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University of Arts Linz

Austria Full Member Institution

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Mission Statement

The University of Arts Linz operates at an international level. Positioned in the context of Austrian and European art universities, its focus lies on reflecting location-based strengths such as technology, media, industry, art and cultural institutions or creative industries in teaching, research and appreciation of the arts.

The University of Arts Linz points the way…

  • as a place of social innovation and critical proximity to the great challenges of today,
  • as a testing ground for a responsible future,
  • as a democratic educational institution,

and it commits to the values of diversity, pluralism and anti-discrimination.

Profile-defining points of focus

The University of Arts Linz is going to distinguish itself artistically, creatively and academically as a place of unrestricted, brave and visionary thinking and a zone of critical experimenting. With the clear goal of qualitative and quantitative growth, the university commits to four profile-defining points of focus (excerpt from the development plan until 2027 – only in german):

  • Contemporary Art and Beyond ( https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/contemporary-art-and-beyond )
  • Postdigital Cultures ( https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/postdigital-cultures )
  • Sustainable and Critical Design ( https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/sustainable-and-critical-design )
  • Transformative Research and Education ( https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/transformative-research-and-education )

These four points of focus are the further development of the previous three pillars of the University of Arts Linz's profile. They accentuate the university’s high standards and its determination to act with an eye to the future and to adapt its contents and resources to meet the social/societal, ecological and technological challenges of globalisation and digital transformation.

update 2024, 01

International Role

As an institution, the University of Arts Linz is embedded in society and the world: It thinks globally, but also defines itself locally while cultivating an international mindset and international connections as a basic principle. Internationalization is a fundament of the university’s strategic focus ( https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile). 

It follows three essential aspects:

•    internationality of disciplines
•    societal relevance
•    digital transformation and sustainability

At the University of Arts Linz, an international mindset reaches beyond concrete measures of internationalization. Embedding and addressing social problems in artistic production and reflection is one of the central principles in teaching, advancement and appreciation of the arts, design and research. Additionally, the university always aims to resonate with regional, national and international, but also with scientific, subject-specific and professional communities, especially with schools.
Internationalization of the university involves a stronger public image, brand and public relations. We can only promote international student and teacher mobility if we are recognized at the international level. The university aims for people in the region to recognize it as an international institution. Hence, the strengthening of local networks is a clearly defined goal.

The University of Arts Linz offers great expertise in the fields of media technology, media arts, design and media-cultural studies. In the context of the current ‘digital boost’, it does not consider itself a mere user. Its mission for society involves the promotion of non-commercial tools and innovative applications, driving non-proprietary use of digital technology for the sake of open science and open education and being of service to art and its inherent logic.

Two centres at the University of Arts Linz promote extended internationality: the IFK, the International Research Center for Cultural Studies (located in Vienna) and the VALIE EXPORT Center (located in Linz), a research archive for feminist art, media and performance art with an international focus.

The three previously established profile pillars ‘intermediality’, ‘spatial strategies’ and ‘artistic-scientific research’ have shaped the noticeably experimental and productive working atmosphere at the University of Arts Linz in a thematically profound way and resulted in top-class specialisation. They are an excellent starting point for the university’s further development in terms of sustainability, digital change and globalization.

The university’s fundament for projected development includes forms of interaction and formats of communication that are shaped by intercultural responsibility, mutual respect, inclusive structures of thinking and acting as well as the appreciation of diversity.
 
The university lays a focus on exchange opportunities with high-profile international art universities and research institutes, including the strong interconnection of teaching and research contents as well as exchange programmes. The annual KUNSTUNI-CAMPUSAUSSTELLUNG, part of the Ars Electronica Festival, is a great example.

