Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

What Diplomatic Academy of Vienna does

The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (Diplomatische Akademie Wien – Vienna School of International Studies) is a postgraduate educational institution founded in 1754 by Empress Maria Theresa as the Orientalische Akademie and currently constituted as a public-law institution under the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. It operates from a single campus at Favoritenstraße 15a, 1040 Vienna, and delivers five degree programmes: a one-year Diploma Programme (DLG), a two-year Master of Advanced International Studies (MAIS), two two-year MSc programmes in Environmental Technology & International Affairs (ETIA, with TU Wien) and Digital International Affairs (DIA, with the University of Innsbruck), and a four-year PhD in Interdisciplinary International Studies (IIS, with the University of Vienna). Supporting services include the da.link career services platform, the da.moodle e-learning platform (Moodle-based), the da.live public-events streaming platform, and the da.connect / ClubDA alumni network.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: tuition fees for the five postgraduate programmes (annual billing cadence, with scholarships and funding opportunities), executive training programmes for state and private-sector clients, and language courses (including French DFP RI Diploma and German summer/online intensives). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for postgraduate students via a global digital application portal and three annual Open House events (on-campus and virtual). The institution monetizes career outcomes through an annual Career Day that connects students with employers including IAEA, OSCE, UNOV/UNODC, UNIDO, the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austrian ministries, BCG, Arthur D. Little, Raiffeisen, UniCredit, and others.

The technology stack is conventional: a Moodle LMS for course delivery, a digital application portal, a YouTube/streaming pipeline for public events, and the Brevo email platform for event communications. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities, patents, or API products are disclosed. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and the institution operates without venture capital, acquisitions, or parent-company ownership.

Name

Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

Legal name

Diplomatische Akademie Wien - Vienna School of International Studies

Website

https://da-vienna.ac.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1754

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna is a public-law postgraduate institution founded in 1754, offering master's, diploma, and PhD programmes in international relations, economics, law, and history to globally recruited students seeking careers in diplomacy and international organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education in International Affairs and Diplomacy

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Postgraduate international affairs education
• Diplomatic training programmes
• International relations degree
• Executive training services
• Language course instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Postgraduate programs charge tuition for the Diploma Programme (DLG), Master of Advanced International Studies (MAIS), MSc Environmental Technology & International Affairs (ETIA), MSc Digital International Affairs (DIA), and PhD programmes. Fees vary by programme with funding opportunities available.
2. Executive Training Programmes: Tailor-made training programmes and language courses for clients from both the state and private sectors. These are separate professional development offerings beyond the academic degree programmes.
3. Language Courses: French language programmes and German courses including summer courses and online intensives. Includes French DFP RI Diploma certification programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna delivers postgraduate academic programmes in international relations, economics, history and law, awarding a Diploma (DLG), the MAIS master's degree, two specialised MSc programmes (ETIA, DIA), and a PhD (IIS). It complements these degree offerings with executive training programmes for state and private sector clients, French and German language courses, career services, alumni networking, and public event programming.

Product overview

The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna operates a portfolio of academic programmes and digital services for postgraduate education in international affairs. The academic offerings include five degree programmes: the one-year Diploma Programme (DLG), the two-year Master of Advanced International Studies (MAIS), two two-year MSc programmes (ETIA in Environmental Technology and DIA in Digital International Affairs), and a four-year PhD Programme (IIS). Supporting student services include da.link career services for career development and networking, and the da.moodle e-learning platform powered by Moodle. Public engagement is facilitated through da.live for streaming events and da.connect for alumni networking. The institution positions itself as a Vienna School of International Studies with a multidisciplinary teaching approach dedicated to academic excellence in international relations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• da.link: Career services programme for students and alumni offering career talks, skills seminars, workshops, and career day events
• da.moodle
• da.live
• club.da

Products and services

• Diploma Programme (DLG) A one-year postgraduate course in the theory and practice of international relations, economics, history and law with a special emphasis on language training, designed for graduates seeking a foundation in international affairs.
• Master of Advanced International Studies (MAIS) A two-year academic master's programme centring on the advanced study of politics and international relations, international economics, history as well as international and European law.
• MSc in Environmental Technology & International Affairs (ETIA) A two-year MSc programme run in cooperation with TU Wien tackling environmental issues across political, legal and technical dimensions for graduates pursuing environmental policy and technology careers.
• MSc in Digital International Affairs (DIA) A two-year MSc run in cooperation with the University of Innsbruck focused on the digital transformation of international affairs, providing knowledge and skills to shape the international relations of tomorrow.
• PhD Programme Interdisciplinary International Studies (IIS) A four-year doctoral programme in cooperation with the University of Vienna enabling researchers to pursue a project linking at least two of the DA's academic disciplines.
• Executive Training Programmes Tailor-made training programmes and executive seminars delivered for clients from both state and private sectors, covering international affairs, diplomacy and EU topics.
• Language Courses (French & German) French language programmes and German courses including summer courses, online intensives, and French DFP RI Diploma certification programmes for students and external learners.
• da.link Career Services Career services programme tailored to students' and alumni's needs, offering career talks, skills seminars, workshops and an annual Career Day connecting them with employers.

