How to Apply?
Cross-Disciplinary Strategies
BA and MA English language programme
Entry: Winter term 2025/26
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
8 Semesters, 240 ECTS
Master of Arts (MA)
4 semesters, 120 ECTS
© Jorit Aust
The entrance exam comprises two parts, a written section and an interview with a practical test. A positive evaluation in the first section is the prerequisite for admission to the second section.
The application process offers potential students the opportunity to demonstrate their willingness and capacity to work in creative and analytic modes suitable to the arts, sciences and humanities. Applicants must provide the examination committee with documents demonstrating their qualifications and attesting to their visual, technical and linguistic aptitudes to complete the programme.
After applicants have passed the entrance exam, all certificates will be examined for their equivalence by the Student and Academic Affairs Office. An Austrian Higher School Certificate or an equivalent from any country is a precondition of admission to the CDS programme. All CDS courses are in English, B2 level (CEFR) is needed.
Info:
| Online Application | 15 to 29 January 2025, 13:00 (MEZ) |
| Interview Dates |
BA Programme: MA Programme: |
| Publication of Results | Latest by 14 March 2025 |
BA Entrance Exam
Part 1)
Register for the online application process under
and upload all requested documents in one single PDF file.
The requested documents are:
– Letter of motivation (600 words): Answer the following questions and convince us with global or personal perspectives, independent concepts and innovative ideas!
- Why are you interested in the Cross-Disciplinary Strategies degree programme?
- What visions, skills and ideas will you bring to the programme?
- What projects would you like to work on?
– Curriculum vitae: including your contact information (telephone, email)
Part 2)
If you have passed phase 1, you will be invited to participate in practical assignments followed by a face-to-face interview with the admission committee at the CDS premises. We can also offer interviews via Zoom upon request.
MA Entrance Exam
Part 1)
Register for the online application process under
nd upload all requested documents in one single PDF file.
The requested documents are:
- Copy of degree certificate(s)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Motivation letter (max. 500 words): your motivation letter should present:
- your previous knowledge in art and academic subjects
- experience of projects and collaboration within and beyond your previous degree programme
- your expectations of the CDS Master’s programme and how you could apply the knowledge and skills gained after completing it.
- Portfolio: containing academic and artistic or practical work. You should include your bachelor’s project (abstract, documentation).
- Project draft (max. 500 words): your idea for your master’s thesis, taking into account the requirements of cross-disciplinary content and methodology and its possible impact on society. You are not obliged to implement the ideas you present here.
Part 2)
Applicants who have passed part 1 of the admission examination will be invited to a personal interview with the admission committee. Interviews will be held in Vienna and are based on a presentation of the submitted documents and a practical test. The interview aims to establish the alignment of individual qualifications, study motivation and main areas of interest with the programme’s objectives. We can also offer interviews via Zoom upon request.
FAQ’s
What can I learn at CDS?
CDS counters the increasing fragmentation of academic approaches to knowledge production with cross-disciplinary teaching modalities, including classical lectures, excursions, team teaching, group critique, internships and reflection. Students benefit from mentoring by faculty and lecturers, as well as frequent workshops and guest lectures. Taken together, the disciplines and teaching in CDS aim to prepare students for transformative participation in globally overlapping societies and problem spaces.
The BA programme is guided by annual topics that create a dynamic learning environment by bringing in experts from a range of practices and disciplines. These annual topics foreground pressing debates on topics including migration, work, growth, the environment, nutrition, and the possibilities and consequences of AI and Big Data.
The MA programme is centred on trans-disciplinary projects in which students research complex relationships, make these visible, and embed them in cooperative processes. To support these projects, CDS facilitates contact with and encourages collaboration between master’s students and civil organisations. Students train their abilities for trans- and interdisciplinarity using empirical and artistic methods and contextual knowledge with individual support from mentors and their peers.
What can I do with a CDS degree?
The curriculum is appropriate for students wishing to develop a critical approach and collaborative skills applied in individual areas of knowledge in and beyond the arts. BA students from CDS often go on to master’s degrees and the programme aims to support students to develop career possibilities in a range of fields including in particular cultural, political, scientific and international institutions where complex problems demand interdisciplinary solutions.
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CDS Studio and Offices
Phone
+43-1-71133-2471