What is the minimum/maximum amount of ECTS credits I can register for?

WU expects you to register for 24 to 30 ECTS credits per semester. Please make sure to fulfill the requirements of your home university.

You can register for a maximum of 36 ECTS credits per semester, excluding language courses.

I need a spot in a specific class in order to graduate. What should I do?

If you have very specific requirements from your home university, please contact us as soon as possible (well before course registration starts). Please note that we cannot guarantee a spot in a specific course, but we will do our best to help you.

Where can I find information about ECTS credits?

Please refer to the ECTS credits listed in the brief course descriptions in the “Course Catalog”.

Is attendance mandatory?

In general, attendance is mandatory for nearly all courses at WU. Nevertheless, the specific requirements differ from course to course and are indicated in the official course syllabus.

Where can I find the examination type of a course?

You can find the examination type in abbreviated form in the “Course Catalog”.

For details regarding examination types please refer to the question “Is attendance mandatory?”

Can I leave early?

At WU, the academic year is divided into a winter semester (from October to January) and a summer semester (from March to June). You can find our official academic calendar and semester dates here.

In the winter semester, leaving early is possible because many WU courses end before the Christmas break. Please make sure to register only for courses you will be able to attend in full.

Erasmus+ students: The departure date on your confirmation of stay will be the last day you have to be present at WU, i.e. the day of your last course or exam.

Are all sessions of a course indicated in the schedule or is there a special exam week?

In all but "LVP" courses, exams and tests are held during the regular sessions announced for the course. There is no special exam week after the semester ends. Often, the final test will take place in the last session. The course instructor will explain all aspects of student performance assessment during the first session.

For the very few LVP courses open to exchange students, like "Introduction to Tax Law", you have to register separately for the exam taking place in one of the 3 exam weeks (at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the semester). Exception: for the Foreign Language Business Communication IV - English (EBC IV) courses, you will receive all details regarding registration and exam dates from the instructor.

You can find more information on course types in the section "Is attendance mandatory?" above.

What does “weekly credit hours” mean?

The term “weekly credit hours” refers to the amount of time spent in the classroom and is calculated on the basis of the whole semester, which consists of 15 weeks. If a course has 2 weekly credit hours, this means that 30 contact hours are held in total (1 contact hour = 45 minutes class time). Many of our courses are taught in a block format, however, and do not take place at the same time every week of the semester. All scheduled units are indicated in the course syllabus, including tests and exams.

There is no fixed conversion from weekly credit hours to ECTS credits, since ECTS credits refer to the total workload of a course, i.e. in-class time plus all activities outside the classroom, such as time needed to complete assignments, to prepare presentations, to study for exams, etc.

1 weekly credit hour = 15 contact hours or 11.25 full hours (45 minutes * 15 weeks)

I have bachelor’s-level status at my home university and I wonder if I can attend courses on master's level or vice versa?

You can only take courses in your respective study cycle (bachelor's students on bachelor's level and master's students on master's level).

Do I have to fulfill prerequisites?

Sequencing prerequisites (e.g. course A before B, being admitted in C) listed in the course syllabi do not apply to incoming exchange students. Whenever specific knowledge in a field is necessary, it is required from exchange students, too (e.g. “students need a basic understanding of XY, “students need to be familiar with software AB” students need to have completed X ECTS credits in the field of Y…”).

In certain areas (e.g. finance and economics) please be aware that courses III, IV or V require advanced knowledge. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to complete a course successfully.

Lecturers have the right to deregister you if you do not fulfill the necessary prerequisites.

Can I drop a course after the end of the registration period?

If a course has not started yet, dropping this course is still possible – please contact incoming@wu.ac.at as soon as possible. Please do not forget to indicate your WU student ID number as well as the course number when emailing us.

If a course has already started, it may no longer be possible to deregister, and you need written permission from the course instructor to drop the course. As soon as you have completed a performance component, you can no longer be deregistered and have to receive a grade for the respective course.

What happens if I fail the final exam?

Usually, a retake of a single performance component (such as the final exam) is not possible. Students may, however, repeat the whole course in the following semester. If students miss a performance component which is essential for the completion of the course (e.g. final exam) due to illness or accident confirmed by a doctor’s certificate, they are allowed to repeat or compensate for this assessment.

Are there any German language courses available?

Yes! The Business Language Center offers German language courses on all levels.

The Business Language Center offers a huge variety of additional language courses. You can find a complete overview here.

For further information please refer to the webpage of the Business Language Center.

What is the minimum duration of stay for my Erasmus+ scholarship?

The following information is only relevant to students who are eligible for an Erasmus+ scholarship.

In order to receive an Erasmus+ scholarship, your duration of stay needs to be a minimum of two months in total.

If you have any questions regarding your study period, please contact your coordinator.

Where can I find more information about the tools and online services I need?

You can find an overview of all tools and online services here.