Gustav Mahler Private University: New Doctoral programme in artistic research.

Following its successful reaccreditation, the Gustav Mahler Private University of Music (GMPU) has achieved another important milestone: at the end of January 2026, the accreditation agency AQ Austria approved a six-semester PhD programme in the field of artistic research. With the new doctoral programme, Carinthia will become home to a second full university alongside the University of Klagenfurt, further strengthening the province's position as a centre of education and science.

Founded in 2019, the university currently has 414 study places and students from 30 nations, as well as 170 graduates to date. Research at the GMPU has been specifically expanded in recent years for the new doctoral programme: around 20 scientists are currently working on 15 national and international research projects. Artistic research is understood as an independent form of knowledge generation in which artistic practice – such as composing, interpreting or performing – itself becomes a research method.

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