About University of Vienna

The University of Vienna was founded in 1365. Home to more than 94,000 students – 28,000 international students among them – it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and the largest research institution in Austria. In October 2022, the University of Vienna congratulated Nobel Prize winner Anton Zeilinger, Austrian quantum physicist and Emeritus Professor at the university. Renowned particularly for its Humanities work, the university lays claim to nine Nobel Laureates including the chemist Hans Fischer and the physician Karl Landsteiner, who previously taught at the university. Its other Nobel associations include the physicist Erwin Schrödinger and the economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek. The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, is among its many notable alumni.

The university is sited within 63 locations across the city, all of which are connected by Vienna’s tram and bus network. The city is cycle-friendly and students are encouraged to sign-up to the CityBike scheme, with bikes located at stations across the city with the first hour of usage free of charge.

About Summer Intensive German Course

German courses in 11 course phases are offered. The courses offered by the Language Center correspond to the language competency levels as described in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for language learning. Each intensive course covers one course phase. The summer intensive courses cover 1 course phase per month. They offer 11 course phases: A1/1, A1/2, A2/1, A2/2, B1/1, B1/2, B2/1, B2/2, C1/1, C1/2, C2.

Comprehensive placement tests carried out prior to course commencement ensure participants’ enrollment in the appropriate course levels. These placement tests are compulsory for new participants. Placement test is conducted online via Zoom and Moodle learning platform. No placement test is required for:

• beginner students at the A1/1 level
• participants who have previously attended German courses at the Language Center within a year
• participants who can produce an ÖSD or Goethe certificate issued less than 12 months ago or with scores higher than 80% for each of the four language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).

For more information about placement tests, please refer to https://sprachenzentrum.univie.ac.at/en/language-proficiency-levels-and-course-levels/

Classes start on Tuesday of the first week and take place Monday to Friday from 9:15am to 12:00nn. 

Program Date

Notes:

• Host Institutions may provide orientation activities for students, with some mandatory, which you should attend. You are required to pay attention to the host institution's arrival information and arrive in time.
• You should only depart after completion of the program (i.e. finishing all final examinations and/or assessments, both compulsory and optional ones)(see "Completion requirement" below).

Completion requirements

Under this sponsored program, students are required to complete the program following the requirements of the host institution listed below. 

• Minimum 75% attendance of the total course duration; and
• Pass the final examination.

A course certificate will be issued to students who have completed the above. Successful completion of the final examination will result in the participant being awarded 4 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) points. In case of the student's absence at the final exam or failing grades, ECTS points cannot be awarded.

Students are also required to arrive by the program start date, and are not allowed to leave the program before the last program date or class or exam, whichever is later. Students who do not complete these requirements will not be allowed to receive any subsidies/sponsorships/scholarships issued by HKUST. In addition, since this program is sponsored by HKUST, students who do not complete these requirements are required to repay HKUST for the sponsored amount.

Fees

This is a sponsored program and HKUST will sponsor the tuition and accommodation fees. HKUST students will bear other costs such as travel, visa, insurance, personal expenses and other administrative fees.

Fee payment arrangement

• Students will be required to pay the tuition, accommodation and cultural programme fees first directly to the host institution. The sponsorship amount for the tuition and accommodation fees which you have paid in foreign currency will be calculated based on an exchange rate adopted by HKUST and will be reimbursed to you (i) upon completion of the program with PASS for all the courses taken and (ii) OGL's review of your study abroad report submitted by the deadline. 
• If you withdraw from the program after acceptance or fail to fulfill the above requirements, sponsorship amount for the fees listed will not be reimbursed to you.