Requirements
Enrolment
In Austria, there is usually a requirement for online pre-enrolment open until the beginning of September (for the winter semester).
In addition, STEOP (Studieneingangs- und Orientierungsphase), a preparatory orientation phase, is integrated in the first semester of most study courses. All STEOP examinations must be passed in order to proceed in the course of study.
There is a special case for study courses with a regulated local number. The deadline for registration is often already in May. Those who want to study medicine must register in February.
Enrolment periods in the Fachhochschulen are regulated by the FH themselves and can end as early as spring! Therefore, it is best to inquire as soon as possible!
In many study courses it is also possible to enrol in the summer semester (Sommersemester) - those who, for example, want to travel before starting to study can enrol in February (to start in March).
Admission critera
Overview of enrolment deadlines (excluding medicine and Lehramt): https://www.studiversum.at/main-menu/studieren/
Final date for enrolment: for open-access study courses: 5 February (summer semester), 5 September (winter semester)
Restricted access study courses (selection)
For some study courses it is necessary to enrol in advance and take a compulsory admission test:
Physical Education and Sport Sciences: Here you have to take a physical fitness examination (körperlich-motorischer Eignungstest). Further information can be found on the websites of the respective universities.
For some study courses, universities can apply the so-called "Notfallparagraphen" ("emergency clause"), and through it, limit the number of study places. In this case, it is possible that at the beginning of September there will be an admission test. If there are more candidates than study places, the examination will be held, otherwise it will not. In any case it is compulsory to register online for the study course in spring!
These rules regard the following areas of study:
Architecture
Biology
Pharmacy
Informatics
Psychology
Communication Sciences
Economics
For some study courses it is necessary to present additional qualifications, e.g. proficiency in Latin (History), proficiency in Ancient Greek or descriptive geometry. If the required subjects have not been taught at school, an additional exam must be taken before or during the study period.
Additionally, it is also possible to study without a high school diploma. More information is available at our office in Bolzano.
Proficiency in the German language
Anyone interested in a degree course in Austria who holds a high school diploma from a South Tyrolean institute in German or Ladin is treated in the same way as an Austrian student. This means that they are not required to present a language certificate, while those who have obtained their diploma at a South Tyrolean high school in Italian (independent of the declaration of linguistic affiliation) must present a certificate of linguistic competence! As a rule, a B2 level certificate from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required, but it is necessary to find out in advance what the internal rules of the individual universities are. It may happen that for a degree course in a foreign language or in English it is not necessary to present such a certificate. The suitability of the various certificates depends on the individual universities, e.g. a high school diploma from South Tyrol, the "B" level bilingualism exam issued by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano or a language exam could be considered valid. You can find precise information about this on the websites of the various universities.
Below is a list of the current (March 2015) certificates accepted by Austrian universities for Italian-speaking high school leavers from a South Tyrolean high school (no guarantee is given on the following information, an individual request from the individual student to the university is recommended):
University of Innsbruck: B2 level language certificate
Medical University of Innsbruck: Language certificate at C1 level or German mother tongue (in case of doubt it is possible that a supplementary examination is required during enrolment)
University of Salzburg: B2 level language certificate
University of Vienna: C1 level language certificate
Vienna University of Economics and Business: C1 level language certificate
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna: C1 level language certificate
Vienna University of Technology: C1 level language certificate
Medical University of Vienna: In a school report, the subject 'German' must be assessed with 'sehr gut' or 'ausgezeichnet', otherwise a C1 level language certificate must be presented.
University of Graz: C1 level language certificate
Graz University of Technology: C1 level language certificate
Medical University of Graz: C1 level language certificate
In case of doubt, we remind you that the C1 level language certificate issued by the Goethe Institut is always recognised!
All those who do not have a certificate of linguistic competence can take the exam at the ÖSD, its centres are located both in Austria and abroad. For further information please contact: www.osd.at
Some universities offer a preparatory course for study that includes a German language test that serves as a language certificate for enrolment in a degree course.