• During the exchange semester, students are required to enroll in courses worth 30 ECTS credits, approved by the THEMIS partner universities. Students must make a serious attempt at passing these 30 ECTS credits; however, failing up to 6 ECTS credits will not affect their eligibility for the THEMIS certificate.

• The credits earned at the partner university do not necessarily have to be recognized at WU Vienna to fulfil the THEMIS requirements.

• If you receive a grant (e.g., Erasmus+ or the WU mobility grant), sufficient ECTS credits must be recognized at WU Vienna upon return.

• For Europe and selected countries, the Erasmus+ grant is available to provide support for both a semester abroad and an internship abroad.

• WU mobility grants are available for students attending THEMIS partner universities in Asia and New Zealand.

• It is essential to ensure that courses completed abroad are officially recognized at WU Vienna.

• Please note that grants for internships outside of Europe are not available!

The THEMIS program requires students to complete an internship with a focus on international and business law.

Work experience requirements:

• To meet the THEMIS internship requirements, students must complete 240 hours of relevant work experience in international and business law under the following conditions:

  • Six weeks of full-time internship (6 weeks x 40 hours = 240 hours), or

  • 240 hours of part-time work experience (at least 10 hours per week, including a minimum of 8 consecutive weeks of employment).

• Students may combine full-time and part-time work experiences and complete their hours with different employers.

• For more information on employment types, please contact the International Office (graduate.outgoing@wu.ac.at).

Internship location and focus:

• The internship must be completed at an internationally active law firm, the legal department of a globally operating company, an NGO with an international focus, or an international organization.

• Ideally, the internship should take place abroad, directly following the exchange semester. If this is not feasible, students may complete the internship in Austria. In all cases, the internship should have an international focus (e.g., issues of conflict of laws, applicability of foreign laws, cross-border cases), which should be reflected in the reference letter.

Pre-approval process:

• Please submit the pre-approval form (document in German) to graduate.outgoing@wu.ac.at. The final decision on whether the internship is suitable for the THEMIS program will be made by the program management of the Master's Program in Business Law.

The THEMIS seminar is conducted at one of the THEMIS network universities, spanning approximately three days in the format of an intensive block course. The seminar will be delivered in English. Students participating in the seminar are responsible for covering the associated costs, including travel expenses, accommodation, and other related expenses.

THEMIS seminar options – winter semester 2026/27

Students participating in the THEMIS program and going abroad during the winter semester 2026/27 are required to attend one of the following seminars:

• European THEMIS seminar
  Hosted by Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Nova School of Law), taking place in spring 2027

• Asian THEMIS seminar
  Newly introduced and hosted by Singapore Management University (School of Law), scheduled for August 2026

Please note: Participation in one of these seminars is mandatory. Further details can be found in the table below.

• The application for a THEMIS exchange semester takes place online and only in the winter semester during the application period for special programs.

• Students must be admitted to the Master's Program in Business Law at the time of application.

• Information and details on the application process can be found here.

• For further details, refer to the info sheets of our THEMIS partner universities.

To obtain the THEMIS certificate, the following requirements must be met:

• Pre-approved and completed internship abroad

• Exchange semester (at least 24 ECTS credits were positive)

• Successful participation at the THEMIS seminar

Towards the end of studies: After fulfilling all requirements, students can request the THEMIS certificate by themselves and proactively at the International Office. This step is possible after students have applied for the official graduation documents.

• City University of Hong Kong, China

• Ramon Llull University – ESADE, Spain

• Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

• Maastricht University, Netherlands

• Singapore Management University, Singapore

• Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Italy

• Université Paris Est Créteil Val de Marne, France

• Universität St.Gallen, Switzerland

• Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

• National Taiwan University, Taiwan

• Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (new expected THEMIS partner as of academic year 2026/27)