University of Applied Arts Vienna

About University of Applied Arts Vienna

The Angewandte is an independent, degree-granting Austrian university and remains active for the 2026/27 academic year. Austria’s official Study in Austria service places it among the country’s universities of the arts and identifies it as a public university. The institution began in 1867 as an arts-and-crafts school associated with the predecessor of Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts. Its development links it closely to Vienna’s history of applied art, design, and artistic modernism. The university now describes a community of more than 2,000 students from almost 90 countries. Its scale and disciplinary focus may appeal to students seeking sustained contact with artistic practice, theory, research, and public presentation. It is not a conventional university with a broad menu of unrelated professional majors; prospective students should approach it with a clear interest in art, design, architecture, conservation, cultural practice, education, or interdisciplinary research. Teaching and research are distributed across several central Vienna buildings. The main address is Oskar-Kokoschka-Platz 2, while facilities at Vordere Zollamtsstraße and the former Postsparkasse extend the campus nearby. The university’s public-facing rhythm includes exhibitions, symposia, final-project presentations, an annual festival, and an Open House. These activities make work produced within departments visible beyond the classroom and help applicants assess the institution’s experimental, critical, and interdisciplinary orientation.

Admission is programme-specific and usually tests artistic aptitude. For most artistic programmes, applicants first submit materials online, including a portfolio where required. A commission reviews the submission, and successful candidates are invited to a second examination stage. Depending on the department, that stage may take place in Vienna or by video call. Portfolio content, examination format, prior educational qualifications, and language requirements must be checked on the relevant department page. For entry in 2027/28, the published central application window is 7–21 January 2027 at 13:00 CET. First-round results are scheduled by 4 February, examination weeks for 22 February–5 March, and final results by 12 March 2027. Passing the entrance examination remains valid for three semesters; the earliest start is the following winter semester. These central dates do not override department-specific instructions. Academic prerequisites vary substantially. Some diploma and artistic bachelor’s programmes require completed compulsory schooling, while other bachelor’s routes require an Austrian school-leaving qualification or international equivalent. Master’s programmes require an appropriate prior degree, and doctoral routes require a relevant master’s, diploma, or equivalent qualification. Where language proof is required, the official programme page specifies the accepted level and evidence. International candidates who need a visa for an in-person second round may request an invitation letter, while successful applicants needing a student residence permit are advised to apply promptly because processing can take up to four months.

The academic offering spans diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral study. Diploma routes include Fine Arts, Design, Media Arts, Industrial Design Investigations, Conservation and Restoration, and Stage and Film Design. Bachelor’s options include Cross-Disciplinary Strategies, Art Education, Language Arts, TransArts, and Transformation Studies: Art x Science. The master’s portfolio adds areas such as Architecture, Art & Science, Experimental Game Cultures, Expanded Museum Studies, Social Design, and Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management. The university’s structure does not follow a single degree pattern. Some studio-intensive fields retain long diploma formats, while other subjects use bachelor’s and master’s cycles. Programme length, prior qualifications, portfolio expectations, and language requirements therefore differ materially. Architecture, Art & Science, Cross-Disciplinary Strategies, and several other programmes are available in English; many fine-art, design, teaching, and writing routes use German. Some bilingual programmes still require documented English or German proficiency. Doctoral study includes scientific doctorates in philosophy, natural sciences, and technical sciences, an English-language PhD in Art, and the interdisciplinary Transformation Studies: Art x Science PhD. Scientific doctoral applicants must identify a potential supervisor and dissertation topic before admission. Across levels, the academic model connects individual artistic development with critical reflection, theory, technical work, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Applicants should consult the current curriculum and departmental entrance-exam instructions because the central programme page provides only the overall framework and individual departments determine important portfolio and examination details.

Key Highlights

• Public Austrian university of the arts founded in 1867
• More than 2,000 students from almost 90 countries
• Central Vienna facilities include Oskar-Kokoschka-Platz, Vordere Zollamtsstraße, and the former Postsparkasse
• Public events include final-project presentations, an annual festival, and Open House

Student Life & Environment

Student life is closely tied to studios, workshops, exhibitions, talks, and project work rather than to a residential campus. The university lists workspaces, a university library, online services, accessibility support, and academic advising among its facilities and services. Its library collections are freely accessible, while the student union, HUFAK, represents students and advises on academic matters, social and project support, legal questions, childcare, and student-led activities. Public presentation is a visible part of the community. The university presents final projects from across departments through its Angewandte Abschluss Arbeiten format, opens its activities to audiences through the annual Angewandte Festival, and hosts an Open House where prospective students can meet students and staff and see studios and workshops. Dates vary by year and should be confirmed on the academic calendar. International engagement is supported through the International Office and a network of more than 130 partner institutions. Exchange and mobility opportunities have separate eligibility rules, application rounds, and funding conditions. Students should plan independently for accommodation: the university explicitly states that it neither provides housing nor has formal cooperation arrangements with student residences.

Location & Surroundings

The university is located in Vienna, with its main building at Oskar-Kokoschka-Platz 2 in the first district. Other university spaces sit nearby at Vordere Zollamtsstraße and in the former Austrian Postal Savings Bank building. This dispersed urban arrangement places study facilities within central Vienna rather than on a self-contained residential campus. For art and design students, the location offers practical access to a city with museums, galleries, architecture, cultural institutions, and public events. The university’s historic connection to the Museum of Applied Arts also situates it within Vienna’s applied-arts tradition. Its own exhibitions, festivals, lectures, and symposia extend learning into public settings. Housing requires advance independent planning. The university directs students to external residence and housing providers but does not operate accommodation or reserve places in halls. International students must also consider Austrian residence-registration, immigration, and health-insurance requirements. The university notes that residents must register their Vienna address with the appropriate municipal office within three days, making arrival administration an important part of relocation planning.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The university’s published fees differentiate by citizenship and programme status. For regular bachelor’s, master’s, diploma, and doctoral students, EU/EEA and Swiss citizens pay the compulsory Students’ Union fee of EUR 26.20 per semester while they remain within the standard programme duration plus two tolerance semesters. After that period, the total is EUR 389.56 per semester. Students with citizenship outside the EU/EEA ordinarily pay EUR 752.92 per semester. Students from countries on the OECD list of least-developed countries pay only the union fee, and other waiver or reduction routes may apply. These are the rates displayed by the university as of 20 August 2026; applicants should confirm them before payment. Postgraduate-course fees are separate. Living costs are not included, and there is no university housing. Students must budget independently for accommodation, insurance, transport, materials, and everyday expenses in Vienna. Artistic courses may also create variable project or production costs that cannot be reliably estimated centrally. The university does not publish a general graduate salary or placement rate, so applicants should not infer a guaranteed employment outcome. Career preparation is embedded instead in studio practice, exhibitions, research, interdisciplinary projects, and public presentation. Final-project events give students a formal setting in which to show work, while the International Office supports study and traineeship mobility. The practical value of a degree will depend strongly on the chosen discipline, portfolio development, professional networks, and any field-specific licensing or teaching requirements.