NARIC guide on Higher Education Systems in the European Union

The special qualification for schools of art and music is acquired by the applicant if he or she passes the entrance examination
and meets any possible further special admission requirements.
In principle, the admission to Fachhochschul studies is granted on the basis of the general university qualification, which
means that an additional special qualification is not required. Additional examinations may be prescribed, if necessary, for the
courses of study chosen by persons who apply for admission not on the basis of a secondary school leaving certificate but on
the basis of relevant professional qualifications. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of study places, the authority
of the Fachhochschul study can prescribe additional selection mechanisms for all kinds of applicants.
II.2. Intermediate qualifications in higher education
In the Austrian higher education system, there are no intermediate qualifications. As laid down above, the first stage of a
diploma study is completed by the first diploma examination. This examination gives the right to enter the second stage of
study, but is not an independent intermediate qualification.
II.3. Final qualifications in higher education
Everybody who has completed his or her diploma or doctoral studies is awarded an academic degree by the relevant
institution of higher education. The degree entitles the holder to use the title in one of the prescribed versions, to be admitted
to further studies, and to apply for an academic profession. Foreign qualifications are recognised (Nostrifizierung) if they are
equivalent in terms of level, content, and extent of the studies completed and if the awarding institution is recognised as an
institution of higher education in the State of origin.
As a rule, Austrian academic degrees exist in a German version, a Latin version, and an abbreviated version. Some of them
exist only in two versions. A distinction is made between the male and the female wording. A list of all academic degrees is
given in Appendix II.
II.4. Regulated professions under directives of the European Community
Appendix III contains a list of regulated academic professions in Austria falling under the first general directive (89/48/EEC)
or under sectorial directives.