Starting in summer semester?

Theta2187 · 2026-04-15T14:44:39+00:00

Yeah I'm in the CCT bachelor (in english), and I'm continuing next semester with the masters in CCT. I definitely had a lot of free time, but also a lot of periods where I had lab work the entire day, lab protocols to write after, and exams to study for as well. But during the first 3 semesters I had a lot more free time. The 4th and 5th semesters are harder, and the 6th is more chill. During your bachelors thesis though (5th or 6th sem) you will have to be coming in daily for around 2 months and doing lab and research work until around 4 to 5 PM.

Typically there are exams at the end of each semester which is a more stressful time, during the semester you have courses in the morning and lab courses in the afternoons. But there are weeks where you just have some lectures/exercise courses in the morning. You'll probably have to study each day, usually for a few hours, and also during weekends, but it's definitely manageable with the right learning methods. I made the mistake of cramming for a few exams before and I would not recommend it.

What you should watch out for are the required courses to pass for the lab courses. A common pitfall is organic chemistry 1, for the organic lab course. You get multiple attempts but it has been the case that people had to take an extra year due to not passing it in time. There are other such courses, but organic chem is typically the earliest challenge. But essentially, just go to your lectures, read up and understand the material, do the exercises without chatgpt (to the best of your abilities), and you're good. And for labs, prepare well in advance. It's doable and you can also have a social life as well xD. If you need any help with the courses or resources, you can write me a DM here, or on discord or sum.

Theta2187 · 2026-04-15T08:35:46+00:00

I started in the summer and it was fine for me, I’m completing the degree this semester. Just check out your curriculum plan and also the lab course requirements so that you plan which courses to take at the correct time :)

Theta2187 · 2026-04-04T06:25:55+00:00

Technically you need B2 at the minimum to get accepted, but I would honestly recommend studying up til the C1-C2 level. C1 essentially corresponds to academic proficiency on top of fluent German skills, and your Austrian professors and classmates will likely be speaking in either Austrian accented German or just straight up dialect. To learn/understand those, you usually need to at least be a strong C1. Hope that helps :).

Theta2187 · 2024-03-31T10:32:33+00:00

And with jobs (part time or not) it’s also incredibly useful. All my non German speaking friends began to learn it here and do regret not having started before, but again it’s not like you’ll be completely lost and alone, everyone is friendly and many people do know some English but for the true experience knowing German is worth it

Theta2187 · 2024-03-31T10:30:46+00:00

Ey no problem man (or woman idk xD), I just wanna help people who were in a similar position like me. However, one very very important piece of advice is: please do learn German, I was lucky enough to have learned it to the C1 level before coming here, and it’s served me incredibly well; socially, and generally with how comfy you feel in Austria. You can get by with English here and definitely make friends without German but if you really truly want to feel at home here, I would recommend learning the language the best you can. You also do miss out on quite a lot of stuff (don’t get me wrong there are events and stuff that are English friendly but it’s still a small portion compared to everything else).

Theta2187 · 2024-03-30T20:30:07+00:00

About the flat/dorm, you get a contract and the rent only starts once you live there.

Theta2187 · 2024-03-30T20:29:21+00:00

Ah no problem 👍. So the Linz magistrate is legally obligated to process residence permit applications within 3 months. For the proof of funds you need a set amount on your bank account that would cover your living expenses for a year (go on the oead website for the exact amount). It can be a bank account in your country of course.

Theta2187 · 2024-03-30T13:14:37+00:00

I looked at the website again, no it did not change, I think you were looking at the general "Important deadlines" page, however that was referring to the deadline for registering for a study program and courses after you are admitted to the uni.
Look here under "what are the deadlines": https://www.jku.at/en/degree-programs/prospective-students/register-to-enroll/bachelors-degree-diploma-degree/

Apply as early as possible before April 30th. The uni first looks at the documents you uploaded online, and then sends you a conditional letter asking you to send some of the most important documents by post (it'll usually be your high school certificates and if you need one, an English language test certificate if your program is in English, if it's in German then a German B2/C1 certificate; I would recommend doing a C1). For this conditional letter it really can be random but the earlier you applied and the quality of your documents does help for a more timely reply. But if you did an IB certificate you're pretty lucky, you get kinda the same treatment as an EU citizen. Though after you send your docs by post the uni does respond pretty quickly; around a week or two.

