Graz University of Technology

Encyclopedia

Graz University of Technology (German: Technische Universität Graz, short TU Graz) is one of five universities in Styria, Austria. It was founded in 1811 by Archduke John of Austria and currently comprises seven faculties. The university is a public university. It offers 18 bachelors and 33 masters study programmes (of which 16 are in English) across all technology and natural science disciplines. Doctoral training is organised in 14 English-speaking doctoral schools. The university has more than 13,000 students, and approximately 2,000 students graduate every year. Science study programmes are offered in the framework of NAWI Graz together with the University of Graz.

The university has a staff of 3,629. Research areas are combined in five fields of expertise.

TU Graz, the University of Leoben and TU Wien form the network Austrian Universities of Technology (TU Austria) with more than 45,000 students and 9,800 staff.

Campus

The university has multiple campuses, as it is mainly situated on three sites in the city, two in the centre of Graz and one in the southeast of the city.

  • Alte Technik (Rechbauerstrasse / Lessingstrasse)
  • Neue Technik (Kopernikusgasse / Petersgasse)
  • Inffeldgasse

Campus buildings at the Graz University of Technology

  • Main building

  • New Technology building

  • BMT building (Biomedical Engineering)

  • A further Chemistry building

  • Institute for Computer Graphics and Vision (Inffeldgasse 16)

  • Engineering Mathematics/ Geodesy building

  • Study Centre (Inffeldgasse 10)

History

1811: The Joanneum is founded by Archduke John of Austria. The first subjects taught were physics, chemistry, astronomy, mineralogy, botany, and technology.

1864: The Styrian government makes it a Technische Hochschule.

1874: The Technische Hochschule is taken over by the state.

1888: Opening of the Main Building (Alte Technik) by Franz Joseph I of Austria.

1901: The Technische Hochschule is granted the right to award doctorates.

1955: It is divided into three faculties.

1975: It is divided into five faculties and renamed Technische Universität Graz, Erzherzog-Johann Universität (Graz University of Technology, Archduke-Johann-University).

2004: The new Austrian university law (UG 2002) is fully implemented – the university is divided into seven faculties.

Organization

The university consists of seven faculties:

  • Faculty of Architecture
  • Faculty of Civil Engineering
  • Faculty of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering
  • Faculty of Electrical and Information Medical
  • Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Economic Sciences
  • Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Geodesy
  • Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Chemical and Process Engineering, Biotechnology

Teaching

Students at TU Graz have a choice of 18 bachelor programmes and 33 master programmes. Graduates receive the academic degrees BSc, MSc or Diplom-Ingenieur/-in (Dipl.-Ing.). The doctoral programmes (Dr.techn. and Dr.rer.nat.) are offered as postgraduate programmes.

Facts and figures

  • Beginners: 1,968
  • Graduates (academic year 2018/19): 1,867
  • Federal budget 2019: €164.9 million
  • Income from third-party funds 2019: €79.2 million
  • Floor space (m2): 250,000
  • Non-academic staff: 1,039
  • Academic staff: 1,762 (of which project staff 1,040)
  • Lecturers/student assistants: 830

Data from: 2019/20

Rankings

University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World 401-500 (2018)
QS World 275 (2021)
THE World 501-600 (2020)
USNWR Global 618 (2018)

In the 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Graz University of Technology can be found in the 501–600 bracket. In the 2019 Shanghai ranking of universities/Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, it is in the 101–150 range in Computer Science & Engineeringing and Electrical & Electronic Engineering, and in the 201–300 range in Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering and Nanoscience & Nanotechnology. In the subjects Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Earth Sciences as well as Energy Science & Engineering, Graz University of Technology can be found in the 301-400 range. In Mathematics it is in the group 401–500. In the 2019 Leiden Ranking, the PPtop10% analysis puts it on position 219, the PPindustry ranks Graz University of Technology on place 9.

Notable alumni

  • Raimund Abraham (1933-2010), architect
  • Silke Bühler-Paschen, physicist
  • Günther Domenig (1934-2012), architect
  • Friedrich Emich (1860–1940), chemist
  • Dietmar Feichtinger (*1961), architect
  • Ernst Hiesmayr (1920-2006), architect, artist and former rector of the Technical University Vienna
  • Karl Kordesch, fuel cell and battery designer
  • Hans List, technical scientist and inventor, entrepreneur
  • Hanns Malissa (1920–2010), chemist
  • Hubert Petschnigg, architect
  • Alois Riedler (1850-1936), mechanical engineer
  • Rudolf Sanzin (1874–1922), locomotive designer
  • Friedrich St. Florian (*1932), architect
  • Nikola Tesla, electrical and mechanical engineer, inventor (did not receive a degree and did not continue beyond the first semester of his third year, during which he stopped attending lectures)
  • Karl von Terzaghi, civil engineer and founder of soil mechanics
  • Luis Trenker (1892-1990), architect, artist and alpinist

Partnerships

TU Graz has set up strategic partnerships with 7 universities:

  • Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
  • Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia
  • Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
  • Technical University of Munich, Germany
  • Tongji University Shanghai, China
  • University of Strathclyde, UK