Use of academic titles

Academic titles may, but do not have to be used.

Austrian academic titles may be used as follows:

• privately without restriction – you may use them freely on letterheads, business signs and business cards, etc.
• in dealings with the authorities for information submissions of any type – you may use your academic title in the relevant boxes on forms
• to display on official copies and documents of all types, but only in the shortened form

In practice, some unofficial shortened forms have come into usage which meet with no objections, provided that they do not lead to confusion or false assumptions about the person in question. We would however advise that these only be used informally.

Using 'Dr.mult.' to denote multiple doctorates is not permitted, as there is no legal basis for it.

If someone has been awarded the same academic degree – meaning a degree for which the title is worded the same – multiple times, then this same title may be used multiple times. If someone has studied for two or three different degrees in the same subject, for example a diploma and doctorate, or a bachelor's, master's and doctorate, then they may use all the relevant academic titles. A subsequent academic title does not cancel out the previous degree(s).

Academic titles have both a female and male form. Shortened female forms such as 'Mag.a' or 'Dr.in' may be used.

Foreign academic titles may be used according to the same rules as Austrian titles.

The main condition for using a foreign academic title is that it was awarded by an institution which is a recognised university, a higher education institution or other post-secondary educational institution, i.e. an institution that is recognised as a post-secondary educational institution by the competent authorities of the state to whose education system it belongs.

However, entries in official documents/certificates are only permitted for academic titles from EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, and for academic titles in theology from pontifical universities.

Whether an academic title is to be placed in front of or behind a name is decided according to the rules of the country in which the award was made.

The use of a corresponding or similar Austrian academic title is not permitted. If the form of the foreign academic title is the same as that of an Austrian academic title, this form can be used without the rights of the Austrian academic title taking effect.

Further information

• Validation (nostrification) of foreign academic degrees (→ BMBWF)
• Registration of academic degrees after Brexit (→ BMBWF)