Admission criteria
In order to enter the FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music programme with a Composition major, applicants must hold a school-leaving qualification (Baccalaureate, Professional Baccalaureate or equivalent) as well as they have to have passed the entrance exam and were offered a free place at the Academy (limited places). Applicants who have submitted all the necessary registration documents in time will be invited to the written exam by mail and the video meeting. For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Studienreglement of the Bachelor of Arts FHNW in Musik.
Language skills
We expect students to have very good German language skills at the beginning of the studies. Students who are not German native speakers must present at least a B1 German language certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the beginning of the studies. This certificate must be complete, i.e. all modules (reading, listening, writing, speaking) have been tested separately and passed at least at level B1 overall. Only certificates that have been certified with the ALTE-Q-Mark seal of approval (e.g. the B1 certificate of the Goethe-Institut or the telc certificate) are accepted.
Entrance exam
The entrance exam is split into several parts.
Procedure of the entrance exam
Written exam by mail (duration approx. four hours)
- Short compositional exercise. The exercise is based on various materials or concepts (you may also choose from electronical materials). In case of electronic concepts, you must submit a sound file including a written documentation.
- Written analysis of a short movement from the 20th/21st century (preparation time one hour).
Online oral exam (Zoom)
- Quick oral presentation (ca. 5-6 minutes) of an example of the submitted composing works.
- You will listen to an example from the 20th/21st century and report explicitly on the techniques, pitches, rhythms, timbres, etc.
- Ear training test about the candidates´ essential perception of the pitch, rhythms and timbres of the examples necessary for composition. The test may also be linked to the hearing example and the submitted works.
- Brief music theory test
- Conversation with the Jury
Dates
The live auditions will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.
Registration
You may apply between the 15th December and the 15th February.
Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents:
- A curriculum Vitae, a passport photo, a motivational letter/a short biography, the school leaving qualification or proof of an equivalent general education qualification.
- At least three compositions (may be submitted optionally as MP3 a/o video in addition to the PDF)
- A written analysis (pattern and extent of choice)
- Optional: further exercises in stylistic composition, concepts, digital music programmes, projects, essays, documentation, music-theoretical/scientific research papers, etc.
- A recording of a short, chosen work played on the piano or another instrument
Upload your video onto YouTube and add the link in the registration tool or send it by mail to registration.hsm@fhnw.ch by 15th February.
Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by mail in May.
Example Examination Assignments Composition (in German):
