About the agricultural schools

Types of training

Technical and vocational schools (duration 2-4 years)

for students who have graduated from secondary modern school (Hauptschule), new secondary modern school (Neue Mittelschule) or successfully passed lower secondary education (Unterstufe eines Gymnasiums).
  Graduation with the qualification as skilled worker.
 

Secondary Colleges (duration  5 years)

for students who have graduated from secondary modern school,  new secondary modern school or successfully passed lower secondary education.
  Graduation with national leaving exam entitling to university studies (Matura) and diploma exam.
 

Secondary Colleges/advanced training courses (duration three years)

for students who have graduated from a vocational school for agriculture and forestry.
 Graduation with national leaving exam entitling to university studies (Matura) and diploma exam.
 

Master Craftsperson trainings

for graduates from technical, vocational schools and/or Secondary Colleges with three years vocational experience.
  Graduation with Master Craftsperson’s diploma.
 

University College for agrarian and environmental pedagogy (Hochschule für Agrar- und Umweltpädagogik)

for graduates from Secondary Colleges and/or Master Craftspersons.
  Graduation as Bachelor and/or Master of Education.

 

Specialisations

At technical and vocational schools

  • Biomass and bioenergy
  • Field vegetable farming
  • Forestry
  • Woodland gardening and forest cultivation
  • Horticulture
  • Rural home economics
  • Agriculture
  • Pomology and fruit processing
  • Horse husbandry
  • Viticulture and cellaring

At Secondary Colleges

  • Forestry
  • Horticulture
  • Garden and landscape design
  • Agriculture and nutrition economy
  • Agriculture
  • Agricultural engineering
  • Food technology and biotechnology
  • Management of environment and natural resources
  • Viticulture and pomology

At University College

  • Agricultural education
  • Environmental education

Educational contents

The agricultural schools impart competences on different general as well as specific topics. In particular, the curricula contain the following educational contents:

  • General education and personality formation
  • Foreign languages
  • Education in natural sciences
  • Specialist training
  • Economic education

E-didactics and digitalisation

The agricultural schools implement the topics of E-didactics and digitalisation within the framework of a holistic educational concept. This includes the promotion of the further education of teachers in these fields as well as a modern type of teaching, which complies with the present and future demands placed in agricultural and forestry production.

For implementing these topics, the agricultural schools are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. This does not only include the access of students to computers with internet connection, but also the equipment of the classrooms with interactive smart boards, notebooks and beamers.

The majority of teachers at agricultural schools has a positive attitude towards the use of digital media in the course of instruction. In this context the protection of personal data and security aspects have top priority.

Practical experience in Austria and abroad

The agricultural schools are connected with facilities for the practical training of apprentices, where the students can apply the knowledge acquired at the lessons in practice. The practical lessons are part of regular teaching.

In addition to that, the students can gain practical experience outside school during the time when there are no lessons. Such compulsory traineeships can be made at the parents’ farm or at another appropriate holding in Austria or abroad.

The Rural Youth supports students who want to make a traineeship abroad with special subsidisation programmes within the framework of Erasmus+ projects. 

Teaching and research

At the colleges in Schönbrunn, Klosterneuburg, Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Wieselburg and Tirol teaching and research are combined at competence centres. At other schools, there exist partly cooperations with research institutions. Due to their contact with researchers students profit already during their school career from current scientific knowledge in the respective specialised field.