STUDY
GUIDE

In this Study Guide, you can find information and help on how to study for not only the core courses, but also advanced and optional courses.

In a general manner, studying at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna is based not only on learning the theory by heart but more so on applying it — explaining the theory and then showcasing the practice of it.

Most of the exams, except both of the Economics core courses, are written in essay format. The Economics exams are designed as multiple-choice exams. The syllabus and course description help you find out which courses use which grading system. Not all courses have exams — many require papers varying in length from 3,000 to 6,000 words and more. You can access the course descriptions on MyDA after logging in, under My Studies → Courses and Syllabi, where you can search for the syllabus of your chosen course.

Here, a study guide for all the core courses explains in detail what to focus on and how to study for the exam effectively while still understanding the topic.

The important first step is to understand the topic and minimise it to an extent that makes it easy to learn by heart — then start applying it to the theory. It is important to use old exam questions to build a process for how to answer them. In this guide, we take you along on how to approach this process.