Austria · Bachelor's
University of Vienna
Bachelor in Political Science
University of Vienna
Course Overview
The University of Vienna's Bachelor in Political Science (Politikwissenschaft) is delivered through the Department of Political Science at one of continental Europe's largest social science faculties. Vienna's status as a UN headquarters city (UNOV / OPEC / OSCE / IAEA) gives political science students unusual access to international organisations on the doorstep — internship and research-placement traffic flows in both directions between the university and the Vienna International Centre. Research strengths include comparative politics, European integration, international relations, political theory, and Austrian / Central European area studies.
Sri Lankan A-Level / IB applicants — typically Arts / Commerce stream school-leavers and policy-curious applicants seeking a path into diplomacy, international NGOs, or development work — choose Universität Wien for: tuition at €1,480/year non-EU, a globally-credible degree from a 660-year-old university, and the proximity of Vienna's diplomatic and international-organisation employer base. The 6-semester (180 ECTS) curriculum covers political theory, comparative politics, international relations, European integration, methods of empirical political research, plus a substantial electives block (gender and politics, conflict studies, migration policy). Year 1 is German-medium with STEOP orientation. Sri Lankan returnees route into policy advisory, research, and NGO management roles at LIRNEasia, the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Verité Research, the Sri Lanka Foreign Service intake, and international organisations active in Colombo (UN agencies, GIZ, JICA, USAID partners).
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Sri Lankan GCE A/L: 3 passes (any stream) — secondary-school certificate nostrified to Austrian Matura.
- check_circle Sri Lankan Cambridge / Edexcel A-Levels: 3 A-Levels at C or above plus 5 O-Level / GCSE passes including Mathematics and English.
- check_circle IB Diploma: 28+ points.
- check_circle STEOP orientation in Semester 1 — no pre-admission aptitude test.
- check_circle Motivation letter and CV; Austrian document nostrification submitted at application time.
English Proficiency
- check_circle German B2 (Goethe-Zertifikat B2, ÖSD B2, or TestDaF TDN 4) required for the German-medium curriculum — alternative: Vorstudienlehrgang der Wiener Universitäten preparatory year.
- check_circle IELTS Academic 6.0 / TOEFL iBT 80 required for English-medium electives and exchange semesters.
- check_circle MOI letter accepted from English-medium A-Level / IB applicants for the English elective waiver.
- check_circle Most Sri Lankan applicants combine the German prep year with their A-Level English documentation.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (€) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per year, non-EU) | €1,480 | Rs. 510,600 |
| Living Expenses in Vienna (12 months) | €12,600 | Rs. 4,347,000 |
| Student Visa, Residence Permit & Health Insurance | €900 | Rs. 310,500 |
| Books, Materials & Conference Travel | €700 | Rs. 241,500 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | €15,680 | Rs. 5,409,600 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
University of Vienna Political Science graduates qualify for Austria's Red-White-Red Card for Graduates (12-month job-search permit), with conversion at a qualifying offer. Major Vienna employers: UNOV / OPEC / OSCE / IAEA (international civil service entry positions and JPO routes), the Austrian Foreign Ministry's contracted research and advisory partners, Bertelsmann Stiftung Vienna, Erste Stiftung, and the policy / public affairs teams at Erste Group, Raiffeisen Bank International, and OMV. Median starting graduate salary €34,000-€44,000. Sri Lankan returnees route into Sri Lanka Foreign Service intakes, policy research at LIRNEasia, the Centre for Policy Alternatives, Verité Research, plus advisory roles at GIZ Sri Lanka, JICA Sri Lanka, the British Council, and the EU Delegation to Sri Lanka.
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ඔබට සුදුසු විශ්වවිද්යාලයක් තේරීම, අයදුම්පත් යොමු කිරීම, SOP සකස් කිරීම සහ වීසා ලබා ගැනීම ඇතුළු සෑම පියවරකදීම, ඔබ වෙනුවෙන් සියලුම වගකීම් විශ්වාසවන්තව අප භාර ගනිමු.