This document outlines an architecture and design internship course offered through DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark. The 3-credit course involves a 10-15 hour per week internship at a local architecture or design firm, along with 5 seminar meetings to reflect on experiences. Students must maintain a reflective journal and produce a concluding reflection paper. The course aims to provide professional experience, insight into Danish design culture, and an opportunity to apply academic learning in a work setting.

1. 1
DIS Architecture and Design
Fall 2014
www.DISabroad.org
Architecture & Design Internship course 3 Credits
Instructor: Eva Frederiksen (efr@dis.dk)
Course Assistant: Logan Woodruff (lwo@dis.dk)
Location: Vestergade 7.33
Course Description
This course consists of a internship practicum at an architecture/design
firm in Copenhagen combined with a seminar forum which facilitates
on-going reflection on the experience. The student will work 10-15
hours-per-week during their weeks based in Copenhagen and meet five
times with an AD instructor and the other participating interns to reflect
on the work and compare the different firms and students’ experiences.
The students will create and maintain a reflective journal during the
internship which will end with a critical summary of the experience.
Co-requisites
Simultaneous enrollment in a non-foundations level studio core course
at DIS.
Pre-Approval
Due to limited availability and specific skill requirements, enrollment
in this course requires pre-approval from the AD office in Copenhagen.
Interested students need to provide a resume, transcript and portfolio
material 6 weeks prior to the first day of classes in Copenhagen. Portfolio
material should include images of physical models as well as drawings
and renderings with clear indications of programs /techniques utilized
to create them. The material will be reviewed by the AD office and
candidates selected for participation in the course will be notified no
later than five weeks before arrival.
Learning objectives
• To gain professional experience.
• To gain hands-on insight into the professional design culture in
Denmark.
• To reflect upon practice as compared to academic learning.
• To test skills and methods learned in an academic setting in a
professional environment.
• To prepare students for an effective transition to practice in the
future.
• To compare working cultures and practices of Denmark with that of
the USA.
Course Readings
Relevant supplementary reading material will be uploaded to DIS Forum
during the semester.

2. 2
DIS Architecture and Design Fall 2014
Architecture & Design Internship course 3 Credits
www.DISabroad.org
Course Details
The core component of this course is an internship practicum at a
professional architecture/design firm. The work experience is framed by
an individual journal combined with a series of five meetings with the
entire group of interns facilitated by the AD instructor. The intention
is to create a forum for reflecting upon the work experience and will
include discussions on how the student’s academic experience informs
the professional work and, in turn, how the experience at the firm can
influence the student’s continued education. Particular emphasis will be
placed on comparing work, office and professional culture in Denmark to
experience and perceptions from the USA.
Students will meet with their respective firms during the first week of
the semester to agree upon the exact schedule of their work during the
semester. A copy of this schedule will be given to the AD instructor for
review and approval as soon as it has been agreed upon with the firm.
Students will connect with a responsible staff member in the firm, who
will function as the students mentor during the internship pracitucm.
Journal
Each student will be required to maintain a journal which documents and
analyzes the work experience. The journal will be concluded by a 4 page
reflection paper which summarizes the students’ initial thoughts on the
work experience.
The journal should contain written entries as well as images from the
office and of the project work involved. Photographic documentation
of processes (design processes, project processes, etc.) are of particular
interest and should be labeled both regarding the content as well as
the student’s comments about it. It is critical that the journal be both
documentation and reflection.
Journals will be reviewed twice during the semester by the AD instructor.
The first review will occur midway through the semester. The second
after the conclusion of the course.
Discussion Group
All students will meet five times in a discussion group facilitated by the
AD instructor. Each meeting will focus on particular topics relevant to
the work experience to be discussed and compared. These discussions
will be facilitated by questions issued by the AD instructor. The
discussions and respective questions will be organized around three
primary themes: Culture, Practice and Design.

3. 3
DIS Architecture and Design Fall 2014
www.DISabroad.org
Architecture & Design Internship course 3 Credits
Expectations of the Students:
Students are expected to work for the firm at the times agreed
at the beginning of the semester and to conduct themselves in a
professional manner at all times. The students should see themselves
as representatives both of DIS and their home institution and to conduct
themselves accordingly. The journal should be actively maintained
throughout the semester. Students should be well-prepared for each
discussion group and participate actively.
Evaluation and Grading
Grading will be based on participation in the discussion sessions and the
journal, including the final reflection paper which acts as the summary at
the end of the journal.
Grades will be based on the following
Participation in Discussion Sessions 20%
Journal (excluding concluding paper) 50%
Concluding paper 30%
Disability and resource statement
Any student who has need for accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact Sean Green (sgr@dis.dk) to coordinate this. In
order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor
of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.
Policies
Attendance
You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled. If you miss
two classes the Director of Teaching and Learning, and the Director
of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow-up with you to
make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your
standing at DIS. Allowances will be made in cases of illness, but you will
need to provide a doctor’s note.
Academic Honesty
DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual
honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their
own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic
dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in
dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves
the right to request that written student assignments be turned in
electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software. See the
Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you
have questions.

4. 4
DIS Architecture and Design Fall 2014
Day Date Session Time Topic
Architecture & Design Internship course 3 Credits
Tu Aug 26 01 17.15 - 18.00 INTRODUCTION
Introduction and review of course objectives, structure and grading.
The instructor will introduce the design firms hosting interns for the
semester so everyone in the group is made aware of each others’
internship locations.
We, Aug 27th - Mo, Sept 1st INDIVIDUAL START-UP MEETINGS AT THE RESPECTIVE FIRMS
Students contact their respective firms and meet with their mentors to
agree upon the work schedule for the semester as well as discuss aligning
the students’ goals and expectations with those of the firm.
Sept 08 - 12 Core Course Week
Tu Sept 16 02 17.15 - 18.00 CULTURE
Students will present their initial impressions and thoughts regarding the
professional work based on the questions provided by the instructor as
well as the first pages of their journals. The primary theme of the
discussion will be the office cultures as experienced by the students.
Sep 27 - Oct 5 Travel Week
Tu Oct 14 03 17.15 - 18.00 PRACTICE
The primary theme of the discussion will be design practice as opposed
to academic study and will examine observed characteristics of practice
in Denmark.
Fr Oct 17 12.00 JOURNAL HAND-IN
Hand in journals for mid-semester review.
October 18 - 26 Travel Week
Fr Oct 31 04 17.15 - 18.00 DESIGN
The primary theme of the discussion will be Danish design sensibilities.
How is the approach to design and the design itself different from what
you have experienced elsewhere, how is this manifest in the work of the
firm you have been working at, how do you think the work of the firm
has been most affected by being created in Denmark, etc.?
November 8 - 16 Travel Week
Tu Nov 25 05 17.15 - 18.00 CONCLUSION
The discussion will concern overall conclusions about themes of practice
as related to academic study and practice in Denmark compared to other
locations.
Fr Nov 28 12.00 REFLECTION PAPER AND FINAL JOURNAL HAND-IN