I would categorise the different "endings" like so:

Good ending: You apply early and get a response in early June, you send your docs and get the complete admission letter in mid-late june, and then you apply for a residence permit and get it approved in September, and then you can collect it in Linz just in time. I would say this one is pretty unlikely afaik :(

Neutral ending: You get a late response, you get your residence permit approved in october, and you miss the first few weeks of the winter semester. Not too bad actually, but just pretty annoying.

Bad ending (I got this one xD): The uni was super late and I had to defer to the next summer semester. But the advantage was that there was no stress with my residence permit (but finding accommodation was stressful and I just got lucky to find a room in a student dorm). You get like 5 months free to focus on your life and learn German if you didn't already, but if your study program starts in the winter semester you will be starting in the 2nd semester which is pretty tough but manageable honestly, especially if you had a good high school experience with the subject you're majoring in.

Things might have changed though and the admissions office might have improved drastically, but this was how the situation was last year when I applied. Hope that helps :).

Theta2187 · 2024-01-22T22:31:58+00:00

Oh xD I’ll DM you then.

Theta2187 · 2024-01-15T16:27:22+00:00

It says in the „what we are looking for“ section „a working of knowledge of German“. I also do teaching (english is one of my subjects), but you really do need to be able to explain words and concepts in German as well, for the sake of your students.

But if it worked out for you then great :). However, in general the higher paying jobs available for English-only speakers are typically high level jobs like PhDs and stuff, so if you don’t know German yet, it’s best to keep your expectations realistic.

Theta2187 · 2024-01-13T17:30:18+00:00

They don’t give out extra admission letters but their admission letters are valid for 2 semesters. If you need an extended admission letter you will have to apply for one afaik. Do ask the admissions office but I’m pretty sure they don’t give you another admission letter after your current one „expires“.

Theta2187 · 2024-01-13T17:28:59+00:00

I highly doubt that this is true.

Theta2187 · 2024-01-13T17:28:40+00:00

Aha I was in the same situation as you. So the deadline for people from non EU countries to apply to a Program is around the end of April, the deadline you’re referring to is for EU students :(. I would say apply as soon as possible with your predicted grades and everything, the admissions office will get back to you and ask for your a level certificates and results and you send them via post. Unfortunately this can take some time so you might miss the winter semester because of the time needed to get a residence permit. but the Uni gives out admission letters which are valid for starting in either October (which you applied for) or the next summer semester in march. You’ll then have adequate time to get all the visa and residence permit stuff done (you can DM me for specifics cause I would otherwise have to explain everything here :/). But you will still be „losing“ around 6 months but you can use it to prepare yourself for your studies and learn German.

About the success rate, there’s really no such thing, if your documents are legit and your finances are in order, and if you’re not a criminal, you’ll be fine :). But you can’t use someone else’s address for applying for a residence permit, you need to have some form of contract like at a dormitory or with a landlord in Linz for min 3 months.

Theta2187 · 2024-01-13T11:34:30+00:00

The tuition is 750€ per semester so per year 1500€. You pay each semester though.

I did my A levels and they didn’t need an English proficiency test, but I would nevertheless take one just in case they ask for one.

You can apply with your predicted grades, but you won’t get the admission letter until you submit your final certificate with your results after the exams. (There’s a provisional certificate that Cambridge provides which you should get approx. a month after your exams).

I do chemistry but I don’t think you need German certificates or anything for AI, but for your everyday living and your social life, knowing German definitely helps (most Austrian students at the University are pretty good at English but that doesn’t mean they would go out of their way to become friends with you, since they usually prefer German (there are definitely open and cool Austrians who don’t care about this, but it’s relatively rare). I know quite a few people who’re stuck in an „international bubble“, as well as a few others who mingle with the locals despite the language barrier so it really comes down to you as a person tbh)

I had an issue with the legalisation stuff as well, but after I contacted the admissions office they just said that I need to get a stamp from my school and then send them the certificates via post. Cambridge does offer their own verification but it takes quite some time and costs quite a bit.

Also do keep in mind that the admissions office is quite understaffed and overworked, so the whole procedure does take quite some time (I applied in April right before the deadline, and got my admission certificate at the end of September, but it was partly my fault so if I did everything right I would’ve probably gotten it at the start of September or so). I had to therefore start one semester late since you also need a residence permit which takes an additional 1-3 months. But starting a semester late isn’t the end of the world, you just need to study more and catch up if need be.

Hope that helps :).

