FAQs about studies

Applications can only be submitted via our online application portal OBSY.

1) Review the courses offered by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and select one or two favorites.

2) Prepare the relevant documents: The documents required by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria are described in detail in question 2.

3) Create a user account in the online application portal.

4) Fill out the application form: Provide the required personal and contact details, previous education, and desired courses of study (priority 1 and 2).

5) Upload the required documents: Please note that the documents cannot be changed or updated after submission. Certifications can be submitted at a later date.

6) Reviewing the application: Double-check all data and documents to ensure that everything is correct and complete.

7) Submitting the application: If everything is in order, the application can be submitted.

8) Waiting for confirmation: Receipt of the application will be confirmed by email. You will receive feedback on your application and the next steps within a few weeks.

The following documents must be uploaded to the application portal as part of the application process:

1) School leaving certificate (Matura/Abitur)
2) Copy of passport or identity card
3) Complete and up-to-date CV
4) Convincing letter of motivation

- Bachelor's or diploma degree certificate (only for Master's programs) 
- Creative portfolio (only required for media studies programs)
- Proof of language proficiency in German/English (B2 or C1 minimum)*
   *mandatory for applicants with high school diplomas from Non-EU countries

Important note: If your school or university degree was not obtained in Austria, additional documents may be required. If certificates or other documents were not issued in German or English, for example, certified translations must be submitted in addition to the originals. This also applies to the grading scale and the legend of any transcripts. Further information on international admission requirements can be found by clicking on the following link:

If you do not yet have your high school diploma at the time of application, this is not a problem. Certificates can be submitted later as soon as they are available.

It is possible to apply for two degree programs at the same time with two different priorities. If you want to upload separate letters of motivation to the application portal, it is best to combine them into one PDF file.

After submitting your application, you can still change your priorities or add something to your application. It is best to send these changes directly to the study program by email.

With a university entrance qualification (Matura/Abitur) obtained in Austria or in an EU member state, the admission requirements for studying at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria are fulfilled.

For individuals with relevant training (completion of an apprenticeship or vocational secondary school), there is the option of obtaining a university entrance qualification directly at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. This is achieved by attending a one-year preparatory course, the so-called International Foundation Programme. Please find out more by clicking on the link below:

The application portal will be available for the next academic year from the beginning of October. Most degree programs begin processing applications in February. We therefore recommend that you send us your application by January 31 in order to initiate the admission process and secure your place at university early.

The regular application deadline is June 30 (respectively May 31 for Non-EU citizens). After that, the so-called extraordinary application period begins. In other words, if study programs still have places available, these will be allocated over the summer months. However, since most study places are already allocated by the beginning of June, we recommend submitting your application by the end of May if possible.

No. It is not usually necessary to provide proof of legal integrity.

No. Applying via the online portal of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria does not incur any costs.

Yes, the receipt of your application will be confirmed by email.

Once an account has been created for the OBSY online application portal, the login details will be sent in a confirmation email. Applicants can use these login details to log in at any time to check the status of their application. As a rule, our study programs will respond with initial feedback within a few weeks.

We kindly ask you to wait for this process and refrain from sending written inquiries. Due to the high number of applications, it is not possible for the study programs to provide individual information. However, the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria guarantees that all applications will be reviewed reliably, conscientiously, and as quickly as possible so that each applicant receives a response promptly.

The admission procedure at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria consists of five steps:

1) Once an application has been received, it is first checked to see whether the candidate meets the formal requirements for admission. These include proof of school (for bachelor's degrees) or academic achievements (for master's degrees) and language proficiency.

2) If the formal requirements are met, applicants are often invited directly to an interview for their chosen study program. This applies to all bachelor's and master's degree programs. In some cases, bachelor's programs conduct an aptitude test before inviting applicants to an interview.

3) After the interview, a committee decides which applicants will be accepted for a program. Applicants are informed of the result by email. If accepted, they will subsequently receive instructions on how to enroll.

4) During the enrollment process, provisionally accepted applicants must submit any outstanding documents and pay the required tuition fees.

5) All applicants who are definitively accepted will receive an email from the office of their study program in good time before the start of the program, which will prepare them for the start of their studies.

In rare cases, yes. Currently, only a few bachelor's study programs at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria conduct assessments before inviting applicants to an interview.

These usually consist of aptitude and personality tests, potential analyses, or the preparation of a case study. Master's degree programs generally do not have these. In most cases, however, the interview is the only basis for the acceptance decision, which is why you should prepare for it thoroughly.

From 2026, all applicants who have completed their highest school-leaving qualification or a study programme in a Non-EU country will be required to take an entrance test before starting a Bachelor's study programme at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

Assessments and interviews usually take place during the summer semester. The first appointments are already available in mid-February.

Interviews usually take place on campus. Depending on the degree program, there may be either one joint interview with one or two professors or two separate interviews. The invitation and detailed information will be sent by the respective study program office.

The application interview is similar to a job interview at a company. It is helpful to have already researched the desired study program in detail and compared your own expectations with the curriculum. Feel free to prepare your own questions to find out whether the study program is the “right” one for your needs.

Yes, even if you have already received formal admission to a study program, it is still possible to apply to switch to another study program. However, you must contact the admissions office directly to do so.

Whether or not approval for the switch is granted depends on whether there are still places available in the desired study program and whether the admission requirements are met.

The degree programs try to provide initial feedback before the official application deadline. However, if the number of applications during the current application period is very high, the decision on who can be offered a place will be delayed.

Certain suitable candidates will therefore be temporarily placed on a waiting list. We always recommend applying early: this shows us that you have a genuine interest and increases your chances of being accepted.

Preconditional admission is always granted when a candidate has convinced the committee of their suitability for a degree program but does not yet meet all the formal criteria. For example, at the time of preconditional admission, a degree certificate, proof of the required language level, or another document required for admission to the program may still be missing. Once all documents have been submitted, a preconditional admission becomes a regular admission.

If you have been placed on the waiting list, you should remain calm. There is a good chance that a place will become available before the start of the academic year in autumn. Experience shows that it often happens that some of the candidates at the top of the list decide not to take up their place.

If you are rejected, you can reapply for the desired study program at the FH Upper Austria the following year. With the experience you have gained during the first round of the admission process, your chances of being accepted on your next attempt increase: The FH Upper Austria has several graduates who only began and successfully completed their studies on their second attempt.

An academic year consists of a winter semester and a summer semester.

The winter semester begins in early September (part-time) or early October (full-time) and ends in mid-February. The summer semester begins in early March and ends in mid-July.

Exams are held during the semester, with final exams often taking place in February and July.

There are no lectures during the Christmas season, Holy Week, and the summer (mid-July to September).

Yes, all bachelor's study programs include a professional internship lasting several weeks, which must be completed in a company. Students organize their own internship placements but receive support from the degree program if necessary. In this regard, special rules apply to part-time study programs. Master's study programs generally do not include a mandatory internship.

The professional internship can be completed in Austria or abroad. The International Offices at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria support students who decide to do an internship abroad in their preparations and also provide comprehensive information about funding opportunities.

The University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria enables all its students to spend a semester abroad at one of over 200 partner universities worldwide.

If the stay abroad is planned in good time and coordinated with the head of the study program, it can usually be easily integrated into the study plan. For some full-time programs, a semester abroad is even mandatory.

The International Offices are happy to assist students with the organization.

Pregnancy, conscription into military service, or serious illness: events can always occur that force students to put their studies on hold for a certain period of time. However, this does not mean that they have to drop out of their studies.

If there are valid reasons, a leave of absence of between one and two semesters can be agreed upon in consultation with the head of the study program. During this time, students are not enrolled and therefore cannot take any exams. The regulations governing leaves of absence are described in detail in § 8 of the study and examination regulations of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

If you fail an exam, it's annoying, but it's not the end of the world: each exam can be retaken twice.

In principle, students are required to attend the scheduled retake dates. However, if a student is unable to attend for health reasons, the exam is not lost: if a medical certificate is submitted in good time, an alternative date will be offered.

If a student fails to pass an exam on the third attempt, this does not automatically mean the end of their studies: they have the option of repeating the academic year once. However, this intention must be communicated to the head of the study program within one month of receiving the negative assessment. The head of the study program will then determine which subjects from the last academic year must be repeated. These may also include courses that were successfully completed if this is deemed appropriate for the student's academic progress.

The standard period of study is six semesters (for a bachelor's degree) or four semesters (for a master's degree).

How much time you spend on campus depends primarily on the type of program:

In a full-time program, your days are filled with classes, leaving little time to work on the side (at most on a part-time basis).

In contrast, for part-time studies, the timetable is usually designed so that courses are primarily held on Friday afternoons and Saturdays in person, online, and/or in blocks. In some degree programs, distance learning is also used intensively, for example for evening classes during the week. Sundays are generally free of lectures.

There are study programs at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria that are organized in an atypical way.

These include, for example, a dual study program: Here, the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria is responsible for imparting theoretical knowledge, while practical training takes place in a company. This gives students the opportunity to grow into their future position while still in training. If you want to pursue a dual study program, you must apply to a partner company of the relevant study program at the same time as applying to the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

In addition, the Wels faculty offers the Easy Start introductory phase for bachelor's programs: Students enroll in a study program and start their first year together with students from other study programs. For two semesters, they can then get a taste of the related programs in their chosen field. If they realize during this time that another direction suits them better, they can easily switch to another bachelor's program at the end of the second semester without losing any time.

The following teaching formats are primarily offered at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria: lectures, practice-oriented sessions, integrated courses, seminars, laboratory sessions, and projects.

Lectures are used to teach theoretical principles. Practice-oriented sessions and laboratory sessions serve to reinforce the lecture material in a practical manner and are usually held in groups in computer rooms, laboratories, or studios. Integrated courses are a combination of lectures and practice-oriented sessions.

Seminars focus on independent study of topics, presentation, and group discussion. During the course of study, several projects are also carried out with external partners from industry or organizations. Some study programs also organize mandatory excursions, which students must attend at their own expense.

