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Special Admission Procedure for the Master Game Studies and Engineering
The special admission procedure for the Master’s degree programme in Game Studies and Engineering is scheduled to take place once per year, before the start of the winter semester. Once the special admission procedure has been successfully concluded, new entrants can take up their studies at the start of the following winter semester or, respectively, at the start of the following summer semester.
Each academic year, a total of 35 university places will be awarded at the University of Klagenfurt on the basis of the special admission procedure.
Steps of the special admission procedure:
Contact & Information
Game Studies and Engineering
E-mail: gse [at] aau [dot] at
Web: www.aau.at/en/master-gse
Regulation on the Special Admission Procedure (English version, PDF)
Special admission procedure 2023
University places: 35
Start of studies: academic year 2023/2024
Links
Special admission procedure in table view
The steps of the special admission procedure in table view:
| WHAT | WHO | WHEN | WHERE/HOW |
| Registration for the admission procedure | All applicants for the Master’s degree in Game Studies and Engineering | 1 March to 15 July 2023 (11:59 pm CEST) | Online registration
Complete the registration for the admission procedure in the registration portal For detailed information, please refer to Step 1! |
| Non-EU- or Non-EEA-citizens | 1 March to 15 April 2023 | ||
| Upload of the required documents | All applicants who have successfully completed the registration for the admission procedure | 1 March to 15 July 2023 (11:59 pm CEST) | Upload all required documents to the registration portal
For detailed information, please refer to Step 2! |
| Non-EU- or Non-EEA-citizens | 1 March to 15 April 2023 | ||
| Fulfilment of minimal criteria | All applicants who have submitted a complete application by 15 July 2023 (11:59 pm CEST) | by 5 September 2023 at the latest | Rectification in the registration portal
For detailed information, please refer to Step 2! |
| Later submission of graduation documents for admission for the winter semester | All applicants who submit a complete application by 15 July 2023 (11:59 pm CEST) and whose application meets the minimal criteria | by 31 October 2023 at the latest | Upload the complete graduation documents to the registration portal
For detailed information, please refer to Step 2! |
| Later submission of graduation documents for admission for the summer semester | by 5 February 2024 at the latest | ||
| Invitation letter | University of Klagenfurt | after the examination of the required documents by the Admissions Committee and the Admissions and Examinations Office | Invitation letter to successful applicants by e-mail
For detailed information, please refer to Step 3! |
| Acceptance of the university place | Applicants who receive an invitation letter by e-mail | Within 7 days from the day on which the invitation letter is sent | Accept the university place via the registration portal
For detailed information, please refer to Step 3! |
| Entry and residence | Applicants who are not from Austria | as soon as possible | Entry and residence
For detailed information, please refer to Step 4! |
| Enrolment | All applicants who successfully complete the admission procedure and who meet the admission requirements for the winter semester | by 31 October 2023 at the latest (for the winter semester) | In person at the Admissions and Examinations Office of the University of Klagenfurt
For detailed information, please refer to Step 5! |
| Applicants who successfully complete the special admission procedure and meet the admission requirements for the summer semester | by 31 March 2024 at the latest (for the summer semester) | ||
| Fee payment | All enrolled students | by 31 October (for the winter semester) or by 31 March |
Bank/online-banking
For detailed information, please refer to Step 6! |
The separate steps of the special admission procedure in detail
STEP 1: Registration
All applicants to the Master’s degree programme in Game Studies and Engineering must register for the special admission procedure exclusively within the registration period, using only the online registration of the University of Klagenfurt.
Non-EU- or Non-EEA-citizens are strongly advised to apply within application window I.
Registration period
1st of March to 15th of July 2023
- Application window I
1st March to 15th April 2023 - Application window II
16th April to 31st May 2023 - Application window III
1st June to 15th July 2023
Registration for the special admission procedure for all students for whom this is the first degree at the University of Klagenfurt
- Carry out the online registration to receive a user account. Applicants must provide an e-mail address for the purpose of registration (e.g. Gmail, yahoo, etc.). Fill in all fields marked with an asterisk (*). After the online registration you will receive an e-mail, inviting you to activate your user account.
- Click on the link provided in the e-mail you have received. As part of the account activation procedure, you will be required to choose a username and define a password. Be sure to remember your access data (username and password). You will keep your username throughout your entire time at the University of Klagenfurt.
- Once your user account is active, you can log in to the registration portal using your access data (username and password). Complete your personal details. Select the degree programme of your choice and register for the special admission procedure for the degree programme.
