VIA University College was established in 2008 as a result of a number of mergers of institutions of higher education.
Today, VIA is one of the country’s six university colleges, covering the Central Denmark Region.
Our name
VIA is not an abbreviation. It's Latin meaning is “by way of”. We see VIA as a station on life’s journey, where students learn and grow before travelling on as professionals ready to contribute to society and make a difference.
Traditions and internationalisation
Our programmes build on strong Danish traditions for educating students in cooperation with professional practice. Some programmes, like teaching, nursing and social education go back more than 100 years. They still play an important role in developing the world known Danish welfare society and creating growth and innovation in private industries.
As the world becomes more global, VIA increasingly takes an international approach to education and research. Today, almost half of our programmes are taught in English and we offer international double degrees, student and staff exchange, summer schools and research projects.
Research and collaboration
In 2013, the Danish university colleges gained official status as research institutions. We follow the same scientific standards as traditional universities but focus on applied research.
Our goal is that by 2020, 30 percent of our employees will hold a PhD. Already, most students gain experience with research, innovation and development during their studies.
We take particular pride in our close collaboration with professional practice. As a result, the knowledge we produce helps solve real challenges for public and private organisations – in Denmark and internationally.