The VDSP is a programme to attract, support and mentor motivated students from the start of their doctoral studies to their next step after graduation.

VDSP students

• Work at the forefront of fundamental science and physical technology,
• Enjoy comprehensive teaching, monitoring and advisory programme,
• Are usually paid employees in their research groups,
• Benefit from support for subsistence, scientific travel, networking and in outreach activities,
• Are supported as future leaders in science, technology and society through career development training.

All groups have some funds allocated for travel expenses. The VDSP additionally provides its students with the opportunity to apply for conference travel grants. We prefer students who were able to win invited talks and posters.

The VDSP regularly offers common activities for fellows, such as excursions, retreats or discussions. You can learn more about our activities here.

You can apply for the VDSP as an external or internal Master student (who is about to finish their Master Studies). The VDSP is a programme to attract, support and mentor motivated students from the start of their doctoral studies to their next step after graduation. Students can also complete their doctoral studies without being part of a doctoral school.

Note that if you apply as an internal student, we can only accept applications from students who have not yet been enrolled to the doctoral study programme.

VDSP is a program to attract, support and mentor highly gifted and motivated students to their next scientific and professional career step.
Even though being a member of VDSP is not a formal prerequisite you can only start a PhD at the University of Vienna if you fulfill several requirements. Finding a matching PhD supervisor is one of them and VDSP can help you with that.

You can apply to the VDSP programme as soon as you have completed a Bachelor with Honors, or are close to (beyond the) end of your Master’s degree. You should present a credible case that by the time of the envisioned employment you will have the required scientific maturity and that you will fulfill the formal prerequisites to enroll for a doctoral program.

Although the VDSP has an open call throughout the year, there are application deadlines twice a year. These determine the assignment of applications to dates of recruitment days.

No, you must submit your application through our online application system.

No, it is not allowed to upload letters of recommendation yourself. Neither can you send these letters via email to the VDSP office. Your academic advisors are asked to send their letters themselves.

Students do not need language proficiency scorecards for applying to the VDSP programme. However, your proficiency will be checked during the interview process and you are expected to be fluent as English is the working language within VDSP.

Please note that for general admission to the doctoral studies, other conditions may apply.

The PhD is in English and so all nationalities are welcome to apply when fluent in English. We do believe that learning the German language will help international students to get immersed in the rich local culture of Vienna.
Therefore, the University offers doctoral students two free beginner level courses. Additionally, we support our Mobility Fellows financially if they want to join higher level courses.

A doctoral studies is set to take four years. The students are required to plan accordingly and present their plan within the first year in a faculty open presentation. In practice, due to the nature of some projects, extensions are possible and doctoral studies can take longer. Faculty positions are generally set for four years, due to teaching, but the studies can also be concluded within a shorter timeframe.

Grades in Austria are ranked from 1 (very good) to 5 (fail).
Doctoral degrees are ranked on three scales:  

• pass with distinction ("Mit Auszeichnung bestanden")
  For that one you will need an average better than 1.5 on the courses and get the best possible average grade (1) from the referees for both the thesis and the defense (see https://satzung.univie.ac.at/en/study-law/ § 18 (3)).
• pass
• not passed

Additionally, one can graduate sub auspiciis praesidentis, which also factors in other academic achievements from both secondary and tertiary educational institutions (see https://senat.univie.ac.at/promotion-sub-auspiciis-praesidentis/, German only), but might be restricted to students from certain countries.

• PhD Handbook: Navigating your Doctorate
• Within the first year of their doctoral studies, students have to present a detailed plan with a comprehensive timetable at the faculty open presentations.
• Throughout your studies you need to acquire 24 ECTS points which you can obtain through successful examinations in lectures, exercises and seminars dedicated to PhD and Master students. Also summer schools and complementary skills can be partially accounted for but at least 50% of the credits must come from advanced physics lectures and seminars at our faculty. The courses and lectures you will visit have to be determined in your doctoral thesis agreement.
• The thesis must be completed in English, checked for plagiarism and submitted online as well as in three hardcover copies. The thesis will be evaluated by external referees, excluding your supervisor and close collaborators.
• You will need to defend your work in front of a committee, consisting of your supervisor, the director of studies as well as two external referees.

For a more comprehensive description, have a look at this link (curriculum, §5, only in German) or this one (Study Law).

