Admission

Did you decide to study astronomy for a bachelor's degree? The next step is then the admission at the university. All important deadlines can be found on the University of Vienna's admissions homepage. Without valid admission to study astronomy within the deadline, you will not be able to attend and complete courses. Admission is recommended for the winter semester but is also possible for the summer semester. There are a few special features if you want to start in the summer semester. We have summarized these under lateral entry.

The Online Self Assessment (OSA) is a prerequisite for admission to the astronomy bachelor's degree.

For general questions about enrollment, we recommend the website of the study service and contact with the local student representatives (StV Astronomie) or, in the case of special problems, the StudiesServiceCenter (SSC) Geosciences, Geography and Astronomy.

Courses

From the online self assesment, it should already be clear to you how important mathematics and physics are when studying astronomy. In order to help you get started, courses in mathematics and physics are offered before the start of the winter semester, i.e. in September. These preparatory courses can help you refresh and deepen your knowledge and close any gaps. It is best to ask the student representatives, astronomy or physics.

The winter semester always starts on October 1st. and the summer semester always starts on March 1st. In the month before that, you have to register for the courses you want to attend. Universities often offer a wider range of courses to choose from than a school or college. The astronomy degree is very constructive and many courses have a specific order. The so-called curriculum summarizes which courses are part of the degree program and the order in which they are to be attended. You can find more tips for a smooth course of study on the corresponding page.

Before the start of the semester, you must register for the courses you would like to take via the course catalogue, u:find. You need your u:space login data, which you received when you admission at the University of Vienna.

A recurring question is a difference between the various courses that are offered at the university, this is also explained in the curriculum:

• Courses without continuous assessment (npi LV) e.g. B. Lectures (VO)

• Courses with continuous assessment (pi LV) e.g. exercises (UE), seminars (S), lectures + exercises (VU)

Lectures (VO) do not have compulsory attendance, but one (or more) examinations.

In the case of lectures + exercises (VU), there is compulsory attendance for at least parts of the course, often exercises that have to be worked on and at least one (or more) examination. It is allowed to correct these exams. How often and in what form depends on the course. In the event of negative exams or, even better, in the run-up, if you have problems, contact your StV (Astronomy Student Representative) and get advice.

Exercises (UE), practica (PR) and seminars (SE) are usually compulsory, regardless of whether they are digital or face-to-face. Your grading consists of several partial achievements.

In general, course grading must be visible in the course description in U:find and discussed with students at the start of the course and in the event of changes during the semester.

New in Vienna?

Many students move to Vienna for their studies from other parts of Austria or other countries. The following shortlist should help you get started (especially in this case):

The Austrian Students Union (ÖH) represents you and your interests within the University of Vienna. They have several departments, so-called "Referate", that can support you, for example with questions about child support, subsidies, etc.

Public transport in Vienna is particularly cheap for students under the age of 26 if they have their main place of residence in Vienna. Attention, this semester ticket is valid from September 1st to January 31st in the winter semester and from February 1st to June 30th in the summer semester. For the months of July and August, students can purchase a monthly holiday pass.

With your student ID, you get a lot of discounts (under 26 years of age), so it is worth keeping your card up to date every semester and carrying it with you.

Especially if you don't know Vienna that well yet, the so-called "Erstitut" is a great opportunity to get to know people and the city. This is where experienced students meet weekly with small groups of first-year students to make it easier for you to start your studies, of course, free of charge and voluntarily. Before the start of the semester, you will receive all information about what exactly this "Erstitut" is, from the student representatives for astronomy and physics, usually by email or on their websites.