Your perfect choice!
Admission, term dates & deadlines
Admission (enrolment) to the Masterstudium Cross-Border Studies must occur within the admission periods.
Non-EU- or Non-EEA-citizens
The application for admission to a Master’s degree programme must be received in its entirety
- by 30 June for admission for the winter semester or, respectively,
- by 30 November for admission for the summer semester.
Prerequisites
You do not have to go through a special admission procedure to start the Master‘s degree in Cross-Border Studies in Klagenfurt.
You only have to meet the following conditions:
- Relevant Bachelor’s degree programme or a degree programme of equivalent academic value at another post-secondary educational institution
Graduates of a non-philological Bachelor’s degree programme in a relevant subject (e.g. Business Administration, Education and Educational Science, Media and Communication Studies) must also provide proof of the following qualifications: Introductory courses in the field of literature and linguistics (to the value of 6 ECTS credits) as well as language skills depending on the focus language (Slavonic language at level A2, German at level B2, English at level B2 or Italian at level A2 of the CEFR). If basic knowledge of a Slavonic language is not available at the start of the programme, this can be acquired during the first two semesters of study as part of additional courses. The ECTS credits earned can be recognised as open electives.
Information on Bachelor’s degree programmes that are relevant for admission - Proof of proficiency in German or English at Level B2 of the CEFR
German language level B2
Students whose first language is not German must prove knowledge of the German language (language level B2). At the time of application, German language skills of at least level A2 must be demonstrated. German courses and exams are offered as part of the VAAU pre-study course by www.dia.at.
English language level B2
Prospective students who apply for admission to a Master’s degree programme taught in English must provide evidence of English language proficiency at the required level at the time of application.
Winter semester 2025/26
General admission period for Master’s degree programmes
07.07. – 31.10.2025
Summer semester 2026
General admission period for Master’s degree programmes
08.01. – 31.03.2026
Programme structure
Programme structure: a tabular overview
| Subject | Designation | ECTS credits |
| Compulsory subjects | Linguistic worlds of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian OR Russian OR Slovene |
26
(12+14) |
| Languages and Literature Studies
German | English | Italian |
17
(9+8) |
|
| Introduction to Cross-Border Studies | 8 | |
| Guided electives | Specialisation
|
30
(18+12) |
Supplementary qualifications
|
||
| Internship at home or abroad/ study abroad |
6 | |
| Open electives | 12 | |
| Master’s thesis | Master’s thesis with accompanying Master’s colloquium | 20 |
| Final board examination | 1 | |
| Total | 120 |
Compulsory subjects
- Linguistic worlds of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian or Russian or Slovenian) – 26 ECTS credits
- Language (12 ECTS credits)
- Language and Literature Studies (14 ECTS credits)
This is where you will expand or deepen your language skills while also learning about the respective Slavic language and literature.
- German or English or Italian – 17 ECTS credits
- Language (9 ECTS credits)
- Language and Literature Studies (8 ECTS credits)
This is where you will expand or deepen your language skills while also learning about German/English/Italian language and literature.
- Introduction to Border Studies – 8 ECTS credits
Guided electives
Focus intensively (30 ECTS credits) on your individual specialisation:
- Business & Economics
- Applied Cultural Science
- Gender Studies
- Peace and Education Studies in Global-local Contexts
- Geography and History
- Media and Communication Studies
Or gain knowledge through a specialisation (18 ECTS credits) and the supplementary qualifications (12 ECTS credits):
Supplementary qualifications: Digitalisation, Sustainable Development, Interdisciplinary Multilingualism, advanced language skills, in-depth language / literature studies, etc.
Open electives
Open electives offer you the opportunity to delve even deeper into your area of interest or immerse yourself in an entirely new sphere.
Studying abroad
This degree programme is literally “cross-border”! You can spend around a third of your time studying abroad where you can put your knowledge straight to the test.
The legally binding version of this curriculum is the German version!
Main areas
- Language, literature and culture
We offer courses in linguistics and literature as well as in cultural studies. This is supplemented by the languages you have already mastered: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian/Montenegrin, Russian or Slovenian. - Language proficiency in German, English or Italian
Depending on your native languages, you will add to your linguistic repertoire and optimise your knowledge. - Border studies
We will provide orientation in the interdisciplinary field of Cross-Border Studies. You will come to know central concepts and approaches and gain insight into the specifics of interdisciplinary work. - Cross-border languages and literatures
Based on the languages you have selected and brought with you, you will take a comparative look at the interfaces between language and society. With you, we address the respective contemporary literature in its European and transcultural contexts. - Electives in Business Administration & Entrepreneurship, Applied Cultural Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Peace and Education Studies, Geography & History, and Media and Communication Studies
Benefit from a wide variety of restricted electives to gain the skills you plan to use in your future professional life.
These are the skills that will make you shine. And we will shine with you.
- Fine-tune your language!
To see beyond borders, we need to understand each other. We offer comprehensive language courses. Just what you need: Improve your knowledge of a Slavonic language or of German. In addition, you can choose another language such as Italian or English, in order to increase your proficiency. - Transcend academic boundaries!
