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The University for Continuing Education Krems is one out of 22 Austrian public universities – organized according to the University Act and the Federal Law on the University for Continuing Education Krems.

The University for Continuing Education Krems is the leading public university for continuing education in Europe and the only public university for continuing education within the German-speaking countries. Consequently, it specializes in the higher qualification of working professionals and dedicates its teaching and research to current and future societal challenges. Our study model is oriented toward the specific requirements of adult learners in all phases of life and especially to the needs of working professionals. At the beginning of their studies more than half of the students have over ten years of work experience. Combining this expertise with the experience of our teaching staff a high-level knowledge and competence transfer is provided equally important to the studies, ahead of the curve, and developed by the University for Continuing Education Krems as one of its key strengths. The university holds the quality seal of the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) throughout combining ongoing innovation in research and teaching following highest quality standards.

In Austria, a university course is defined as an extraordinary course of studies pursuing the function of continuing education (University Act 2002 §51 20]). The University for Continuing Education offers a wide range of university courses, either completing as Master, “Academic Expert“ or “Certified Program“. Additionally, PhD programs can be taken as regular studies.

The University for Continuing Education Krems offers university courses in the following areas:

• Building and Environment
• Education
• Health and Medicine
• Art and Culture
• Media and Communication
• Migration and International Affairs
• Psychotherapy and Social Services
• Law and Administration
• Sensors & Digitalization
• Economics and Business Management

In addition to the master's programs and short programs completing with the degrees "Academic Expert" or "Certified Programs", the University for Continuing Education Krems is currently conducting PhD studies in the following areas:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Migration Studies
• Technology, Innovation, and Cohesive Societies

For a specific search for courses, please use the online course search.

With the reform package of academic continuing education, which is to be implemented as of October 2023, academic continuing education in Austria is being reorganized. The framework conditions for continuing education studies in Austria will be standardized and adapted to the Bologna structure (Bachelor – Master – PhD). The equivalence of academic degrees enables permeability between regular and continuing education studies. In future, the completion of a bachelor‘s degree in academic continuing education will thus entitle the holder to admission to a (regular) master‘s degree program at another university. The reverse is also true: the completion of a bachelor‘s degree entitles the holder to admission to a master‘s degree program in continuing education. In addition, persons who have completed a master‘s degree in continuing education will in the future be entitled to enroll for a PhD program. 
At the University for Continuing Education Krems, studies in accordance with the new legal framework will be carried out starting with the winter semester 2023/2024.

A Bachelor Professional (abbreviated BPr) is the academic degree awarded for a practice-oriented continuing education study program. The program is conducted in cooperation with extra-university educational institutions, with a focus on applied theory and transfer into practice based on academic quality standards. Admission to the program requires a relevant professional qualification or several years of relevant professional experience. Thus, the continuing education study program leading to the degree "Bachelor Professional" enables professionally experienced persons without a general university entrance qualification (Matura) to access academic further education. Information on admission requirements can be found on the respective study pages. Further information is available from the study directors and the Service Center for Students.

Comprising 180 ECTS credits, the Bachelor Professional is equivalent to other bachelor's degree programs and qualifies students for a continuing education master's degree program as well as for a regular master's degree program.  

The continuing education study program leading to the degree "Bachelor Professional" (BPr) is anchored in the Austrian University Act 2002 since the reform of academic continuing education 2021. The degree must be distinguished from the German title of the same wording: The German "BPr" is not an academic degree, but a professional title awarded by the Chambers of Crafts, Industry and Commerce of Germany. 

The present requirements for students to enroll in a part-time master's program remain in effect until 30 September 2023. Students of the previous master's programs have to complete the university program within three times the duration of study specified in the curriculum or within the maximum duration of study specified in the curriculum, if applicable.

However, this only applies to master's programs; the admission requirements for study programs completing with the degree "Academic Expert" or "Certified Program" do not change. 

Please visit our info page for more information on the continuing education reform. In addition, the respective course directors will provide more detailed information. 

