Course of Study
How is an academic year structured? What lectures are there? When do examinations take place? What do I need to know about internships and semesters abroad? You can fnd all the information about the course of study here.
Academic calendar
The academic year at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria consists of two semesters: winter and summer semester. Lectures are held from Monday until Saturday, with Saturdays being mostly reserved for part-time students and project works.
| Winter Semester | Summer Semester | |
| Lectures | October 1 - January 31, in some study programmes (especially part-time programmes) mid-September - mid-February | March 1 - June 30, in some study programmes (especially part-time programmes) mid-February- mid-July |
| Exams | during semester - mid-February | during semester - mid-July |
| Christmas break / Easter break | December 24 - January 6 | week before Easter including Easter Monday |
Lecture dates, exam periods and application deadlines may differ across full- and part-time study programmes and across our campuses, please double-check on the homepage of the according study programme.
Other public holidays can be found here.
Lectures
Lectures will be held together in a lecture theatre for all students of one semester. Normally these will conclude with a written or oral examination at the end of the semester.
The lectures are in units of 45 or 50 minutes. Normally, lectures take place weekly, however seminars and workshops are frequently held as block training sessions. Occasionally, attendance in lectures is also required in the evenings or at weekends (Saturdays). Part-time courses of studies at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria are coordinated in the best possible way with the needs of working people.
Seminars
Seminars provide the practical consolidation of the lecture material. Particularly in the technical subjects, seminars are usually held in laboratories or studios and conducted in smaller groups. The group size depends on the type of seminar and the equipment that is required. The group organization is carried out in each case at the beginning of the semester. There is normally continuous assessment throughout the semester. The successful completion of the seminar is normally the formal prerequisite for entry to the corresponding examination of the respective lecture.
Integrated lectures
Integrated lectures are a combination of lecture and seminar. They are usually held in the form of a lecture. The organization of an integrated lecture is the responsibility of each lecturer. Integrated lectures are completed with a written or oral examination.
Practical projects
Practical projects are regularly carried out during the course of study with external partners from the economy and/or organizations. Projects are supervised by lecturers from the degree course.
Seminars and Workshops
Seminars and Workshops are courses in which the central focus is the independent development of topics, presentations and discussions in the group. These seminars also support the practical projects.
Personal development (Social Skills)
Personal development (Social Skills) specifically prepare the students for the practical demands of life as a manager in which they learn to deal with delicate management situations of different kinds (e.g. conflict management, performance appraisal discussions, presentations, etc.).
Field trip
Field trip are carried out within the framework of individual lectures, whereby those participating, as with the lectures themselves, are obliged to meet any costs which arise (entrance fees, overnight accommodation etc.).
Compulsory optional subject
Compulsory optional subject In the context of their course of study the student can select individual foci in the framework of the compulsory optional subjects.
Optional Subjects
Specialist supplementary topics are regularly offered, for example, additional language courses. This can involve a contribution towards the cost of the course.
Examinations
Lectures are concluded with a written or oral examination at the end of the semester. For each examination a set of dates is offered from which the students can, within certain limits, freely select. In seminars, tutorials and project work an "accompanying performance review" is usually applied. It should be noted that certain lectures can only be taken after the associated foundation lecture has been successfully completed. If an examination is not successfully completed, then a maximum of two repetitions are possible, whereby the second repetition is in form of a commissional examination.
Examination times
The last 2-3 weeks of each term and/or the beginning of February/beginning of July are reserved for examinations pertaining to the preceding lectures. Other regulations apply with respect to part-time courses of studies, here the examinations take place during the semester.
Confirmation of successfully completed courses
Each student receives proof of successful completion of individual courses in the semester or the entire academic year if required, for example, by authorities or scholarship agencies. If, at this time, not all results are complete, individual results can be issued. As soon as all the semester grades are available a copy will be handed out free of charge.
Internship
A work placement completed in an enterprise or organization outside the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria is an integral part of all our bachelor programmes. (Special arrangements apply to part-time programmes). Suitable work placement places are organized by the programme staff in cooperation with the students. Student initiatives in the form of contacts and suggestions are more than welcome. Students are supervised during their work placements by a faculty member along with a representative of the external enterprise or organization.
Work placements Abroad
Work placements can be completed in Austria or abroad. Provided the basic professional, organizational and linguistic requirements are met, work placements abroad are explicitly encouraged. Students are responsible for building up the necessary contacts, clarifying the relevant legal requirements (work permit) and entry requirements (visa) and obtaining the necessary documents.
The decision to complete the work placement in a company abroad is viewed with definite approval and a number of sources of financial support are available. An "International Office" at each campus supports students when it comes to the necessary official confirmation and application documents. Travel and accommodation expenses are strictly to be met by the students themselves and/or (by prior arrangement) by the provider of the work placement.
Semester abroad
All students have the option of completing parts of a university of applied sciences degree programme at a comparable foreign university, subject to consultation of the timetable and approval by the director of studies. Each faculty’s "International Office" provides support with the organization of the semester abroad.
In the case of the Steyr degree programmes "Accounting, Controlling and Financial Management“, "Global Sales and Marketing" and "International Logistics Management" a semester abroad in non-German-speaking country forms a fixed part of the curriculum. In addition there are agreements with partner universities that sometimes enable students to be awarded their degrees within the framework of the semester abroad (double degrees).