Study Law

The study law provisions at Austrian universities regulate various basic principles for the design of curricula, admission regulations or, for example, examination law. In addition, study law defines the obligations and rights of students.

Study law provisions are defined on different legal bases and each with a different scope - the so-called tiered structure of the legal system:

This represents the highest level with regard to study law: It lays down general rules that apply throughout Austria. The Universities Act also stipulates that all universities must issue statutes.

The statutes regulate, among other things, study law provisions with regard to university-wide processes, specify these or regulate their procedures. In addition, the statutes may stipulate that certain matters of study law can be delegated - for example to the heads of study programs. Other matters of relevance to study law may therefore include:

  • Regulations, guidelines and bulletins of the Rectorate
  • Senate regulations, guidelines and bulletins
  • Regulations and guidelines of the Directorate of Studies

The body responsible for students under study law is first and foremost the directorate of studies of the respective degree program (SPL). On the levels above this, the Büro Studienpräses is responsible (university-wide).

 FAQ Study Law

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  • Termination of Examinations

    Lecture examinations can be terminated for an important reason (e.g. due to illness or a panic attack). If an examination is terminated, the examiner must be informed immediately and he/she will confirm the termination. In addition, an application for termination for good cause can be submitted to the Studienpräses within two weeks.

    In the event of termination, the examination will not be assessed.

    Courses with an examination component can also be discontinued for good cause. If the important reason is not obvious, students can also submit an application to the Studienpräses. This application must be submitted 14 days after the discontinuation. The following also applies here: If the course is discontinued, it will not be assessed. If there is no important reason or if students have not deregistered in time, the course must be assessed.

    Legal basis:

    • Study law part of the statutes of the University of Vienna, § 6 and §10
  • Deadlines for seminar papers and bachelor theses

    The prescribed submission deadlines for seminar papers and Bachelor's theses are specified in the statutes of the University of Vienna.

    • For courses in a winter semester, this is the following April 30.
    • For courses in a summer semester, this is the following September 30.

    Course instructors may set shorter deadlines at their own discretion, but they may not exceed the maximum period.

    Legal basis:

    • Statutes of the University of Vienna, §10, para. 4
  • Objection to Grades

    In principle, no objections can be raised against the grading of examinations. Only negatively graded examinations can be annulled if the student can prove a serious deficiency in the performance of the examination. An application for the annulment of an examination must be submitted to the supervisor no later than two weeks after the start of the examination. If an examination is canceled, the attempt will not be counted towards the total number of permitted attempts.

    Further information can be found on the homepage of the Homepage des Büro Studienpräses entnommen werden.


    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §79
  • Assessment deadlines

    Examinations and academic work must be assessed no later than four weeks after the respective work has been completed.

    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §74
  • Right of Inspection

    Students have the right to inspect examination documents for at least six months after the examination result has been announced. Students are also entitled to reproduce the examination documents - with the exception of multiple-choice examinations.


    Legal Basis          

    • University Act, §79 und §84
  • Cheating and Use of Unauthorised Aids

    If unauthorized aids have been used in an examination or an examination performance has been cheated, the examination will be declared null and void. A declaration of nullity (X) is shown separately in the degree certificate and the examination attempt counts towards the total number of retakes.

    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §73
    • Statute of the University of Vienna, § 12
  • Board Examinations

    Board examinations are conducted by an examination board. In general, at least three people must belong to an examination senate. An examination chair must be appointed by the Director of Studies (SPL), ideally the SPL him/herself takes on this function.

    Board examinations include:

    • fourth appearances for examinations of non-examination-immanent courses and module examinations
    • final examinations in Master's, diploma and doctoral programs

     

    Board examinations can be held orally or in writing.


    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §77 Abs. 3
    • Statutes of the University of Vienna, §13, Abs. 4 
  • Failure to Appear to an Examination

    If students who have already registered for an examination fail to appear, the examination will not be assessed. However, the SPL is obliged to block the student for the next examination date of the same examination.

     

    You can deregister from an examination at the Institute of Philosophy up to 24 hours before the examination date without giving reasons.


    Legal Basis

    • Statutes of the University of Vienna, § 6 and §10, § 6 und §10
  • Plagiarism

    Plagiarism is the deliberate and unlawful use of another person's intellectual property: the author uses another person's work in whole or in part in his/her own work without citing the source. This includes, in particular, full plagiarism, citations without supporting documents, translation and self-plagiarism and ghostwriting.

    If plagiarism is discovered, there may be consequences under university law (up to and including the revocation of academic degrees), but copyright infringement may also result in claims for damages or even criminal penalties (fines or imprisonment).

    Detailed information can be found on the Homepage des Studienpräses.

    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §74, §89
    • Statutes of the University of Vienna, §17
  • Examination Retakes

    Students can repeat a failed examination a maximum of three times (this corresponds to four attempts). The fourth attempt must take the form of a board examination, i.e. the examination is assessed by an examination board consisting of several examiners.

    If the fourth examination attempt is also assessed negatively, admission to the degree program expires. In addition, the student is barred for life from this degree program and all degree programs in which this examination is mandatory.

     

    Exception: The STEOP - see the relevant explanations on this page.


    Legal Basis      

    • University Act, §77, §68 und §63
    • Statutes of the University of Vienna, § 13
  • Exam attempts - STEOP

    Students can repeat a failed STEOP examination a maximum of three times (this corresponds to four attempts). The fourth attempt must take the form of a board examination, i.e. an examination that is assessed by an examination board consisting of several examiners.

     

    If the fourth examination attempt is also assessed negatively, admission to the degree program and to all degree programs in which this examination is mandatory expires. A new admission can be applied for at the earliest after the third semester following the expiry of the admission.


    Legal Basis:          

    • Universities Act, §77, §68 and §63

  • Examination dates (npi courses)

    Several examination dates must be offered for npi courses: At the end of the semester in which the course took place, as well as at the beginning, middle and end of the following semester.

    It is legitimate to schedule examination dates at the beginning or end of the lecture-free period. With the consent of the students, examination dates can also be scheduled during the remaining lecture-free period.

    In principle, it is up to the course instructor to decide whether an examination is written or oral. However, the examination requirements must be announced in good time.

     

    Examination dates must be published in u:find at least 14 days before the scheduled date.


    Legal Basis

    • Statutes of the University of Vienna, §6, para. 3, §8

  • Repeating Negative Examinations

    If an examination has not been passed, students have the right to repeat the same course or examinations with the same examination purpose three times (= four attempts); all examination attempts are shown in the transcript of records.

    The fourth examination attempt is held in the form of a board examination if it is an examination for a non-examination-immanent course.

     

    If the fourth attempt at the examination is also assessed as negative, the student's admission to their degree course and to all degree courses in which this examination is compulsory is revoked.

    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §77 and §68;
    • Study law part of the statutes of the University of Vienna, §13
  • Resit Examinations (Repeating Examinations You Have Passed)

    You can improve your grade for examinations you have already passed by taking another examination. Please note, however, that a positively assessed examination becomes null and void when you take the resit examination - regardless of the grade you received when you retook it.


    Legal Basis

    • University Act, §77, 1