University of Graz

Areas of Study: UniGraz offers a variety of programs in German, including Biology, Business, Chemistry, Earth Science, Economics, English, Geography, German, History, Law, Linguistics, Math, Musicology, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Sport Science, Translation, Zoology and more.

Programs with some English-taught courses include Biology, Business, Economics, English, History, Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology, and Law. A listing of English-taught courses is available (don't sort by faculty, just select semester and hit "search") as well as a full online course guide for all courses, which has more detailed information. However, students are recommended to review the online course guide's user's manual as well. 

Restrictions: No Pharmacology courses, or joint degree program courses can be taken by exchange students. Lab placements are challenging to be admitted to and cannot be guaranteed.  

Additionally, Science and Schulich students may be able to take 50% or less of their courses at TU Graz (about a 13 min walk away) through their intra-Graz academic network. 

Course requirements:
In Europe, full-time course load is typically 30 ECTS (European credits), and exchange students are typically expected to take 24-30 credits per semester. 6 ECTS = 3 UCalgary units (1 half-course). 
The amount of credits each course is worth corresponds to the workload/contact hours, and can vary from 1-30 ECTS per course, so please be mindful of this in your selection.

Students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor for any specific transfer credit information.

Student Tip: "Graz offers an impressive list of professors and lecturers. One of mine was from Yale! My law class also had guest speakers from the UN and we took field trips to Military bases to listen to members of Red Cross talk about their experiences."

The academic year is divided into 2 semesters:

• "Winter" semester: early October (mandatory orientation in mid-September) to late January
• "Summer" semester: early March (mandatory orientation in mid-February) to early July

It may be possible for students to complete the Winter semester in December. To do this, early exams have to be arranged after arrival individually for each course between you and the professor, and professors have the final say in the matter. Early exams are NOT available for lecture-type courses at the Faculty of Business (seminars are usually OK).

Please Note: Austrian visa applications may require advance travel to the Ottawa embassy to submit documentation and take biometrics as needed

Exchange students to UniGraz are not guaranteed housing, but are given multiple options. They may stay in off-campus dormitories (single or double occupancy), in flats shared with other students, or in private apartments. Due to the variety of housing options, prices vary greatly and can range from €810-€1900 per semester for a double (shared) room, and €1500-€2310 for a single (individual) room. Student housing is coordinated by the housing office OeAD.

The Graz student dorms are shared flats with cooking facilities, located off campus. You can fill out the housing application as a part of the application process (sent before May 31 for Winter/full year and October 31 for Summer studies). 

Because all of the dorms at Graz are in residential areas of the city, students are expected to act responsibly and in a considerate manner towards their neighbors. All dorms are co-ed with responsibilities for the cleaning and upkeep of the apartment shared among the students living in the same apartment. Students are furthermore expected to abide by the rules of the dorm they are assigned. 

Student Tip: "I really recommend living in Neubaugasse. It has the best location and it is fairly new. Or Neutorgasse for it's location as well."

This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in any faculty at UCalgary, who have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-). Students should be at a B2 level of German to be able to study German courses, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. 

If students have no knowledge of German, they are required to participate in the pre-semester German language program (see FAQs).

A reference is required for Law applicants.

It is recommended that students budget €2600-€4600 per semester to pay for accommodation and living expenses.

The pre-semester German language 3 week program costs roughly €160 (mandatory for students without a B2 level of German knowledge), and other mid-semester courses are offered at a discounted rate of €35. 

Please Note: Austrian visa applications may require travel to the Ottawa embassy to submit documentation and take biometrics as needed - please speak with the exchange advisor as soon as possible about whether this will be required for you.

Graz Cost Comparison vs Calgary: Click Here

Student Tip: "Buy a student transit pass at the beginning of the semester - it can save you about 40%. I didn’t and I would have saved a TON of money if I would have. Or better yet, buy a bike! Everyone around [Graz] rides bikes and you can buy a fairly inexpensive one and sell it back at the end of the semester. Also, cell phone plans are very cheap in Austria. I paid 10-20 euro a month for my plan, but you may have to budget for a router (or bring one) as wi-fi may be limited without one. Overall, I found Graz to be much less expensive than Calgary, but don't forget to keep the exchange rate in mind!"

Very Important Information re: Visas/Insurance: 
Semester-long students: are allowed to bring health insurance coverage from abroad, but it must comply with requirements for "Visa D" - contact the Austrian embassy in Ottawa for more information.  
For visas, semester-long students must apply for a Visa D (cost approx. €100) through the Austrian Embassy in person, in Ottawa. Canadian or US passport-holders may also apply for the visa after arrival through the Austrian Embassy in Slovenia (Ljubljana) - the process must be completed within 90 days if students choose this option, so must go to Slovenia ASAP to apply, and will need to return to pickup the visa once approved. If students go for the Slovenian application they MUST not enter the Schengen zone through any country but Austria (Vienna or Graz) when commencing their exchange. 

