Paris Lodron University of Salzburg

Kapitelgasse 4/6, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

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Overview

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg is the largest institution of higher education in the city of Salzburg, Austria. It has over four centuries of history, having been established in 1622, with a formal re-establishment in 1962. It is home to nearly 18,000 students, of whom 30% are from outside Austria.

The academic and research activities of the University are divided into six Faculties (Catholic Theology, Cultural Sciences, Digital and Analytical Sciences, Law, Business and Economics, Natural and Life Sciences, and Social Sciences),...

University Highlight

Establishment year	1622 (re-established in 1962)
Total Students	~18,000
International Students	~5,400
QS World University Rankings 2024	681-690
Campus Size	N/A
Total Number of Campuses	Main location in Salzburg + 5 smaller locations in other cities
University Website	https://www.plus.ac.at/?lang=en
No. of Schools and Divisions	6 Faculties and 34 Departments
Nobel Prize Winner Alumni	0
No. of Education Programs	86 (UG + PG + Doctoral)
Student to Faculty ratio	17:1

Course Highlight

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses through 6 Faculties, which are further subdivided into 34 Departments.

The Faculty of Catholic Theology provides UG and PG taught and research programs through four Departments: Philosophy, Biblical Studies & Ecclesiastical History, Systematic Theology, and Practical Theology.
The Faculty of Cultural Sciences conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through seven Departments: Classic Studies, English and American Studies, German Language and Literature, Art History, Music and Dance Studies, Linguistics, Romance Languages and Literatures, and Slavonic Studies.
The Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences teaches UG and PG courses, and carries out research via its four Departments: Artificial Intelligence and Human Interfaces, Geoinformatics, Computer Science, and Mathematics.
The Faculty of Law, Business and Economics provides UG and PG taught and research programs through seven Departments: Business, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedural Law, Economics, Legal Theory, International and European Law, Labour Law and Business Law, Private Law, and Public Law.
The Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs through six Departments: Biosciences and Medical Biology, Chemistry and Physics of Materials, Environment & Biodiversity, Psychology, Sport Science and Education, and Forensic Medicine and Psychiatry.
The Faculty of Social Sciences provides UG and PG taught and research programs through six Departments: Educational Research, History, Communication Studies, Philosophy at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Political Science, and Sociology and Social Geography.

There are 9 interdisciplinary research centres at the University of Salzburg, including the Austrian Human Rights Institute, the Centre for Intercultural Theology and Religious Studies, the Centre for Jewish Cultural History, and the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.

Another prominent academic unit is the University of Salzburg Business School. It conducts Executive MBA courses as well as full time Master’s courses in Business Administration and Data Science.

Eligibility Criteria

The entry requirements for international applicants to Bachelor’s programmes at Paris Lodron University of Salzburg are as follows:

Applicants must hold an international passport that has been active for at least 12 months from the expected date of arrival in Austria.
Candidates must have completed a secondary school certificate degree, or be in the final year of such a degree. They must also be able to submit detailed academic transcripts showing details of the subjects taken. All these documents must be certified by the relevant authorities.
For courses taught in German, the applicant must have a level of proficiency equivalent to B2 (ability to understand detailed discussions and written material on abstract topics).
For courses taught in English, the applicant must have TOEFL or IELTS scores to prove proficiency in the language. In cases where the country of origin of the candidate is an English speaking nation, no language test scores need to be submitted.

Eligibility criteria for Master’s students are similar to those listed above. However, instead of school leaving certificates, Bachelor’s degree certificates and transcripts must be provided.

Admission

The following steps are part of the International Applicant (outside the European Union) admission process to Bachelor’s programmes at the University of Salzburg:

Filling the application form: A hard copy of the Bachelor’s course form must be filled out by the candidate or an authorised representative; third party agencies are not allowed to submit applications on behalf of candidates.
Attaching the required documents: All documents listed in the eligibility criteria above must be verified through a Hague Apostille and enclosed with the application form. If the language of any of the documents is neither German nor English, it must first be translated into either of those languages before it is notarised. The entire application package must be sent by post to the Admissions Department of the University.
Confirmation from the University: Depending on the time of year, the University may take several weeks to confirm the selection. Eligible applicants are sent an offer of admission.
Enrolment: Successful candidates can proceed to complete the personal enrolment process on the relevant University webpage and pay the first semester fees to complete the admission process.

The application process for international Master’s programme applicants is very similar; however, the main form to be filled out is different.

