International University Vienna
Encyclopedia
The International University (IU), Vienna was an unaccredited
private university located in Vienna
, Austria
, with a subsidiary in Kiev
, Ukraine
. According to IU, it was chartered in 1980 by the U.S. state
of Alabama
as a private degree-granting postsecondary institution. The Vienna operation was founded in 1981 as "European Christian College". In 2003, IU's university accreditation was withdrawn by the Austrian Accreditation Council. In 2011, IUV's sponsoring association went into bankruptcy and was shut down by court order. In June 2011, Serbian private university Megatrend University
announced that it would take over the institution.
(4 January 2001 through 31 July 2003) are legally recognized in Austria and other EU countries. Any degrees granted outside this period lack accredited status, and their use may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.
The institution stated that it was licensed to operate by the state of Alabama
. However, this license expired in November 2010 and is not related to accreditation.
The Office of Degree Authorization of Oregon lists International University Vienna as an unaccredited foreign degree supplier and advises "employers, potential students, potential clients and others doing business with users of these degrees" to "take appropriate steps to determine the true nature of the credentials ... in order to ensure that degrees are genuine and are being used legally".
proceedings were initiated against IUV. On 6 May 2011, the commercial court of Vienna ordered it shut.
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
private university located in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, with a subsidiary in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. According to IU, it was chartered in 1980 by the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
as a private degree-granting postsecondary institution. The Vienna operation was founded in 1981 as "European Christian College". In 2003, IU's university accreditation was withdrawn by the Austrian Accreditation Council. In 2011, IUV's sponsoring association went into bankruptcy and was shut down by court order. In June 2011, Serbian private university Megatrend University
Megatrend University
The Megatrend University is a private university located in Belgrade, Serbia. It was founded in 1989 and is organized into 19 institutions....
announced that it would take over the institution.
Programmes
- Undergraduate:
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
- Bachelor of Arts in Diplomatic Studies (BADS)
- Bachelor of Arts in Global Business & International Relations (BAGBIR)
- Graduate:
- Advanced/Master of Arts in Diplomatic & Strategic Studies (A/MADSS)
- Master of International Business (MIB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Legal status of academic degrees
Academic degrees granted by IU Vienna within the period of private university accreditationHigher education accreditation
Higher education accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of post-secondary educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
(4 January 2001 through 31 July 2003) are legally recognized in Austria and other EU countries. Any degrees granted outside this period lack accredited status, and their use may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.
The institution stated that it was licensed to operate by the state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. However, this license expired in November 2010 and is not related to accreditation.
The Office of Degree Authorization of Oregon lists International University Vienna as an unaccredited foreign degree supplier and advises "employers, potential students, potential clients and others doing business with users of these degrees" to "take appropriate steps to determine the true nature of the credentials ... in order to ensure that degrees are genuine and are being used legally".
Withdrawal of university accreditation
Between January 2001 and July 2003, IU Vienna was accredited as a private university by the accreditation council of the Austrian government. The initial accreditation had been granted only for a period of three years due to concerns on some critical issues (recruitment of scientific staff, research, library). In 2003, the accreditation was withdrawn by the council by 31 July 2003.Bankruptcy
In April 2011, bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
proceedings were initiated against IUV. On 6 May 2011, the commercial court of Vienna ordered it shut.