At least 24 ECTS credit points during the complete doctoral studies (have a look at the curriculum requirements here). Generally speaking, courses play an almost negligible role in the doctoral studies. 30 ECTS is the equivalent of one semester full-time study, but most professors prefer their students doing lab-work or going to conferences, and a majority of the course-load can also be obtained from seminars or summer schools.

Generally speaking, FWF-Project holders (most positions) do not have to teach while University employees have teaching obligations. The workload can vary and is between two week-long praktika in a semester to one day per week for a semester. Most VDSP students do not teach or not more than 2 hours per week, as tutors in basic physics courses or lab courses.

Please find here further information, only available in German.

Like in many other Universities, this will mostly depend on your Professor and your group. Most groups are small enough that students can be mentored closely throughout their doctoral studies. Nevertheless we expect you to develop scientific vision and maturity, such that you can propose and implement new ideas. The VDSP encourages you to choose up to two additional mentors, who can give you an outside perspective on your progress during your studies.

PhD positions are funded and include social benefits. Most positions are funded by the FWF public science funding agency. Their salary can be found online and amount to a net sum of 21.000€ per year after social security contribution and taxes. The University pays your social and medical insurances as well as your pension provision plan and unemployment insurance directly as a part of your gross salary. Independent of which project or agency is funding your project, you will be employed and payed by the University of Vienna and insured with BVAEB.
Important to note is that the salary is paid 14 times per year and therefore it is necessary to compare the net, or gross annual salary when comparing to other countries. PhD positions that are funded by the University are generally compensated the same as FWF project positions. More information on this website (group B1).

Generally speaking, 25 days per year. Additionally, Austria has an astoundingly large number of 13 public holidays.

You are responsible for working towards the completion of your project in time. However, if funding allows, advisors may extend the contracts. Your membership in VDSP, however, will be ended after a maximum period of 4 years in the programme.

You will no longer be part of the VDS Physics. When you want to leave the VDSP, but still want to continue your PhD, please write us a short email. For quitting your PhD, please contact the Center for Doctoral Studies.

The PhD is in English and so all nationalities are welcome to apply when fluent in English. We do believe that learning the German language will help international students to get immersed in the rich local culture of Vienna.
Therefore, the University offers two free German beginner level courses.

Language Center of the University of Vienna

As one of the largest employers in Austria, the University of Vienna strives to support its staff in reconciling job and family duties. This website provides information about the University of Vienna's offers and services related to the reconciliation of work and family life.

The city of Vienna lies at the geographical heart of Europe. It regularly tops the Quality of Living Rankings and offers a rich cultural programme.

Founded in 1365, the University of Vienna, is one of the oldest and largest universities in Europe. It is Alma Mater to more than 90.000 students and 10.000 staff members today.

The first Faculty of Physics was headed by Christian Doppler and many famous reserachers studied, worked and taught here: Josef Loschmidt, Josef Stefan, Ernst Mach, Ludwig Boltzmann, Lise Meitner, Victor Franz Hess, Erwin Schrödinger and Hans Thirring. Our faculty is connected to a large number of leading institutions world-wide and has been awarded many prestigious research grants.

Vienna is famous for its music, art and pastries. With almost 200.000 students and 1.9 million inhabitants, Vienna has also much more to offer. While the excellent public transport and the extensive bike roads make it easy to reach every spot in the city, it is also really cheap to just live close to the first district and the university. All this contributes to Vienna being consistently ranked one of the most livable cities in the world. If you’ve had enough of the city, the airport, which is the operating centre for both Austrian Airlines and Easyjet in Europe, can easily be reached by public transport. Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, Zagreb and Munich are only a few of the cities that can be reached in less than 4 hours by train, bus or car, and the Alps are also only a short car or train-ride away.

For a metropolis of the size of Vienna, it is surprisingly cheap to live in Vienna. Compared to most German or Swiss student cities, housing is rather cheap and easy to find - even close to the first district. Its status as one of the largest student cities in central Europe makes it easy to find events and activities that are also affordable if one wants to save their money.
Did you already know that Vienna has been ranked the most liveable city in the world? See for yourself: BBC news article & Global Liveability Ranking.
Further information about living in and moving to Vienna can be found here.

Depending on your country of origin, different regulations regarding entry and residence in Austria may apply. More information is available here.