Handelsakademie

Handelsakademie (often shortened to HAK, roughly translates to academy of trade) is a specialized school in Austria. These schools  are  focused on economics.  After five years, they terminate with the Matura (A-Levels) , which means their pupils get the opportunty to study at university level. Pupils are usually between 14 and 19 years old. 

 General information 
Usually, pupils learn German, and two foreign languages. Typically, the first language is english and the second one is usually french. But some HAKs also teach languages like russian, or spanish.  They also have branches such as economics, international economics, and media management.  In addition to the normal curriculum, some schools offer evening classes. This means that people can get the same subject matter in four years, usually. Some also offer specialized classes that teach the subject matter in three years, for people who already have an education. The special forms are more common in urban areas.

 Graduation 
The graduation of the HAK consists of four parts:

 passing the final grade 
 passing comprehensive tests (Matura) in 6 subjects (business administration, german, mathematics, business management, second living language, elective subject) 
 writing a diploma thesis with a focus on business administration 
 completing internships totaling at least 300 hours (approx. 2 months of full time employment) 

 See also 
The first such schools were opened in 1856 in Prague, and 1857 in Vienna. At that time, Prague, and Vienna were both part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

These schools also exist in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. 

 References 

 External links 
HAK.cc – portal for HAKs by the ministery of education (BMBWF) of the austrian goverment
Category:Schools