General Study Information
Admission Requirements
In order to be admitted into a bachelor degree program at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences at least one of the following criteria must be fulfilled:
- Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Austrian ‘Matura’ or an equivalent international certificate)
- Higher education (University) entrance examination certification
- Vocational higher education (University) entrance examination
- Vocational (VET) diploma examination (vocational apprenticeship or completion of at least a 3-year vocational secondary school) with additional exams
Moreover, there are degree program specific additional prerequisites as well as more comprehensive information regarding admissions on the individual web pages of the corresponding degree program. The German University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) entrance qualification certificate is only valid as an admission prerequisite for an Austrian UAS/FH bachelor degree program when combined with an applicable vocational certificate.
Later submission of required documents
Persons in their last year of school may apply for a study place in a bachelor degree program before taking their secondary school-leaving exams by submitting their most current secondary school grade/marks report. The secondary school-leaving certificate must be submitted during the registration process at the beginning of the semester.
In order to be admitted into a master degree program at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences at least one of the following criteria must be fulfilled:
- completion of a bachelor of arts/science degree that corresponds to the respective master degree program
- completion of an equivalent degree program at a recognized Austrian or an international post-secondary institution of higher education
Later submission of required documents
Persons in their last semester of their bachelor degree programs may apply for a study place in a master degree program by submitting their most current transcript of records. The completion of the bachelor degree program certificates must be submitted during the registration process at the beginning of the semester.
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Learning Agreement
Before enrolment in a degree program at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, a learning agreement is concluded between the prospective student and the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences.
This contract defines the rights and obligations of the student and the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences.
The rights and obligations of the student at a glance:
- Attendance of the modules or courses of the chosen degree program
- Attendance and compliance with examination and submission deadlines
- Payment of the tuition fee and the Austrian Student´s Union fee
- Compliance with data protection and copyright regulations
The learning agreement is sent electronically to applicants who have been accepted onto a degree program. In addition to the electronic consent to the learning agreement, the timely payment of the tuition fee and the Austrian Students´ Union fee is a prerequisite for admission to the degree program.
Significant legislative basis for a UAS degree program in Austria can be found here:
FHG - Federal Act on University of Applied Sciences Degree Programs (in German only)
HS-QSG - Act on Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Recognition of Prior Learning
General accreditation/transfer of courses and exams
Regarding the accreditation of previously gained academic knowledge through courses and/or exams taken at other institutions of higher education, the respective degree program administration/director will use the principle of ‘course per course relevant accreditation.
The equivalency of the previously taken courses in terms of content and scope to the offered courses in the degree program will be determined by the degree program administrator/director. If an equivalency is determined to exist, then those courses passed with positive marks/grades will be recognized and accredited. Additional examination of academic knowledge in these cases is not foreseen.
Specialized knowledge and relevant experiences acquired through professional and on-the-job experience may also be considered for accreditation for relevant courses. In cases of accrediting professional experience for course credits, additional examinations may be carried out if applicable.
Applications for accreditation are to be submitted directly to the Program Director no later than the start date of the relevant study course(s).
The student must decide where s/he will spend the semester abroad (i.e., a partner university) and will need to coordinate with the responsible Departmental International Coordinator concerning the necessary requirements.
Before the student spends the semester abroad, s/he is required to submit a completed Learning Agreement. This document contains all the courses the student will take abroad and will be recognized at CUAS once s/he finishes the courses successfully. The courses should correspond as much as possible to the courses offered in the curriculum of the student’s CUAS study program in the relevant semester in content and semester hours. It is highly recommended to students to take 30 ECTS credits abroad.
The Learning Agreement is signed and approved by the individual student, the host institution and the program director of the study degree program or a designated faculty member at CUAS.
The Learning Agreement is a declaration of the courses which are to be taken abroad and is not valid as an official recognition document by Austrian law. Therefore, the document is to be linked to the official document “Antrag auf Anerkennung / Application for Accreditation” for academic studies abroad.
During the first four weeks of the study abroad semester the student is allowed to change the Learning Agreement. For example, previously selected courses do not take place or overlap. The host institution and CUAS must agree upon the courses to be changed. If this is approved, the changes must be listed separately on the Learning Agreement (section “Changes to the original Learning Agreement). Afterwards the document is signed and approved by the individual students, the host institution and the program director of the study degree program or a designated faculty member at CUAS.
After the semester abroad the courses taken abroad will be recognized at CUAS. Therefore, the original Transcript of Records from the host institution and the legally valid document “Antrag auf Anerkennung / Application of Accreditation” (which is linked to the Learning Agreement) are obligatory. The student lists on the document the successfully finished courses abroad. After the recognition process is positively completed, the CUAS Transcript of Records will contain those courses.
