Doctoral Programme


3.1 General Information

Structure and Content: Curriculum (currently only available in German)

Proficiency in German: In order to be admitted to a degree programme at the University of Vienna, you normally have to prove sufficient knowledge of German. However, international students can be exempted from this regulation (please contact your prospective Ph.D. supervisor). The dissertation can be written in a foreign language.

Academic Title: Dr. phil.

Min. Duration of Study: 6 Semesters


3.2 Premises

To be admitted to the Doctoral Programme in Religious Studies, students must have completed an eligible Master's/Magister or Diploma Programme at a recognised post-secondary educational institution. Information about eligible diplomas can be found in the curriculum. If a diploma is not stated, the director of studies will decide individually on admission during the evaluation of applications. In case that equivalence is not provided or only some amendments are required for equivalence, admission can be granted with a requirement of acquiring a maximum of 60 ECTS study workload. These have to be covered during the study period.


3.3 Admission

Application and admission to the Doctoral Programme is possible throughout the year. You must contact your potential supervisor before you apply for admission.

The admission procedure as well as the requirement of documents depends on whether you have received your prior diploma at the University of Vienna or elswhere. Furthermore, your citizenship is of relevance.

Generally speaking, the admission procedure involves the following steps:

  1. You register and upload the required documents via u:space;
  2. Admission to the programme;
  3. Payment of the tuition fees/students' union fee.


3.3.1 Ad: 1 Application of Admission via u:space

The following information concerns students with degrees from institutions other than the University of Vienna. For graduates of the University of Vienna, refer to following steps.

You need to register in u:space and activate your u:account which you will need throughout your study programme. The e-mail address you enter during the registration will be the one used in all correspondence with the Admission Office throughout the course of the admission process.

Prepare the following documents for upload (in pdf format):

If you have a degree from another university or university of applied sciences, please additionally submit the following documents:

  • Your passport or personal ID
  • A passport photograph
  • Your bachelor and master/diploma certificates and transcripts with the required legalisation for the issuing country
  • All for the application process necessary documents have to be translated, if they are not issued in German or English. This translation has to be done by a court sworn translator after the documents were legalised.

The processing of your application will take several weeks. We ask for your understanding that the University of Vienna cannot provide information about the processing status. We therefore recommend:

  • Apply as early as possible;
  • Make sure the uploaded documents are legible and the scan is of high quality (300dpi resolution);
  • Upload the pdf-files in the right fields in U:SPACE (e.g., original secondary school graduation certificate + legalisation + translation all in the field "secondary school graduation certificate"; the special entrance qualification in original + translation in the field "special entrance qualification," etc.).

Attention: Late applications or incomplete documentation will result in longer processing times and make the enrollment in the semester applied for impossible. Once the Admission Office has completed the processing of your application, you will receive a notification by e-mail. If the attached letter is a letter of admission you can then be enrolled.


3.3.2 Ad 2: Enrollment for Study Programme

The admission can be:

  • Granted without additional requirements;
  • Granted with additional exams taken out of the Bachelor's and Master's Programme and up to 60 ECTS, which have to be taken during the doctoral/PhD programme;
  • Rejected.

You will find information about the supplementary exams (if required) in your admission letter. You do not need to enroll for the Bachelor's or Master's Programme for taking these exams; you can take them while you are already in your doctoral/PhD programme (it is recommended to take them at the beginning of your studies).

Attention: If acquiring German proficiency is prescribed in your admission letter you should finish the enrollment procedure until the 5th of September (for the winter semester) and the 5th of February (for the summer semester) in order to be able to still register in a German course! Keep in mind that the registration periods for the courses may be rather short and plan your personal enrollment date accordingly!


3.3.3 Ad 3: Payment of the tuition fee/students' union fee

You can pay the fees by using one of the following types of payment:

  • By eps online payment via u:space > Financial matters > Tuition fee/Students' Union fee;
  • By credit card (only Visa or Mastercard) via u:space > Financial matters > Tuition fee/Students' Union fee;
  • By online banking; you can find the required data at u:space > Financial matters > Tuition fee/Students' Union fee;
  • Via payment form which you will obtain at a bank. You can find all required data and a template how to fill in the payment form at u:space > Personal Matters > My Documents > Payment request.

Once you have paid the prescribed tuition fees/students' union fee you are enrolled in the study programme.


3.4 What happens after the admission?

Once the balance at u:space > Financial Matters > tuition fees/students' union fee is zero, the fee is paid. In case of online banking or payment via payment bill, this may take up to seven working days.

Then you can print your student documents via u:space > Personal Matters > My Documents (that is, the student record sheet/Studienblatt and the confirmation of enrollment/Studienbestätigung). Your student ID card (u:card) can be requested via u:space > Personal Matters > My u:card. The u:card is also your library card. It will be sent to you via mail to the given mailing address (EU/EEA/Switzerland only). Please note that the printing and mailing process can take up to two weeks.

After the final step of the admission, you can start planning your semester and registering for the courses (currently only available in German) within the specific registration periods.

Further helpful information is provided in the following links: