Bachelor Programme Psychology Vienna

Are there scholarships available?

Unfortunately, we do not have a scholarship scheme set up yet. Merit-based scholarships are available to second and third-year students. A general reduction of the tuition fee for freshmen is not possible.

• Scholarship Page

Can I start studying in the summer semester?

It is not possible to start in the summer semester. There is one intake per year and that is in September for the winter semester.

Can I transfer credits?

SFU Vienna welcomes credit transfer applications. After being admitted to the study programme, students can then submit the credit transfer application to our Study Service Center. Please do not forget to attach your relevant transcripts and course descriptions. For more details, contact the Study Service Center.

Do I need to submit proof of my English proficiency if I’m a native speaker?

If you have completed your most recent studies (in the last two years) in English or are a native English speaker you don’t need to submit further English proficiency proof.

Can you process my application without the admission fee?

Unfortunately not. All applicants have to upload the required documents in the online portal and pay the processing fee as a final step to have their application submitted for review.

What is a letter of motivation?

The letter of motivation is an important part of your application, which will help us learn more about your goals and reasons for wanting to study psychology, as well as helping us to get an idea of who you are as an individual. Your letter of motivation must be written in English, and should be approximately one page in length.

Some important points to consider are: educational and personal background, motivation for psychology studies, career plans, etc.

Can I apply without my final diploma and transcript?

Yes, in the beginning you may apply with your most recent transcript of records. If accepted, we will offer you a ‘conditional acceptance’, which means that a place in the programme is reserved for you. This place will become definite once you submit your certificate to us, latest by the beginning of the academic semester on 1^st September.

Can I apply without the English test results?

We can review your application if you can provide evidence that you have already booked your English exam date.

If accepted, we will offer you a ‘conditional acceptance’, which means that a place in the programme is reserved for you. This place will become definite once you submit your certificate to us, latest by the beginning of the academic semester, on 1^st September. Kindly note that part of the interview will be assessing your English speaking and comprehension skills.

Please also note that students who need a visa to study in Austria cannot receive a Conditional Acceptance Letter if the proof of English proficiency has not been provided!

Do I have to be in Vienna for the interview?

All interviews are conducted online through MS Teams.

Also, our campus buildings are open for visitors. If you want a tour of our campus before applying, please reach out to admissions@sfu.ac.at to schedule a visit.

What should I expect from my admission interview?

The interview lasts approximately 30 minutes. The interviewer will ask you about your motivation, your background, your documents and other information based on your application. It is important to be yourself. The interview is our chance to get to know you, so we want to get insights into your personality and your potential. It is also a chance for you to ask any questions you might have about the programme.

How do I confirm my spot in the programme?

Upon receiving the admission offer and study contract, please ensure the return of the signed study contract within two weeks of receiving it, in order to secure your placement in the programme. If you do not submit your signed contract within two weeks, your spot may be offered to another candidate.

When will the timetable for the first semester be available?

You will find a copy of the timetable on our website after the 15^th of August: https://psychologie.sfu.ac.at/en/academics/students/timetable

Application & admission period:

• Application deadline for non-EU Citizens: 1 February 2026 – 15 May 2026
• Application deadline for EU Citizens, holders of EU residence permits or the citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland: 1 February 2026 – 31 August 2026

Formal prerequisite for admission to the Bachelor Psychology programme at the Faculty of Psychology in Vienna is proof of an university entrance qualification such as:

• a secondary school leaving certificate (Matura or Abitur), vocational certificate (Berufsreifeprüfung) or equivalent (foreign) qualifications (e.g. high school diploma); or
• a relevant university entrance qualification examination (Studienberechtigungsprüfung); or
• a subject-relevant study admission examination as regulated in the examination regulations of the Faculty of Psychology under § 12.

Language requirements:

All applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of an English proficiency level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) through one of the following tests taken within the last two years:
– TOEFL
– IELTS
– IB (International Baccalaureate)
– CAE is acceptable as long as it provides equivalent English knowledge compared to our requirements

A minimum German language prociency level is not required for participation in the International Programme. Nevertheless, please keep in mind that Austria is a German speaking country and although it is relatively easy to get by with English, basic knowledge of German is very useful.

Desired grade point average: ≤ 2.0 (referring to Austrian Grade 2.0)

The admission regulations can be found at Regulations & Notifications (in German).

The admission for the winter semester 2026/27 starts on 1 February 2026 and consists of the online application and the selection procedure. If the admission is successfully completed, a study spot will be allocated subject to availability.

Online application:

Please register on our Application Platform and select the desired field of study. Then provide the following documents with your online application:

• University entrance qualification certificate, i.e., secondary school leaving certificate (Matura, Abitur) or foreign equivalents such as a high school diploma or an IB diploma of an international high school with English as the main language
• Transcript of records (including official grades in English)
• Motivation letter
• CV
• Proof of English proficiency (also see “Admission Requirements”)
• Passport copy or identity card
• Copy of Austrian e-card (if available)
• Picture
• Payment confirmation of the administrative fee of € 550

Selection procedure:

Once all documents have been received and accepted, you will receive an invitation for an interview. The interview is designed to familiarise applicants with the requirements of the programme, as well as to explore the applicants’ personality, and assess their aptitude for the programme and the profession.
You will be informed by email approximately 2 weeks after your admission interview whether you have been admitted to the programme. The information and admission interviews will be held until the end of September.
After successful admission and signing of the study contract, students are enrolled.