In cases where the semester abroad is not completed successfully, the Departmental Coordinator and program director of the relevant study degree program will determine on an individual basis if and what courses will be accredited and what a student can do to make up those missing credits which were not accredited.
Detailed information about a semester abroad
For further questions please contact the International Relations Office.
General Registration Procedures
- General Information
- Specific Information
- Application deadlines for students
- Admission of Incoming Exchange Students
- Enrollment
Degree programs at University of Applied Sciences fundamentally only offer a limited number of study places.
In the framework of the application process each applicant will carry out an interview which will influence the allocation of the study places. Additionally, specific degree study programs may require written application tests as well as content-specific/technical aptitude tests. Detailed information regarding the degree program specific application requirements are provided on the degree programs’ web pages.
Repetitive applications for a study place at the same study degree program (e.g., in the following year) is generally allowed; however, the entire application process will start anew and candidates must resubmit all documents and carry out all steps again.
Carinthia University of Applied Sciences reserves the right to levy a surety of EUR 363.36 from the applicant in case of doubt on the authenticity or correctness as regards content of the documents proving the fulfillment of the admission requirements or in case that the documents are not sufficient for a decision on the fulfillment of the admission requirements in accordance with § 4 para. 5a FHG. This surety will be reimbursed to the applicant if the review has proved the authenticity and the correctness of the documents and the fulfillment of the admission requirements.
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Detailed information about application deadlines can be found at the websites of the respective degree programs!
Carinthia University of Applied Sciences accepts both exchange students from partner institutions and so-called ‘Free Mover’ students. The decision to accept Free Movers is made on an individual basis by the relevant Degree Program Director. In the first case an official nomination (via e-mail) from the partner institution is necessary. After the nomination the student will be provided information regarding the application procedure.
Free Movers may apply directly.
Detailed information and deadlines
In order to register as a student at CUAS, each student must fulfill the following:
- Pay the tuition fee within the prescribed time limit (Erasmus Incoming Exchange Students are exempted from this fee)
- Pay the Austrian National Union of Students fee within the prescribed time limit
- Sign the Learning Agreement
The enrollment periods for each degree program will be announced in advance to all applicants.
Examinations and Grading
The examination regulations are an integral part of the education contract between the student and Carinthia University of Applied Sciences. It is also available to students and lecturers on the intranet.
Exams are graded according to the FHG [Federal Act on University of Applied Sciences Degree Programs]) § 17 (1), in the Austrian Grading System:
Austrian grading scheme | Definition |
1 | EXCELLENT: |
2 | GOOD: |
3 | SATISFACTORY: |
4 | SUFFICIENT: |
Successfully completed | Positive Leistung, wo eine genaue Differenzierung nicht tunlich ist. |
5 | UNSATISFACTORY: |
Not completed | Negative performance, where a strict differentiation is not adequate |
Recognised | Transfer credits for courses with equivalent learning outcomes |
The final bachelor's and master's examinations before a committee are graded according to FHG (Federal Act on University of Applied Sciences Degree Programs) § 17 (2) in the following grading scale:
- "mit ausgezeichnetem Erfolg bestanden" - Pass with distinction (in case of excellent performance)
- "mit gutem Erfolg bestanden" - Pass with merit (in case of performance that is well above average)
- "bestanden" - Pass (in case of positive assessment)
- "nicht bestanden" - Fail (in case of negative assessment).
In applying this grading system, it has to be noted that the grades “Pass with merit” and “Pass with distinction” are reserved exclusively for an examination performance clearly exceeding the level of performance required to pass these final exams.
Validation
Please note: This part of the Website is only available in German.
Die Nostrifizierung ist die Anerkennung eines ausländischen Studienabschlusses (Ausbildung im tertiären Bereich/an Hochschule/Universität) als gleichwertig mit dem Abschluss des inländischen Bachelor- bzw. Masterstudiums an der FH Kärnten. Die Nostrifizierung an der FH Kärnten kann nur erfolgen, wenn ein mit dem ausländischen Studienabschluss gleichwertiger Studiengang an der FH Kärnten eingerichtet ist und sofern die Nostrifizierung zwingend für die Berufsausübung in Österreich notwendig ist (z.B. reglementierter Beruf). Ein nostrifizierter akademischer Grad entfaltet dieselben Rechtswirkungen wie ein im Inland erworbener akademischer Grad.
Innerhalb der Europäischen Union (EU) bzw. des Europäischen Wirtschaftsraumes (EWR) ist eine Nostrifizierung nicht zwingend erforderlich und daher auch nicht möglich. Die Anerkennungsentscheidung von europäischen Ausbildungen in einem reglementierten Beruf (z.B. im Bereich der medizinisch-technischen Dienste, Hebammen und Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege) erfolgt in Österreich durch die zuständige Behörde (das für Gesundheit zuständige Ministerium bzw. Landesregierungen).
