Study at Ilisimatusarfik (the University of Greenland)! Our Dartmouth-Greenland off-term opportunity remains at the heart of our commitment to expanding mutual understanding between Dartmouth and Greenland.

Apply for the rewarding opportunity to understand the Arctic and learn from the University of Greenland’s faculty and students in Nuuk. The rapid changes taking place in Greenland due to climate change have ramifications for the country’s economic, environmental, political and cultural institutions. For students interested in environmental or Arctic studies, anthropology, linguistics, international studies or political science, studying at the University of Greenland offers an indepth analysis of issues from a different cultural perspective.

Courses

Classes at Ilisimatusarfik typically are taught in Danish and Greenlandic, but a growing number are taught in English, primarily in the social and political sciences. Courses in English have included Greenland’s international role; hunting and fisheries; international law; and 21st century conflicts. The courses offered in Fall 2026 have not yet been listed.

Leave-term Timing

Greenland is on a semester system, and classes generally start in early September and run into December, but they also offer short courses that start later or end earlier. Dartmouth students are encouraged to view this as a leave term opportunity since it is an informal study abroad program through the Institute of Arctic Studies at the Dickey Center for International Understanding. At Ilisimatusarfik, Dartmouth students typically enroll in two courses and conduct research for an independent study to be completed in a later term at Dartmouth (requires faculty approval).

Housing and Travel

Travel between Dartmouth and Greenland, housing, a food allowance, and fees are covered by the Institute of Arctic Studies and University of Greenland. Visiting students live in shared housing provided by the University in Nuuk.

Greenland to Dartmouth