The University of Arts Linz will continue the systematic development of its curriculum from an international and intercultural point of view. It promotes a comprehensive awareness of sustainability in all areas of organisation, teaching and research, concerning sustainable living, working and teaching at the university as well as the development of sustainable research and teaching contents.

update 2024, 01

National Role

On the one hand our institutional policies are focused on the synergies in the centre of a town, that has become a synonym for media art and computer sciences. The University of Arts Linz is a partner of the Ars Electronica Centre (AEC) and a co-organiser of the worldwide known Ars Electronica Festival. In the field of art there exist close relations to LENTOS Museum of Modern Art Linz which also has to be mentioned in this context. Cooperations with other relevant institutions as the Johannes Kepler University, Anton Bruckner University for Music and Performing Arts or the O.K. – Center for Contemporary Art are self-evident. We also emphasize different kinds of cooperation activities with local, regional and national industries.

In recent years, the University of Arts Linz has developed into an important location factor in the region through targeted profile building. Through ongoing cooperation with cultural institutions and business enterprises, the University of Arts Linz has been able to build up a very good network.
The FAT Fashion&Technology programme, for example, has a unique Austrian selling point, is very well networked with the regional economy and is a new attraction for international students. The specialisation BASEhabitat in the Master's programme in Architecture now attract numerous international students too.

update 2024, 01

Main Focus

Contemporary Art and Beyond
https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/contemporary-art-and-beyond

Postdigital Cultures
https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/postdigital-cultures

Sustainable and Critical Design
https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/sustainable-and-critical-design

Transformative Research and Education
https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile/transformative-research-and-education

update 2024, 01

 

Faculties and Departments

Incoming Students Information plus Image Film: https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/studium/internationales/incoming-exchange-students

Study (fields) information: Degree Programs: https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/studies/degree-programmes

Profile of the University of Arts Linz: https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/en/university/profile

Art Studies

Fine Art
Sculpture – Transmedial Space
Experimental Art
Artistic Photography
Painting & Graphic Art
Applied Studies of Culture and Art
Diploma Programme

Graphic-Design and Photography
Bachelor Programme

Visual Communication (Graphic-Design and Photography)
Master Programme

Interface Cultures
Master Programme

Sculptural Conceptions / Ceramics
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme
 

Fashion & Technology
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

space&designstrategies
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

textile·art·design
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

Time-based and Interactive Media Arts
Bachelor Programme

Time-based Media
Master Programme

Postdigital Lutherie
Master Programme

Art and Technical Studies

Architecture
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

Industrial Design
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme
Cultural Studies

Media Culture and Art Theories
Master Programme

Cultural Studies
Bachelor Programme
Programmes for Teachers

Art Education
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

Media Design
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

Design: Tech.Tex
Bachelor Programme
Master Programme

PhD Study

PhD Study program

 

Bachelor Level Programs

Bachelor level programs:

BArch in Architecture

BSc in Industrial Design

BA in Fashion & Technology

BA in Sculptural Conceptions / Ceramcis 

BA in textile.art.design

BA in Graphic Design & Photography

BA in Time-based and Interactive Media Arts

BA in Space & Design Strategies

BA in Cultural Studies
 

Teaching training programs:

BEd in Media Design

BEd in Art Education

BEd in Design: Technic and Textile

Master Level Programs

  • Master level programs

There are still two types of master studies:

1. master studies (Bologna structure):

MArch in Architecture

Dipl.-Ing. in Industrial Design

MA in Fashion & Technology

MA in Media Cultures and Art Theory (theory based)

MA in Sculptural Conceptions / Ceramics

MA in textile.art.design

MA in Interface Cultures

MA in Timebased Media

MA in Space & Design Strategies

MA in Visual Communications

MA in Postdigital Lutherie
 

teaching training programs:

MEd in media design

MEd in art education

MEd in design: technic and textile
 

2. pre-Bologna structure / diploma degree:

Mag.art. in Fine Arts

 

 

Research Activity and Main Areas

The university commits to four profile-defining points of focus:
Contemporary Art and Beyond
Postdigital Cultures
Sustainable and Critical Design
Transformative Research and Education

These four points of focus accentuate the university’s high standards and its determination to act with an eye to the future and to adapt its contents and resources to meet the social/societal, ecological and technological challenges of globalisation and digital transformation.

update 2024, 01

Doctorate Level Programs

PhD Programme
https://kunstuni-linz.at/PhD-Programme-Intro.14861+M52087573ab0.0.html

