Karl Franzens University Graz

MAUI-Utrecht Network Exchange Program

This program is part of the MAUI-Utrecht Network Exchange and is open to students from member institutions only. Interested students should contact their local study abroad coordinator regarding the application/placement process and for additional information. Application deadlines for all MAUI-Utrecht Network programs, including fall semester, winter semester, or academic year abroad, is in February. Spring semester placements may be available after the deadline: contact the Study Abroad Coordinator.

Karl-Franzens University Graz

The University was founded in 1585 by Archduke Karl II and re-established as a university institution in 1827 by Emperor Franz I, thus the name KarI-FranzensUniversität'.

One of the oldest universities in Central Europe, Graz combines five centuries of scholarly tradition with a forward looking commitment to teaching and research. The university houses ninety-five academic departments and fifteen university clinics -vital intellectual centers that enjoy an international reputation and which in turn are generally subdivided into departments and working groups. Furthermore, there are eight university facilities for special tasks. Currently the university has around 30,000 students and 3,000 employees.

Graz is the second largest city in Austria (pop. 250,000) and has a student population of about 50.000 (the majority of which - over 30,000 - study at Karl-Franzens-University). Graz offers the atmosphere and first class facilities of a vibrant modern city (opera, theatres, cultural festivals, lively pub-scene ...) with the charm and architectural beauty of a historic town. The city center is one of the best-preserved in Central Europe and only a 10 minutes walk away from the university. Graz is a clean, safe and beautiful city, which is small enough to feel at home, but large enough to provide students with plenty of entertainment during study breaks.

Graz is the capital of the province of Styria which lies in the south-east of Austria and is often referred to as the 'green heart of Austria' due to its abundance of forests. The city of Graz itself is surrounded by green, rolling hills, so walking, climbing and cycling/mountainbiking are popular outdoor activities. And, of course, we also have 'real' mountains with excellent mounaineering and skiing facilities quite close. Besides, due to the special geological conditions in the south of Styria there are a number of thermal spas near Graz - for those who prefer steam baths, jacuzzis, saunas and 30°C warm water to the skiing slopes.

And for those who want to venture out further - Graz is ideally located for trips all over Europe: Vienna, Austria's capital, is only a 2,5 hour's train ride away, Slovenia only 1 hour. Other popular destinations include Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Germany, Switzerland etc.

What the students say about Graz...
... the city was a beautiful surprise, I didn't expect it to be so nice
... I was so enchanted by Graz & KFUG, I couldn't stop smiling for the entire first week I was here
... nice, pretty, smaller than I thought
... I could really get to like this!

