Lauder Business School

Lauder Business School is a university of applied sciences in Vienna, founded in 2003 by the Ronald Lauder Foundation under its president Ronald S. Lauder. It sits in the Döbling district, between Pyrkergasse and Hofzeile, on a campus built around a former baroque palace associated with Maria Theresa and later owned by members of the Rothschild family. Vienna was chosen as a bridge between western and eastern traditions. The school is secular and has no religious influence on its business curriculum, though it is adjusted for Jewish students and people interested in Judaism: no classes fall on major Jewish holidays or Austrian bank holidays.

The school is listed in the Austrian national register as a Fachhochschule, a university of applied sciences, with its seat in Wien. The register shows three English-taught degree programmes: one Bachelor's and two Master's. Teaching runs in line with the Bologna requirements, and the programmes are accredited by the Austrian quality assurance agency and listed with the federal ministry. In 2024 the school received accreditation from the U.S. Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), after starting that process in 2018.

The subjects are International Business and Finance. The Bachelor in International Business Administration runs six semesters and 180 ECTS, with a strong practical side, preparing graduates for international organisations and enterprises. The Master in International Management and Leadership runs four semesters and 120 ECTS, centred on executive management, decision-making and strategy in complex structures, and includes an SAP beginner's certificate. The Master in Strategic Finance and Business Analytics also runs four semesters and 120 ECTS, combining international finance and corporate strategy with business analytics. The school also runs online MBA and Executive MBA programmes, and its own language department teaches German, Hebrew, Russian and Spanish, with students required to take at least one.

For an international student, the practical points are these. You apply directly to the institution, which runs its own admission process. Students from outside the EU/EEA need a Residence Permit for Students. At public universities, EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters, most others pay a per-semester fee, and every student pays the student union fee. Check the school's own fee and admission details before applying, since it is a university of applied sciences rather than a public university.