University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

About University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

mdw is an independent public university whose remit extends across performance, artistic creation, teaching and research. Its roots date to 1817, when a singing school led by Antonio Salieri opened as the starting point of the conservatory that later became mdw. Austrian federal legislation now lists Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien among the country’s statutory universities. The university’s scope is broader than that of an instrumental conservatory. Its 25 institutes encompass composition, conducting, instrumental and vocal performance, chamber music, popular music, early music, church music, acting, film, music education, music therapy, musicology, ethnomusicology, acoustics, sociology and cultural management. Official institutional information reports approximately 3,000 students from 70 countries, but applicants should treat these as university-published figures rather than admissions guarantees. The institution operates across nine sites in Vienna. The principal complex at Anton-von-Webern-Platz contains teaching institutes, the Film Academy, research centres, performance halls, an arthouse cinema, the university library and core student services. Other locations include the Max Reinhardt Seminar and voice and music-theatre facilities near Schönbrunn, as well as specialist sites in central Vienna. This distributed structure places students near different parts of Vienna’s cultural infrastructure, but schedules may require travel between locations.

Admission is programme-specific and should be planned from the page for the intended degree. Many artistic programmes use an entrance examination, audition, interview, submitted recording or portfolio, and the required repertoire or format can differ sharply by discipline and level. Applicants should not interpret admission information for one instrument, film specialization or teaching programme as applying to another. Academic prerequisites also depend on the award. A bachelor’s application may require an appropriate school-leaving credential where specified, while master’s admission ordinarily requires relevant prior higher education. Doctoral admission has its own academic and proposal-related procedures. The official 2026 first-enrolment instructions require successful applicants to present identification, the applicable original school, bachelor’s or master’s certificate, proof of required language competence and documentation of previously awarded degrees. German requirements are set through curricula and the Rectorate’s language rules. Depending on the programme, proof may be required before admission or by a later stage of study. mdw runs internal B1 and B2 German tests, but only after an applicant has passed the entrance examination; these tests are valid for mdw purposes rather than as general external certificates. For the 2026/27 winter cycle, first enrolment was scheduled for 3 August through 2 October 2026. Entrance-examination registration periods occur earlier and vary by programme, so applicants must use the relevant institute’s current notice.

The official 2026/27 programme catalogue confirms active bachelor’s, master’s and PhD study. It also lists programmes leading to other awards, including artistic diploma credentials, so applicants should verify the exact award attached to their intended course rather than assume every subject follows the bachelor’s-to-master’s structure. Available fields cover instrumental and vocal performance, composition and music theory, conducting, chamber and contemporary music, popular music, early music, music education, music and movement education, music therapy, acting, directing and several branches of filmmaking. Research-oriented options include musicology, ethnomusicology, music sociology, music acoustics and doctoral study. The Film Academy’s 2026/27 entries include bachelor’s programmes in cinematography, directing, editing and film production. Some teacher-education pathways are coordinated with other institutions; students considering teaching should examine the relevant curriculum and subject combination carefully. Artistic study commonly centres on a principal discipline and may combine individual or small-group instruction with ensembles, theory, history, pedagogy, production or research. Requirements vary substantially by programme. The PhD curriculum identifies German and English as teaching languages, but this should not be generalized to the whole university. For other programmes, applicants must consult the curriculum-specific language requirement. mdw’s institute structure also supports work across performance, artistic research, technology and the social study of music.

Key Highlights

• Public statutory university established under Austrian federal law
• Institutional history begins with the opening of a singing school in 1817
• Twenty-five institutes span music, theatre, film, education and related research
• Teaching and university services are distributed across nine Vienna locations

Student Life & Environment

Student life is closely connected to rehearsals, productions, screenings, research activity and public performance. The main Anton-von-Webern-Platz site includes multiple concert halls, a sound theatre, an arthouse cinema, the university library, a cafeteria, the student union and the International Office. Specialist theatre and music-theatre venues include the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn and stages associated with the Max Reinhardt Seminar. Because mdw is distributed across Vienna, students may identify strongly with their institute and production community rather than with a single enclosed campus. Official information states that mdw does not provide student accommodation. Students generally arrange a room in a shared apartment or a place in an external residence; the International Office points incoming students toward OeAD housing and other providers. Early housing research is therefore important, especially for anyone who needs space or acceptable conditions for instrumental practice. International support includes orientation and mobility information, while university services include a buddy programme and psychosocial counselling. The Career Center offers students and recent graduates workshops, individual advice and selected performance opportunities. Availability and eligibility vary, so students should consult the relevant service before relying on a particular activity.

Location & Surroundings

mdw is located in Vienna but is not concentrated on one campus. Its nine sites connect the university with several districts and cultural settings. The principal address is Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1 in the third district, near Wien Mitte transport connections. This complex houses numerous music institutes, the Film Academy, performance spaces, the library and central services. Additional teaching takes place at locations including Lothringerstraße, the historic St. Ursula site in central Vienna, Singerstraße, the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn and Palais Cumberland. Voice, music theatre and the Max Reinhardt Seminar are based in the Schönbrunn and Penzing area. The university reports that all locations are accessible by public transport and recommends public travel because it provides no dedicated parking at its sites. The distributed model gives students access to purpose-specific halls, studios and stages, but it also makes travel time a practical consideration. Prospective students should compare their programme’s institute address with likely housing options and check the accessibility information for the buildings they expect to use.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The official fee page available in August 2026 states a standard tuition charge of €363.36 per semester for Austrian and EU/EEA citizens when tuition is due, and €726.72 for third-country nationals. It also lists a compulsory Austrian Students’ Union contribution, including insurance, of €26.20 per semester. This produces listed totals of €389.56 or €752.92 when the corresponding tuition charge applies. Eligibility matters as much as nationality. Austrian and EU/EEA students, along with specified equivalent categories, receive a tuition-free period covering the standard programme duration plus two semesters, although the Students’ Union contribution remains payable. Third-country students may qualify for a reduction or exemption under defined residence, personal or treaty-based categories. Applicants should obtain an individual assessment from the Study Center because programme type, residence status and exemption rules can change the amount. Housing and daily living costs are separate, and mdw supplies no university residence or room-and-board package. Career preparation varies by discipline and may lead toward performance, composition, directing, film production, education, therapy, research or cultural work. The Career Center supplements degree teaching with free workshops for students and eligible alumni, individual career and project advice, performance opportunities, artist profiles and a professional-information toolbox. These services support career development but do not imply placement or earnings outcomes; no reliable institution-wide salary or employment rate was identified.