Last Updated: October 20, 2021
Universities in Austria
Students who wish to study in Austria will be coming to a country that is rich in natural beauty, culture, and history. Studying in Austria is a marvelous choice for students interested in foreign languages, linguistics, or architecture. The official language of Austria is German, though there is a broad mix of other languages and dialects spoken throughout the country. Austria’s diverse architectural landscape ranges from imperial buildings to art-deco architecture, mixed in with newer developments built in a contemporary style.
The country has a long history of academic excellence which is most often combined with research in different fields of study. The universities here vary in size and structure and this is reflected in the degree programs that are offered in the country. Most of the universities follow traditional methods of teaching with the age-old universities being located in places like Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, etc. The universities also offer courses and programs that are interdisciplinary in nature which international candidates will be able to benefit from.
Higher Education System in Austria
Austria offers candidates with six types of institutions for higher education which include-
- Universities of Arts
- Medical Universities
- Technical Universities
- Private Universities
- Universities of Applied Sciences
- University Colleges of Teacher Education
The country has a total of 22 public universities alone which includes nearly every field of study that a student requires along with research possibilities in the same. Every year, over 60,000 international students come to Austria to attend higher education institutions.
The universities for arts include different academic subjects within arts and humanities and are often located in the prime locations of the country. The technical and medical universities offer candidates with highly specialized theoretical programs in applied disciplines. The universities in the country, irrespective of being public or private, focus on an interdisciplinary approach to education with the students being encouraged to engage in research even while doing professional courses.
Candidates who have taken up applied sciences will be able to find excellent courses in the fields of IT, healthcare management, telecommunications, environmental management, and industrial management. The programs will focus on grooming candidates to fit into the work system as soon as they have graduated. The programs in applied sciences often require candidates to complete mandatory career-oriented practical training units or internships.
Universities that offer programs in teacher education focus on providing teaching qualifications for primary, secondary, and special needs schools. International students who wish to stay in Austria will be able to benefit from such programs.
Documents and Eligibility Requirements for Universities
Candidates who wish to apply to universities in Austria will have to directly contact the Admissions Office of the universities they wish to go to before they try to apply for their desired programs. Once they have confirmed the eligibility requirements that are often specific to the course, candidates will be able to procure the online application forms they have to fill in. The requirements for EU/EEA and Switzerland candidates will be different from those of non-EU/EEA candidates. The basic requirements for non-EU/EEA candidates include-
- Passport
- Secondary Education Diploma/ Educational Transcripts
- Proof of German Language Proficiency, if required
- Proof of English Language Proficiency, if required
Top Universities in Austria
Austria has over 22 public universities in the country along with plenty of private universities and teacher education universities. The universities in this country offer undergraduate, graduate, and research level programs to candidates in different fields of study though they are mainly related to science and business. List of popular universities in Austria:
A few of the best universities in the country along with their details are as follows:
Graz University of Technology
The Graz University of Technology is a public university that was established in the year 1811 and has a student population of over 13,000 students along with over 1,700 academic staff. This university provides over 18 bachelor’s programs and 33 master’s programs in both German and English depending on which language the candidate is more proficient in. The university also offers candidates with doctoral programs and teacher training programs. The bachelor’s degree includes engineering programs like Digital Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc. The bachelor’s program they offer has a duration of 3 years while the master’s program has a duration of 2 years.
The doctoral degrees that are offered in the university are mostly in the fields of technical sciences and natural sciences. These programs have a duration of 3 years.
Karl Franzens University
This university is also known as the University of Graz and is located in the city of Graz within the country. It is a public university that was established in the year 1585 and has a population of over 30,000 students with over 1,200 academic staff. It is one of the oldest and largest universities in the country with 6 different faculties offering courses in the fields of arts, humanities, social and economic sciences, law, and natural sciences among others. The university offers bachelor's programs, diplomas, master’s programs, and doctoral programs in various subjects. The bachelor’s program they offer has a duration of 3 years whereas the master’s programs have a duration of 2 years.
The doctoral programs are offered are in the fields of Catholic Theology, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Law, Politics, etc. These programs have a duration of 3 years.
Universitat fur Bodenkultur Wien
This university is also known as the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences and was established in the year 1872. It has a student population of over 10,000 students and over 2,100 academic staff. This is a public university that focuses on education and research in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and even social sciences. This university offers bachelor’s programs, master’s programs, and doctoral programs through its 15 departments and 3 research centers. The bachelor’s programs have a duration of 3 years with 180 credits whereas the master’s programs have a duration of 2 years with 120 credits.
The University of Natural Recourses and Life Sciences offers doctoral programs in fields like bio-nanotechnology, bioprocess engineering, natural sciences, sustainable development, etc. The duration of a doctoral program in the university is around 3 years.
Vienna University of Economics and Business
This university was established in the year 1898 and has a student population of over 23,000 students and over 2,300 academic staff. This is one of the largest public universities in the country that focuses on economics and business and is also one of the best business schools in Europe. They offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs along with executive education for both domestic and international candidates. The bachelor’s programs they offer are in business and economics, business, economics, and social sciences, and in business law. They offer multiple options in the master’s programs which include marketing, supply chain management, quantitative finance, digital economy, etc.