The degree programme is interdisciplinary in the best sense of the word: You will meet students from very different language and cultural backgrounds. At the same time, you choose which subjects represented at the University of Klagenfurt you would like to study further! - Independent and networked thinking!
The degree programme offers plenty of freedom – but it will also challenge you. We will help you to reach good decisions independently and to think in terms of networks. All these are skills that will be of great use to you in your later professional life. - Communicate and negotiate successfully!
The degree programme is multicultural. Alterity and diversity constitute the content of the programme and daily university life in equal measure. Those who can appreciate themselves and others in all their diversity and put themselves in the shoes of others will emerge as skilful communicators and negotiators. - Solve problems!
Understanding the world in its infinite richness of colour and overcoming the narrow black-and-white grid fosters nuanced thinking. Graduates from this degree programme possess advanced problem-solving skills as a result.
Best prospects. Your professional opportunities
First things first: The world is your oyster once you graduate with a degree in Cross-Border Studies. Your concrete career prospects depend on the specialisations you choose during your studies. We can help you plan your (international) career in areas as diverse as these:
- Public Relations, Communications, Marketing
- Multinational companies with a focus on Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia, the Alps-Adriatic region as well as Russia and the Ukraine
- Publishing, cultural mediation, cultural agencies
- Newsrooms in the online and print sector
- Business development, management consultancy, regional marketing
- Public administration
The world is your own!
Rijeka, Zagreb or Maribor, Kharkiv, Belgrade or Moscow – the University of Klagenfurt has close ties to universities all over the world. We invite you to spend one semester of your Master’s degree programme abroad amounting to 30 ECTS credits. Take advantage of the opportunity to work on cross-language, cross-cultural and cross-spatial issues elsewhere without wasting time –and explore what is familiar and what is foreign while far from home. Some 250 partner universities and plenty of scholarships are available to you.
Opinions on this degree programme
The new Master’s degree programme in Cross-Border Studies at the University of Klagenfurt is the perfect choice for all students who feel at home in the Alps-Adriatic region and enjoy different languages. Thanks to the interdisciplinary nature of the degree programme and the multifaceted specialisation options, it offers the perfect foundation for diverse fields of work that involve a transnational and transcultural orientation. Carinthia is a highly attractive place to study not only because of its bilingualism; the proximity to Slovenia, Italy and Croatia makes Klagenfurt the ideal starting point for language trips and internships abroad – and of course for holidays in the mountains and on Lake Wörthersee!
The Master’s degree programme in Cross-Border Studies offers students the opportunity to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge and apply it in an international environment. The opportunity to combine diverse languages (a Slavonic language in combination with English or Italian) with the relevant border studies and other fields of study, such as media and communication studies, business administration, applied cultural studies, enables students to design and complete their studies entirely according to their personal interests and strengths. Topped off with an internship or a period of study abroad, the Master’s degree programme in Cross-Border Studies brings with it abundant professional opportunities in a dynamic and international working environment, in the Alps-Adriatic region but also beyond.
The Master’s programme Cross-Border Studies combines language and culture with a self-selected focus, e.g. digitalisation or entrepreneurship. The programme is rounded off by an internship in a multilingual/transnational/cross-border context at home or abroad or a study period abroad. This Master’s programme is unique and is only offered in this form in Klagenfurt. The great plus of Klagenfurt is, of course, the city’s location and the associated geographical closeness to Italy and Slovenia. As a result, Cross-Border Studies are not only taught but also lived in Klagenfurt. The great plus of the University of Klagenfurt is its size. It’s all a bit like a big family here, which is really an incredibly great advantage. The quality of teaching is very high and you get top support in all areas.
The Master’s degree programme in Cross-Border Studies is really appealing because you can develop diverse skills, work in different fields, benefit from the excellent location of the tri-border corner and study with colleagues from different parts of the world. The degree programme offers students excellent prospects for entering the professional world, where the knowledge and skills of well-rounded people are in high demand. (Transcultural) communication, fostered through exchange with fellow students, is an important component of the skills profile. The various options for combining languages with other areas such as business administration, media and communication, etc. prepare students for the world of tomorrow. Cross-Border Studies is not only taught, but fully embraced by all of its teaching staff and students.
The Master’s degree Cross-Border Studies is a great choice for students who are interested in languages, cultures and the different aspects of the interactions between them. Klagenfurt is the perfect place to experience such a crossroads of languages and cultures, considering the short distance of Klagenfurt to Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. Apart from the focus on Slavic languages and either German, English or Italian, Cross-Border Studies offers a wide variety of possibilities for students to tailor the Master’s programme to their own interests and needs. The interdisciplinarity of Cross-Border Studies is the perfect preparation for a world with problems of ever increasing complexity, where people knowing and understanding these different factors are necessary.
Stories & news about the degree programme
You’ll soon discover this: There are many interesting facts, stories and news updates regarding this degree programme.
Continuing your studies
Once you have completed the Master’s degree programme in Cross-Border Studies you can continue straight on to the following degree programme:
