University of Salzburg - Würdigungspreis der Universität Salzburg

What the Würdigungspreis gives you

You are to receive a one-time award of 3,000 EUR for completing your diploma or Master’s degree at the University of Salzburg with outstanding results. This is a state award, funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and presented by the University of Salzburg (officially: Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg). It honours the best graduates each year. As a rule, one award is presented per academic year.

Who gets the award

• Degree: You have completed a diploma or Master’s degree at the University of Salzburg.
• Timing: You have finished the last school year.
• Study time: You have exceeded the official duration of your Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes combined by no more than two semesters. If you have completed several degree programmes and achieved excellent results in all of them, up to four additional semesters are permitted.
• Grades: You have passed all your exams with distinction. No exam may be graded lower than ‘good’, and at least half must be graded ‘very good’.
• Thesis: Your undergraduate or Master’s thesis has been assessed as one of the best and as an outstanding achievement.
• Field of study: Open to all disciplines.
• Nationality: You are an Austrian national, an EEA national or a non-EU national with equivalent status, or a stateless person, in accordance with Section 4 of the Austrian Student Financial Aid Act (StudFG).

How you are chosen

You cannot apply yourself, and there is no application process. The university automatically selects candidates on the basis of examination records from the individual faculties and the University of Education, and the Rector’s Office proposes who should receive the award. Even if you meet all the requirements, you have no legal entitlement to the award.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an award for the very best graduates – something you cannot apply for or promote yourself for. As a rule, one prize is awarded per academic year, and only a handful of graduates meet the required grade thresholds. The pool of candidates is therefore extremely small. If you have completed your degree on time with honours and a first-class dissertation, you are already part of the small group that the university considers. Furthermore, the decision is not in your hands.