Structure

The PhD programme at University of Arts Linz has a minimum duration of 6 semesters

With the transformation of art colleges into universities of the arts in 1998, the academic spectrum of PhD programmes was expanded to include topics and practices of arts-based research (also called "arts-based research" or "artistic research"). Since then, doctoral studies at the art universities have attracted a large number of students: at the University of Arts Linz alone, there are now more than 100 PhD candidates conducting their research.
With its PhD programme, the University of Arts Linz creates a common framework for outstanding research projects from, between and across all the artistic, creative, scientific and technology-oriented departments and disciplines represented at the University of Arts Linz.
Accordingly, the topics of the PhD projects cover a wide range: the development of robotic applications in architecture, performative urbanism as a social strategy for exploring village life, telemetric investigation of the migration routes of storks, the treatment of body schemas in queer tango or the critical investigation and artistic treatment of dominant space narratives are just a few examples. Under PhD Candidates and Graduates you can view topics and brief descriptions of ongoing as well as completed PhD projects.

The PhD programme has a minimum duration of six semesters. PhD candidates work alone or in teams on their projects and are accompanied by one or more supervisors. PhD candidates have the status of early-stage researchers. The PhD programme serves to support and further develop independent artistic and/or scientific work. It creates an experiment and possibility space, in which different forms of knowledge and practices, critical confrontations, innovation as well as original ways of looking at things meet and are brought into exchange. As a matter of principle, research at the University of Arts Linz is defined as open-ended; paths of knowledge can change in the process of development, ephemeral moments, unusual paths and diverse practices of testing and discarding can be part of the PhD work. The concrete research project must contribute to knowledge within the fields of reference central to the project through new, independent findings and/or approaches, and must also be communicable and critiqueable at a later point in time. The development of a form (methodology, material, media, as well as the format of the manifestation of the results) corresponding to the project out of the research process is just as important as that of an own language or adequate media in order to document, contextualize and reflect the respective project in a transparent and comprehensible way.

update 2023, 01

Subject Areas for Exchange Students

All areas – degree programmes:
https://kunstuni-linz.at/Degree-Programmes.1217+M52087573ab0.0.html

For detailled information please visit:

https://kunstuni-linz.at/b-INCOMING-Exchange-Students-b.19936.0.html

 

Application Deadlines

Students have to be nominated by our partner universities through our digital inhouse plattform CALLS. A link will be sent before the nomination period starts.

Nomination period:

March 1st to March 31st for the winter semester

September 1st to September 30th for the summer semester

 

After nomination students will receive a link for the digital application process.

Application period:

May 1st to May 31st for the winter semester

October 1st to October 31st for the summer semester

Teaching Languages

Incoming Exchange students´ basically requested language level: Language of instruction 1:  German B1 / Language of instruction 2:  English B1

A sufficient level of German language is strongly recommended as lectures are usually held in German. Upon request many professors are willing to teach in English!

It is also strongly recommended to attend our offered German course during the exchange period. At least we expect a profound knowledge of English language from the students.

Information on individual fields of study:

Interface Cultures and Postdigital Lutherie are taught in English language. Language of instruction: English B1.

The master's programs in

  • Fashion & Technology
  • Space & Design strategies
  • Sculptural Conceptions / Ceramics

are either taught in German or in English language.

Language of instruction 1:  German B1

Language of instruction 2:  English B1

https://kunstuni-linz.at/Language.8884.0.html

update 2024, 01

 

Semester Dates

winterterm (beginning of October to the end of January)
summerterm (beginning of March to the end of June) 

https://kunstuni-linz.at/Einteilung-Studienjahr-Zeittafel.1214.0.html

Cost of Living Per Month (Studying and Living)

1.200 Euro update January, 2024

https://studyinaustria.at/en/living/living-costs

 

 

 

 

Students

Bachelor: 500
Master: 500
Doctorate: 130

Exchange Students

Incoming: 50-70
Outgoing: 50-70
Others: 30

Teaching Staff

Professors: 40
Lectures: 210
Other permanent teachers: 105

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