Lateral Entry Medical Studies

Proof of a total of at least 180 ECTS from previous degree courses

• Up to 50 ECTS can be ongoing or planned at the time of application. Courses that have not yet been graded must be declared in the online application.
• Evidence of courses worth at least 10 ECTS that prepare the student for writing an academic paper.  
• The relevant grades may be subsequently submitted by mid-July at the latest. Grades that are not submitted on time cannot be taken into consideration.

Please note that places for lateral entry are very limited, especially for the second year of the Bachelor’s programme in Medical Science and the first year of the Master’s programme in Human medicine. 

To check applicants’ prior learning, they must submit the following:

• all available transcripts for examinations already taken or relevant practical courses at other recognised higher education institutions
• the relevant course descriptions (curriculum outlines)

The grades and overall examination results for all examinations passed over the last ten years at recognised higher education institutions are taken into consideration. If academic achievements occurred slightly over ten years ago but were part of a degree programme completed within the last ten years, these can be taken into account.

Academic papers that were written and assessed as part of a degree cannot be recognised as academic papers for a new degree programme at KL. Any relevant preparatory courses will be recognised.

If making an online application, please select the ‘lateral entry to Medical Studies’ programme and upload the required documents. You will receive your personal payment information when you submit your application. We will only examine details of prior learning once we have received the administration fee and complete transcripts, including corresponding course descriptions. Please note that we are only able to accept payments that are made on time and in full.

Administration fee: €640.00

The flat-rate administration fee covers the cost of conducting an in-depth review of your submitted documents and all other costs incurred as part of the lateral entry procedure. The administration fee is non-refundable with the exception of the cases listed below.

If the initial review of the documents reveals that the requirements for lateral entry applications published on the homepage have not been met, the application cannot progress. In this case, €390.00 of the administration fee will be refunded to you, and the selection process ends.

Applicants who have applied for both the regular Medical Science selection process and for the lateral entry procedure for Medicine within the same application phase, and who are already actively progressing through the application procedure, will receive a refund of 50% of the administration fee for the regular admissions procedure once both administration fees have been paid in full. 

• Admission not possible

If less than 50% of the ECTS from the first academic year can be recognised, entry into a later semester is not possible. This means that, following prior registration, applicants for a place on a course must go through the standard two-stage admissions process for the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science at KL. If a place is offered on the KL programme, recognition of prior learning may also be granted to a lesser extent at course or module level. Such recognition does not result in a shorter study period or lower tuition fees. 

• Admission to the second or third year of the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science

If we are able to recognise more than 50% of the ECTS of the first or second academic year, applicants must pass a supplementary examination on any missing content for the relevant year before they can start the course. If the applicant passes the exam and the oral element of the selection process, and provided there is a place available on the course, they will be offered the chance to begin the Bachelor’s programme at KL in a higher semester. 

• Special circumstance: Year 2 – Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science

If the remaining non-recognised content and scope of the first and second year (semesters 1–4) of the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science add up to less than 60 ECTS (= one academic year), the applicant may still be admitted to the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science if they pass a supplementary examination and the oral part of the selection procedure, if applicable, and provided there is a place on the course. In this case, the student is not admitted in the course of a regular academic year – the missing content must be covered in a single academic year at KL. This year is therefore made up of the outstanding modules/lines from years 1 and 2. The modules to be completed must be compatible with the schedule (taking the programme structure into account). After that, the student can continue the course in the third year (5th and 6th semester) as standard. This option makes it possible to complete the Bachelor’s degree within two years.

• Special circumstance: Year 3 – Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science

If the remaining non-recognised content and scope of the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science add up to less than 60 ECTS (= one academic year), the applicant may still be admitted to the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science if they pass a supplementary examination and the oral part of the selection procedure, if applicable, and provided there is a place on the course. This remaining content must be covered within two semesters over a single academic year. The outstanding modules from the previous years must fit in with the schedule (taking the programme structure into account). This option makes it possible to complete the Bachelor’s degree within one year.

• Direct entry to a Master’s degree in Human Medicine

If the content and scope of the Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science are fully covered by an equivalent and successfully completed degree totalling at least 180 ECTS points from a recognised Austrian or foreign higher education institution, applicants have the option of direct admission to the Master’s degree in Human Medicine. (See: Selection process for the Master’s programme in Human Medicine)

• Depending on the volume of previous work eligible for recognition, it may also be possible to enter a higher semester of the Master’s degree in Human Medicine.

• The general admission requirements for Medicine apply.
• A supplementary examination may be required, depending on the result of the recognition check.  
• The applicant must undergo an oral admissions procedure in the form of an interview.
• Availability of places: If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, the Rectorate will decide on the allocation of the available places based on the submitted documents, examination results or oral admissions procedure. 

Checklist – Application for lateral entry for Medicine

Application for lateral entry for Medicine