Cooperation Central European University (CEU) and University of Vienna

In their cooperation agreement, the University of Vienna and the Central European University (CEU) have agreed to offer a mutual exchange programme. Thereby, students enrolled in a master programme are eligible to complete courses at the partner institution. The study achievements can be recognised for the degree programme at the home university.

Master students at the University of Vienna (outgoing)

If you are admitted to a master programme at the University of Vienna, you may complete single courses at the Central European University. You do not have to pay tuition fee at the CEU.

You will be admitted as "non-degree exchange student" to a non-degree programme at the CEU. Thereby you have access to the CEU facilities (e.g. library), receive a student ID card and can complete the agreed upon courses.

You have to be admitted to a master programme at the University of Vienna at the same time. Hence, you have to pay the prescribed tuition fee/Students’ Union fee in due time.

 Required documents

as PDF file in English

  • CV/resume
  • motivation letter (maximum 300 words)
  • filled in document “study plan for your CEU study period”
  • confirmation of study periods
  • transcript of records
  • proof of English language proficiency (if your master programme is not taught in English)

 Deadlines

The academic year at the CEU is divided in trimesters:

  • Winter term (January to March)
  • Spring term (April to June)
  • Fall term (October to December)

Application deadlines of the CEU

Application at the CEU

  1. Select the courses you would like to attend from the CEU course directory. The course has to fit to your studies/research area.
  2. Fill in the document "study plan for your CEU study period". You can find the required Word file "courselistforexchangevisiting.docx" under attachments (bottom of the page) on the CEU website .  
  3. Create an English CV/resume.
  4. Write a motivation letter with a maximum of 300 words in English. Describe why you want to attend the selected courses at the CEU and how they relate to your studies/research area.
  5. All courses at the CEU are taught in English. Therefore, a proof of English language proficiency is required.
    1. If your master programme at the University of Vienna is fully taught in English, indicate this in your motivation letter.
    2. If your master programme is multilingual or taught in German, you need a proof of English language proficiency.
      Information regarding the proof of English language proficiency at the CEU (Step 2: Proof of English proficiency).
  6. Save your confirmation of study periods and your transcript of records as English PDF files. Proceed as follows, to do so:
    1. Log into u:space.
    2. Choose the flag in the top right corner and change the language to English.
    3. Download the required documents under Personal matters > My documents. If the documents are not automatically generated in English, delete your cookies and browser history and try again.
  7. Create a user account in the CEU’s application system and accept the data protection regulations. The online form is available on the website of the CEU.
  8. You do not need a letter of recommendation. For technical reasons, the section "Referee" has to be completed nonetheless. Fill in your own data (name and e-mail address) in the mandatory fields. 
  9. Your application will be evaluated by the CEU. The colleagues in charge at the CEU will contact you and inform you about further steps. The processing takes approximately two to three weeks.

 Questions regarding the application at the CEU

If you have any questions regarding the application at the CEU, please inform yourself on the Website of the CEU or contact the CEU at admissions@ceu.edu.

Master students at the Central European University (incoming)

If you are admitted to a master programme at the CEU, you may complete single courses at the University of Vienna. You do not have to pay tuition fee at the University of Vienna.

You will be admitted to a master programme at the University of Vienna within the visiting master framework.  Thereby you have access to the library of the Vienna University library, can order the u:card, which is the student ID of the University of Vienna and complete the agreed upon courses.

You have to be admitted to a master programme at the CEU at the same time. Hence, you have to pay the prescribed tuition fee/Students’ Union fee.

It is not possible to complete courses from master programmes with selection procedure as part of the exchange programme between the CEU and the University of Vienna.

 Required documents

You can find all information regarding the documents required for application on the website of the CEU.

Information for CEU students

 Deadlines

  • Summer semester 2025:
    from 11 November 2024 to 5 February 2025
  • Winter semester 2025/26:
    from 23 June to 5 September 2025
  • Summer semester 2026:
    from 13 November 2025 to 5 February 2026

Application at the University of Vienna

  1. Inform yourself about the degree programmes offered at the University of Vienna and choose a master programme that relates to your studies/research area. You can find the offered courses in u:find, the course and staff directory.
  2. Detailed information about the application procedure and current deadlines is available on the Website of the CEU.

 Questions regarding the application at the University of Vienna

If you have any questions regarding the application at the University of Vienna, please inform yourself on the Website of the CEU. If you do not find your answers there, you may contact acro@ceu.edu. 

 FAQ

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  • How many courses may I attend?

    The exact number of courses depends on the courses offered, the approval of the directorate of studies and the available places. It is not permitted to complete courses to the extent of a full-time student's course load.

  • Do I have to pay tuition fee for the exchange programme?
    • Students of the University of Vienna (outgoing):
      You do not have to pay tuition fee, but only the Students' Union fee at the CEU. The prescribed tuition fee/Students' Union fee at the University of Vienna still remains in effect.
    • Students of the Central European University (incoming):
      You do not have to pay tuition fee, but only the Students' Union fee at the University of Vienna. The prescribed tuition fee/Students' Union fee at the CEU still remains in effect.
  • I have already paid the Students' Union fee at my home university. Do I have to pay it again?

    You have to pay the Students' Union fee at both universities to attend courses. Afterwards, you can apply for reimbursement by the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH). Information regarding the reimbursement and the required form is available on the website of the Students' Union (only in German).