Admission requirements for studies at university in Austria

General requirements

First cycle studies (bachelor's)

If you have successfully completed upper secondary studies in one of the signatory countries of the Lisbon Convention, are in possession of a valid school leaving certificate and qualify for higher education studies in your home country, you may also qualify for higher education studies in Austria. However, you are requested to prove your level of English and/or German. In some cases, you are also required to take additional qualifying courses.

Second cycle studies (master's)

If you are applying for a master's program at university in Austria, you are required to be in possession of a relevant bachelor's or equivalent degree diploma.

Third cycle studies (PhD)

In the event you are applying for doctoral studies at university in Austria, you are required to be in possession of a relevant diploma or master's degree diploma.

Language requirements for studies at universities in Austria

German

Since the language of instruction at Austrian universities is German, you are required to prove your level of command of the German language. You may do so by presenting the results you received at school examinations if you studied German as part of your study program or by presenting German language courses diplomas, such as the Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache für ausländische Studienbewerber– TestDaF.

In general, most institutions require a minimum level of command corresponding to the B1/B2 level according to the European language passport. Please, note that the German language requirement usually applies to studies at the first cycle (undergraduate). Master's and research programs may not require any knowledge of German if they are designed for international students.

English

If the language of instruction of your course is English, you will required to prove your level of command of English. Please, note that in general, schools require a minimum level of command of a language corresponding to the B1/B2 level according to the European language passport in order for you to successfully pass your courses.

Minimum grade point requirement to access university studies in Austria

For some competitive study programs, students are ranked based on their grade point average from previous studies. Therefore, always check with your host university about the minimum passing grade you need to meet.

You can use the European grades comparison chart to learn how you would score in Austria.

Source: Universities Act, The Legal Information System of the Republic of Austria - RIS