Music Schools and Programs in Switzerland

Music Studies in Switzerland

Music in Switzerland is studied in two different ways. Practical training for performers, composers, conductors and music teachers takes place at the music schools of the universities of applied sciences and arts. The academic study of music (musicology) is taught at traditional universities. According to the official portal Study in Switzerland+, degrees in music, like those in theatre, film, art and design, are available only at universities of applied sciences and arts.

SpainExchange lists 2 schools in Switzerland with music programmes, in Lucerne and Bern. They show both routes: the Hochschule Luzern (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, HSLU) trains musicians, and the University of Bern (Universität Bern) teaches musicology.

How music degrees are organised

Swiss degrees follow the Bologna structure. A bachelor's degree takes three years of full-time study and carries 180 ECTS credits; one academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits. A master's degree follows the bachelor's, and a doctorate requires a master's degree.

At the Lucerne School of Music, the music department of the HSLU, the Bachelor of Arts in Music is offered in three profiles: Classical, Jazz and Folk Music. Students choose a vocal or instrumental main subject. The school describes this bachelor's as a generalist degree: a consecutive master's degree is needed for a professional qualification. There are also bachelor's specialisations in Composition and Music Theory, and bachelor's programmes that qualify directly for a profession, such as Church Music, Wind Ensemble Conducting, and Music and Movement.

The school has two master's programmes. The Master of Arts in Music has majors such as Performance Classical Music, Performance Jazz, Orchestra, Chamber Music, Conducting, Composition and Artistic Research. The Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy covers Instrumental / Voice Pedagogy, School Music II (for teaching at baccalaureate schools) and Music Theory. Doctorates are offered through cooperation agreements with universities in Vienna, Hannover and Freiburg im Breisgau.

At the University of Bern, the Institute of Musicology (Institut für Musikwissenschaft) offers a three-year bachelor's and a two-year master's programme. The bachelor's gives an overview of historical musicology, the cultural anthropology of music and music theatre studies; the master's allows a focus on one of them. A separate master's, World Arts and Music, concentrates on cultural anthropology. The institute has about 100 students and cooperates with the Hochschule der Künste Bern, the city's arts university, where musicology students can take some group courses.

Admission and language

Switzerland has no central admission system: each university sets its own criteria. For a bachelor's degree the basic requirement is an upper secondary school-leaving certificate equivalent to the Swiss Matura. Universities of applied sciences and arts usually add an aptitude test in artistic subjects.

For music this means an entrance examination. At the Lucerne School of Music:

• the application deadline for all degree programmes is 28 February
• the bachelor's entrance examination has a theoretical and a practical part; master's candidates take no theory exam
• the practical examinations take place on site in Lucerne, in German if possible, otherwise in English
• the registration and examination fee is CHF 200 per entrance examination, credited upon enrolment
• there is no age limit, and studies start in mid-September; external applicants cannot start in the spring semester

German is the working language in Lucerne. The school does not ask for German at the entrance examination, but a language test is required shortly before the start of studies: level B2 for bachelor's programmes and B1 for most master's programmes, with higher levels for pedagogy and music theory majors. In Bern, the musicology institute expects new students to read music notation; playing an instrument is an advantage.

Costs and visa

According to Study in Switzerland+, tuition fees at Swiss public universities are between CHF 500 and CHF 2,000 per semester at practically all institutions, and some universities charge international students slightly more.

Students from EU and EFTA countries do not need a visa; they register with the cantonal authority within 14 days of arrival and apply for a residence permit. Students from other countries apply for a visa at the Swiss embassy or consulate in their country of residence before travelling. The portal notes that issuing a visa takes at least 8 weeks. Foreign students may work up to 15 hours per week during their studies; students from outside the EU/EFTA only after the first six months.

Careers

The Lucerne School of Music names music teacher, composer, orchestra musician and freelance artist as the careers its bachelor's prepares for, usually after a specialised master's degree. Teaching music at a Swiss baccalaureate school requires a pedagogy master's: in Bern this training is run by the Hochschule der Künste Bern together with the university's musicology institute and the PHBern teacher training university.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I study music performance in Switzerland?

At the music schools of the universities of applied sciences and arts, such as the Lucerne School of Music of the HSLU. Traditional universities such as the University of Bern teach musicology, the academic study of music.

Is there an entrance exam for music degrees?

Yes. At the Lucerne School of Music every applicant takes an entrance examination on site; bachelor's candidates also sit a written theory exam online. The application deadline is 28 February.

Do I need to speak German?

For Lucerne, yes. German is not required at the entrance examination, but level B2 must be proven for bachelor's programmes and B1 for most master's programmes before or early in the studies.

How long does a music degree take?

A bachelor's degree takes three years (180 ECTS credits). In musicology at the University of Bern the master's takes two more years.