Admission criteria
In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialized Musical Performance programme with a Composition Major, applicants must be awarded a Bachelor in Composition 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 and have passed the first round of the entrance exam will be invited to play a live audition.
For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Studienreglement of the Master of Arts FHNW in Specialized Music Performance.
Language Skills
We expect students to have sufficient German language skills at the beginning of the studies. Students who are not German native speakers must present a A2 German language certificate according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the beginning of the studies.
Entrance exam
The entrance exam is split into several parts.
Procedure
Written exam by mail (duration approx. four hours)
Short compositional exercise by mail. 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) by mail.
Oral exam via video conference/Zoom
Quick oral presentation (5-6 minutes) of an example of the submitted composing works by video
You will listen to an example from the 20th/21st century and report explicitly on the techniques, pitches, rhythms, timbres, etc.
Conversation with the Jury
Dates
The entrance exam by mail and the zoom meeting will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.
Registration
You may apply between 15th December and 15th February. Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents:
- A short biography
- the school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma
- In case that the applicant already holds a Master Diploma, we also need a copy of that.
- 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
Upload your video onto YouTube and add the link in the registration tool.
Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by mail in May.
General information about the entrance exam, aptitude test and exam dates can be found on the
Entrance Exams page.
Admission criteria
- Excellent grounding in composition and/or music theory
- Great potential to develop a distinctive artistic identity capable of taking an analytical and reflective approach to one’s work
- List of works and/or list of theoretical and analytical works and publications
- Ability to engage reflectively with music and to contextualise one’s own thought and ideas within a historical-sociological framework)
- Particular aptitude for academic study and artistic research-based work
Entrance examination
Submission (by 15th February)
- A short biography
- 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.
Written exam (duration approx. four hours) by mail
Short compositional exercise by mail. 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) by mail.
Oral exam
- Quick oral presentation of an example of the submitted composing works by video*
- Online meeting
If necessary, on-site:
- You will listen to an example from the 20th/21st century and report explicitly on the techniques, pitches, rhythms, timbres, etc.
- Conversation
- Ear training (only for BA)
Written and oral exam of ear training corresponding to the level of the Bachelor instrumental/vocal at the end of the first year.
*=Upload your video onto youtube and insert the link to your list of works. Please upload the list of works or send it by mail to cmVnaXN0cmF0aW9uLmhzbUBmaG53LmNo by 15th February.