Admission criteria
In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy programe with a Wind Orchestra Conducting major, applicants must be awarded with a Master in Music Performance with an instrumental/vocal major or equivalent as well as they must 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 Studienreglement of the Master of Arts FHNW in Music Pedagogy.
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. The required certificate B1 must be submitted with the confirmation of admission but not later than Mai 31. Exceptions will be decided upon by the head of degree programe.
Entrance exam
The several parts.
Procedure
Major exam
Conversation:
After reviewing the submitted portfolio, the jury will invite chosen applicants for an online interview (ca. 30 minutes) by videoconference/zoom.
Pedagogical aptitude assessment
The pedagogical aptitude assessment refers to the instrument of the first Master’s major.
Pedagogical aptitude assessment (external applicants)
Candidates who are invited to the second round (on-site audition) are asked to submit a video of a demonstration lesson of 20' duration with a student of their own instrument. The student can be beginner or advanced and there is no age limit. If possible, the lesson should be held in German. If this is not possible for organizational reasons, the lesson must either be held in English or the video must be subtitled accordingly. The recording must not be older than 6 months. Please upload the video onto Youtube and send the following information/documents by April 10 to cmVnaXN0cmF0aW9uLmhzbUBmaG53LmNo by mail:
- the link
- information about the student (age and characteristics, since when)
- copies of the sheet music used (if applicable)
- a short written reflection of your lesson
Pedagogical aptitude assessment (internal applicants)
For internal applicants, the pedagogical aptitude test takes place on-site during the spring semester (after the head of degree programme has been able to check whether a place is available). The dates will be communicated individually.
The pedagogical aptitude test consists of a demonstration lesson of 20' duration (the allocation of students is taken on by the subject didactics teachers) in German language and a reflection talk following the lesson.
Dates
The exact dates for the aptitude assessment by videoconference/zoom 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 curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, a short biography
- The school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma, the Master Diploma (if available)
- Portfolio that fully reflects the applicant's artistry and creative output, e.g. concerts/performances/improvisations (audio/video); music scores; analytical work; soundtracks; installations; documentation on earlier artistic projects.
- Project proposal (max. project running time: 20–25 min) for a project they would like to execute as part of the Open Creation Major. The proposal should detail the artistic goals of the project, the implementation process and the resources required (performers, audio, visuals etc.). Please note that the proposal must be submitted in video format (approx. running time: 6-7 min).
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.
Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by mail in May.
