We collected some questions we get asked often as well as offers of the university for you here. You can view the included information by clicking on the corresponding question.

What is a Curriculum?

The Curriculum defines the strucure of your degree programme and contains descriptions of all the courses you have to complete, usually alongside a recommended study path. You can find it on the SSC website under the entry for your degree programme.

Was is the students' union fee?

The students’ union fee is a certain amount of money you have to transfer to the university before each semester. You can find the exact amount, the deadline and instructions on how to transfer the money on space under “Financial matters”. If you do not pay the fee on time (by 31 October in the winter semester and by 31 March in the summer semester), you will be exmatriculated and therefore excluded from your studies. You are only able to resume your studies one semester later.

What does "validating your u:card" mean?

After you have paid the students’ union fee (and any other fees if need be), you can validate your u:card. The “admitted until” section will then be updated and you are able to prove that you are studying for another semester. You can find the terminals for validating your u:card in the faculty building on the ground floor next to the staircase (one on the left and one on the right).

What are ECTS points?

ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer System, a system used throughout Europe to measure the workload of courses. One ECTS point should correspond to 25 hours of work. You receive a certain number of ECTS points for completed courses, which show you approximately how much time you need to plan for them.

What is a StEOP?

The Introductory and orientation period (german: Studieneingangs- und Orientierungsphase, StEOP) consists of several courses that should be taken at the beginning of the degree programme. In the Bachelor of Science, the StEOP consists of one examination and one exercise. The Master of Science does not have a StEOP. The StEOP differs from the rest of the degree programme in that completion of the StEOP is a prerequisite for all subsequent courses. Students who have not completed the StEOP cannot register for other courses. The exceptions to this are “Analysis 1” and “Linear Algebra 1” as well as “Mathematical Programming”. You can register for these without having completed the StEOP, because they start immediately after the StEOP.

What is a SPL?

The Study programme directorate (german: Studienprogrammleitung, SPL) is the body responsible for the recognition of grades and/or previous courses. There is a study programme director and two deputy study programme directors. These three people share the responsibilities for the BSc, the MSc and the teacher training programme (BEd and MEd). If you would like to have a course credited to your degree programme, you should first write an email to the person that is responsible for your programme and clarify whether the credit can be transferred as planned.

What is the SSC?

The StudyServiceCenter Mathematics, SSC Mathematics for short, is the central point of contact for questions regarding the organisation of studies and study law regarding the mathematics study programmes. They are also the contact point for questions about course registrations and recognition. You can find their website here.

I missed the course registration deadline - what now?

If you have missed the registration deadline for a course that you would like to attend, you still have the option of writing to the StudyServiceCenter (SSC). In an email to ssc.mathematik@univie.ac.at you can explain your situation and ask for a late registration. Use your u:account email address for this email and include your matriculation number, the course number and the semester in which you want to take the course, then your request can usually be processed more quickly.

Can I retake exams I already passed?

Yes, you can also retake the exams you passed. But be careful, you have to do it within a year of your first attempt and the newer grade counts. Also, the retry counts into your 4 attempts.

What happens if I fail an exam?

You have 4 attempts at writing (and passing) an exam. If you failed your exam, you can just try again on the next examination date.

What is a "Prüfungseinsicht" (exam review)?

After an examination, you have the right to view your exam. If you think that your assessment was unfair, you can look at your corrected exam together with the teacher. Many teachers will give you a better grade at the exam review, so it often pays to go there.

I have not successfully completed a course - can I still attend other courses in the next semester?

Yes, in almost all cases you can. The only requirement for the courses is the positive completion of the StEOP. Exceptions to this are Linear Algebra 1, Analysis 1 and Mathematical Programming in the BSc, as these courses also take place in the first semester, directly after the StEOP, and therefore do not need successful completion of the StEOP. From the second semester onwards, however, all examinations and excercises/seminars/etc. can be taken at any time as long as you passed the StEOP.

How can i have credits recognised?

It is possible to have credits earned outside of your degree programme at the University of Vienna recognised for that degree programme. This includes, for example, academic achievements or internships. Please note that credits earned before the start of your studies must be recognised within the first year of your studies (first two semesters)! You can find more detailed information on credit transfer for mathematics degree programmes here and general information from the University of Vienna here. For credits in other degree programmes, information can usually be found on the website of the corresponding SSC. For (free) legal advice regarding recognition, the Bipol of the Austrian Students’ Union at the University of Vienna (ÖH Uni Wien) is a good place to go.

Where do I find books? What is u:search and what is u:access?

In most cases, you can find books that you need for a course on u:search. After searching, you will see either a link to online access or a list of locations where the book is available for borrowing in the book entry. U:access is a tool of the Vienna University Library that allows you to access licensed electronic resources such as e-books free of charge. Unfortunately, it does not work for every publisher, but if in doubt, just give it a try.

Where can i get software? Where can i get a free version of Microsoft 365?

