14 - Austria - Progression of students

Colleges and other training institutions for health occupations

Under the law governing training at paramedical colleges, a transfer to the next higher year is only possible after the successful completion of the preceding year of training. Under certain conditions, students may transfer to the next higher year in spite of a negative assessment in one subject by virtue of a decision of the admission board and the teacher in question.

At midwifery colleges, a transfer to the next higher year is generally possible only after successful completion of the preceding year of training, unless the period of training was extended to repeat a failed practical-training course.

Universities

As a general rule, students may resit for examinations three times. The third resit has to be taken in front of a board of examiners. The university charter must specify whether and how many further examination resits may be granted.

Students failing to pass the last admissible repeat examination will be expelled from the study course at the university at which they failed to pass the last examination resit. They may resume or restart this course at any other Austrian university. Students may switch to another study course at the same university at any time. Previously passed exams may be credited to the new study course.

There is effectively no maximum limit to the time students may take to complete their university studies.

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