Colleges for higher vocational education in Austria provide both vocational training and a general education
starting from the ninth school year. Instruction lasts for five years and the final exam is the Reife- und
Diplomprüfung and VET (= Vocational Education and Training) Diploma that offers access to tertiary education
and to regulated professional activities.
HBLA Ursprung offers three tracks:
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Agriculture and Forestry focuses on animal husbandry, plant cultivation, forestry, machinery and practical training
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Environmental Engineering focuses on environmental technology, chemical and biotechnological laboratory and microbiology
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In addition there is a special three-year course called Aufbaulehrgang (advanced training course).
This track allows students who have already successfully completed a minimum of three years at a different secondary
technical or vocational school for agriculture and forestry the opportunity to complete the Reife- und Diplomprüfung.
Qualifications and Occupational Fields
The "Reifeprüfung"-Certificate of a college for agriculture and forestry provides graduates with the following qualifications:
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access to university studies
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entitlement to the occupational title of "Ingenieur"
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qualifications acquired in the course of apprenticeship training and through the Skilled Workers Exam in the relevant fields of
agriculture and forestry. In addition, graduates of colleges of agriculture and forestry are exempted from having to do a
preparatory course for admission to the Master Craftsman Exam
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qualifications necessary for the self-employed exercise of a commercial trade, provided they can prove to have worked in
the field of commerce for at least two years.
Link to 3 curricula