Auszug aus: nostrifizierung.at
Nostrifizierungsansuchen können nur für Studienabschlüsse eingebracht werden, welche mit dem Studienangebot der FachhochschuleKärnten übereinstimmen.
Die Nostrifizierung ist ein Verwaltungsverfahren an einer Universität bzw. Fachhochschule, die an bestimmte Voraussetzungen gebunden ist.
Der/Die Antragsteller/in muss nachweisen, dass die Nostrifizierung für seine/ihre angestrebte Tätigkeit in Österreich eine zwingende (siehe: „Was ist vorzulegen?“) Voraussetzung ist. In allen anderen Fällen obliegt die Bewertung des ausländischen Studiums ohnehin dem/der Arbeit- oder Dienstgeber/in.
Die Nostrifizierung kann an jeder Universität bzw. Fachhochschule, an der ein vergleichbares österreichisches Studium eingerichtet ist, beantragt werden. In vielen Fällen kommen daher mehrere Universitäten bzw. Fachhochschulen in Betracht. An welcher davon der/die Antragsteller/in in einem solchen Fall das Verfahren beantragt, bleibt seiner/ihrer Wahl überlassen. Der gleiche Nostrifizierungsantrag kann jedoch nur an einer Hochschule eingebracht werden.
Siehe: Notwendige Anlagen zum Antrag auf Nostrifizierung
Die Nostrifizierungstaxe beträgt derzeit EUR 150,00 und ist im Voraus zu entrichten. Dazu kommen Gebühren und Verwaltungsabgaben. Mehr Informationen unter Anlagen zur Nostrifizierung.
Kriterien der Überprüfung sind Inhalte, Umfang und Anforderungen desjenigen österreichischen Studiums, mit dessen Abschluss die Gleichwertigkeit beantragt wird. Wenn einzelne Voraussetzungen nicht zutreffen, können diese als außerordentliche/r Studierende/r absolviert werden. Sämtliche Bedingungen werden mit Bescheid vorgeschrieben. Wenn der/die Antragsteller/in alle zusätzlichen Bedingungen erfüllt hat oder wenn keine Bedingungen vorgeschrieben wurden, stellt die zuständige Stelle die Nostrifizierung fest.
..., weil die Unterschiede zum österreichischen Studium zu groß sind, kann um Zulassung zum österreichischen Studium angesucht und nach erfolgter Zulassung die Anerkennung von Prüfungen aus dem ausländischen Studium, soweit sie den österreichischen gleichwertig sind, erfolgen. Danach kann das österreichische Studium fortgesetzt und abgeschlossen werden.
Auszug aus: Wie-Verläuft-eine-Nostrifizierung
ECTS Information
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a student-oriented system to accumulate and transfer different study credits.
The ECTS is one of the main characteristics of the Bologna Process and is used within the European tertiary system to allow universities and other institutes of higher education to recognize and accredit students’ previous post-secondary coursework. Moreover, this allows students to accumulate credits from different institutions as well ensure that their tertiary degrees are recognized internationally. Thus, the ECTS-system regulates not only student mobility within Europe but also the admission to institutes for further studies.
The system is based upon the transparency of defined learning outcomes and learning processes. The acquisition of experience and knowledge is made transparent through the defined learning outcomes in the course description, the corresponding curriculum module and the degree program’s entire curriculum; this significantly contributes to quality assurance.
ETCS credits are calculated based upon a student’s workload, which in normal cases is necessary to pass a course successfully.
The learning outcomes describe what students should know, understand and be able to do after the successful completion of a learning process. The work load defines the amount of time typically necessary for all learning activities (e.g., lectures, seminars, projects, lab exercises, self-study, exams) in order to achieve the expected learning outcomes.
Within the European tertiary system, a semester is assessed to have 30 ECTS credits and an academic year 60 ECTS credits. The workload for an academic year ranges between 1.500 and 1.800 hours. In Austria, one ECTS credit is equivalent to a workload of 25 real hours.
The Learning Agreement (an agreement to accredit courses completed in a semester abroad) encompasses a listing of all the courses/modules/learning units that a student is to attend and complete at the partner university during the semester abroad. The courses’ ID-numbers and the ECTS credits to be transferred are listed in this document as well. When a ECTS credit transfer is to take place, then the learning agreement must be signed and approved by all three parties involved before the semester abroad: the student, the host institution and the sending institution. It is possible to make amendments to the learning agreement four weeks after the begin of the semester abroad.
The document Confirmation of Stay (Aufenthaltsbestätigung) confirms the actual stay of students at the host institution and is normally issued by the International Relations Office. The document may be issued by the host institute’s International Relations Office at the earliest two weeks before students abroad depart back to their home countries. This document is mandatory for Erasmus+ students.
The Transcript of Records (Datenabschrift) provides an overview of all study courses (completed courses/modules, grades/marks and the number of achieved ETCS credits). The ToR provides a proof of courses successfully completed and thus is very useful for student mobility (before the semester abroad, the ToR can be provided to the host institution and after the semester abroad, it provides the foundation for the recognition/accreditation of courses completed abroad at the sending institution).
The Diploma Supplement (Diplomzusatz) contains a standardized description of a completed degree program. The diploma supplement aims to improve the overall international transparency of degrees as well as to serve as a document for the recognition of academic and professional qualifications.
Academic calendar
Dates for the academic year 2024/25
Start of the semester
- 01. 10. 2024 (winter semester)
- 01. 03. 2025 (summer semester)
Beginn der Lehrveranstaltungen
Infos unter www.fh-kaernten.at
End of the semester
- 28. 02. 2025 (winter semester)
- 30. 09. 2025 summer semester)
Deadlines for registration
- Early enrolment for applicants: 01.07.2024 - 31.08.2024
- Enrolment period WS 2024/25: 01.09.2024 - 30.09.2024
- Enrolment deadline SS 2025: 03.02.2025 - 28.02.2025
- End of the payment deadline: 15 September 2024
- for tuition fees and ÖH contribution: 15 February 2025
- Additional deadline for payment: 31 October 2024
- for student and ÖH fees: 31 March 2025
For payments within the additional period, the tuition fee increases by 10%. Registration is only possible after receipt of payment at the account of CUAS!
*Please note the individual start of the courses! The exact dates can be found on the website of the respective degree programme, or contact the responsible administration for more information
Application deadlines**
- Application period 1: 01.11.2024 – 15.03.2025
- Application period 2: 16.03.2025 – 15.05.2025
- Application period 3: 16.05.2025 – 15.07.2025
- Application period 4 (for places still available): 16.07.2025 – 30.09.2025
**Please refer to the websites of the respective degree programs to find out which application periods are open.
Holidays and lecture-free days - semester 2024/25***
- National holidays 26.10.2024
- All Saints' Day 01.11.2024
- Conception of Mary 08.12.2024
- Lecture-free period (Christmas) 24.12.2024 - 06.01.2025
- Lecture-free period (semester break) 01.02. - 28.02.2025
- Lecture-free period (Easter) 12.04. - 21.04.2025
- Public holiday 01.05.2025
- Ascension Day 29.05.2025
- Whitsun 08.06.-09.06.2025
- Corpus Christi 19.06.2025
*** Deviations and changes concerning the lecture-free periods are possible! Please inform yourself
about your study programme with your administration.
Graduation ceremony
- Sommersponsion: Friday, 18.07.2025 and Thursday, 17.07.2025 (if needed)
Herbstsponsion: Friday, 07.11.2025 and Thursday, 06.11.2025 (if needed)
Other dates
- EMAS internal audit 29.08. + 03.09.2024
- Follow-up to the day of teaching 17.09.2024
- 1st budgeting meeting 18.09.2024
- Hackathon 25.09-27.09.2024
- Welcome Day 30.09.2024
- Day of internationalisation 16.10.2024
- Erasmus Days at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences 14.10.-19.10.2024
- EMAS audit 23.10-24.10.2024
- AUTUMN SPONSION 17.10.2024 and 18.10.2024
- 2nd budgeting meeting 28.10.2024
- 3rd budgeting meeting 13.11.2024
- Strategieklausur 14.11.-15.11.2024
- Health day 20.11.2024
- Master session: 25.11.2024
- Christmas party 13.12.2024
- Document created and released on 10.07.2024/GF
- FH Ski Day 13.01.2025
- FH Open Campus 30.01. and 31.01.2025
- 2nd International Science Slam March/April 2025
- Welcome Day SS 2025 28.02.2025
- University management meeting 2024 04.03.-05.03.2025
- Teaching Day 18.03.2025
- Mastersession ONLINE 07.04.2025
- FH Carinthia Sport GEOLAUF 11.04.2025
- Matura project competition 25.04.2025
- FH Research Forum 07.05.-08.05.2025 (FH Campus Wien)
- Meet & Match 15.05.2025
- Info session part-time 22.05.2025
- Works meeting 27.05.2025
- Betriebsratswahl 24.06.+25.06.2025
- FH Carinthia sports camp May/June 2025
- FH company outing 07.07.2025
- Teaching Day - Follow Up 2025 23.09.2025
- Welcome Day WS 2025 29.09.-30.09.2025
- 30th anniversary celebration FH Carinthia 03.10.2025
- Strategieklausur 20.-21.11.2025
- Health Day 19.11.2025
- FH Christmas party 19.12.2025
