Vorstudienlehrgang (VGUH)
Vorstudienlehrgang der Grazer Universitäten und Hochschulen
The Vorstudienlehrgang der Grazer Universitäten und Hochschulen - VGUH for short - is a preparatory course that offers courses in cooperation with all universities in Graz.
The courses offered include German courses to establish the required C1 German language skills and specialist courses to establish the equivalence of an international school-leaving qualification with the Austrian Matura.
Only students who have been admitted to a degree program at a university in Graz are allowed to participate in the VGUH.
If you have any questions about registration or general questions about the VGUH, please contact the VGUH directly. The University of Graz is only a cooperation partner and therefore cannot provide any information for the VGUH.
No! You can only attend the VGUH if you meet all the requirements for a regular course of study. This means that you must already have an A2 certificate before applying to study. You can find detailed information on the A2 certificates here.
No! You can only attend the VGUH if it is required for admission to a degree program. In order for the university to determine this, you must apply for the degree program you wish to study. The course can only be attended with a valid admission letter from the university for a regular degree program.
The university can order two types of supplementary examinations at the VGUH:
1. German examination to establish German C1
2. subject specific examinations to establish the equivalence of the school-leaving certificate
Please note that the university only requests the examinations. Attending the specialized courses serves as preparation for the examinations and is voluntary. However, enrollment at the university via the VGUH is only possible if you attend the courses.
Generally, the university can only check on the basis of an application whether or not specialist courses (supplementary examinations) are necessary to establish the equivalence of the school-leaving qualification.
With a school education of 11 school years, 4 supplementary examinations must be taken at the VGUH.
The university uses the statutory regulations of the Austrian Universities Act (UG) to check whether and which examinations must be taken.
Yes, if your school-leaving certificate is not equivalent to an Austrian Matura, supplementary examinations must be taken. Studies that have been started but not completed cannot replace the supplementary examinations.
Supplementary examinations can only be waived if you have already completed a study program at the time of application. Studies completed after the application cannot be considered.
No. The supplementary examinations provide a general university entrance qualification. The supplementary examinations are dependent on the school leaving certificate. They are not dependent on the study program you applied for.
No. Course attendance is voluntary. It serves as preparation for the supplementary examination(s). The university only requires positive certificates for the examinations taken. You can therefore take the examinations without having attended the course beforehand.
In principle, yes. Please note that Austrian universities sometimes offer different language exams or specialized courses. This means that we may have to request different or additional exams.
For a German C1 certificate, C1 must be explicitly stated on the certificate. Otherwise, the C1 exam must be taken at the VGUH in any case
The VGUH itself regulates how long you can attend the course in its "Statut und Prüfungsordnung des Vorstudienlehrgangs der Grazer Universitäten und Hochschulen (VGUH)".
The duration regulated by the VGUH is stated in the admission letter issued by the university.
You can attend the VGUH for a maximum of 4 semesters to achieve the German C1 level.
If you also have to take supplementary examinations, you can attend the VGUH for a maximum of 5 semesters.
If you already have C1 and only have to take supplementary exams, you can attend the VGUH for a maximum of 2 semesters.
Whether you attend the course at the VGUH is your decision. However, the deadline for attending the VGUH cannot be extended. You must pass the examination(s) within the specified period.
Please note that you will only receive a confirmation of enrollment from the university if you are registered for the course.
If you not only want to take the exams at the VGUH, but also want to take part in the specialized courses to prepare for the exam, you must first register at the VGUH in order to be able to enrol at the University of Graz as an irregular student.
In order to register for the VGUH, you first need an admission letter from the University of Graz. With this admission letter, you register at the VGUH in person. You can find detailed information on the VGUH homepage: https: //vorstudienlehrgang.at/de/graz
If the registration at the VGUH was successful and you have paid the course fee, the VGUH will forward your information to us. We will only enrol you once we have received confirmation from the VGUH by e-mail. We will then send you the payment information and your matriculation number by email.
ATTENTION: Your enrollment will only take place by email once we have received the information from the VGUH. You do not have to come to the Admissions Office in person.
It takes a few days for the VGUH to receive the payment. Only then can it send the university your so-called master data sheet, which confirms your registration with the VGUH. Processing at the university can then take a few more days.
When it has been more than a week since you have paid your fees at the VGUH, you should contact the VGUH to check whether they have received your payment.
Yes, if you attend the VGUH you must register as an irregular student.
You will then receive a student account. You can use this account to download a confirmation of enrollment. This is a confirmation that you are an irregular student of the university attending the VGUH.
This confirmation is accepted in Austria, for example, for visa matters or for insurance matters.
