Information about EcoS

To find out more information about our MA program, we invite you to visit the website’s EcoS Students section. Additionally, the following sites will be useful to engage with EcoS students:

Please note that the Admissions Office at the University of Vienna is in charge of all procedural matters, including the approval of documents and previous degrees. For questions regarding the program itself, check our FAQ section below or contact us at ecos@univie.ac.at.

 Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, you will find the most common questions we receive from applicants to EcoS. Please understand that the staff of EcoS is not in a position to answer questions regarding the admission and selection process.

/

  • Is EcoS a full-time master program?

    Typically, a semester of EcoS has an average of 30 ECTS courses. Additionally, semesters in which students are taking language courses, tend to have an even larger workload. Bearing this in mind, we strongly encourage applicants to dedicate full-time to the study of EcoS.

  • Which majors are eligible for studying EcoS?

    As an interdisciplinary programme, our students come from various academic backgrounds. Eligible majors thus include (but are not limited to) bachelor programmes in East Asian studies (including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Studies), Business Administration [Betriebswirtschaftslehre], International Business Administration [Internationale Betriebswirtschaftslehre], Economics [Volkswirtschaftslehre] and Political Science [Politikwissenschaft]. Please be aware that this is only a small selection of possible majors and that there are many more which are eligible. Thus, we have also welcomed students with backgrounds in engineering, law, agriculture etc. who have a strong interest in the East Asian region. In general, your previous studies should, however, have had a strong theoretical or methodological focus relevant to studying at EcoS.

    If you are not certain whether your major is eligible, please check with fellow prospective and current students at the EcoS Facebook Group, contact your EcoS Student Representatives or EcoS Staff.

  • What is the duration of the EcoS MA program?

    In accordance with the curriculum and ideal ECTS distribution, students can finish the program in four semesters. There is a buffer of two additional semesters, for a total of six semesters of regular study. 

  • At what level are language courses taught at EcoS?

    By the EcoS curriculum, all three languages (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) are taught at a beginner's level. If you have learned one of these languages as part of your previous studies, you are required to take a different one.

  • Do courses in EcoS require attendance in person?

    The majority of EcoS courses are of continuous assessment. This requires periodical attendance in person (weekly basis). Some courses might offer selected units online.

  • My bachelor's programme is not yet completed. Can I still apply for admission?

    You must have completed your degree programme when applying for admission. If you are near completion, an individual assessment of your study progress will determine whether you may participate in the selection procedure. For this purpose, please merge your transcript of records into one PDF file. Only a maximum of 30 ECTS may be left until completion.

  • Which documents are eligible as a proof of English language proficiency?

    To assess if your documents are eligible as a proof of your English language proficiency, please carefully read the respective guide of the Teaching Affairs and Study Services.

  • What do I need to include in the letter of motivation?

    The letter of motivation allows you to tell us more about your skills, motivations, and goals in studying at EcoS. We ask you to answer a fixed set of standardized questions listed in the questionnaire. The questionnaire has been designed to cover all relevant aspects for the approval of an application, and the answers you provide to each question are the most important part of this document. Please answer all questions separately and do not write an essay-style text.

  • When can I expect to receive the outcome of my application?

    Admission and rejection notifications are typically dispatched within 6 to 12 weeks following the application deadline. Please note, however, that this timeframe may vary.

  • Can I do internships or study abroad while studying EcoS?

    Participants in the EcoS program are indeed encouraged to pursue internships or study abroad opportunities to enrich their academic experience. For detailed information about study abroad options, please click HERE.

    Interships offer valuable practical experience. But please keep in mind that such activities cannot be credited towards your ECTS study progress.

  • What career opportunities are there after graduating from EcoS?

    Depending on your pre-existing qualifications and the skills you acquire during the programme, as an EcoS graduate, you may find a wide range of potential employment opportunities in fields that require a strong social-scientific and methodological knowledge of East Asia as a region. We are very proud that our graduates work in many different fields, ranging from politics and diplomacy to journalism, the non-profit sector and, of course, business (from SMEs to large multinationals in Europe and Asia). Many graduates have made professional careers in academia, consulting, organisations focusing on security or development policy or banks and other financial institutions.

    As Vienna is a United Nations' host city (UNIDO, IAEA, UNDOC ...), there are also many other international organisations located here, with many non-Austrian citizens finding opportunities to work in an international environment during or after their studies in Vienna.

    Learn more from current and former students' experience on the website for Teaching Affairs and Student Services, under the section: Focus on East Asian Economy and Society (EcoS).