The pre-study program is a university program in which you take supplementary examinations (German, chemistry, history, mathematics and/or physics) as specified in your letter of admission. The pre-study program is defined and outlined in the curriculum and is available in the download section.
Supplementary examinations in German, chemistry, history, mathematics, and physics are an opportunity to brush up and/or review important content that - as part of your international school-leaving examination - you may not have covered prior to your studies.
As part of the review process to enroll in your intended degree program, you will be notified as to if - and which - supplementary examinations you will need to take and pass. This only applies to international applicants who hold non-Austrian university entrance qualifications.
NEW, beginning Summer Semester 2024: As part of the preliminary program, you must successfully pass all of the supplementary examinations.
In order to take the supplementary examination in German, students are required to attend preparation courses that are a part of the pre-study program. The supplementary examinations in Chemistry, History, Mathematics and Physics can be taken as either part of a preparation course during the pre-study program, or by means of a subject-area examination following independent study. Successfully passing the preparation course counts as passing the supplementary examination. All of the courses in the pre-study program are subject to a fee.
Once you have successfully passed the supplementary examination(s), you have to register for your intended degree program in the Admissions Office.
Admissions Office
Address
Johannes Kepler
University Linz
Altenberger Straße 69
4040 Linz
Location
Phone
Frequently Asked Questions
Those in the pre-study program will be required to pay the mandatory Austrian Student Union fee each semester. There are also additional costs to attend preparation courses. You can find more detailed information about the course fees when you sign up for the course.
As part of the review process to enroll in your intended degree program, you will be notified as to if - and which - supplementary examinations you will need to take and pass. This only applies to international applicants who hold non-Austrian university entrance qualifications.
The following supplementary examinations are possible:
- German
- Chemistry
- History
- Mathematics
- Physics
You can find more information about the supplementary exams here.
Students required to pass the supplementary examination in order to prove proficiency in German must successfully complete the preparation course for German.
As part of the pre-study program, students can attend fee-based preparation courses in order to pass any required supplementary examinations. Once you have successfully passed the preparation course, you will have passed the supplementary examination. There is, however, also an option to study independently for a subject area examination as required in the pre-study program. In this case, students can choose not to attend a preparation course, but instead take the examination after independently studying for the exam.
In both cases, you will earn ECTS credits for passing the supplementary examinations.
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Yes, if you take the supplementary examinations, you will earn ECTS credits. It does not matter whether or not you take the supplementary examinations as part of a preparation course, or by means of a subject area examination after studying independently for the exam.
You can take preparation courses concurrently, or one after the other.
If you are in the pre-study program, the only course you can take is in Gender Studies (worth a minimum of 1 ECTS credit) which will then transfer over and count toward your intended major once you have successfully passed the pre-study program and are officially enrolled as a 'degree-seeking student'.
Apart from this, you are not permitted to take any examinations in your intended degree program and they will not count toward fulfilling requirements in your intended degree program.
Yes, you can take any required supplementary examination(s) as part of the pre-study program providing you received notification prior to the 2024 Summer Semester. In regards to German, you must successfully complete the pre-study program. You are required to sign up for the pre-study program in person at the Admissions Office during the admission period. Your letter of admission will contain detailed information regarding the concrete deadlines in which you can sign up for the pre-study program.
Once you have successfully passed the supplementary examination(s), you have to register for your intended degree program in the Admissions Office. Please observe the deadlines as outlined in your letter of admission.
