The Algerian baccalauréat and Austrian admission
- Is the baccalauréat accepted?
- The university decides whether it is equivalent to the Austrian Matura
- Years of schooling in Algeria
- 5 primary + 4 middle + 3 secondary = 12
- What may be prescribed
- Supplementary exams (for example mathematics, chemistry, physics) and German
- Processing of your application
- about 10 to 12 weeks (TU Wien)
- How to submit
- In some universities by post or in person only
Is the baccalauréat enough?
In Algeria, the baccalauréat gives access to higher education. In Austria, the question is different: the university checks whether your certificate is equivalent to the Austrian school-leaving certificate (Matura). The decision is made case by case by the university's admissions office, so there is no single answer for every student and every programme.
If the certificate is equivalent, you are admitted without further exams. If there are significant differences, the university prescribes supplementary exams (Ergänzungsprüfungen) that you take in the preparatory course before you can start your degree.
The Algerian system in short
According to the Dutch credential-evaluation centre Nuffic, Algerian school education looks like this:
- Primary school: 5 years.
- Middle school (BEM): 4 years, ending with the BEM exam, which you need to enter the baccalauréat.
- Secondary school (baccalauréat): 3 years.
That makes 12 years of schooling, which matters because Austrian universities compare it with the Austrian 12 years. In the last two years you choose a stream: arts (literature and philosophy, or foreign languages) or science and technology (experimental sciences, management and economics, mathematics, or technical mathematics).
How the university decides: the criteria
TU Wien publishes the criteria it applies to every foreign certificate. A significant difference exists if:
- the certificate does not give access to all sectors of higher education in your home country;
- schooling lasted less than 12 years (this can be offset with exams); or
- you studied fewer than six general subjects in upper secondary school (at most one missing subject can be offset).
When there is a significant difference, the university may prescribe exams in mathematics, chemistry and/or physics. For some programmes such as architecture or engineering, it also requires a certain number of hours of descriptive geometry. If you cannot show German at C1, a German exam is prescribed as well.
What this means for you: your stream matters. A student from a stream without much mathematics or science may be given more exams for a technical programme than a student from the mathematics stream. Other universities may apply their own criteria, so ask yours.
The criteria above are TU Wien's. We have not found a published rule that says "the Algerian baccalauréat is accepted for every programme", so treat any claim like that with caution.
What happens if exams are prescribed
You attend the preparatory course (Vorstudienlehrgang) as an extraordinary student and take the exams there. After passing them all, you enrol as a regular student. Our guide to the preparatory course explains the fees, the German levels and the registration dates.
Documents and legalisation
At TU Wien, an application contains:
- a signed application form with a valid email address;
- a certified and translated copy of your secondary school leaving certificate;
- certified proof of previous studies, if any;
- a certified German certificate at level A2 or C1;
- a copy of your passport.
Documents that were not issued in Austria must be legalised. For Algeria, Austria objected to the Apostille Convention, so the traditional chain applies: the issuing ministry, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translation, and the Austrian embassy. Translations are made after the diplomatic legalisation, must be officially done into German or English and permanently attached to the original, and stamps and seals not in German or English must be translated too.
Application rules to know
- Written application: TU Wien accepts applications by post or in person only. Electronic applications are not processed.
- Two applications at most per person.
- Processing typically takes 10 to 12 weeks, and you receive no status information before the decision arrives.
- After the decision, you apply for the residence permit at the Austrian embassy.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Algerian baccalauréat accepted in Austria?
It is accepted if the university finds it equivalent to the Matura. Otherwise the university prescribes supplementary exams, and you take them in the preparatory course.
Does my stream matter?
Yes. The criteria look at how many general subjects you studied, and the exams prescribed are usually mathematics, chemistry or physics. Ask your university what it expects for your programme.
Do I need a certified copy of my baccalauréat?
Yes, a certified and translated copy, after the legalisation chain.
Can I apply by email?
Not at TU Wien. Check your university, since rules differ.
Sources
- TU Wien: admission with an international school-leaving certificate
- Nuffic: Algeria, primary and secondary education
- studieren.at: preparatory course for international students
- University of Graz: visa and residence permit for international students
- Hague Conference: Apostille Convention status table
The images in this article are illustrative.