AT · Master's
University of Graz
MSc Computational Social Systems
University of Graz
Deadline detail: June 8 (non-EU applicants, winter term — window opens May 11)
Course Overview
Computational Social Systems is a two-year, 120-ECTS Master of Science offered jointly by the University of Graz and Graz University of Technology, taught in English. Its premise is that most consequential systems now sit between people and machines — recommender systems, credit scoring, platform labour, algorithmic policing, data-protection regimes — and that the people who build and govern them need to be fluent in both the social science and the computing.
The degree is structured into four tracks that pair computer science with a second discipline: Business Analytics (business administration and computer science), Societies, Technologies and Social Research (sociology and computer science), Human Factors (psychology and computer science), and Law and Computer Science. A Sri Lankan graduate in sociology, psychology, law, economics or computing therefore has a route in from either side, and comes out able to work with data and with the social and legal frameworks around it.
Austria charges non-EU students €726.72 per semester in tuition plus the compulsory students' union contribution of €26.20 — about €1,506 a year, or roughly LKR 520,000. Graz is one of Austria's more affordable cities to live in, and the two-year structure means this is a genuine research degree rather than a compressed taught year. The main financial planning work is evidencing the funds the Austrian student residence permit requires.
Two practical points. First, the deadline: third-country applicants to a Graz master's without a separate admission procedure apply between 11 May and 8 June for the following winter term, which is far earlier than the general Austrian window and earlier than the dates most agents quote. Second, the University of Graz does not publish a numeric English requirement for any of its English-taught programmes — it states only that an English proficiency certificate is required. That is an institution-wide gap, not a gap in this listing, and it needs confirming with Academic Affairs before you book a test.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle A completed first degree (SLQF Level 6, UGC-recognised or equivalent) of at least 180 ECTS in a relevant subject area — computer science, information systems, sociology, psychology, law, economics or business administration are all routes in, depending on the track you choose.
- check_circle Choose the track before applying: Business Analytics, Societies, Technologies and Social Research, Human Factors, or Law and Computer Science. Each pairs computer science with a different second discipline and the entry expectations differ accordingly.
- check_circle Applicants who are not graduates of the corresponding Graz bachelor's apply to Academic Affairs for an admission decision, which determines equivalence and any supplementary examinations.
- check_circle Third-country applicants must apply within the 11 May to 8 June window for the winter term. This is earlier than Austria's general application period, so document legalisation has to start months ahead.
- check_circle Certified, legalised and translated transcripts and degree certificates. Sri Lankan documents require apostille or consular legalisation.
English Proficiency
- check_circle The University of Graz does not publish a numeric English requirement for its English-taught master's programmes — neither the programme page, nor Academic Affairs, nor the International Office states an IELTS, TOEFL or CEFR threshold. What is stated is that an English proficiency certificate is required.
- check_circle We advise Sri Lankan applicants to hold IELTS Academic 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 90 or above and to confirm acceptability in writing with Academic Affairs before booking anything.
- check_circle Cambridge English C1 Advanced is the certificate most likely to be recognised for a programme taught at this level.
- check_circle No blanket medium-of-instruction waiver is published, so an English-medium Sri Lankan degree should not be assumed to remove the certificate requirement — ask first.
- check_circle German is not required for this English-taught degree. Austria's residence-permit and daily-life administration runs in German, and Graz's free and subsidised German courses are worth taking.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (€) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition + ÖH Contribution (per year, non-EU) | €1,506 | Rs. 519,570 |
| Accommodation in Graz (12 months) | €4,800 | Rs. 1,656,000 |
| Living Expenses & Food (12 months) | €6,600 | Rs. 2,277,000 |
| Health Insurance, Visa & Residence Permit | €900 | Rs. 310,500 |
| Books, Software & Local Travel | €700 | Rs. 241,500 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | €14,506 | Rs. 5,004,570 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Austria grants non-EU graduates a 12-month residence permit to look for work after completing a degree, which converts to a Red-White-Red Card once a qualifying offer is held. Graz describes the graduate profile as boundary-role work mediating between engineers and other professionals, human-machine interaction, applied IT law and data protection, and data mining — roles that sit between a technical team and the people who have to govern, regulate or sell what it builds. In the European market that means data-protection and GDPR compliance functions, platform and trust-and-safety teams, people analytics, algorithmic-audit and AI-governance consultancies, market and social research, and public-sector digital policy; Vienna's UN and EU agency cluster adds an international-organisation route. Sri Lankan returnees route into data and analytics functions at Dialog Axiata, Commercial Bank, John Keells Holdings and LSEG Technology, into research and evaluation at Verité Research, the Institute of Policy Studies and LIRNEasia, and into the emerging data-protection compliance market created by Sri Lanka's Personal Data Protection Act.
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