(Vienna, 30 September 2026) To mark the launch of the new Master’s programme in Psychotherapy, Anita Rieder, Vice-Rector for Teaching, and Stephan Doering, Head of the programme at MedUni Vienna, today welcomed the first cohort of students in the Jugendstilhörsaal at the Medical University of Vienna. The programme, established in collaboration with the University of Vienna, begins on 1 October. This anchors a central component of psychotherapy training within public universities.
“In future, all psychotherapists will complete a dedicated academic degree programme, where they will acquire broad knowledge and skills in the scientific research of their discipline,” explained Stephan Doering, Director of the Curriculum for the Master’s programme in Psychotherapy at MedUni Vienna, earlier today at the press conference organised by the Austrian Federal Association for Psychotherapy (ÖBVP).
Scientific foundations and practical training
The Master’s programme comprises four semesters and 120 ECTS credits. There are 40 places available for this joint programme.
The programme combines the fundamentals of psychotherapy, psychology and medicine with practical skills. The curriculum includes an understanding of mental disorders, diagnostics, psychotherapeutic methods and psychotherapy research. Placements in psychiatric care and psychotherapeutic institutions complement the teaching.
The Master’s programme as the second stage of training
The training programme, newly regulated by the Psychotherapy Act 2024, consists of three stages. The Master’s programme in Psychotherapy follows on from relevant prior education. This is followed by several years of specialist psychotherapeutic training with recognised professional associations, during which training in a specific psychotherapeutic method is deepened.
Information on the Master’s programme in Psychotherapy