Registration for the special admission procedure for individuals who are already students at the University of Klagenfurt
- Log in to your student portal and select the link Bewerbungsportal (registration portal) under services in the menu on the left-hand side.
- Click on Bewerbung (Registration). Select the degree programme of your choice and register for the special admission procedure for the degree programme.
Online Registration Guide (PDF)
Other or delayed forms of registration for the admission procedure cannot be considered.
Once you have registered and applied for admission to the Master’s degree programme in Game Studies and Engineering, you will receive confirmation by e-mail.
This does not conclude the special admission procedure!
STEP 2: Upload of all required documents
Prepare the documents
Scan all required documents. The documents must be submitted in full (e.g. front and back of the Bachelor’s degree certificate including the note of legalisation and the complete translation).
To scan your documents, fold them. Do not remove existing attachments under any circumstance.
For each required document type, one file can be uploaded. Merge multiple pages of the same document into one file before the upload.
Be sure that your files are easily readable and provided in sufficiently high quality.
Upload the documents
Complete your application. Upload all required documents within the stipulated period, using the registration portal of the University of Klagenfurt.
Non-EU- or Non-EEA-citizens are strongly advised to upload the required documents within application window I.
Incomplete applications cannot be considered and will be invalidated after the deadline for uploading the documents!
Permissible file format
Upload period
1st of March to 15th of July 2023
Required documents
- Valid passport
- Bachelor’s degree certificate
- Transcript of records
- Proof of proficiency in English
- CV
- Motivation video
Documents required where applicable
- Documents concerning name change/variations
- Confirmation of accreditation
- Confirmation of official length of programme
- Official translations
Upload all required documents:
- passport or ID
- Bachelor’s degree certificate
- i.e. documentary evidence of the completion of a relevant degree programme or of an equivalent degree programme (Bachelor’s degree or, respectively, undergraduate degree)1 and, if available, the associated notification of award (document with information on your academic title)
- in consideration of legalisation requirements
- transcript of records
- i.e. an academic transcript including marks of all examinations passed within the undergraduate degree programme or, if available, a diploma supplement
- in consideration of legalisation requirements
- proof of proficiency in English
- Level C1 (CEFR) 2
- up-to-date CV
- in English
- with information about the applicant’s education, first language(s), all foreign language skills
- motivation video 3
- in English
- in it, the applicant explains why they seek admission to the Master’s degree programme in Game Studies and Engineering at the University of Klagenfurt and why they should be offered a place
- document(s) concerning a name change/variations
- if your name(s) is/are not the same in all of your documents, a document concerning the name change or, respectively, the variations in the spelling of a name/names is required, e.g. marriage certificate, affidavit etc.
- in consideration of legalisation requirements
- confirmation of accreditation
- if this is required, you will be informed accordingly
- confirmation of official length of programme
- if this is required, you will be informed accordingly
- official translations
- if the above-mentioned documents have been issued in a language other than German or English, certified translations are required additionally
- in consideration of legalisation requirements
If there are doubts about the authenticity of documents or the identity of the applicant, further evidence can be requested or, for instance, an assessment interview can be held.
Your application documents will be verified for completeness and to ensure that all formal and personal criteria have been met. If shortcomings are found, you will be notified by e-mail. You will receive confirmation by e-mail as soon as all formal and personal criteria have been met.
Legalisation requirements
Depending on the country in which your documents were issued, they may need to be authenticated:
Translation requirements
Documents which are issued in a language other than German or English need to be translated into either of these two languages:
Fulfilment of minimal criteria
Within a complete application with an adequate passport, proof of proficiency in English, proof of the required basic knowledge, CV, and letter of motivation, the minimal criteria must be met by 5 September 2023 at the latest. Otherwise, an invitation letter for the academic year 2023/2024 cannot be issued.
By this deadline, the following criteria must be met:
- official documents
- Bachelor’s degree certificate, transcript of records, proof of proficiency in English etc.: Only documents which are equipped with a wet ink signature and a wet stamp/embossing seal (i.e. manually signed and stamped) or with the Austrian ‘official signature’ (“Amtssignatur”) are considered official documents. Digitally generated documents without a wet ink signature and wet stamp/embossing seal or, respectively, without the Austrian official signature will not be considered. This also applies to provisional confirmation documents etc.
- where applicable, document(s) concerning a name change/variations
- where applicable, a confirmation of accreditation
- where applicable, confirmation of official length of programme
- where applicable, official translations of the above-mentioned documents, providing that they have been issued in a language other than German or English
Later submission of graduation documents
The Bachelor’s degree certificate, i.e. the documentary evidence of the completion of a relevant degree programme or of an equivalent degree programme (Bachelor’s degree or, respectively, undergraduate degree)1, and the transcript of records/diploma supplement, i.e. a record of marks of all examinations passed within the undergraduate degree programme, do not necessarily have to be submitted within the registration period.
