Austria · Master's
University of Vienna
MSc Computer Science
University of Vienna
Course Overview
The University of Vienna's MSc Computer Science is the English-medium graduate programme of the Faculty of Computer Science (Fakultät für Informatik), housed at the Währinger Straße campus. The Faculty's research strengths span data science, software engineering, scientific computing, theoretical CS, computational complexity, and natural language processing — with active groups in the Research Network Data Science @ UniVie that connect to industry partners and the Vienna Scientific Cluster (Austria's national HPC infrastructure). The 4-semester, 120-ECTS programme offers specialisation tracks in Data Analytics, Software and Information Systems, Scientific Computing, Visual Computing, and Computational Sciences.
Sri Lankan CS / SE / IT / Mathematics Bachelor's graduates from Moratuwa, Colombo UCSC, SLIIT, NSBM, NIBM, and IIT use this programme for: tuition at €1,480/year non-EU, 100% English-medium teaching, and the credibility of a 660-year-old public research university in a Western European capital with one of the strongest cost-to-quality ratios in graduate CS. The mandatory Master's thesis (30 ECTS) is typically run within one of the faculty research groups — the Research Network Data Science and the Vienna Computational Imaging research network are particularly active for thesis collaborations. Sri Lankan returnees move into senior software engineering, ML engineering, and data science roles at WSO2, IFS R&D, Virtusa, Sysco LABS, Dialog Axiata, HSBC SL, and the Big Four Colombo.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, or a closely-related quantitative discipline with strong grades (Sri Lankan first / upper-second class equivalent).
- check_circle Demonstrated coursework in programming (Python, Java, C++, R, or similar), algorithms and data structures, discrete mathematics, and statistics — University of Vienna runs a curriculum-equivalence assessment for non-EU applicants.
- check_circle Sri Lankan applicants from Moratuwa (CSE / IT), Colombo UCSC, SLIIT, NSBM, NIBM, or IIT with first / upper-second class are competitive.
- check_circle Motivation letter (1-2 pages), CV, two academic references, and transcripts with explicit module breakdown.
- check_circle Document nostrification through the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education is part of the application file.
English Proficiency
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 6.5 Overall (no band below 6.0).
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 95 Overall.
- check_circle Cambridge English: C1 Advanced.
- check_circle Programme is taught 100% in English — German is not required for the degree (though valued for Austrian internships and the Red-White-Red Card pathway).
- check_circle Waived if your Bachelor's was taught entirely in English (Sri Lankan applicants from Moratuwa / UCSC / SLIIT / NSBM qualify with an MOI letter).
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 |
| Cloud Compute, Books & Conference Travel | €1,000 | Rs. 345,000 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | €15,980 | Rs. 5,513,100 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
University of Vienna MSc CS graduates qualify for Austria's Red-White-Red Card for Graduates (12-month job-search permit), with conversion at a qualifying offer. Master's-level salaries clear the EU Blue Card threshold (~€45,500/year gross in 2025); the points-based RWR Card pathway leads to permanent residence after 24 months. Major Vienna employers: Erste Group, Raiffeisen Bank International, Boehringer Ingelheim Vienna, Bitpanda, UNIQA, Vienna Insurance Group, plus the Vienna offices of Microsoft and IBM. Median starting salary €48,000-€60,000. Sri Lankan returnees move into senior software engineering, ML engineering, and data science roles at WSO2, IFS R&D, Virtusa, Sysco LABS, Dialog Axiata, HSBC Sri Lanka Technology, and the Big Four Colombo.
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