Due to the University Act 2002 Austrian master’s degrees in continuing education are bestowed after completion of university courses (in addition to other types of courses). These courses are comparable with foreign master‘s courses in terms of entrance requirements, scope, and prerequisites. The master‘s degrees of continuing education are to be cited as fully-fledged academic degrees without restriction, yet are not identical with the master‘s degrees of regular studies, although some of them share the same wording.

The University for Continuing Education Krems requires a completed degree at least ranking a Bachelor. However, with an equivalent professional qualification the option to enroll studies is given in many cases. If students are to be admitted to master‘s courses on the basis of “qualifications to be maintained at the same level“, i. e. without a formal Bachelor degree, but on the basis of competences acquired non-formally or informally in master‘s courses, the examination of entrance competences is carried out in accordance with the EQF/NQF descriptors for the bachelor‘s level (Federal Act on the National Qualifications Framework 2016, NQF Act). For this purpose, individual course-specific equivalence testing procedures are applied (e. g. pre-tests, competence maps, admission interviews, portfolios). Please search for the admission requirements in the respective course description.

Find general information on admission here.

In accordance with the University Act 2002 (§ 88) holders of a master‘s degree in continuing education are entitled to use the full title or abbreviated version (e. g. MA, MSc) after their names as well as the right to register the abbreviated form in official documents.

The Austrian master‘s degrees in university continuing education are conferred, i.a. after completion of university courses which are comparable in terms of access conditions, scope and requirements to corresponding foreign master‘s studies. Master‘s degrees from specialization studies analogous to university continuing education are established in some countries parallel with doctoral studies such as “Master Universitario“ in Italy; “Licentiat“ in Sweden; “Diplôme d‘ études approfondies“ in France [approximately equivalent], “Maestro“ in Spain. Concluded bilateral agreements regarding the entitlement to lead a master‘s degree abroad regulate the management of the acquired master‘s degree in the respective contract country; for instance between Austria and Germany. Due to these agreements graduates of the University for Continuing Education Krems are able to state the master‘s degree in other countries.

Further information is available from the Service Center for Students: www.donau-uni.ac.at/en/scs

Credits from university courses can be recognized for regular studies (cf. University Act 2002). However, the decision-making authority in individual cases always lies with the recognizing university.

Starting in the winter semester 2023/2024, the University for Continuing Education Krems will conduct part-time continuing education bachelor's studies for the first time. The new continuing education bachelor's program, made possible by the reform of higher education in Austria, provides a bridge to a master's degree and opens up new opportunities for professionally experienced adults with and without a general university entrance qualification (Matura). The completion of a continuing education bachelor's degree entitles the holder to a master's degree in continuing education as well as to a (regular) master's degree at other universities.

To increase the visibility of continuing education, the degrees will in future be given the suffix "(CE)" for "Continuing Education" by university law, which will be added after the bachelor's and master's degrees. In the future, professionally experienced persons without a general university entrance qualification (Matura) will have the opportunity to pursue a continuing education study program leading to the degree of "BPr" (Bachelor Professional). This study program is carried out in cooperation with extra-university educational institutions.

Overview of currently available bachelor studies (in German)

The University for Continuing Education Krems has been conducting PhD studies as regular studies pursuant to the University Act 2002 since the accreditation by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) in May 2015. The current PhD studies support the research priorities of the University for Continuing Education Krems in the fields of "Regenerative Medicine", "Migration Studies" and "Technology, Innovation, and Cohesive Societies".

PhD students are integrated into an active research team at the University for Continuing Education Krems. The PhD program lasts a minimum of three years; no tuition fees are charged. Admission to a PhD program at the University for Continuing Education Krems is subject to a selection process.

Find more information about the PhD programs here

The University Act 2002 provides that all public universities levy course fees for university courses for continuing education.

Please check the amount of fees in the course descriptions; fees are separately charged for each university course and additionally include the ÖH fee, the costs for course documentation and the StudentServiceCard. Training costs are deductible from tax as income related costs or as business expenses.