University of Vienna

The University of Vienna was founded in 1365 by Rudolph IV, Duke of Austria, and modelled on the Sorbonne in Paris.

Home to more than 94,000 students – 28,000 international students among them – it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and the largest research institution in Austria.

Comprising 15 faculties and four academic centres, the university runs more than 180 degree programmes. While all of its undergraduate courses require German language proficiency, some of its postgraduate ones are offered in English.

Renowned particularly for its Humanities work, the university lays claim to nine Nobel Laureates including the chemist Hans Fischer and the physician Karl Landsteiner, who previously taught at the university. Its other Nobel associations include the physicist Erwin Schrödinger and the economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek. The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, is among its many notable alumni.

The university is sited within 63 locations across the city, all of which are connected by Vienna’s tram and bus network. The city is cycle-friendly and students are encouraged to sign-up to the CityBike scheme, with bikes located at stations across the city with the first hour of usage free of charge.

In addition to academic endeavour, sport is highly prized at the university, with its Institute for University Sports (USI) offering an extensive programme of fitness, training and sports facilities to all students.

It also comprises an 18th century botanical garden known as ‘the green lung of the university’, which exists to raise awareness of ecological issues as well as research into conservation and biodiversity.

Vienna itself, the capital of Austria, lies in the east of the country, on the Danube River. Former residents of the city include Mozart and Beethoven, while the works of Austrian artists Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt are on display in the city’s museums. 

Its stunning architecture, baroque palaces, and the famous Vienna State Opera make the city a popular tourist destination. Because of its association with Freud, Vienna is also known as the ‘city of dreams’.