Teaching method

The conditions of the institutions are for the most part excellent in Austria. The older institutions offer a historical framework and cultural enrichment, in which the majority are situated in the centre of the cities (notably in Vienna and Salzburg).

The choices of courses is flexible, which can be a bit of an instability for a student that comes from a country in which the system is in a more rigid framework. In this case do not hesitate to ask the other students what courses they have chosen or get information from the office of your department. Moreover, each student will be allocated a co-ordinator at the beginning of the year, which will be a professor in charge of orientating you in your choices.

The courses are taught in different ways: the lectures (Vorlesung): last around 2 hours per week and per course, there is no attendance list but these lectures offer notes that are highly recommended. The exams take place at the end of each semester, and consists generally of a writing and/or oral exam.

Seminars are more open to participation from the students who have discussions or where exams may be given in the class. These courses are more scholastic than the lectures and theory as well as practical work is taught.

Tutorial courses (colloquia): are for 2 hours per week and may decrease in length. These courses allow the students the chance to ask questions to the professors and to expand certain questions that are related to the lectures. It equally permits the development of practice work in favour of the studies. Generally, when the university offers tutorials, the evaluation is based on the participation of the student in the tutorial.