• Join us at our next online information event!

• Curriculum.pdf
• Module Handbook.pdf

The students acquire competences for the scientific processing of theoretical and practical problems in psychology. They have a sound knowledge of social science research methods, can independently apply scientific working techniques, are aware of the current state of knowledge of the basic sub-disciplines of psychology, have an overview of the epistemological interests and research strategies of individual disciplines bordering on psychology and have developed and expanded their communicative action competences in their own practical modules.
A Bachelor’s thesis is required for successfully completing the degree programme.

A Master’s degree is expected to be a prerequisite for working as a psychologist (Austrian Psychologists Act).
The most common fields of activity for psychologists: Health care (clinical psychology, psychotherapy, neuro- or rehabilitation psychology), work, organisational and business psychology (industrial psychology, personnel management, labour market administration, business and personnel consulting, advertising), educational psychology (school psychology, educational counselling centres), university (research, teaching, student counselling) and traffic psychology.

Tuition fees (as of winter semester 2026/27):

• Bachelor’s Degree Programme (BSc., 6 semesters): € 7,719 per semester
• Costs admission procedure: € 550
  This administrative fee is a one-time fee and not refundable in any circumstances.

Tuition fees are charged for the standard programme duration (Bachelor’s Degree: 6 semesters). The total costs of studying at SFU will not increase in case a student’s studies are extended by one year.

Contact Finance and Controlling:

Mail: psy-accounting@sfu.ac.at
Phone: +43 1 798 40 98 304
Opening and telephone hours: Mo-Thur: 10 am–3 pm / Fr: 10 am–3 pm, by telephone only
Address: Freudplatz 1, 3rd floor, room 3002

• General payment modalities

Following the applicable criteria, Sigmund Freud Private University awards scholarships every year.

Application deadline for non-EU Citizens: 1 February 2026 – 15 May 2026
Application deadline for EU Citizens, holders of EU residence permits or the citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland: 1 February 2026 – 31 August 2026

• Next information event
• Academic year
• Timetable
• Graduation

The English Bachelor Programme in Psychology was accredited by the Austrian Accreditation Council in 2018. All SFU Accreditation Reports are available in German.

According to the reform of psychotherapy training in Germany, students who wish to pursue a Master’s degree in psychotherapy after completing a Bachelor’s degree in psychology must complete a defined amount of courses that are intended to prepare them for the future profession of psychotherapist as part of the Bachelor’s degree programme.

In our psychology programme offered in German, we have therefore integrated an elective module with corresponding courses into the regular curriculum of the Bachelor’s degree programme (from winter semester 2020/21 onwards), which is oriented towards the requirements of the legal reform. If there are additional changes with regard to the legal requirements or implementation guidelines in Germany, we will further adapt the courses in this elective module.

Please note that we currently do not offer this option in our English Bachelor programme. For further details contact us at bachelor.psychologie@sfu.ac.at

The new legal regulation of psychotherapy training in Austria will come into force on 1 October 2026. In future, training will be divided into three stages:

• Bachelor’s programme as the first stage of training
• Master’s programme in psychotherapy
• Postgraduate psychotherapeutic specialisation (3rd phase)

A particular focus of the academisation of training is step 2, i.e. the establishment of Master’s degree programmes in psychotherapy at public universities on 1 October 2026. The Psychotherapy Act 2024, which otherwise came into force on 1 January 2025, stipulates in accordance with Section 10 (2) (2) that a completed Bachelor’s degree in psychology (at least 180 ECTS) at a recognised university is equivalent to the first stage of training (step 1 of psychotherapy training). This means that the Bachelor’s degree programme in Psychology at SFU qualifies students to apply for a Master’s degree in Psychotherapy at an Austrian university.

In addition, the new Psychotherapy Act 2024 stipulates that psychologists who are already registered in the lists of clinical psychologists or health psychologists can ‘enter’ directly into the specialist training (step 3) of psychotherapy in accordance with Section 10 (3) Z 3 and 4. This means that a psychology degree and postgraduate training to become a clinical psychologist or health psychologist will in future be equivalent to the first two stages of training to become a psychotherapist.

From spring 2026, fully funded statutory health insurance places will be available in Austria for clinical psychological treatment and psychological therapy, in line with the arrangements already in place for psychotherapy. In addition, as in previous years, clients will be able to reclaim treatment costs from their health insurance providers under the private practitioner reimbursement scheme.

Application and Admission

For general questions on the application process and admission to this programme, please contact:

Programme Head

Studies Service Centre

Studies Service Centre (SSC) – Office Hours:

Tuesday: 10:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 15:30
Wednesday: 10:00 – 12:30
Thursday: 10:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 15:30

Address: Freudplatz 1, 5th floor, 1020 Vienna
Tel: +43 1 798 40 98 532
Email: psychology@sfu.ac.at