Austria
Basic Information about Austria
Austria is a landlocked country in southern Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The capital city is the city of Vienna on the Danube River.
Austria has a population of over 8 million people and 98% speak German. Austria's capital Vienna ranks as one of the most attractive cities worldwide. The feeling of well-being attested to by locals and tourists alike has been repeatedly attested to by leading international studies and city rankings.
Austria's past as a European power and its cultural environment have generated a broad contribution to various forms of art, most notably among them music. Austria is the birthplace of many famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Higher Education System
There is a wide variety of higher educational institutions in Austria . Dozens of public and private universities offer a broad range of study options for students. Established in 1365, the University of Vienna is Austria 's oldest and largest university.
There are several Austrian Universities of the Arts offering specific programs in music, theatre, film, fine arts or applied arts. Since 1993, Austria has also established a good number of Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied Science) offering hundreds of courses in addition to the universities (see www.fachhochschulen.at ).
The post-secondary sector also includes teacher training colleges and institutes, colleges and institutes for training religion teachers, etc.
University level first stage: Bakkalaureus, Bakkalaureus (FH)
University level second stage: Magister, Magister (FH), Diplom-Ingenieur, Diplom-Ingenieur (FH)
University level third stage: Doktor
You can find more information on the Austrian Education System (e.g. websites of Universities and Fachhochschulen and Austria's participation in European and International Exchange Programmes) on the website of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research http://bmwf.gv.at/home/ .
Scholarships
The Austrian government, private institutions and Universities offer a number of scholarships for students. Just as in some other countries, a special agency - the Austrian Academic Exchange Service (Österreichischer Austauschdienst (ÖAD) - was established to manage all grants for foreign students. If you are interested in studying in Austria and if you are looking for financial support, we strongly recommend you to visit this organisation's website at http://www.oead.at/index.php?id=235&L=1 where you will find all information on available scholarships.
This website also aims to be a tool for study counsellors worldwide by providing regularly updated details of existing grant programmes.
Where can I find more information?
You can find more information on the Austrian Education System (e.g. websites of Universities and Fachhochschulen and Austria's participation in European and International Exchange Programmes) under the following links:
Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research: http://www.bmwf.gv.at/
The Austrian Academic Exchange Service: http://www.oead.at/index.php?id=235&L=1
The Embassy of Austria, Canberra - http://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/embassy/canberra/practical-advice/travelling-to-austria/austrian-scholarships.html
Contact:
Embassy of the Republic of Austria , Canberra
12 Talbot Street
Forrest ACT, 2603
Ph.: 02 6163 1533
Fax: 02 6239 6751
Email: canberra-ob@bmeia.gv.at
Website: www.austria.org.au
