In contrast to universities, technical colleges have fixed timetables. Projects are often worked on in small groups. Attendance is compulsory for most courses, this is only partially the case at universities. “Studies at universities are less schooled and offer more freedom,” sums up Weichbold. This freedom can offer advantages when it comes to setting the focus of your studies, choosing the topic for the master’s thesis or concrete implementation.
What is an advantage for one person may be a disadvantage for another. “Students who prefer to work with specific specifications and a stronger involvement may feel more comfortable at a university of applied sciences,” points out Weichbold. In principle, master’s programs at universities are more closely related to science, he adds. The aim of studies at universities of applied sciences is explicitly vocational training.
” FHs approach the study from the practical side.”
Dominic Engel
FH Salzburg
“The offers of the universities of applied sciences approach the study from the practical side”, confirms the FH managing director Dominik Engel. The project-related discussion of a topic is often at the beginning, while the theoretical foundations are developed at the same time. A major advantage of FHs is the extra-occupational study offer: “Teaching then takes place, for example, at off-peak times or in blocks. This enables students to better combine work, studies and family,” says Engel. Around a third of the 3,200 students at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences complete their studies part-time.
However, the differences between technical colleges and universities are becoming increasingly blurred, adds Andreas Altmann, rector of the MCI in Innsbruck. “Studies at universities are becoming increasingly ‘schooled’ and are trying to approximate those at universities of applied sciences,” he says. But the trend remains: FH studies are more practical, business-related and relevant to the labor market.
“Study what makes sense and is fun.”
In terms of study law, degrees from technical colleges and universities are equivalent. This also means that with a bachelor’s degree at a university you can start a master’s degree at a university of applied sciences and vice versa. The prerequisite is that the studies fit thematically. “It is important that the students do what they find useful and what they enjoy. All conceivable combinations are possible, including at home and abroad, full-time and part-time,” says MCI Rector Altmann.
And where are the better job opportunities – college or university?
The job prospects after studying at a university of applied sciences are excellent, says Managing Director Dominik Engel. “Many students receive job offers from companies even while they are still studying” – or they usually find a suitable job immediately afterwards. With workshops, coaching and career advice, you are already being prepared for the professional world during your studies. The job prospects are also very good at the universities – across the different subjects, adds Martin Weichbold from the University of Salzburg.
According to a recent survey, career prospects are excellent: two years after completing their studies, four out of five university graduates are employed and only two percent are affected by unemployment. This was shown by a joint project by Statistics Austria and a consortium of Austrian universities led by the University of Vienna. Three years after graduation, the average gross monthly salary is around 3,400 euros, five years later it’s 3,800 euros, ten years after graduation, graduates earn an average of 4,600 euros, “although the salary varies depending on the course and academic degree,” said Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a university of applied sciences or a university – a master’s degree always pays off financially.
