Vienna, Austria
“Vienna was such an amazing time for me to learn more about myself, the lifestyle that I want to live after college, Viennese/Austrian culture and social issues, and how to live beyond USC...To be honest (and obviously not biased), I think out of almost everywhere in Europe, Vienna is the best place to study abroad.”
Anonymous, Spring 2018
Founded on October 1st, 1898 as the Imperial Export Academy. The curriculum prepared students mainly for employment in international trade.The academy soon took on the characteristics of a university and finally became Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration in 1975. Between 1981 and 1993, the number of students more than doubled, from 8,000 to over 16,000. In the 1990s, the number stabilized at about 20,000 students.
In 1989, WU became a member of PIM (Partnership in International Management). One year later, WU was one of the first universities to join the CEMS network (Community of European Management Schools and International Companies).
In two steps, one in 1993 and a major one in 2004, WU gained autonomy from the Austrian Ministry for Education, Science and Culture. The university started a major strategic planning process.Since October 2005, WU has been systematically replacing all its first-degree (Magister) programs with Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. With this, WU is adopting the three-cycle system promoted by the Bologna process. In 2007, WU became the first Austrian University to receive the international EQUIS accreditation. EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) is an internationally recognised accreditation system offered by the European Foundation of Management (EFMD).
With about 26,800 students from Austria and abroad, WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) is the EU’s largest educational institution for business and economics, business law, and social sciences.
WU’s close ties to the corporate world and the resulting excellent job prospects, along with the wide range of programs available and the positive experiences of its graduates, all contribute to a success reflected in the following statistics:
- Over 6,000 first year students per year
- An average student population of 26,800
- About 1,600 graduates annually
- Around 90 doctoral degrees awarded per year
Curriculum:
The semester at WU is 13 weeks in length, with a 2-week examination period. Courses meet for 3 hours each week, with some courses meeting for only 3-4 weeks, and others meeting 5 days in a week, and then no more during the semester. Students must enroll in 30 (ECTS) units each semester. The number of units differ between classes, so the average student may enroll in 5-7 courses (with most enrolling in 5 courses) in order to meet the 30-unit minimum
Sample Schedule:
Applied Asset Management (3 USC)
Financial Management I – Portfolio Management (3 USC)
International Business – International Finance (3 USC)
Corporate Governance, Control and Accounting (3 USC)
International Mergers and Acquisitions (3 USC)
Or
Global Branding (3 USC)
Global Consumer Behaviour (3 USC)
Marketing in Emerging Markets (3 USC)
Export Marketing (3 USC)
Ethics in Global Marketing (3 USC)
Semester dates:
Fall: Early September till late December (exams for exchange students are held before the holidays)
Spring: Late February until the end of June (some courses end by June 1, with other exams held throughout June)
Additional Resources