University of Salzburg

Welcome

Dear Prospective Student,

Welcome to the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, a great place to study! Located in a breathtakingly beautiful alpine setting in Northwestern Austria, the city of Salzburg boasts a rich cultural heritage, an old town that is a UNESCO world heritage site, beautiful parks, palaces, and an imposing fortress. It is also a city known the world over for its favourite son Mozart and for the famed Salzburg music and arts festival. Since 1622 it has also been a university town when Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron founded the university that now bears his name. Today it comprises four faculties, with approximately 18,000 students and 2,800 employees. As a centre for innovative research, it is firmly integrated into the vibrant cultural and economic life of Salzburg and its environs that extend far into Southern Germany. With its cultural, intellectual, and economic ties, it is a modern knowledge hub located in the heart of Europe. We are also proud that our university blends seamlessly into the architectural ensemble of the historic centre. The University of Salzburg offers students a broad range of specializations with a balanced ratio of teachers to students. The University of Salzburg is committed to academic excellence and progress through research. It intends to play a vital role in helping tackle the great questions of our time. Reinhard Heinisch, Chair of the Department of Political Science on behalf of the Rector of the University of Salzburg, Prof. Heinrich Schmidinger.

Organization & Structure

The University is one of the largest employers in the country (Bundesland) and, as such, is a major stimulus for the economy of Salzburg. The management and supervision of the University is the responsibility of the Rectorate, the Rector, the University Council and the Senate. According to the organisation plan, the University is divided into Faculties, Departments, the School of Education, Focus Centres, other Institutions and Centres specialising in Research and Teaching and Administrative Services.

Faculty of Theology

The Faculty of Catholic Theology is the oldest of the four faculties of the University of Salzburg and dates back to 1622. Today, it consists of four departments. There are seven programmes of study offered at present. The faculty is determined, inter alia, through an interdisciplinary approach, which is particularly committed to teaching and research. Newly introduced, is Intercultural Theology and Study of Religions, which takes into consideration socio-political changes.

Faculty of Law

At the Faculty of Law, students have a choice of five-degree programmes in which they can enrol. Since 2004, the academic discipline Law and Economics have been offered, and this programme now has almost as many students enrolled in the degree programme in Law. The knowledge network of Law, Business and the Work Environment is the point of contact for the economy.

Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences

The Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences is the largest faculty in Salzburg. It consists of twelve departments and offers over 30 study programmes. Student teachers have ten teaching subjects to choose from, including many languages and historical disciplines. In 2012, the former Teacher Education programme was expanded and united into the newly established School of Education. Another special study programme offered is the interdisciplinary Master’s program in European Union Studies which combines courses in European Politics, European Law, European Economic Integration, History of European Integration, Sociology and Communications Science.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

The Faculty of Natural Sciences is the second largest university faculty. Due to the many different specialized sciences in this faculty, it has the highest percentage of external funding at the university. There are eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences that offer seven study programmes. It offers two technical study programmes: the study of Engineering is offered as a double degree program with the Technische Universität of Munich, and of particular importance is the Teacher Training in the field of Natural Sciences.