University for Continuing Education Krems (UWK) Summary
University for Continuing Education Krems is Austria’s specialized public university for academic continuing education, lifelong learning, professional development and research-based upskilling. Located in Krems an der Donau in Lower Austria, the university is designed mainly for working professionals, adult learners, career changers, managers, healthcare professionals, educators, legal professionals, cultural workers, digital specialists and researchers who want advanced academic training connected with current professional and societal challenges. The university is especially different from traditional universities because it focuses on continuing education rather than conventional full-time undergraduate study for school leavers. Its programs are built for professional learners who often already have work experience, prior qualifications or a career direction. Many programs use blended learning, part-time structures, block formats, online components and practice-oriented teaching. This makes the university suitable for students who want to study while continuing professional work. The University for Continuing Education Krems offers bachelor’s and master’s continuing education degree programs, academic expert programs, certificate programs, micro-credentials, short programs and PhD programs. Official university information states that continuing education study programs cover fields such as Arts and Culture, Building and Environment, Digitalization and Sensors, Economics and Business Management, Education, Health and Medicine, Law and Administration, Media and Communication, Migration and International Affairs, and Psychotherapy and Social Services. At bachelor’s level, the university offers continuing education bachelor’s programs aimed at professionally experienced adults. These programs may lead to degrees such as BA (CE), BSc (CE) or Bachelor Professional depending on program type. The suffix CE identifies continuing education degrees. Some continuing education bachelor’s routes can be entered without a traditional Matura if the applicant meets curriculum requirements and has relevant professional experience. At master’s level, the university offers a wide range of continuing education master’s programs leading to MA (CE), MSc (CE), MBA, EMBA, LL.M. and other continuing education degrees. Program examples include Advanced Nursing Practice, Advanced Sports Medicine, Banking and Capital Market Law, Building Innovation, Clinical Nutritional Medicine, Contract Law, Counter-Terrorism, Cultural Property Protection, Data Economy Law, Digital Marketing and Customer Experience, and many more professional routes depending on the current catalogue. At doctoral level, the University for Continuing Education Krems conducts regular PhD studies. Official information states that PhD programs are available in Regenerative Medicine, Migration Studies, Technology, Innovation and Cohesive Societies, and Applied Evidence Synthesis in Health Research. PhD programs last a minimum of three years, no tuition fees are charged for PhD programs, and admission is subject to a selection process. Fees depend strongly on the continuing education program, format, subject area and curriculum. The university states that continuing education tuition fees vary by course type, format and subject area and are listed on individual program pages. The ÖH fee for academic year 2025–2026 is €25.20 and is paid by all students at public universities without exception. During the standard study period, the ÖH fee is included in the continuing education tuition fee and does not need to be paid separately. Overall, University for Continuing Education Krems is best for working professionals and experienced learners who want flexible academic continuing education, professional specialization, research-based upskilling and career advancement in healthcare, law, business, digitalization, education, culture, migration, public administration, psychotherapy, social services and applied research.
