Direct Application and Enrollment at
Austrian Universities

Note: The following information does not apply to Fulbright student grantees as participants in an exchange program, such as the Fulbright program, are exempt from many of the application conditions outlined below. However, this information does apply to English language teaching assistants participating in the program the Austrian Fulbright Commission coordinates with the Ministry of Education. USTAs are technically not Fulbright grantees, which is why they have to go through the regular application procedure, should they wish to enroll at a university.
Please note that an American high school diploma will not be considered equivalent to the Austrian Matura ('maturity exam'). To be considered for admission to an Austrian university, graduates of U.S. highschools either need two years of college education or pass at least 4 Advanced Placement exams in addition to their high school diploma. Please refer to the official recommendations of the National Academic Recognition Information Center of the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research:

	Empfehlung: USA, Advanced Placement Program (APP), allgemeine Universitätsreife - Deutsche Version
	Recommendation: USA, Advanced Placement Program (APP) general university entrance qualification - English version

Applying to an Austrian university as an international student outside an exchange program is a complex and time consuming process that involves a great deal of bureaucracy and therefore necessitates some planning and patience on the part of applicants.

	1. Familiarize yourself with the process, read through the information provided by the Austrian Exchange Service.
	2. Contact the admission office (Studienabteilung) of the university where you wish to study well in advance, keeping in mind the application deadlines: September 1, for the following winter semester, and February 1, for the following summer semester. Check out the website of the university in question and see if you can order the application forms by email or if the university offers a downloadable form. If neither of these options applies, write a letter requesting the form (Ansuchen zur Zulassung zum Studium) to the admission office.
	3. Follow the instructions given by the university and make sure your application is complete and reaches the university admission office in time for the deadline.
	4. Be sure to complete the steps necessary for the apostille in time for the deadline. While being not too strict on this requirement in the past, Austrian universities will now only admit U.S. students if they can present an apostille for their diploma.

The Austrian-American Educational Commission (Fulbright Commission) endeavors to update
the information on this site on a regular basis, but cannot guarantee its accuracy at all times.

Direct Application and Enrollment at Austrian Universities

Direct Application and Enrollment at
Austrian Universities