Health Care and Nursing
Bachelor's degree, full-time
In the Bachelor's degree programme in Health Care and Nursing, you will acquire in-depth knowledge in the areas of nursing science, anatomy and pathology through to health promotion and nursing advice. You will deepen your knowledge in extensive professional practical training from the very first semester.
After completing this degree course, you will have the necessary skills to care for people with acute and chronic illnesses as well as physical or mental impairments. Last but not least, Health Care and Nursing is extremely diverse and you can make a significant contribution to social coexistence.
With the academic degree, you will also receive the professional qualification for the higher service in Health Care and Nursing.
Curriculum of the Bachelor's degree in Health Care and Nursing
Note: The scope and titles of the courses are currently being revised as part of the further development of the programme. Changes will take effect from the 2027/28 academic year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the programme administration or programme director.
The 180 ECTS are divided as follows over the six semesters - including compulsory subjects, compulsory electives, practical work and bachelor's thesis.
Compulsory elective courses: here you choose 1 compulsory elective subject with 2 ECTS in semester 5.
ECTS: Performance points according to the "European Credit Transfer System". According to international standards, 180 ECTS points must be earned over 6 semesters.
Course content in detail
Courses and examinations take place:
- generally from Monday to Friday (exceptions may apply)
- Students may engage in activities outside of their studies in accordance with the timetable
Find out about monthly educational grants!
A major and central component of the programme is the practical phases:
| Semester | Practical training & work experience placement | PT | BT |
| 1. | Acute care, long-term care, prevention and rehabilitation | 75 | 200 |
| 2. | Acute care, long-term care, prevention and rehabilitation, mobile care | 75 | 250 |
| 3. | Acute care, long-term care, prevention and rehabilitation, mobile care | 75 | 275 |
| 4. | Acute care, long-term care, prevention and rehabilitation, mobile care | 25 | 475 |
| 5. | Acute care, long-term care, prevention and rehabilitation, mobile care, and more, internship abroad | 25 | 475 |
| 6. | Acute care, long-term care, prevention and rehabilitation, mobile care, and more | 50 | 400 |
PT: Practical training, time spent in hours
BP: Work experience placement, time spent in hours
Training cooperation: Vorarlberg Nursing School
Mobility window:
- Internships in the 5th semester are also possible abroad.
- Admission to the final oral examination:
- all courses in the curriculum must have been successfully completed (examination regulations and grading scale) and
- the Bachelor's thesis must have been graded positively.
- Degree awarded: Bachelor of Science in Health Studies, BSc
- Level of the degree according to the national and European qualifications framework: Bachelor (1st cycle)
- Field of study according to ISCED-F code: 0913 - Nursing and midwifery
Career perspectives
Seize the opportunity to work in a dynamic and future-proof professional field and make a valuable contribution to healthcare. Whether as a nurse in a hospital, nursing home, hospice or other health-promoting institution, this academic degree will give you the professional qualification for the senior civil service in Health Care and Nursing.
The degree also entitles you to study for a master's degree in nursing at a university of applied sciences or university or subsequently for a doctorate.
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Care expert
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Practice instructor
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Special areas of activity, e.g. intensive care, anesthesia, or
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Counseling for people with care needs and their relatives
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Child and adolescent care and psychiatric care
- Aspiring ward manager or nursing service manager
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Lecturers in Health Care and Nursing (with appropriate continuing education)
- Quality manager
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Project employee(e.g. international development cooperation)
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Experts
Inpatient: Hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, hospices, rehabilitation clinics, spas and sanatoriums, assisted living communities
Partial inpatient: day and night clinics, day centers
Outpatient: Outpatient clinics, hospice services, palliative care teams, mobile care and social stations, health and social centers, psychosocial services, primary care centers, nursing outpatient clinics and counseling centers
Other areas: Health promotion organizations, occupational and occupational health facilities, public health services, facilities for people with disabilities, ombudsman's office, etc.
Health Care and Nursing student stories
Why study Health Care and Nursing at the FHV?
Because after your studies you will be working in a diverse, meaningful profession that will allow you to grow personally and make a significant contribution to society. The study programme also offers the following benefits:
- Extremely practice-oriented with at least one work placement per semester (2400 hours or 96 ECTS in total)
- Experienced lecturers impart their knowledge directly from practice
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As the first university of applied sciences in Austria, the FHV has integrated the extended nursing assessment into the programme structure of a Bachelor's degree.
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In selected courses, you will specialize in English and have the opportunity to do an internship abroad in the fifth semester.
Access and application
The Bachelor's degree programme in Health and Nursing requires the following qualifications or competencies:
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General university entrance qualification (A-levels) or
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Relevant vocational qualification with additional examinations
All Austrian apprenticeships and qualifications from vocational middle schools are proposed as “relevant vocational qualifications.” This group also includes the three-year vocational middle school for social professions or a comparable programme in terms of scope and requirements in the psychosocial field, as well as the following vocational training programmes: optician, orthopaedic technician, dentist’s assistant, pharmacist’s assistant, masseur, bandagist, and drugstore assistant. Another pathway is completion of training as a Nursing Assistant (PFA).
The relevance of a qualification is determined by the programme director. Applicants with a relevant vocational qualification must successfully complete additional examinations at FHV.
Proof of language proficiency at level B2 in both German and English (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is required for admission.
FHV's application periods are structured as follows:
Application deadline I - from November 15 to March 1
Apply by March 1 and benefit from an early confirmation of your place
Application deadline II - until May 31
You can submit regular applications for all degree programmes until May 31.
Application deadline III - until August 31
Some degree programmes still offer individual places until August 31.
Note: The application deadline for applicants from a third country (non-EU or non-EEA, with the exception of Switzerland) is March 1.
Two steps to your desired degree programme at the FHV:
Step 1:
Assessment of your cover letter and CV.
Step 2:
In a personal admission interview, we find out more about you, your goals and your motivation for studying.
Previous study achievements can be credited individually in individual courses during your studies. This also applies to coursework that you have already completed at a recognised college or university. The equivalence of the acquired knowledge with the requirement profile with regard to the content and scope of the courses to be waived will be checked upon your application. If equivalence is determined, positively completed examinations will be recognised. A knowledge check is not planned in these cases. You will receive details on this in a meeting with the programme director.
General arrangements for recognition of prior learning
From Nursing Assistant (PA) / Nursing Assistant (PFA) to Bachelor: You already have a university entrance qualification or are taking the additional examinations at the FHV. Depending on your previous education, the following courses will be credited towards your bachelor's degree:
| Crediting PA |
Crediting PFA |
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* Starting the first semester - the workload is significantly reduced due to the recognition of courses. Part-time employment is still possible.Entering the second semester - the workload in the third semester is therefore higher, as the courses that are not credited in the first semester have to be made up in the third semester |
Eligible students receive financial support from the connexia placement foundation. Detailed information & personal advice is available at www.vcare.at.
The state of Vorarlberg has been funding nursing training courses with 630 euros per month since September 2022. This means that a three-year bachelor's degree in Health Care and Nursing at the FHV will receive a total of 21,600 euros in training funding. Participants in the connexia placement foundation do not receive any further funding from the state of Vorarlberg.
Do you have questions about the study programme?
For a personal consultation, you can contact us directly:
| Monday to Thursday | 08:30 - 11:30 am | 01:00 - 04:00 pm |
| Friday | 08:30 - 11:30 am |
or by individual appointment.
Information events are held at the FHV throughout the year. You are welcome to come along and get advice. Here is an overview of upcoming events: