Prospective students

General information

Around 3000 people study at the Faculty of Mathematics.

We offer Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degree programmes (scientific education) and - together with our partners in the North-East network - teacher training programmes (subject to combination, i.e. a further teaching subject must be studied).

This makes us the largest academic training centre in Austria and the largest teacher training centre in the field of mathematics.

Every year, around 300 students complete their maths degree with us.

Our degree programmes offer a wide range of mathematical subjects combined with a variety of specialisation options.

Modern mathematics: rich in tradition and future-orientated

Mathematics is one of the oldest scientific disciplines, with roots dating back to antiquity. It has always attracted creative minds who focussed their energy on solving difficult problems in geometry, analysis, algebra and number theory and helped to build the fascinating science we know today.

Many people believe that maths is a science that is far removed from reality and only deals with problems that have no meaning outside of mathematics. This is by no means true: above all, maths is also the basis of the natural sciences; it provides the right language for models that are used to make predictions about the course of physical or chemical processes. However, the description of our environment using mathematics is no longer limited to physics and chemistry: The combination of mathematical models, analytical procedures and computer methods forms the backbone, so to speak, of modern technologies and has now proven its worth in many disciplines, such as biology, finance, insurance and economics. Consequently, UNESCO designated the year 2000 as the "Year of Mathematics".

Studying at the Faculty of Mathematics

Mathematics is a very internationally orientated discipline with many attractive opportunities to study abroad.

The degree programme at the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Vienna is very student-friendly:

• In the initial phase of the degree programme, workshops led by tutors are offered, in which any missing prior knowledge from school can be made up for.
• The faculty's many strong research groups make it possible to specialise in a variety of mathematical fields (especially in the Master's and doctoral programmes). The advanced curricula offer a wide range of options. 
• The ratio of professors to students is very good.

Career prospects for mathematics graduates

The degree programme in Mathematics at the University of Vienna reflects the rich and diverse connections to very modern technologies (computer science, cryptography, genetics, biomathematics, semiconductor technology, etc.) and current fields of interest (economics, statistics, financial mathematics) as well as the fundamental importance for the natural sciences (physics, chemistry) and philosophy (especially logic).

It is precisely this breadth of applications that makes well-trained mathematicians so versatile; they are simply irreplaceable thanks to the analytical precision of thought that is so thoroughly trained in mathematics studies. The degree programme is a real challenge; accordingly, graduates are hardly ever found in the unemployment statistics. In addition to the typical work in teaching and research, more and more new job profiles are developing for mathematicians, which are not easy to outline precisely because of the universality and interdisciplinarity of mathematics: Mathematicians design complex software systems, carry out simulation calculations in mechanical engineering, calculate risk premiums for insurance policies, determine the value of financial contracts, optimise cable networks, plan production processes, produce statistics, model the functioning of the brain and research economic relationships.

Admission to the degree programme

Admission and enrollment are handled by the university's central administrative office for student services and teaching.