Applicants who are not yet in possession of their graduation documents within the registration period are required to provide evidence of their academic achievements in the form of
- an official provisional transcript of records and
- the corresponding curriculum/study plan
in German or English (with official translations, where applicable).
Scans of the complete graduation documents (in consideration of the legalisation and the translation requirements) must be uploaded by 31 October at the latest for admission for the winter semester or by 5 February for admission for the following summer semester (see step 5: Enrolment in person).
All suitable applications will remain valid for the entire registration period. Applicants whose applications meet the criteria may be issued a conditional offer of study. Applications that exceed the number appointed during one application window, will automatically be included for consideration in the next application window.
Applications which do not meet the personal and/or formal criteria will be rejected.
STEP 3: Acceptance of the university place
Invitation letter
Depending on the number of applications received, slightly more than 10 university places will be allocated per application window. Applicants who are allocated a place at university receive an invitation letter with a conditional offer of study. This document can be used for various bureaucratic affairs such as applying for a visa. It is the only document issued to applicants prior to enrolment.
Please note that the offer letter is valid only for an entry in the academic year following the special admission procedure and that the deadlines stated in the invitation letter apply.
Acceptance of the university place
If you receive an invitation letter with a conditional offer of study, secure your place by accepting the offer via the registration portal within 7 days from the day on which the invitation letter is sent.
Should you not accept the university place, admission will not be possible at a later stage.
Acceptance deadline
within 7 days from the day on which the invitation letter is sent
STEP 4: Entry and Residence
If you are not originally from Austria, please make sure you find out about requirements regarding entry into and residence in Austria in a timely manner.
You may need a residence permit and a visa. If so, you will need to apply for the residence permit and the visa on your own, before you enter Austria. The University of Klagenfurt cannot support applicants in that regard.
Austrian residence permit and visa procedures are complex and demanding. The processing time of an application for a residence permit/visa can be several months. Therefore, you should start the process as early as possible.
Additional documents might need to be legalised and/or translated for a residence permit/visa application to be considered complete.
The Admissions and Examinations Office is not in charge of matters related to accommodation, residence permits, visas etc.
STEP 5: Enrolment in person
The winter semester starts on the 1st of October, the summer semester starts on the 1st of March. 5
A start of studies after the beginning of the semester may result in difficulties.
Applicants who have successfully concluded the special admission procedure can enrol up to the 31st of October. Alternatively, if this deadline cannot be met, successful applicants can enrol during the admission period for the summer semester, i.e. no later than the 31st of March. Enrolment for the summer semester is possible only if the application meets all requirements for admission by the 5th of February 2024. Enrolment (admission) takes place in person at the Admissions and Examinations Office.
You will receive information about the date for your enrolment by e-mail in the course of the special admission procedure.
Required documents (originals or certified copies)
- Valid passport or ID
- Bachelor’s degree certificate
- Transcript of records
- Proof of proficiency in English
Documents required where applicable
- Documents concerning name change/variations
- Confirmation of accreditation
- Confirmation of official length of programme
- Official translations
At enrolment, applicants must present the following documents as originals or certified copies:
- valid passport or ID (original document)
- Bachelor’s degree certificate and, if available, notification of award as documentary evidence of the completion of a relevant degree programme or of an equivalent degree programme (undergraduate degree)1
- transcript of records pertaining to the undergraduate degree programme or, if available, diploma supplement
- certificate or other documentary proof of proficiency in English (Level C1 (CEFR))2
- where applicable, documents concerning name change/variations
- where applicable, confirmation of accreditation
- where applicable, confirmation of official length of programme
- where applicable, official translations of the above-mentioned documents, providing that they have been issued in a language other than German or English
Documents must be presented as original documents and must fully comply with the legalisation and the translation requirements.
The documents required for the purpose of enrolment must be submitted and will be returned to the applicant without delay, as soon as the authenticity has been verified.
Prints, scans, or simple copies do NOT suffice for admission.
STEP 6: Payment of student union fees / university fees
Following the successful enrolment, the prescribed student union fees/ university fees 4 must be paid in a timely and orderly manner by the end of the admission period.
The admission to the degree programme is only valid once the prescribed fees have been paid in full and on time! Students can only register for courses once the fees have been paid.
Important Information
1 Successful completion of a relevant undergraduate degree programme
The following undergraduate degrees at the University of Klagenfurt are considered appropriate prerequisites for the Master’s degree programme in Game Studies and Engineering in any case, given the successful completion of the special admission procedure:
- Applied Informatics
- Applied Cultural Studies
- English and American Studies
- Informatics
- Information and Communications Engineering
- Information Management
- Media and Communications Science
Students who have completed a Bachelor’s degree programme in the humanities, social-, or media sciences, a Bachelor’s degree programme in the field of computer sciences, information technology, information management, English studies, or media communication, or an equivalent degree programme at a domestic or foreign university, university of applied science or other recognised post-secondary educational institution, are admitted to the Master’s degree programme if they provide evidence of at least 8 ECTS credits from one of the supplementary subjects.
Holders of different undergraduate degrees are required to consult the programme director gse [at] aau [dot] at
2 Evidence of proficiency in English at the C1 level (CEFR)
Your English competency is required to be certified by one of the following qualifications. The certificates mentioned under points 5 to 7 must not be more than two years old at the time of application for admission:
- School-leaving certificate from a school with English as language of instruction and examination
- Completion of a study programme conducted in English and lasting at least two years at a recognised post-secondary educational institution
- School-leaving examination in English with a final grade no less than “good (2 or B)” in accordance with the Austrian school grading system and a minimum of 8 ECTS credits in courses with English as the language of instruction and examination at a recognized Austrian or foreign post-secondary educational institution, with a grade average not below “good (2 or B)“, or a comparable foreign education
- English proficiency of university applicants whose native language is English, or university applicants with an extended stay in an English-speaking country (a semester abroad, a school year abroad, employment,
etc.), which can be proven through relevant documents (a certificate of employment/ reference, a residence permit etc.) stating the time period. - TOEFL iBT (Minimum Score: 100)
- IELTS (Minimum Overall Band Score: 7) – Exam dates at the University of Klagenfurt
- Cambridge English: Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or C1 Advanced (Minimum Scale Score: 185, minimum grade B) or above
- If none of the confirmations and certificates mentioned above provide proof of English language proficiency, the admissions committee may conduct an assessment interview with the applicant in order to determine his/her existing language skills. This interview can also be conducted as a video conference.
3 Motivation video
The motivation video will be assessed by the Admission Committee, who also give due regard to additional interpersonal and intercultural skills.
Content:
The applicants’ personal criteria are assessed amongst others on the basis of the motivation video. In this elevator pitch, you should describe why you want to enrol for the Master’s degree programme in Game Studies and Engineering. Outline, for instance, your motivation, your objectives, and your perspectives in relation to the degree, and explain the reasons for selecting the University of Klagenfurt as your potential educational institution. Clarify why you are the right person for this Master’s degree programme and why you should be offered a place. So, elaborate on the following three questions:
- Why do I want to study Game Studies and Engineering?
- Why do I wish to study at the University of Klagenfurt?
- Why am I the right person for this degree programme?
Language:
- English
Technical details:
- Length: 60–90 seconds
- File size: max. 100 MB
- Permissible file formats: MPEG-4 (file extension: .mp4), M4V (.m4v), WebM (.webm), MKV (.mkv), QuickTime (.mov)
Before you create your video, watch our tutorial.
4 University fees and student union fee
Austrians, EU citizens, students with the status of “Konventionsflüchtlinge”, and privileged third-country nationals (“begünstigte Drittstaatsangehörige“) are EXEMPT from university fees, if they are regular students and the duration of their study is not extended by more than two semesters.
All students have to pay the student union fee.
Students who are nationals of the least-developed countries or LDCs within the meaning of the DAC list NEED NOT pay the university fees.
5 Term dates and deadlines
The academic year commences on the 1st of October and ends on the 30th of September of the following year. It consists of the winter semester and the summer semester, each including the recess period. The winter semester begins on the 1st of October, the summer semester begins on the 1st of March. Courses in the winter semester begin on the 1st of October, courses in the summer semester begin on the 1st of March (see academic calendar).
Disclosure of data
In the course of the preliminary proceedings, personal data may be passed on to third parties.
In the event of doubt, the university reserves the right to verify the authenticity of any documents submitted.
Regulation on the Special Admission Procedure
Quicklinks
Information for
Address
University of Klagenfurt
Universitätsstraße 65-67
9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
Austria
+43 463 2700
uni [at] aau [dot] at
www.aau.at
Campus Plan
Universitätsstraße 65-67
9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
Austria
+43 463 2700
uni [at] aau [dot] at
www.aau.at
Campus Plan
