for its unique interdisciplinary approach and project-based learning, similar to its counterpart in Aalborg. It offers a critical and experimental approach to education and research.
Roskilde University is the youngest of the traditional Danish universities, founded in 1972 with a radical approach to teaching. It has about 7,500 students and 1,500 staff, and the campus on Universitetsvej, a few kilometres from the old cathedral town, is made up of connected concrete buildings from the 1970s that were designed to keep disciplines under one roof. About one student in ten comes from abroad.
Interdisciplinarity and project work are the founding ideas. Students begin with a basic year across fields, then spend most of their time in group projects that combine subjects, such as social science with natural science or humanities with technology. The idea was to prepare graduates for problems that do not follow disciplinary lines, and many programmes still require students to write a project report with a group before individual exams.
Social sciences, humanities, environmental science, communication and technology-oriented studies form the research profile. Fields such as environmental and energy planning, public administration, communication studies and philosophy are well represented, and the university has a strong tradition of critical social theory. Natural science groups work on environmental chemistry, biology and mathematical modelling.
Tuition is free for EU, EEA and Swiss students, and other students pay fees. Many master’s programmes are taught in English, and bachelor programmes are mostly in Danish. The campus has student housing and a culture of cooperation, and the education suits students who prefer independence and discussion to lecture-based learning.
Roskilde is a small city of about 50,000 people, with the Viking Ship Museum and a cathedral on the UNESCO list. Trains reach Copenhagen in about 25 minutes. The Roskilde Festival, one of the largest music festivals in Europe, takes place nearby every summer. About 40,000 people have graduated from the university.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Project Management
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
RUC emphasizes collaboration with external partners, from NGOs to private companies, as an integrated part of its project-oriented study programs.
Research:
Research at RUC is often interdisciplinary and challenge-oriented, focusing on social, cultural, and environmental issues. Key research areas include social entrepreneurship and environmental modeling.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1500
Current students***:
7500
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
40000
Pros
The project-oriented and interdisciplinary learning model fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. The university has an informal and egalitarian atmosphere.
Cons
The unique educational model can be unstructured and may not suit students who prefer a more traditional academic environment. It is less focused on hard-core technical engineering than other universities.
Best For
Students who are self-motivated and prefer an interdisciplinary, problem-based approach to learning that challenges traditional academic boundaries.
For students who like the chemistry, physics and mathematics focus of this institution but want another option nearby, University of Copenhagen fits well: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers bioinformatics and nanotechnologies as well.
Aalborg University shares the core fields of this university, namely project management and ecology and sustainability; it is larger, enrolling about 20,000 students against roughly 7,500 here, and is also a public institution.
A good alternative in the same country is Aarhus University, which likewise covers chemistry, physics and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
IT University of Copenhagen sits close to this institution on project management and data analytics; it covers ergonomics and UX and computer vision as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 2,600 students against roughly 7,500 here.
A good alternative in the same country is University of Southern Denmark, which likewise covers ecology and sustainability and life sciences; it covers robotics and materials as well, and is far larger, with about 27,000 students against roughly 7,500 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Kherson State University in Ukraine shares the chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics orientation of this institution, and it is slightly smaller, at about 6,000 students against roughly 7,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Keele University offers an international parallel to this institution, with chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics as common ground; it is larger, enrolling about 12,500 students against roughly 7,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Looking internationally, University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom is where chemistry, physics and mathematics get a comparable treatment; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, based in Ukraine, is built around chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics much like this university, and it covers software engineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 7,500 students.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Smolensk State University in Russia, where chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics also form the core, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers software engineering as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Roskilde University?
The campus is at Universitetsvej 1 in Roskilde, about 30 km west of Copenhagen.
How large is RUC?
About 7,500 students and 1,500 staff.
When was it founded?
In 1972.
What is RUC known for?
Interdisciplinary studies, project-based learning, social sciences, humanities and environmental science.
How does teaching work?
Students start with a basic year and then spend most of their time in group projects that combine subjects.
Is tuition free?
Yes for students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Others pay fees that depend on the programme.
In which language are courses taught?
Many master's programmes are in English. Bachelor programmes are mostly in Danish.
How far is Roskilde from Copenhagen?
About 25 minutes by train.
What is there to see in Roskilde?
The Viking Ship Museum and the cathedral, which is on the UNESCO list, and the Roskilde Festival takes place nearby every summer.
Who is it suited to?
Students who prefer independent work, group projects and discussion to lecture-based learning.
Environmental Engineering, Environmental Impact, Project Management, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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