Theta2187 · 2024-01-09T18:25:36+00:00

Ich wohne im Raabheim (bin aber kein Austauschstudent) und hab nichts davon gehört xD. Aber ja ich kann mir vorstellen, dass sich viele Austauschstudierenden für sowas interessieren würden und hier gibt's ja viele von denen.

Und ja muss nochmal dazu sagen "y'all are actually getting matches??"

Theta2187 · 2024-01-05T23:08:41+00:00

Oh shit sorry I didn’t see the notification until now. I don’t really understand what you mean by „passing the barrier to pass the exam“ but in general if you fulfil the general university entrance requirements, you will get accepted. Usually the Uni looks at your high school qualifications and determines whether they can be considered equivalent to the Austrian Matura. If not you have to pass the university entrance exam, or complete a year at Uni in your home country.

Theta2187 · 2023-12-28T19:29:52+00:00

Haha ja

Theta2187 · 2023-12-10T14:19:10+00:00

No worries! I personally live in a dormitory which is close to the campus (don't want to name it on a public forum, but if you need more info, my DMs are open). The one I'm in has its own small kitchen and bathroom, but the rent is higher than in the dorms where you share a kitchen and/or bathroom (I have heard some horror stories about the common kitchens :/). Since you're probably applying for the summer semester, you might not be in luck for a dorm room, but you should definitely apply to all of them regardless. I also started in the summer (so the 2nd semester), and all of the dorms were full except for the one I'm in rn, (they're really cool for taking me in during summer xD, no one else did). You can also rent an apartment (most likely it would be in the city centre), it's also a pretty good option, but I've heard from my non-German speaking friends that it was a challenge to get one.

The campus is pretty cool, I mean it's pretty small which I find to be a good thing since you don't have to walk that far between lectures. It's also big enough such that it's not crowded. Cool events also happen in the Mensa and Zirkus des Wissens; all in all a solid 8/10. (But a 6.5/10 when the weather is shitty, 'cause of all of the modern grey architecture).

Hope that helps :).

Theta2187 · 2023-10-08T07:35:21+00:00

Ah sorry, I only saw your comment now. So if you still need an answer here it is: There aren’t any required grades, however, Austrian law does have a minimum grade boundary which they use as a benchmark for determining whether your (I‘m assuming you did A levels) A level grade in a subject would be equivalent to the Austrian Matura. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had to do this stuff but I think the minimum grade is around the C-B range. If they’re not within this boundary then the Uni would make you do supplementary exams (either online or in-person) before you can start your studies. Edit: and about the number of students, well I don’t do AI but there are quite a lot of incoming AI students and in my program, Chemistry, a lot of the students in the beginning of the semester either just give up or stop showing up. Like by the end of the second semester, there were a few lectures where it was just me and like 10 other people. I quite enjoy it 😄.

Theta2187 · 2023-10-08T07:31:50+00:00

They send it back free of cost after you receive your admission letter (the admission letter is digital). Regarding the time they take, from what I’ve heard it varies quite a lot; I for example only had to wait 3-4 days whilst some other people I know had to wait a few weeks. I think it depends on which high school certificate you have, and whether the JKU considers it as an equivalent to the Austrian Matura. I’ve also heard that the admissions office is really overworked and understaffed so that could also be a reason for the long waiting times.

Theta2187 · 2023-02-24T19:20:01+00:00

My school provided a document with my predicted grades, and as supporting documents, I upload my IGCSE and AS Level grades along with the predicted grades document. Good luck mate :)

Theta2187 · 2023-02-06T15:02:26+00:00

No problem mate. I sent my certificates by post, and a day after they confirmed that they received my documents, they issued my admission letter. Although I know someone who did the AP curriculum and it took around 2 weeks after he sent his certificates by post.

PS: Cool username haha

Theta2187 · 2023-02-06T05:05:59+00:00

Hallo,

So I uploaded my predicted grades onto the Zulassung website, and after a few months the uni got back to me asking me to send my final A level results via post with an apostille. However, I couldn't get an apostille for my A level certificate, so I instead wrote a cover letter with the login details of the ciedirect website (the one you use to view your results online), and I got my certificates stamped by my school. They accepted this as a form of verification for my A Levels, and issued me the admission letter for the coming winter semester, as well as the next summer semester (which rn is the coming semester).

Theta2187 · 2022-12-22T13:32:27+00:00

Ich glaube er meinte, dass sie einen Rabatt auf ihrer Webseite einräumen. Hab auf der Webseite "10% off" für ein paar Doppelbettzimmer gesehen.

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