Austria lies in the centre of Europe with easy access to its neighbouring countries by air, road or rail. By rail, Prague and Munich are just four hours away while Venice can be reached in less than ten. The city is so well-connected that one can easily get around with public transports; buses, trams and trains. Vienna is the capital of Austria and it is the perfect location if you want to explore Central and Eastern Europe while studying abroad: the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are within reach for day trips, and you have many options for plane, train or bus connections.
Vienna is the national capital, largest city, and one of the nine states of Austria. It has an oceanic type of climate, Summer is moderately hot, cold and dry in winters. The average high temperature reaches up to 26.7°C (80.1°F) at the peak of July. The days are pleasant even though the temperatures occasionally touch the 35°C (95°F) mark. Winters are cold and snowy, with the average low temperature below freezing in the coldest month of January. Spring is short and moist, while autumn is mild and pleasant with a moderate amount of rain.
Click here to find out more about climate of Vienna.
Known as the city of music, Vienna is an excellent place to make it big as a musical or artistic creative, many composers visited, stayed there and wrote remarkable music. In fact, more famous composers have lived in Vienna than any other city in the world. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Brahms, Mahler, Liszt and Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, all lived in Vienna. Glorious music can be heard in the city center all year round and the State Opera House is one of the most lavish concert halls in Europe.
Austrians make less than half the student’s population in the institutions and there are many international students from all parts of the world as the music universities, academies and conservatories have internationally good reputations. The downside is Austrian students tend to keep to themselves and not socialise with international students. However, since there are more international students than locals, there is little to worry about.
German is their national language and a B2 proficiency level for German is needed for university admissions. Some require C1 level. Many universities provide intensive classes to prepare students for the language test. Most language schools in Germany also offer intensive eight-week courses to achieve each level (A1 to C2). Intensive language courses generally include four hours of classes per day, five days a week. To achieve a level of C1 requires 40 weeks* of courses unbroken, respectively.
Click here for Free German Lessons ( From A1 level to B2)
Click here for Free German Lessons (From A1 level to B1)
Click here for More Lessons and Stories in German
Even though many Austrians speak English, saying ‘please’ (bitte) and ‘thank you’ (danke) in German and tipping the waiters/waitress will save you from the sharp edge of a Viennese waiter’s tongue. As a foreigner, it is important to follow the rules of another country. In Austria, no one jaywalks or be ready to face a fine and stay out of cyclist lanes. It is not a good idea to block people’s path, especially during peak hours, just to snap some photographs of the beautiful city. Bear in mind that supermarkets are not opened on Sunday so students need to stock up their food on Saturday.
How Much Do You Need to Pay to Study in Austria
An EU/EEA citizen does not need to pay tuition fees at public universities in Austria. Non EEA/EU citizens, pay about 1,500 euros/ US $1700 a year for tuition fees at public universities, which is still cheaper than a lot of countries. Tuition fees for The Juilliard School in New York City is about 38,000 Euros/$45,000 per year and tuition fees for Royal College of Music in the UK is about 17,000 Euros/$20,000 per year.
All students have to pay 19.20 euros/US $22.74 to the Austrian Student Union, although it’s a price worth paying in exchange for a great education.
Insurance is about 51 euros/US $60.40 per month for students and parents/guardians have to pay about 95 euros/US $112.50. Click here to apply.
Universities do not allocate accommodation for international students but there are many well-equipped flats that are available for rental.
A 1,000sq ft apartment near the center of London can cost $2,500 a month, and a one-bedroom in Manhattan can easily be north of $4,000. But a comparable apartment in Vienna, in a charming turn-of-the-century building within a 20-minute walk from the city center is about 675.54 Euros/ US $800 a month.
Check out this site to do your sums and comparisons: www.numbeo.com.
Vienna is a generally safe city and in general women and men will have no trouble walking around at night. Karlsplatz station and Gumpendorfer Strasse can be boisterous in the evening. The Prater and Praterstern can get dodgy at night. Ausstellungsstrasse is best avoided due to sex workers and kerb-crawlers.
There are many reputable universities to choose from. For instance, The University of Vienna (the oldest university in the German-speaking world, founded in 1365) is associated with 15 Nobel Prize winners, and has nearly 200 different degree programmes to choose from, many of them are taught in English.
Some Famous Universities for Higher Music Education
1. Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna
2. Jam Music Lab University
3. University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
4. University of Vienna
Here are the famous universities for higher arts education:
Coming soon!
It is important to consult Embassy of Austria in your country for other queries.