Guide · Austria
How to write a motivation letter for an Austrian university
In Austria, a motivation letter is usually part of the application when a programme selects its students: Master's programmes with an admission procedure at universities, and programmes at universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), where it is usually part of the written application. Popular programmes are competitive — WU Vienna's MSc Supply Chain Management, for example, receives more than 800 applications a year for 60–75 places.
The style is close to Germany's: a formal, factual letter that matches your documents. What differs is the detail — each programme sets its own limit and questions, and at a Fachhochschule your letter is often the starting point for an interview.
Checked against official sources: October 2026
- 600–2,500
- words — the limits vary that much, even at one university
- Formal
- a factual letter, close to the German style
- Interview
- at Fachhochschulen, often the next step
Your first letter is free — no credit card needed.
At a glance
- Length
Programme's limit
Each programme sets its own limit. At the University of Vienna alone, Neuroscience allows at most 600 words, Communication Science asks for about 1,000 and Science-Technology-Society for 1,500–2,500. Without a limit, one to two A4 pages is the norm.
- Language
Same as the programme
The language of the programme: German for a German-taught programme, English for an English-taught one.
- Format
Formal letter or PDF
Your address, the institution's address, date and subject line — or a plain document if the portal asks for one. Some programmes want your name and the word count in the header and numbered pages: follow these instructions exactly.
- Salutation and closing
Fixed formulas
In German: “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,” … “Mit freundlichen Grüßen”. In English: “Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,” … “Yours sincerely,”. If you write to a named professor, use their title: “Sehr geehrte Frau Professorin Huber,”.
- Grades
1 is the best
Austrian grades run from 1 (sehr gut) to 5 (nicht genügend). Give your own grade on its original scale — the university converts it itself.
- Where to submit
Directly to the university
There is no central portal: you apply in each university's own system — at the University of Vienna in u:space, where the letter is uploaded as the document type “Motivationsschreiben”.
How to structure it
Opening: the programme and your reason
Name the programme and the university, then give your main reason in one or two sentences, linked to a concrete experience. No general statements about your field.
Academic background
Your degree, your grade on its original scale and the courses, thesis or projects that prepared you for this programme.
Practical experience
Internships, jobs or projects that support your choice — what you did and what you learned. For a Fachhochschule, this part carries extra weight: its programmes are built around practice.
Why this programme
Name modules, specialisations or the programme's focus and explain why they matter to you. If the programme lists questions, answer each of them here, in order.
Goals and closing
What you want to do after graduating and how the programme gets you there. At a Fachhochschule, these plans may come up again in the interview — write only what you can explain.
Example: Master's application to WU Vienna
Excerpt from a sample letter for a fictional applicant. The modules named are from the programme's curriculum. The numbers in the margin match the steps above.
Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,
I am applying for the MSc Supply Chain Management at WU Vienna. During my internship as a data analyst at a logistics company in Graz, I built Python dashboards that cut the weekly reporting time from six hours to one. The dashboards showed where delays happened, but not why — and I realised that I understand the data much better than the supply chain behind it.
My Bachelor's in Business Informatics, which I completed with an average grade of 1.8, gave me a solid base in statistics, databases and operations research. In my thesis, I predicted delivery delays from 50,000 shipment records with gradient boosting. The core module Supply Chain Analytics would let me build on exactly this work, while Supply Chain Planning and Control covers the planning side I have only seen from the outside. As one of my two in-depth electives, I would choose Transport and Logistics.
[…]
Yours sincerely, Alex Weber
Common mistakes
Ignoring the programme's instructions
1,400 words, no header — the programme asked for about 1,000 words and the word count in the header
980 words, with name and word count in the header, pages numbered
Austrian programmes are specific: a word limit, numbered pages, your name and the word count in the header. A letter that ignores this looks careless before anyone reads it.
One letter for Germany and Austria
“…the Master's programme at your renowned university in Germany…”
“The core module Supply Chain Analytics builds directly on my thesis.”
Many applicants reuse their German letter. Change more than the university's name: programmes, modules and the admission procedure are different.
Claims you can't defend in the interview
“I successfully led several complex logistics projects.”
“In my internship I built the reporting dashboards for one warehouse.”
At a Fachhochschule, the committee may ask about your letter in the interview. If you write that you led a project, be ready to explain what exactly you did.
Converting your grades yourself
“My GPA of 3.6 corresponds to an Austrian grade of 1.4.”
“I completed my Bachelor's with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0.”
Give the grade on your original scale. The university converts it officially, and your own conversion may contradict your documents.
Empty praise
“Your excellent university with its long tradition…”
“The in-depth elective Transport and Logistics is the reason I chose this programme.”
“Your excellent university” could be about any university. Name a module, a specialisation or the programme's focus instead.
Your CV in sentences
“From 2021 to 2022 I worked as a tutor, in 2022 I did an internship, and in 2023 I wrote my thesis.”
“My thesis predicted delivery delays — and showed me how little I know about planning the supply chain itself.”
The committee already has your CV. Pick two or three experiences that matter for this programme and explain them.
Questions
How long should a motivation letter for Austria be?
As long as the programme says — limits range from 600 to 2,500 words, even within one university. Without a limit, one to two A4 pages is the norm.
Do I need a motivation letter for a Bachelor's in Austria?
At public universities, usually not: most Bachelor's programmes are open, and some select through an entrance test. At a Fachhochschule, the written application with your motivation is a standard part of the admission procedure for most programmes.
Is an Austrian motivation letter different from a German one?
The style is very similar: formal and factual. The differences are in the details — each programme's own limits and questions, the interview at Fachhochschulen, and small habits such as writing “Jänner” instead of “Januar” in the date.
Is it OK to use AI for a motivation letter?
Rules differ between universities, and some ask you to confirm that you wrote the letter yourself. Use an AI draft as a starting point: check every fact, change anything that doesn't sound like you, and follow your university's rules.
Sources
Documents checklist
Documents you need to study in Austria