Elite sport at UCPH
Are you an elite athlete who want to enrol in a higher education programme at UCPH?
Then you should know about KU Professionals, which is the University’s offer for professional athletes.
On this page, you can meet two of UCPH's former elite athletes, find out how to be included in KU Professionals, read about your options for gaining flexibility in your education at UCPH and get answers to frequently asked questions.
What is KU Professionals?
A scheme for elite athletes at UCPH.
KU Professionals is a scheme for UCPH students who are elite athletes, professional coaches or referees at the highest national or international level in their sport.
With this scheme, the University of Copenhagen offers you a good opportunity to balance a life where it is possible to be both a student and a professional athlete at the same time.
At the University of Copenhagen, practicing your sport at the top level while pursuing an education and preparing for working life on the other side of your professional sports career is possible.
Self-discipline is the most important thing when doing elite sports while studying
What does KU Professionals offer athletes?
If you are accepted into KU Professionals, you will receive a declaration documenting that you are considered an elite athlete at UCPH.
If you are accepted into the scheme, you can apply for more flexibility in your day-to-day student life.
For example,
- If you need to extend your completion time or study at reduced hours for a period of time.
- Applying for pre-approval of your study plan, which the student counselling on your programme can help you prepare. The study plan is approved for one year at a time.
KU Professionals offers guidance for athletes and assistance in navigating the many options available at the University of Copenhagen.
KU Professionals cannot guarantee that you will be given the extent of flexibility in your studies that you want in advance. Then KU Professionals and the student counsellors at the programme can generally help you clarify what your options are in UCPH.
Admission to KU Professionals
Once you have been admitted to a degree programme, you can apply to become part of KU Professionals - elite sport at UCPH. Fill out the application form (you will find it at KUnet, which is UCPH's intranet for students.
- State your level of competing in the national or international competitive structure of your sport.
- State if you are part of Team Denmark's support schemes.
- state how many hours a week you spend on practice, competitions (incl. getting changed) and transport, both during and outside the competition season.
Documentation
Attach documentation of your weekly time spend on your sports activities including training, The documentation could come from Team Denmark, your sports federation, your head of coaching or head coach.
Additional information
If necessary, upload a personal statement or additional information about your sporting situation, including a long-term training plan towards major championships such as the European Championships, World Championships or Olympics.
Are you supported by Team Danmark?
If you are supported by Team Denmark, you have access to several offers.
In that way, Team Denmark can help you combine your education with a career in sports.
This may include:
- Guidance that focuses on your sport
- Substitute teaching if you are absent due to your sport
- Supplementary teaching and help to pay a study buddy (a fellow student who can help you take notes if you are absent due to your sport)
- Opportunity for selected athletes to get financial support from Team Denmark
- Special exam arrangements.
Counselling service at Team Denmark
As an athlete supported by Team Denmark, you have access to free counselling from Team Denmark’s Dual Career Consultants, who can tell you about your options for support.
Contact Team Denmark’s Dual Career Consultants at:
- Christina Teller: chte@teamdanmark.dk
- Morten Brammer Olesen: mbol@teamdanmark.dk
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have an injury but expect to return to the same sporting level, you can, of course, still be part of UCPH Professionals.
If you have a long-term injury, please let us know by sending an email from your KUmail to KUprof@ku.dk.
If you want to take more courses than planned while injured, please contact the student counselling on your programme to get help drafting a new study plan.
If you move down in level or transfer to another team and it affects your sporting level, we need to reassess your membership of UCPH Professionals based on new documentation. If your situation as an athlete changes, please contact KU Professionals to discuss your future options.
If you move down in level or transfer to another team and it affects your sporting level, we need to reassess your membership of KU Professionals based on new documentation. If your situation as an athlete changes, please contact KU Professionals to discuss your future options.
Do you have an injury and worry that it will affect your sporting level? Or do you feel alone because you’re currently not part of the training community in your club?
Being injured can be mentally hard. Maybe you worry that your injury will affect your sporting level? Or maybe you feel alone because you’re currently not part of the training community in your club.
As a student at UCPH, you can get free psychological support at the Student Counselling Service. You can also ask your association or club if they can pay for a sports psychologist.
Whether or not you can study part time is up to the study board on your degree programme. Only the study board can make decisions on applications for dispensation.
For that very reason, UCPH Professionals cannot guarantee in advance that you will be given the extent of flexibility in your studies that you want.
Before you apply for admission to UCPH, it is a good idea to talk to the student counselling on the programme you are interested in. In that way, you may be able to get an idea of your what is possible according to the programme’s rules.
We are ready to help and guide you.
If you are studying at reduced hours, it is important that you are aware of your SU situation.
The SU office at UCPH can check your study plan to see if you comply with the SU activity requirements. Please send the plan to su@adm.ku.dk.
If you are supported by Team Danmark, you can get help during your studies, for example in the form of supplementary SU.
Contact your Team Denmark consultant for more information: mawo@teamdanmark.dk
Contact KU Professionals
Do you have questions about KU Professionals or admission to bachelor's or master’s degree programmes at UCPH?
See contact details below.
Are you considering whether KU Professionals - Elite Sports at KU is right for you? Would you like to hear about the options for studying part-time?
Then you should contact KU Professionals - Elite Sports at KU by sending an email to kuprof@ku.dk
Do you have questions about admission to a bachelor’s program? For example, quota 1 or quota 2? Or do you need to apply for an exemption for the quota 2 exam, for instance, because you are at a training camp? Then you should talk to a study advisor in the Guidance and Admissions Office at UCPH.
Contact the student counselling services at the faculties
Do you have questions regarding admission to a master’s program?
Then you should contact the faculty guidance at the faculty where you wish to study.