Apart from lectures, all teaching formats have continuous assessment and therefore a certain attendance requirement (see question 4). The formats are explained in detail in § 4, para. 3 of the Study and Examination Regulations of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

For courses with continuous assessment, attendance of at least 80% is mandatory. Continuous assessment means that not only the result of the final examination is used for performance assessment, but other components are also taken into account. These can include participation, the quality of solutions submitted for exercises or reports, results of midterm examinations or short tests.

The University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria primarily offers courses with a continuous assessment, which generally results in a high attendance requirement. If this requirement is not met for a valid reason (e.g., illness or caregiving responsibilities), a compensatory performance may be provided as a substitute. In insufficient or unjustified cases, courses with less than 80% attendance will be graded negatively.

A detailed description of this regulation can be found in the Study and Examination Regulations of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (§ 5, para. 3), which is linked below.

Most degree programs at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria consist of compulsory courses. These are all subjects that are fixed in the respective curriculum.

However, there is a certain degree of flexibility in each study program that is granted to students: For example, they have the option of taking compulsory elective courses, which they must select from a predetermined catalog. These courses are counted as compulsory courses later on. In addition, there are elective subjects that, according to the curriculum, can be chosen completely freely to a certain extent and which, if successfully completed, are credited as compulsory courses.

In addition to compulsory, elective, and elective subjects, there is also the possibility of taking optional courses. These are voluntarily chosen additional courses that can also be graded. If an optional course is successfully completed, ECTS credits are awarded for it. However, these are not counted as compulsory courses, or only in exceptional cases.

The FH Upper Austria is a public university of applied sciences that is subject to the Fachhochschulgesetz (University of Applied Sciences Act).

Yes, every study program offered at FH Upper Austria is rigorously reviewed by AQ Austria - the Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation - before it is approved.

Some study programs even have a second accreditation (e.g., according to FIBAA standards) or offer graduates a double or triple degree thanks to close cooperation with partner universities abroad.

The University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria focuses on the application of scientific knowledge. Accordingly, teaching is closely interlinked with research. In addition, experts from the field are consulted in the design of the curricula.

Students can directly apply the knowledge they acquire in lectures and integrated courses in projects with cooperation partners from science and industry.

The performance of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria is continuously reviewed by an independent body: as the results of recent surveys show, the degree programs offered by the Steyr, Hagenberg, and Wels faculties are happily ranked among the top programs by the CHE (Center for Higher Education Development).

However, our graduates are best placed to assess what their studies at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria have brought them in terms of their careers. They are regularly asked to share their opinions on review portals such as StudyCheck (DACH region) and EduOpinions (international).

Yes, a master's degree from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria fulfills the requirements for writing a dissertation.

The University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria actively promotes this higher academic qualification for its graduates through cooperation programs with universities that have the right to award doctorates.

Our graduates are in high demand in science and business: proof of this is that they are regularly awarded science prizes for their achievements.

Another indicator is the numerous partner networks of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria: Over 200 companies are involved as sponsors of the Hagenberg and Wels support associations, as customers of our job portal, and/or as participants in our career fairs, in order to establish early contact with the specialists and managers of tomorrow.

Yes, there is a tuition fee at FH OÖ.

Students from EU and EEA countries are charged €363.36 per semester. Students from third countries pay a fee of €726.72 per semester. Working students can deduct this from their income tax.

For organizational reasons, payment in installments is not possible, nor is a refund of the fee in the event of early withdrawal. For contractual reasons, the invoice cannot be issued to a company. If the employer covers the costs, the refund must be arranged within the employment relationship.

The set tuition fee must be paid by all enrolled students – on time and in full. This also applies if you are currently unemployed or on parental leave, receiving a study grant or a self-support scholarship, or have no or only a low income for other reasons.

In rare exceptional cases, the tuition fee can be reduced by 50%. However, this only applies to third-country nationals who have a close relationship with Austria (e.g., recognized refugees, diplomatic staff, or holders of a Red-White-Red Card). The legal department of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria will check whether you are eligible upon request.

Exemption from tuition fees is only possible for two reasons: a degree of disability of at least 50% or an interruption of studies.

Timely payment of the full tuition fee is a prerequisite for taking exams and using the services of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

Ideally, the tuition fee should be paid immediately after it has been invoiced. However, there are certain deadlines which, if exceeded, will inevitably lead to de-registration: in the winter semester, this is October 31, and in the summer semester, March 31.

In addition to tuition fees, a contribution to the Austrian Student Union (ÖH) is mandatory. This amounts to €25.20 per semester (as of 2025) and includes liability insurance for students.

Tuition fees at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria are very low compared to other countries. However, anyone who decides to study must also find a way to cover their living expenses (accommodation, clothing, food, transportation) and the necessary health and accident insurance. In addition, there are expenses for textbooks and journals, consumables (writing materials, notebooks, etc.), lecture notes, copying and printing costs, and participation in excursions (travel costs, accommodation, entrance fees, etc.).