Pursue full-time research or study in disciplines related to music, performing arts, or visual arts.
To learn more about the Fulbright student grants in Austria, visit the global Fulbright website.
Applications to the US Fulbright Student Program must be submitted online using IIE's application management system. Please carefully read the information available below prior to completing your applicaiton.
Fulbright Austria (the Austrian-American Educational Commission) offers one Fulbright Student Award in Music, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. This grant is specifically designated for applicants who wish to pursue full-time research and/or study in music, performing arts, or visual arts disciplines.
Admission procedures at Austrian institutions of music and the arts vary. Universities of music and the arts may require auditions and/or entrance examinations, along with submission of a portfolio. Instruction is frequently based on "master classes" in which professors select and train students for an extended period. Therefore, applicants are required to have established contact with Austrian music and/or art professors before applying for a grant and must solicit invitations to study with said professors.
Applicants should inquire about audition and/or admission requirements and dates well in advance. Candidates may be required to travel to Austria at their own expense to audition (as early as February) or may be admitted without auditions as exchange students, provided they have corresponding invitations. Fulbright Austria offers grants for musicians contingent upon university acceptance and enrollment and does not provide grants based exclusively on private study. Auditions at universities of music and the arts are highly competitive in Austria. Virtuosity is an important criterion for admission, and institutions prefer younger candidates.
Fulbright proposal type
Study/research proposals: Yes
Graduate-degree enrollment: Yes
Benefits
Program participants receive the following benefits from Fulbright Austria:
Applicants at all degree levels will be considered, including graduate-level students and PhD candidates.
Applicants who are graduating seniors or have recently completed their undergraduate degrees may apply for this full-time research and study grant; however, they should note that—due to the limited number of grants in this category and to competition with applicants of more advanced academic standing—competition is rigorous every year. Therefore, they are advised to apply for grants combined with English teaching assistantships. Alternatively, individuals who have applied for but are not selected for full-time research grants may, at the discretion of Fulbright Austria, be considered for a grant combined with a teaching assistantship.
Fulbright Austria reviews project proposals for their coherence and quality and also takes into account the candidate’s ability to contribute to the promotion of mutual understanding between the peoples of Austria and the United States. It is particularly—but by no means exclusively—interested in the promotion of Austrian studies and in proposals of bilateral or comparative relevance that enhance Austrian-American collaboration.
Accepted degree levels
Bachelor's
Master's
PhD
Foreign-language proficiency
Required: Intermediate level of German
German-language proficiency is necessary to fulfill the Fulbright Program's bilateral mandate of promoting mutual understanding, to negotiate the challenges of everyday life, and to fulfill university admission requirements. As a rule, university courses are taught in German, although an increasing number of courses are offered in English; thus, all applicants must submit "Form 7: Language Self-Evaluation" and "Form 8: A Foreign Language Evaluation by a qualified language instructor". Both forms are available on the online application system.
Dependents
Dependent support is not available.
All grantees, including PhD candidates, must be fully matriculated at accredited public universities in Austria to facilitate tuition remission, health insurance, the use of libraries, archives, etc.
Applicants should identify the individuals and institutions that will provide on-site guidance and include letters of affiliation. Invitations are required and should indicate how applicants will be anchored at the institutions.
Affiliation/tuition fees
Fulbright Austria facilitates university enrollment at the applicant’s preferred university, and the Austrian government provides for the waiver of tuition fees at public institutions. Fulbright Austria does not cover tuition costs for enrollment at private institutions of higher education or other programs of advanced study in Austria that do not waive tuition fees.
Fulbright Austria provides the means to realize a dream, and for me, that meant living and performing in Vienna, studying the richness of the classical-music tradition that is unique to this city.
-Melissa Danas, 2017–18 US Fulbright student, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
This award will be offered for the first time in 2024–25.