Year-long students: MUST buy the Austrian National Health Insurance. This policy only activates after students arrive in Graz and finished after studies complete, but does not cover medical evacuation or repatriation - thus students are required to have additional travel insurance for their journey to/from Graz and purchase additional medical evacuation/repatriation coverage for the entire length of stay. This insurance covers students in Austria and other EU countries (cost approx. €56-60/month). Basic dental, eye exams, and most medication costs are included in the coverage.
 
Visas: For visas, year-long students must either apply for a residence permit during the visa-free (90 day) stay period in Austria (depending on your nationality), or in person from Ottawa at least 3 months before planned departure. Cost is approx. €120. Students who can apply after arrival in Graz must bring along all necessary documents. Check with Austrian embassy for details. You can also find information on the process here on the study in Austria website.  

Did you know that you can take your U of C funding with you on exchange?  
Since you remain a degree seeking student at the U of C while on exchange you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are eligible to receive from the university as well as student loans.

Our office administers the International Study Travel Grant for students travelling on approved U of C study programs that are credit bearing. The amount changes year to year as the money is split evenly between qualified applicants. Students may only receive the study travel grant once. Please see the exchange funding page for more information.

Accommodation

Exchange students to UniGraz are not guaranteed housing, but are given multiple options. They may stay in off-campus dormitories (single or double occupancy), in flats shared with other students, or in private apartments. Due to the variety of housing options, prices vary greatly and can range from €810-€1900 per semester for a double (shared) room, and €1500-€2310 for a single (individual) room. Student housing is coordinated by the housing office OeAD.

The Graz student dorms are shared flats with cooking facilities, located off campus. You can fill out the housing application as a part of the application process (sent before May 31 for Winter/full year and October 31 for Summer studies). 

Because all of the dorms at Graz are in residential areas of the city, students are expected to act responsibly and in a considerate manner towards their neighbors. All dorms are co-ed with responsibilities for the cleaning and upkeep of the apartment shared among the students living in the same apartment. Students are furthermore expected to abide by the rules of the dorm they are assigned. 

Student Tip: "I really recommend living in Neubaugasse. It has the best location and it is fairly new. Or Neutorgasse for it's location as well."

Additional information/FAQs

Do I have to speak another language?

UniGraz offers a variety of courses in English and so no prior knowledge of German is required for this exchange. Students wishing to take German-taught courses should have German 333 or the equivalent. Regardless of whether students wish to pursue English or German-taught courses, they have the option of taking an intensive German language course prior to the start of the semester, as well as attending German courses throughout the semester. The courses come highly recommended to help you get around some of the administrative aspects of living in Austria.

Is there a Pre-Semester German Language Program?

Yes. This program is mandatory for any students that do not have a B2 knowledge of German (see "Eligibility"). The program is discounted for exchange students to roughly €160 for 3 weeks of intensive study (3.25 hrs/day), and is worth 6 ECTS credits if students attend 80% or more of the classes (for the certificate). Scroll down to "German Intensive Course" here for more info. The language program is offered in September and February. 

There are also semester-long German language course options, from A1-C1 levels according to the CEFR. 

Student Tip: "I recommend taking the Intensive German course before classes start, as that’s where everyone meets their friends."

What's so special about Graz?

Museums, armouries, and botanical gardens; annual music and art festivals; a vibrant cabaret scene. It's understandable that Graz was named the European Capital of Culture in 2003. The city is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in part because of its well-preserved medieval city centre. Additionally, Graz's setting near the Alps has made it an active stop on the European train network. For instance, from here it's only an hour to Maribor, Slovenia, or four hours to Venice, Italy.

What resources are available for new students?

UniGraz's international office runs a mandatory and very informative "Welcome Week" events for incoming students prior to the start of each semester. UniGraz also publishes a thorough "Welcome Guide" online for incoming international students.

Additionally, there are intercultural communication sessions & workshops held before each semester to aid with transitioning into Austrian culture. Limited space is available, so interested students should register early.

The local chapter of the Erasmus Student Network, ESN Uni Graz, coordinates a strongly recommended buddy and mentorship programme which partners international and local students. Information is available online. As well, check out the webpage for ESN Uni Graz, which is used to announce various events and trips arranged throughout the year. All exchange students are strongly encouraged to sign up here, as buddies can help with arrival from airport/train station (please inform your buddy if you will not be needing this assistance as they are unpaid volunteers and help needed is assumed). 

Student tip: "Sign up for the buddy program. I would definitely recommend it - I met one of my really good friends that way! Also just going to the events that are organised during orientation week is a good way to meet people. I would sign up for a seminar class or club if you want to meet more of the locals - generally they are hard to meet outside of class. Also, as part of the Erasmus organization there were weekly get togethers and monthly/weekly trips organized within and outside of Austria. I went to Hallstatt, Slovenia, and Croatia as part of organized trips with ESN! There were also ski trips, pub nights, a chocolate factory tour, etc."

What accessibility resources are available?

UniGraz's Disability Resource Centre provides comprehensive support for students with disabilities. They also offer support through their Integrated Service Centre for students that have chronic/ongoing illnesses, and physical disabilities. For information on accessibility and support services of campuses across Europe, please check out Inclusive Mobility. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.