The doctoral programs they offer have a duration of 3 years which is split into 6 semesters in all. They offer doctorates in the fields of social and economic sciences and business law. They also offer Ph.D. programs in finance, international business taxation, and economics and social sciences. The university also offers executive programs like MBA and BBA.
University of Innsbruck
This is a public university that was established in the year 1669 and contains a student population of over 27,000 students along with over 3,000 academic staff. The University of Innsbruck is the third-largest education facility in the country and it contains 16 faculties that focus on subjects ranging from architecture to education and management. It offers 157 study programs all of which include bachelor’s programs, diploma’s, master’s programs, and even research programs. The bachelor’s program has a duration of 3 years in all whereas the master’s program has a duration of 2 years in all.
This university offers research opportunities in areas like Cultural Encounters and Cultural Conflicts, Digital Science Center, Economy, Politics, and Society, Molecular Biosciences, Physics, etc. out of which the programs in Physics are highly valued. The doctoral programs have a duration of 3 years with 6 semesters in all.
University of Salzburg
This public university is also known as the Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg and was established in the year 1622 after which it was reestablished in the year 1962. This university has a student population of over 18,000 students along with over 2,800 staff members. They have 4 faculties in all which are on catholic theology, law, cultural and social sciences, and natural sciences with each of these faculties offering programs at undergraduate, graduate, and research levels. They also offer teacher training courses and diploma courses in various subjects. The bachelor’s programs have 6 to 8 semesters whereas the diploma programs have 8 to 10 semesters in all. The master’s programs have 3 to 4 semesters in all.
The campus offers doctoral programs in different fields of study with each program having 6 semesters in all. The different fields under which a doctorate is offered are catholic theology, natural sciences, social sciences, law sciences, religious studies, technical sciences, economics.
University of Vienna
This public university was established in the year 1365 and has a student population of over 90, 000 students along with over 6,000 academic staff. It is one of the largest universities in Europe and easily one of the oldest universities in the country. The university has over 15 faculties ranging from catholic theology to life sciences and molecular biology. It also has 5 centers for research. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and research programs with over 181 programs in all. They also offer diploma programs and teacher education programs.
The doctoral programs that are offered have a duration of 3 years with 6 semesters each. The research programs are offered in the fields of law, humanities, philosophy and education, social sciences, business, economics and statistics, natural sciences, life sciences, psychology, theology, sport science, etc.
Technikum Vorarlberg
This university was established in the year 1989 and is also known as the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences. It is a private university that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of business, technology, and social and health. They also offer engineering courses in industrial engineering and electrical engineering. They also offer design courses to candidates and courses in social work. The bachelor’s programs have a duration of 3 years and the master’s programs have a duration of 2 years with 6 and 4 semesters respectively.
The research centers in the university are Research Center Digital Factory Vorarlberg, energy Research Center, Research Center Microtechnology, Research Center for User-Center Technologies, Business Informatics Research Center, and Research Group Empirical Social Sciences. The duration of the research programs is 3 years.
Vienna University of Technology
This university was established in the year 1815 and it is a public university with a student population of over 28,000 students along with over 3,800 academic staff. The university has 8 faculties that deal with different fields of study but their prime focus is in the natural sciences and engineering courses which attract a large population of international students. They offer undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs along with engineering programs in fields like civil engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, etc. The master’s programs are offered in subjects like technical physics, technical chemistry, material sciences, spatial planning, etc.
The doctoral programs that are offered have a duration of 3 years which is split into 6 semesters. The programs are offered in subjects like social and economic sciences, technical sciences, and natural sciences.
University of Klagenfurt
This public research university was established in the year 1970 and was reestablished in the year 1993. It has a student population of 11,000 students along with over 1,000 academic staff. This university deals with academic fields like humanities, social sciences, management, economics, technical sciences, etc. They offer bachelor’s programs, master’s programs, teacher training programs, and research programs to both domestic and international candidates. The university also provides joint-degree programs to candidates and English language studies courses to candidates.
The doctoral programs have a duration of 3 years in all and are offered in fields like natural sciences, philosophy, social and economic sciences, technical sciences, and law.
Student Visa for Austria
International candidates who wish to study in Austria will have to get a Student Resident Permit after they have received admission from any of the universities in the country. The process is tedious and has to be done right to the dot if they want the application to be approved. Once the student has arrived in the country, they will have to register with the local authorities after settling in the country. The local authorities will also have additional regulations that international students will have to abide by.
Visa applications must be submitted by the candidate personally to the closest Austrian embassy or consulate in their country. The application will eventually be forwarded to the government officials in Austria who will review, process, and determine the possibility of providing the visa. The visa application that the candidate submits will include duplicate copies of their passport, birth certificate, passport photos, acceptance letter, proof of funds, etc.