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• King's College LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Annual da.conference organized in cooperation with King's College London. The 2024 conference focused on 'International Economic Law and Human Rights: From Conflict to Cooperation?'
• Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Austrian Academy of Sciences)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cooperation on events including the Hammer-Purgstall 250th anniversary celebrations. The ÖAW and DA jointly organized a Festakt honoring Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall as the first president of the ÖAW and distinguished alumnus of the Orientalische Akademie.
• DA.LINK Career Day EmployersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Annual Career Day connects DA students with employers including international organizations (IAEA, OSCE, UNOV, UNODC, UNIDO), government agencies (BMI, U.S. Embassy), consulting firms (BCG, Arthur D. Little), banks (Raiffeisen, UniCredit), and NGOs. Event organized jointly with ClubDA.
• University of ViennacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the PhD Programme Interdisciplinary International Studies (IIS). Students pursue research projects linking at least two of the DA's academic disciplines in cooperation with the University of Vienna.
• TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the MSc Environmental Technology & International Affairs (ETIA) programme, tackling environmental issues in their political, legal, and technical dimensions.
• University of InnsbruckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the MSc Digital International Affairs (DIA) programme, focusing on the digital transformation of international affairs.
• Erasmus+ ProgrammemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in the Erasmus+ programme for student and faculty exchanges with European universities, supporting international academic mobility.
• ClubDA (Alumni Association)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlumni Association of the Diplomatische Akademie Wien. Membership is open to all graduates and friends of the DA. Supports career services, networking events, and the da.link career portal.
• da.connect (ClubDA Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetworking and career platform (clubdanetwork.com) for alumni to connect, share career opportunities, mentor students, and access the DA job portal.
• Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International AffairsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose institutional ties with Austria's foreign ministry. Career talks include sessions on selection procedures for the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Faculty and events frequently involve ministry officials.
• Fulbright CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFulbright Visiting Professors programme brings distinguished scholars to the DA. The programme supports Fulbright-Diplomatic Academy Visiting Professor positions in International Studies.
• Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular co-organizer of events and conferences including the annual European Forum Vienna series and various panel discussions on European security and international affairs.
• Austrian Institute of International Affairs (oiip)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organizes events and panel discussions on international affairs, contributing to academic discourse on global issues.
• Österreichische Forschungsgemeinschaft (ÖFG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on the ÖFG Peaceful Change research programme, including lectures, discussions, and the publication of discussion papers on peace and conflict studies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• London School of Economics (LSE): Large UK university with a renowned Department of International Relations. Broad incumbent: offers international affairs as part of a much wider portfolio of social-science programmes, providing both competition and a complementary alternative for prospective students.

Regional players

• University of St. Gallen: Swiss university with strong management and international-affairs programmes and a tradition of training diplomats. Regional player: comparable European hub location and adjacent international-business curriculum, but broader focus on management than the DA's diplomacy core.

Direct peers

• King's College London School of Global Affairs: King's College London's School of Global Affairs houses the Department of War Studies and other international-affairs programmes. Direct peer: already a DA partner via the annual da.conference, competing for European postgraduate international-affairs students.
• Hertie School: Berlin-based graduate school focused on public policy and international affairs, founded by the Hertie Foundation. Direct peer: postgraduate-only model, German-speaking European hub, comparable executive-training offerings, competing for German and EU students.
• Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID): Switzerland's premier postgraduate institution for international affairs and development. Direct peer: similar size and scope, located in another major international-organizations hub, and competes for the same postgraduate international-affairs student pool as the DA.
• Free University of Berlin - Otto Suhr Institute: Otto Suhr Institute for Political Science at FU Berlin, Germany's largest political science department with strong international-relations focus. Direct peer: German-language European institution offering comparable international-affairs curricula at scale.
• Johns Hopkins SAIS: Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, a top US institution for international relations with campuses in Washington, Bologna, and Nanjing. Direct peer: postgraduate international-affairs degree with strong employer pipeline into international organizations and policy roles.
• Georgetown School of Foreign Service: Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, one of the most recognized US institutions for diplomacy and international affairs. Direct peer: postgraduate international-affairs training with deep ties to US government, diplomatic service, and international organizations.
• Sciences Po (Paris School of International Affairs): France's leading political science and international affairs university with a dedicated Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA). Direct peer: postgraduate international-affairs curriculum with practitioner orientation, comparable employer recruitment, and competing for the same European student market.

Emerging players

• SOAS University of London: UK university specialised in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East with international-relations programmes. Emerging player: regional specialisation rather than the DA's Euro-centric diplomacy focus, but competes for internationally-oriented postgraduate students in Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/da_vienna
• YouTubeyoutube.com/DiplomatischeAkademieWien
• Facebookfacebook.com/122458
• LinkedInat.linkedin.com/school/diplomatischeakademiewien
• Instagraminstagram.com/DA_vienna

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Diplomatic Academy of Vienna