The University of Vienna provides a freee Microsoft 365 license for students. This license is available via the University of Vienna’s software portal. Other software can be purchased there, too.

What are computer rooms (PC-Räume) and where can I find them?

During building opening hours you can use the computers in the computer rooms anytime the room is not being used for a course. The computer rooms are located in the basement. To log in, you just need to put in your u:account login data.

Where can I find rooms to study?

At the faculty building there are a few rooms that can be used to study:

• The “Studierzone” (Study zone) on the first floor (Room 01.624)
• The Vektorraum and the conference room in the students’ representatives’ corridor
• The cafeteria
• The reading rooms in the library
• The student space on the ground floor

Seminar rooms and lecture halls can also be used to study, as long as they’re not being used for a course. If the rooms are empty but locked, you can often find people with access cards in the Vektorraum that can be asked nicely to open them for you.

How can I study in the library?

In the library, there are big reading rooms you can use for studying. Before you can do that, you must ask the library employees for a locker key, as no bags may be taken into the library. You can then look for a place to study eather in the reading room on the ground floor or in the large reading room in the basement. However, you have to study there quietly - if you want to work in a group, there are also group study rooms in the library, but these have to be “booked” in advance. To do this, let the employees at the counter know the day before. Sometimes it is possible to book at a shorter notice, but there is no guarantee for that to work.

What else can I do in the library?

The library is not only a quiet place to study, students can also borrow specialised literature free of charge. Books can be borrowed from all departmental libraries and the main library, so you are not limited to mathematical literature. You order the books via the library website u:search and pick them up at the relevant location as soon as you recieve an email that they are available. The loan period is usually limited to 14 days, but can be extended as often as you like. You only have to return the item once you revieve an email from the library. Then you should really adhere to the deadlines, otherwise you will incur additional costs!

I want to change my degree programme - what now?

If you would rather do a different degree programme than the one you have chosen, this is not really a problem. The University of Vienna allows you to change degree programmes as often as you like and also to do several programmes at the same time. However, problems can arise with the family allowance (Familienbeihilfe) if you change programmes several times. If you recieve Familienbeihilfe, you may change degree programmes no more than two times. The change must also take place before the third semester, otherwise the Familienbeihilfe will be cancelled for the number of additional semesters studied. You can find more detailed information on changing your degree programme at the University of Vienna here and more information on Familienbeihilfe for students here.

I want to study more than one thing at the same time - is that possible?

In principle, it is possible to enrol on as many degree programmes at the University of Vienna as you wish. For that, you only need to enrol for the second degree programme you want. You can find admission and detailed information here. The SSC can help you if you are unsure or have questions about credit transfers.

How does the public transportation ticket work?

The Wiener Linien offer a discounted ticket for students under 26, with which you can use all public transport inside Vienna. There is a semester ticket lasting from September until January and one from February until June. In the summer months, there is a discounted monthly ticket for students. For the ticket to be valid, you have to have your student ID card with you. Alternatively, a confirmation of enrolment alongside a photo ID works as well. You can buy the ticket online or at the ticket counter. We recommend buying it online, since you can have the ticket on your smartphone or printed out and are protected against additional costs if you lose it. You can read more about the semester ticket here.

Where can I find psychological support?

During the course of their studies, many students struggle with mental health problems. Regardless of whether this is for study-related or personal reasons, the University of Vienna and the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) offer support to help anyone that is struggling. The ÖH has several services to support you in case of difficulties. You can find the helpline, where you can get advice anonymously over the phone, as well as further information here. You can also contact the Psychological Student Counselling Service (Psychologische Studierendenberatung), which, like the ÖH counselling centres, is responsible for helping with various problems. Here, too, everything is treated confidentially; you can find more detailed information here.

What is the Bipol and what do they do?

The Austrian Students’ Union’s Department of Education and Politics (german: Referat für Bildung und Politik, Bipol) can support you in matters of study law, e.g. if you have concerns about an examination or assessment that has not gone correctly. You can then contact the Bipol team, who will advise you on how to proceed. In more difficult cases, the Bipol can also help you to contact the relevant departments at the university. You can find more information here.

Where can I find something to eat near the faculty building?

You can find more information about that here.

Can I get coffee around here somewhere?

Yes, we have a coffee maker in the Vektorraum, where you can make yourself some coffee for a small donation anytime the room is open.

Where can I print something?

For a voluntary donation, we can print and bind your scripts for you in the Journaldienst. If none of us are here, there are u:print printers on the ground floor which you can use with your charged u:card.

What is the "Jobverteiler" (job mailing list)?

If you are looking for a Job next to your studies we have a job mailing list where we sometimes send job postings that could be interesting for mathematics students. If you want to get those mails too, you can sign up here.

What are USI-courses?

The University Sports Institute (USI) offers different sports courses each semester. They are discounted for students. You can look at the different courses on the USI website (here). There is a registration period for each semester (you can look it up on the website), Es gibt jedes Semester eine Anmeldefrist (auf der Webseite nachlesbar), the spots are usually sold out fast.