Medical University of Vienna

The Vienna Medical University is Austria's largest, most prestigious and respected medical university, offering both basic higher education programs (bachelor's degree) and postgraduate programs (master's and doctoral studies). Today, the number of students reaches 8500 people: Austrian citizens and international students can study here, 4,500 people study on doctoral programs. The total number of branches is 14.

The University was founded in 1365 as a faculty of the Vienna State University and quickly won recognition and respect throughout the world. By the beginning of the 15th century, the establishment became so popular and prestigious that the doctors of Bavaria and Austria had to get permission here to open their own private practice. From 1902 to 1938, the legendary psychiatrist Sigmund Freud worked here. In 2004, the Faculty of Medicine became an independent institution of higher education and received the prestigious status of the university in Vienna.

Today, the VMU conducts active research and work in different fields:

• Allergology;
• Oncology;
• Neurosurgery;
• Transplantology;
• Intensive care;
• Owns 12 studying clinics.

Graduates can easily find a prestigious job in their specialty, enter any chosen residency and conduct an active practice in all European countries. Many students receive permanent residence and remain in Austria for many years. Currently, the university adheres to the policy of the most relevant and practical education - this principle is the basis of all educational programs and degrees (this was facilitated by the adoption of the Bologna educational system). Largely due to this, the institution is extremely attractive for foreign students: according to statistics, Austrian students are significantly fewer here than representatives of other countries of the world (especially many coming from Germany and Switzerland).

The university is famous for its highly professional teaching staff: it employs more than 1000 teachers, most of whom are well-known and recognized specialists, practicing doctors of the highest qualification.

The big plus is the cost of education: it is much lower than in similar institutions in the UK or Switzerland, while the level of education and academic studying is not inferior. An additional advantage is a fixed number of places for students from the CIS countries and the third world, which eliminates the competition between Russian and European students, provides an opportunity to enter without a fight for one academic place.

From the first semester, social competence is part of the curriculum. Students develop communication skills through role-playing exercises with simulated patients (professional actors), practicing patient-centered communication and receiving constructive feedback after each interaction. E-learning and interactive technologies, including voting systems, are used in lectures, seminars, and exams to provide immediate assessment of comprehension.

Clinical practice takes place across 84 accredited teaching hospitals and two teaching departments. Since 2014, the final year of study has been organized as a clinical practicum (KPJ) at accredited teaching hospitals. The Teaching Center plans and organizes classes and examinations, advises on curriculum development, manages lecture halls and practical skills laboratories, implements international best practices, and explores didactic innovations.

As Austria's largest pediatric facility, the Department of Pediatrics plays an active role in educating future physicians. The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry educates various healthcare professionals.

An international research team led by Peter Mandl from the Division of Rheumatology at MedUni Vienna developed the GLODS (Global OMERACT Ultrasound Joint Damage Scoring System) for rheumatoid arthritis. The system demonstrated good to excellent reliability in the first study aimed at establishing a consensus-based global scale, with results published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

In 2024, the Department of Pediatrics at MedUni Vienna published 284 articles with a cumulative impact factor of 1478.6.

Subject list: Information Technology, Medicine, Stomatology

The Alumni Club MedUni Vienna serves as a networking hub for students from the first semester, graduates, and university staff, providing opportunities for exchanging ideas and engaging in dialogue with researchers and experts. The club organizes lectures, seminars, conferences, and symposia to facilitate knowledge transfer between science and practice, and offers students and graduates advice and support with career planning.

• Dropout rate reduced from 60% to 13% after implementing a modern curriculum,
• The majority of more than 7500 students complete their studies within the standard timeframe,
• Many students in doctoral and PhD programs are university staff members.

It is based on the base of the main hospital in Vienna, giving students access to the latest equipment, technologies, printed and electronic materials.

Students at the Medical University of Vienna pay tuition where applicable and the student union fee (ÖH).

The University Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Medical entrance exams are accepted in medical schools, and you will also need to demonstrate a good level of language knowledge, German or English, depending on which program you are applying to. If necessary, the student can undergo an intensive preparatory course, and also continue language lessons during studies (after enrollment) in order to fully and qualitatively absorb the curriculum.

You will also need to present a certificate of full secondary education (if you are applying for a postgraduate program - a bachelor's degree / specialist diploma).

• Eligible master's and PhD students receive temporary tuition exemption for the standard study period plus two semesters,
• Eligible students in degree programs are exempt from tuition if they do not exceed the standard study period per study phase by more than two semesters,
• Austrian citizens, EU/EEA nationals, Swiss citizens, recognized refugees, persons with subsidiary protection, and holders of qualifying residence permits are eligible for temporary tuition exemption,
• Eligible degree students who are citizens of countries listed in the annex to Section 4 of the 2004 Tuition Fee Regulation are exempt from tuition and pay only the student union fee,
• The Alumni Club provides support to graduates and students of the Medical University of Vienna in financial need.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision