1. Admission to the Doctoral/PhD programme

To be eligible to apply for a doctorate, applicants must hold a Master's degree in the intended field of research. You can apply all year round online via u:space. Please note that you must renew your enrolment each semester. This must be done within the regular admission period.

You can choose from the following research areas:

You will also need to submit a number of documents relating to your intended research project. Your application will be reviewed by the relevant Doctoral Programme Directors. Please note that it may take several weeks to process your application. To find out more about the documents required to apply for doctoral studies, please click on the following links

2. Benefits and services of the VDS PhaNuSpo

The VDS PhaNuSpo is one of the top destinations for ambitious and highly qualified doctoral students in and across the fields of pharmaceutical, nutritional and sport sciences. The VDS PhaNuSpo focuses on supporting excellent research through

  • Close supervision by a thesis committee consisting of at least two experts in the field of the doctoral research project.
  • Close mentoring and guidance to ensure appropriate progress of the project, including regular meetings with the thesis committee and members o the faculty with appropriate feedback.
  • Access to state-of-the-art equipment and analytical technologies to supporting in silico, in vitro, in vivo and omics approaches in all of the participating laboratories.
  • Promotion of interdisciplinary exchange in joint courses/seminars/workshop, retreats, and social events.
  • Opportunity to get involved in both Academia and Industry.
  • Promotion of teaching and other transferable skills.
  • Additional financial support, e.g. in the form of completion and mobility grants.
  • A low hierarchical structure and an open door policy.
  • A strong student voice in the Steering Committee of the doctoral school.
  • Dedicated administrative support.

3. Requirements according to the curricula are as follows

4. Tuition fee

  • As long as you study at the University of Vienna, you have to pay at least the Students' Union fee each semester and, depending on your employment status and/or nationality, additional tuition fees.
  • The amount of the tuition fees depends on your nationality (EU/EEA or non-EU/EEA citizens) and also on how long you have been studying.
  • Detailed information on tuition fees and exemptions, can be found on the homepage of Teaching Affairs and Study Services.
  • If you have any unanswered questions about how to apply for 'Equal status with EU/EEA citizens' (tuition fee exemption), please email the Doc School coordinator.

5. International doctoral candidates

a) Legalisation and translation of documents

  • All documents required for the application process must be translated if they are not in English or German. Whether the documents you use need to be diplomatically certified (legalised) and translated depends on the country in which you studied. Legalisation must be done before translation and by a sworn translator. Details here


b) Information on moving to Austria

Moving to a new city and country and finding your way around a new university can be very challenging, especially in the beginning. Finding a place to live, getting insurances (e.g. for students without employment contacts) and a residence permit, or finding things that need to be taking care of.


c) Contacts

6. Navigating in Vienna and Austria

  • A collection of web links on topics such as public transport tickets, cultural events, etc. to be added soon.

7. Online information sessions of the Center of Doctoral Studies

The Centre for Doctoral Studies offers

  • general information sessions: overview of doctoral education at the University of Vienna.
  • topic specific sessions: for example, admission in a nutshell, funding possibilities in a nutshell, and on organising entry and residence permit.
  • Registration is not required.