Medicine Schools and Programs in Austria

Medicine Studies in Austria

In Austria, medicine is a single long university programme, the Diplomstudium Humanmedizin, which students start straight after secondary school. It takes twelve semesters (360 ECTS credits) and leads to the title Doktor der gesamten Heilkunde (Dr. med. univ.). Teaching is in German, and places are limited by a national entrance test, the MedAT.

SpainExchange lists two schools in Austria for medicine: the Universität für Weiterbildung Krems and UMIT TIROL in Hall in Tirol. Neither runs the first degree in human medicine; both offer postgraduate study and research in medicine and health, described below.

How the medical degree is organised

The public route is offered by the medical universities of Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck and by the Medical Faculty of the Johannes Kepler University Linz. At the Medical University of Vienna, the twelve semesters include 18 weeks of clinical clerkships (Famulaturen) and a 48-week clinical practical year (Klinisch-Praktisches Jahr, KPJ). At the Medical University of Innsbruck, the KPJ fills the 11th and 12th semesters in hospital departments, and up to 16 weeks can be spent in general practice.

Some private universities use a different structure. The Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, also on the Krems campus but a separate institution from the Universität für Weiterbildung Krems, offers a three-year Bachelor's degree in Medical Science followed by a three-year Master's degree in Human Medicine, which ends with the degree Dr. med. univ. Private universities set their own fees.

Admission: the MedAT

Anyone applying for the first time to study medicine at a public medical university must pass the MedAT. It is the same test at all four locations on the same day, and applicants choose one location when they register. The test and its preparation materials are only in German, and German at level C1 is required for admission.

• Registration is expected from 1 to 31 March 2027, and the test on 9 July 2027
• The MedAT fee is €110
• There are 1,806 places in human medicine across Austria: 704 in Vienna, 390 in Innsbruck, 382 in Graz and 330 in Linz
• In 2026, 13,248 of the 16,880 registered candidates took the test

Places are allocated by test ranking within quotas. At least 95% of places in human medicine are reserved for applicants from the Austrian and EU quotas, and at least 75% for holders of an Austrian school leaving certificate. Applicants in the non-EU quota can receive at most 5% of the places. No proof of Latin is needed for admission, but students must pass a supplementary Latin exam during their studies. Students who have already started medicine elsewhere can apply to transfer into a higher semester with at least 180 ECTS credits (150 at JKU Linz).

Costs and residence

All students pay the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) of €26.20 per semester. At public universities, students from the EU and EEA pay no tuition within the minimum study period plus two semesters, while students from other countries with a student residence permit generally pay €726.72 per semester, according to Study in Austria.

Students from outside the EU who stay longer than six months need a Residence Permit – Student. For 2026, applicants must show funds of €722.58 per month if they are under 24 and €1,308.39 per month from the age of 24, for twelve months in advance. For programmes with an entrance exam, the university can issue a conditional admission letter for the residence application.

The schools in our list

• Universität für Weiterbildung Krems: its Faculty of Health and Medicine offers university continuing education programmes and a PhD programme in Regenerative Medicine; research covers regenerative medicine, evidence-based medicine, epidemiology and health economics
• UMIT TIROL, Hall in Tirol: a private university with master's programmes such as Medical Informatics (MSc) and Public Health (MPH), and doctoral programmes including Sports Medicine, Health Tourism and Leisure Sciences

Careers

The Dr. med. univ. is the basis for postgraduate training as a general practitioner or in a medical specialty. According to the Medical University of Innsbruck, graduates are also prepared for careers in biomedical research.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study medicine in English in Austria?

Not at the public medical universities. The MedAT and its preparation materials are only in German, and admission requires German at level C1.

How long does it take to study medicine in Austria?

Twelve semesters (360 ECTS credits) for the Diplomstudium Humanmedizin, ending with the title Dr. med. univ.

How many places are there for non-EU students?

Applicants in the non-EU quota can receive at most 5% of the 1,806 places in human medicine, and they must rank among the best in the MedAT.

Do I need Latin?

Not for admission. Students must pass a supplementary Latin exam during their studies, within the deadlines set by each university.