Student Mobility
Getting to know different academic environments, building an international network, and improving foreign language skills are the main reasons why WU students choose to go abroad on exchange. A number of different mobility programs are available. Students who decide to go on a traditional exchange semester or year can choose from approximately 240 partner universities on five continents. Double degree programs in cooperation with four different universities are available to students in the master’s programs in Strategy, Innovation, and Management Control (SIMC) and Marketing. The three-week International Summer University (ISU) programs, organized in cooperation with five partner schools, offer students a compact alternative to longer stays abroad.
The many incoming exchange students that come to WU each year make our campus international and provide intercultural enrichment for our students and faculty. In the 2015/16 academic year, over 1,200 international students came to WU as exchange students, as part of their degree program or to attend a Summer University program. Most of WU’s incoming exchange students come to Vienna from the USA, Canada, China, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Students with International Experience, 2015/16 Academic Year
Top Ten Home Countries of Incoming Exchange Students
Top Ten Destinations of Outgoing Exchange Students
Double Degree and Special Programs
WU offers double degree programs in cooperation with selected partner schools. Students in these programs spend a year at each of two partner schools and complete the program with a degree from both. This makes double degree programs a particularly attractive option for master’s-level students to gain international experience. This opportunity is available to around 15 students from the SIMC and Marketing programs each year.
Students in the Business Law master’s program can participate in the THEMIS certificate program, offered by WU in cooperation with seven top partner universities. The program is made up of an exchange semester, an internship, and a project seminar and provides future business law specialists with an additional international qualification.
International Summer University Programs
International Summer University (ISU) programs offer students a compact alternative to longer stays abroad. WU organizes programs for incoming students in Vienna, while WU students can attend interesting courses and diverse cultural programs at selected partner schools abroad. With the addition of the ISU Estonia in 2016, the ISU program has now added a new and attractive destination to its portfolio.
Programs at WU
27 years ago, WU was one of Austria’s first universities to introduce a Summer University program. Offering compact knowledge transfer in an intercultural environment, the ISUWU program has become an attractive summer destination for students and teachers from around the world.
International Summer UniversityWU Programs at a Glance
- July and August, 3-week programs
- Attended by a total of 201 students from 25 different countries and approx. 50 WU partner universities
- Due to the high demand and the increasing number of participants, WU teachers and guest lecturers offered more courses in 2017 than in previous years. The main focus was on current issues in international management, e.g. international entrepreneurship, global leadership in a complex and rapidly changing world, or international marketing with a focus on ethical issues.
- The cooperation with internationally active companies gave students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-life situations.
- Working in intercultural teams encourages participants to build up an international network.
The Vienna Innovation ProgramWU was new in 2016. It is aimed at master’s students interested in improving their skills in innovation management.
Vienna Innovation ProgramWU at a Glance
- May 2016
- Participants: 27 master’s and MBA students from WU and partner universities in the USA, Canada, Latin America, and Australia
- Program: Innovation Management
- Internationalization at Home: WU students can experience an international and intercultural learning environment without even leaving Vienna
International Programs
For students who are unable to spend extended periods abroad, International Summer University programs offer an attractive alternative. The three-week academic programs are organized by WU and selected partner universities. Both WU students and students from the host schools attend the programs, allowing both sides to benefit from the intercultural exchange.
International Summer University Programs at a Glance
WU students also have the opportunity to attend summer programs at the following partner institutions:
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
- Bentley University, International Summer Institute Bentley (ISIB), Waltham, Massachusetts
- University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, Global Business Leadership Institute (GBLI)
Short Programs
WU regularly hosts groups of students from partner schools for custom-made short programs. Based on the needs of the partner university, we organize company visits, lectures, and field trips. Whenever possible, WU students are included in these programs to encourage intercultural exchange on campus. In 2016, around 80 participants from four different universities attended short programs at WU:
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, Athens
- University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor
- Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, Indien
Internationality in Executive Education
The WU Executive Academy’s outstanding program portfolio has made it one of the leading executive and continuing education providers in Austria and Central and Eastern Europe: In 2016, over 2,000 managers from over 50 countries attended an Executive Academy program.
Global Executive MBA
In the Global Executive MBA program, two renowned business schools – the WU Executive Academy and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota – join together to combine their expertise. Participants attend classes at well-known universities in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, gaining insights into management and leadership practices on four continents.
The Global Executive MBA class that started in April of 2016 is not only the largest class yet, but with 48 students from 21 different countries, also the most international in the program’s history. Three-quarters of the participants are from outside Austria, from countries like Russia, Hungary, Romania, Brazil, USA, Qatar, Nigeria, and Egypt.
Executive MBA Bucharest
Since the Executive MBA Bucharest, a joint initiative of OMV/Petrom, Erste Bank/BCR, and WU, was launched a decade ago, the program has established itself on the Romanian education market like no other, and today, it is rated one of the country’s best programs. Students are expected to complete modules in Bucharest, at the WU Executive Academy, and at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. The Executive MBA Bucharest program celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016.
Global Innovation Expert
The new certificate program Global Innovation Expert sends participants to Shanghai, Vienna, and Silicon Valley to experience a variety of innovation cultures. Students work together in intercultural groups, using real-life examples to develop best practice guidelines.