WU Vienna University of Economics and Business

WU Vienna University of Economics and Business is a public university in Vienna, Austria. It is a business school, and it holds triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The main campus, Campus WU, is in Vienna's 2nd district at Welthandelsplatz 1, next to the Vienna Fair Ground and close to the Prater public park. The Library & Learning Center, the dominant building on the campus, was planned by Zaha Hadid. The campus is served by two underground stations on the U2 line and a number of buses.

The institution began on 1 October 1898 as the k.u.k. Exportakademie, set up to train future businesspeople and so stimulate the economy of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In 1919 it gained Hochschule status and became the Hochschule für Welthandel. It won the right to issue doctoral degrees in 1930. After the Second World War it broadened its research and became an important institution in Austrian society, with many managers and politicians educated there. From 1966 it offered a more theoretically oriented course in economics, and in 1975 it was renamed Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien. Student numbers grew, and the university moved to a campus in the 9th district in 1982. That site became too small, and Campus WU opened in October 2013.

Teaching covers business, economics, social sciences and business law. The university offers three bachelor's programmes, including one English-taught degree in Business and Economics, plus German- and English-language master's programmes, doctoral and PhD studies, and MBA and executive education. Fields include business administration, economics, socioeconomics, quantitative finance, international management, business communication, and socio-ecological economics and policy.

The Austrian national register lists WU in the university category as a public institution, with 24 programmes of all kinds and languages. Twelve of these are English-taught degree programmes: one bachelor's, nine master's and two PhD or doctorate. Subjects taught include international business, finance, business and management, marketing, economics, business administration, and communication and media.

For an international student, the practical points are straightforward. You apply directly to WU, which sets its own application period and entrance procedure, so check the dates on its website early. Students from outside the EU and EEA need a Residence Permit for Students. At public universities, EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration of study plus two semesters, while most other students pay a per-semester fee. Every student also pays the student union fee.