Full name of university	University of Graz
Number of MAUI students you can accept during 2010/2011 academic year (indicate total number of semesters)	2 (4 semesters)
Areas of study open for MAUI students	http://www.uni-graz.at/en/verawww_studierende_studienrichtungen Joint Degree programs are not open for the exchange.
Areas of study restricted to prior bilateral agreements between the exchanging departments or faculties	none
Areas of study not available to MAUI students	Generally, placement of students in labs is difficult
Utrecht Network contact person (name, full address, phone/fax/email)	Sabine Pendl Office of International Relations Universitätsplatz 3 A-8010 Graz Phone: 0043 316 380 2211 Fax: 0043 316 380 9156 sabine.pendl@uni-graz.at
Contact person for incoming students (name, full address, phone/fax/e-mail)	Christa Grassauer Office of International Relations Universitätsplatz 3 A-8010 Graz Phone: 0043 316 380 1254 Fax: 0043 316 380 9156 christa.grassauer@uni-graz.at
General web site of the university	http://www.uni-graz.at
Web site of the international office/information web site for incoming students	http://www.uni-graz.at/en/bibwww_s-incoming.htm
Academic calendar	Winter Semester: beginning of October - end of January Summer Sumester: beginning of March - end of June The whole month of February: semester break http://www.uni-graz.at/en/bibwww_wg_ak.htm
Examination period(s)	During and at the end of each semester. Students coming for our winter semester only can leave before the end of our semester to get back to their home university in time for their spring term. In this case, early exams have to be arranged individually; professors are usually very accommodating – only the faculty of business cannot offer early exams per se).
Orientation session(s) for incoming students	2 Registration Sessions at the beginning of our winter semester and 1 at the beginning of our summer semester. Participation is mandatory. Orientation events are offered in the week following each registration. Winter semester: September 6 and 20, 2010 Summer semester: February 14, 2011
ECTS available (list fields if not all)	In all fields
Application deadline(s) for admission	June 15 for the whole academic year/winter semester November 15 for the summer semester
Application material on the web site or being mailed	The application documents for 2010/11 will be made available on the net in February 2010. Please check the homepage of the Office of International Relations (http://www.uni-graz.at/en/bibwww_forms.htm#stud-in) and scroll down to ‘Joint Study/ISEP/AEN/MAUI’.
Course registration deadline(s)	There is no course registration before arrival, it takes places just after the registration sessions.
Language requirements	The equivalent of two years of college German is desirable, if students want to follow courses in German. One year is OK as well but the student then has to concentrate on improving her/his German during the first semester in Graz. Students with no German proficiency can be accepted, if they find enough courses taught in English to meet their home university’s credit requirements (see information under ‘courses taught in English). Participation in our pre-semester German intensive course is mandatory for these students, though.
Language test certificate requirements	no
Preparatory language course for incoming students	Three weeks in September and February 20 teaching hours per week, i.e. 60 hours altogether, from beginners to advances level. The course will show on students’ transcripts as 6 ECTS/3 US credits. Exchange students pay a reduced participation fee of 150 Euro. For more information: http://www.uni-graz.at/fszwww_studierende-deutschintensiv.htm e-mail: treffpunktsprachen@uni-graz.at
Courses taught in English	Most courses are taught in German. A selection of courses at various departments is also taught in English. The courses for 2010/11 will be available online in July 2010. In the meantime, students can go to http://www.uni-graz.at/bibwww_s_in_en_course.htm and check what was/is on offer in 2009/10 (for the course description, please click on a course title). That provides a good overview of which courses will be available in English in 2010/11.
Internships available	Not generally. If a student is interested in an internship it has to be negotiated on an individual basis.
Student employment	Visa regulations make finding a job very difficult (unless students also hold an EU passport). The University of Graz has no facilities to help students secure a job. Students should NOT rely on getting a job in Graz when budgeting their exchange!
Housing assistance	Yes Application via Office of International Relations. Go to http://www.uni-graz.at/en/bibwww_forms.htm#stud-in , scroll down to ‘Joint Study/ISEP/AEN/MAUI’ and download the housing application
Housing options	Shared flats (self-contained) in student dormitory with cooking facilities. Single and double occupancy available. Rooms in student dorms are only available from either September 1 or February 1. Housing has to be paid per semester – no monthly payment option!
Housing application deadline(s)	June 15 for the whole academic year/winter semester November15 for the summer semester
Cost estimates per month (in EURO) Housing Meals Books Local Transportation Health Insurance	EURO €600 total in a month: Basis WIST-DZPlatz) €220 (+refundable deposit €490 & €60 cleaning fee/key deposit (non-refundable) €300 € 20 € 36 € 25
Additional fees to pay (indicate amounts and subjects)	approx. € 38 (Student Union fee for 2 semesters + student ID)
Comparable health insurance coverage from abroad allowed/not allowed	NO, students have to buy the Austrian student health insurance for appr. Euro 25 per month. This policy offers covers students not just in Austria but in all EU countries. In Austria, dental and eye examinations as well as medication costs are included. However, this insurance is only available after students have arrived in Graz and it does not cover medical evacuation or repatriation. We suggest students make sure they have additional travel insurance for their journey to Graz and back home and purchase medical evacuation/repatriation coverage for the entire length of their stay.
Health facilities at the university	None on campus
Other relevant information	International students from outside the European Union who stay in Austria for under 6 months need to apply for a so-called ‘visa D’ through the Austrian Embassy or a Consulate in their country of residence. Once they have been admitted to the University of Graz, they will receive an acceptance letter which they can present at the Embassy or Consulate together with their visa application and other relevant documents (please contact the Austrian embassy for detailed information on which documents are required). Students staying for longer than 6 months have to apply for a residence permit. Citizens of a lot of countries (including the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and Mexico, for instance) can apply for the residence permit AFTER they arrive in Graz. The coordinator will inform nominated students which documentation they need to bring along. Costs: appr. Euro 120 (Die Studis werden in Zukunft auch Vergebührung der GebUrkunde zahlen müssen, noch nicht klar wieviel)
Summer courses available? If so, please list	No
Last update of this information	January 26, 2010

How to Apply/Application Process: Please check with your home university advisor for deadlines & application procedures for this program. If you are a UMSL student who would like to apply, please visit the Study Abroad Application Deadlines & Procedures page.