Written by Kerstin Lakits, Dec 09, 2021
You graduated from high school and are ready to become a student? Great! Then you just have to choose the right education centre, look for an amazing STUWO dormitory of your choice and you’re ready to go. To help you decide between a UAS and UNI, we’ve put together all the information as well as pros and cons.
In Austria, there are two types of higher education facilities:
Both institutions offer bachelor and master degrees, but there are many differences that could influence your decision.
Austrian UAS offer mostly practical studies in technical, economic or social sciences. Some study programmes, for example PhD programmes, are only available at universities. So, if you want to study medicine or law, a university is the right choice for you.
Therefore, the first question that you should ask yourself should be: What do you want to study? Then you can decide if a UAS or university fits better.
You need a graduation certificate (for Austria and Germany: Matura and Abitur), a Berufsreifeprüfung (short version of a high school graduation) or a student permit certificate for both UAS and universities.
Universities of Applied Sciences only allow a limited amount of new students per year. Therefore, every UAS has some kind of admission process, mostly consisting of admission tests and application interviews.
Public universities don’t have that. Only extremely popular fields of study, which are usually overbooked, like medicine, psychology or law, have admission tests. Some fields of study use admission tests only if there is a high number of potential students. However, most fields of study have the so-called STEOP, which consists of obligatory exams that have to be taken in the first semester in order to continue studying.
The tuition fee at most universities of Applied Sciences amount to €363.36 + €20.20 (ÖH fee) per semester. These are the same for all students. Technically, there are also tuition fees at public universities, but they don’t apply to Austrian and EU citizens who study with serious intent. So, universities are often cheaper because you only have to pay the ÖH fee.
This is the most striking difference between UAS and university.
Universities of Applied Sciences:
Universities:
You can’t really say which faculty has better job opportunities because there are so many aspects like industry, job market and personal goals and preferences that need to be considered.
However, it should be mentioned that networking with practitioners of a certain branch is easier and better at a university of Applied Sciences. Obligatory internships, cooperation with firms and contacts to teachers are definitely an advantage. However, if you want to work in the field of research and academics, a university is better suited for you.
Your studies are your starting point and you have to give it your best. With a lot of commitment, hard work and perseverance, you’ll find a great job with every degree. And in the end, it doesn’t matter where you get your degree from.
We have a pro and con list for you to help you decide if a UAS or UNI suits you better.
In the end, whether you go to UAS or UNI depends entirely on you and your preferences. What you want to study will be your first indicator, but the rest depends on your personality and goals. UAS and UNI both have pros and cons. Hopefully, our list will make it easier for you to decide. Either way, your student life will be the best time of your life. Here are more tips for a successful start into your studies and tips on how to make friends at university (or UAS).
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