Fees

International UG and PG students whose country of origin is outside the European Union pay tuition fees of 726.72 Euros per semester. Students from the EU do not have to pay tuition fees for the expected duration of their course + two tolerance semesters; after this time period, they must pay fees of 363.36 Euros per semester (half the fee amount for non-EU students).

All students of the University - both domestic and international - must pay the Student Union fee of 21.20 Euros per semester (or 42.40 Euros per year); this amount is fixed by the Austrian Government.

The University of Salzburg does not provide housing on campus, but maintains a webpage with detailed information about housing options and associated accommodation costs. The cheapest options are student dormitories and youth hostels, where the average housing cost is 250 Euros per month. Students can also opt for guesthouses, hotels, and private apartment accommodations, where the monthly rent can reach 600 Euros. In addition to this, students must also set aside 200 to 500 Euros per month towards food, travel, personal shopping, basic healthcare, and study items.

Every international student at the University of Salzburg must purchase a health insurance policy that is valid in Austria. The Student Union fee provides insurance for accidents and other unforeseen events and liabilities.

Campus facilities

The University of Salzburg occupies several buildings and outdoor sites scattered around the city of Salzburg, with no main campus. It also has five locations in neighbouring regions and cities, including Itzling, Rif, Linz, Krems and Vienna. The Faculty buildings in the city centre of Salzburg are among the most renowned landmarks in the city, and attract thousands of tourists every month.

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg runs the PLUS Green Campus initiative to bring all its environmental sustainability initiatives under one roof. The long term aim of this initiative is to transform the University into a truly green area. It conducts several interventions to bring people, nature, and the economy together. The University is an important part of the 2050 Energy Strategy of the City of Salzburg.

The world class sports facilities at the University of Salzburg enable all members of the community to stay active and fit, and support the academic and research activities of the Bachelor's course in Sport and Exercise Science. The main locations include several sports halls, an athletics field, multiple tennis courts, beach volleyball venues, wall and tower climbing facilities, and even a slackline park for adventure sports enthusiasts. Popular outdoor sports like soccer can be played at the University stadium, which has grass pitches and track and field venues. There is also a University gymnasium with cardio and weight training amenities.

Salzburg is one of the cultural hubs of Austria, with the annual Festival hosting world class performances in music and theatre. Paris Lodron University of Salzburg is an important part of the cultural fabric of the city, with the University Orchestra and choir providing an opportunity for the best musicians on campus to enhance their skills and perform at the most important annual events at the University. Student organisations and clubs hold several events every month in cultural fields like art, drama, dance, and music. These clubs are open to inexperienced students as well; they provide training for novices as well as organising high level events and performances.

The Alumni Club of the University of Salzburg facilitates networking among the graduates of the University for the purposes of job opportunities, starting new businesses, and donations to current students.

PLUSTRACK is the Community Programme of the University of Salzburg. It aims to create and leverage social connections among the students and staff of the University to benefit the entire academic community. For example, it organises mentoring services for junior students through accomplished senior students and successful recent graduates. It also collates useful information about courses and student life for the benefit of the whole student community. There are services for teachers as well, with helpful shared resources to improve the quality of classroom teaching. PLUSTRACK celebrates diversity by giving a spotlight to international students at the University and organising events where all members of the community can learn about different cultures. In addition to event management, it also creates support groups to ensure that students and staff members always have access to the best mental health resources.

Scholarship

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg maintains an online database with all scholarships and grants available to domestic and international students of the University.

Internal grants are coordinated by the University of Salzburg, with no external funding involvement. The different types are:

Study Abroad Grants: To support short term trips to other universities for research conferences.
Awards of Excellence: For the best PhD candidates.
Funding Scholarships: To support the best Master's thesis presenters.
Merit based scholarships: Awarded to Bachelor's and Master's students based on academic excellence.
Recognition Award: Given to the best diploma and Master's graduates.
Young Investigators Award: Meant for the best Doctoral candidates at the University.

Many scholarships available to students of the University of Salzburg are provided and coordinated by external agencies:

OeAD: This Database is maintained by the Austrian Government, and lists the different study grants offered by various federal agencies.
Austrian Academy of Sciences: These scholarships are awarded to promising young researchers.
Austrian Research Association: This provides grants to postgraduate students to fund their trips abroad to attend conferences in their fields of research.
Workers' and Employees' Chamber: These are awarded based on academic and research merit and performance.
Corporate opportunities: Certain companies based in Salzburg and Austria may offer scholarships from time to time on a competitive basis; eligible departments inform their students about these awards.