MA Music Pedagogy | instrument / voice | Music and Research

Thinking of choosing a specialisation or Music Pedagogy as a second master’s degree? Why not both? Students who have already completed a master’s degree in Performance, instrument/voice have the opportunity to combine artistic-scientific research with a teaching qualification for their own instrument as part of an MA in Music Pedagogy. This dual profile expands your professional opportunities: Acquiring in-depth research skills through one's own pedagogical-focused research project and simultaneously developing the own practical teaching skills.

• Become familiar with research methods and discourses in music education research and present your own research findings in written and oral form.

• Parallel practical pedagogical training for your own instrument; degree with the MA in Music Education (instrumental/vocal) required for employment at music schools.

• Special features: peer-to-peer learning, participation in project and ensemble activities

• offers the prospect of subsequent doctoral studies

• Requires a diploma in MA instrumental or vocal performance (or equivalent training)

Learning outcomes

The programme pursues two objectives:

Research qualification

In the major subject Music and Research, students acquire key knowledge and skills in the field of artistic and scientific work through their own music education research project. Intensive engagement with current discourses, research methodology and various forms of research communication (academic writing, presenting, use of multimedia formats, etc.) opens up a wide range of opportunities in the fields of teaching, research and innovative artistic contexts. This Master's programme can also prepare students for doctoral studies.

Teaching music

In addition to the artistic-scientific specialisation in Music and Research, the practice-oriented, concentrated pedagogical training enables the students to teach the instrument studied in the first master's programme professionally in individual and group lessons at musical educational institutions or independently at all levels.

Career prospects

The Master's degree in Music Pedagogy with a major in music and research, acquire a dual profile:
Students of this programme find employment as musicians in the independent scene, as teachers, and at institutions engaged in research activities. The dual qualification allows them to work in particular at the interface between different disciplines: they can develop well-founded music education projects, accompany festivals, event series and new performance formats in terms of music education and research, and thus mediate between music education practice and research. In addition, this master's degree can serve as preparation for a doctorate.

With the pedagogical qualification, they are also enabled to subsequently teach their instrument both in musical educational institutions and independently. Nearly all music schools in Switzerland now require prospective teaching staff to have a Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy instrument/voice.

Target audience

Diese Studienvariante richtet sich an Musiker und Musikerinnen, die sich gezielt und vertieft mit musikpädagogischer Forschung beschäftigen wollen. Die Immatrikulation in diese Studienrichtung des Masters Musikpädagogik setzt ein abgeschlossenes Masterstudium in vokaler oder instrumentaler Performance voraus und ermöglicht es den Studierenden, ihre künstlerisch-wissenschaftliche Spezialisierung in Music and Research mit der pädagogischen Masterausbildung für ihr eigenes Instrument zu verknüpfen. Das Hauptfach Music and Research ersetzt dabei das künstlerische Hauptfach instrumental/vokal.

This programme is aimed at musicians who wish to engage in targeted and in-depth research in music education. Enrolment in the Master's programme in Music Pedagogy instrument/voice with a second artistic Major in Music and Research requires a Master's degree in vocal or instrumental performance and enables students to combine their artistic and academic specialisation in Music and Research with a Master's degree in pedagogy for their own instrument. The major Music and Research replaces the artistic major instrumental/vocal.

Prospective doctoral student

The MA MP with Music and Research as a second major is suitable for students who are interested in pursuing a doctorate (artistic-scientific doctorate or Dr. phil.). They benefit in particular from the close cooperation between the MASP Music and Research and the Musicology Seminar at the University of Basel and the jointly conducted doctoral project Musikwissen (degree: Dr. phil.). The 35 ECTS credits required for admission to Musicology at Master's level can be covered to a large extent by the coursework completed in Music and Research, depending on the individual composition of the curriculum.

The BA and MA degree programs at the Basel Academy of Music are based on modules.

The legally binding structure provides an initial guide to the content and weighting of the subjects on the degree programme.
The detailed content and modalities of the individual subjects can be found in the module descriptions.
The study regulations come into force together with the study and examination regulations of the Basel Academy of Music FHNW and form the legal framework.

In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy programme with a Music and Research 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 the second round.
For further information on the admission criteria, please see the Studienreglement Master of Arts FHNW in Musikpädagogik.

Required skills

• Highest level of expertise in the field of artistic or music theory
• Strong interest in research and, depending on your profile and research project, already well-developed research skills
• Pedagogical aptitude and relevant interest

We expect students to have very good German language skills.
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).* This certificate must be complete, i.e. all modules (reading, listening, writing, speaking) have been tested separately and passed at a minimum level of B1 overall.
Only certificates that have been certified with the ALTE-Q-Mark seal of approval (e.g. the B1 certificate of the Goethe Institute or the telc certificate) are accepted. The required certificate B1 must be submitted with the confirmation of admission but not later than 31 May.*For Swiss citizens whose native language is not German, the Matura is considered equivalent to the required language certificate, provided that the subject German was completed with at least a ‘sufficient/genügend’ grade.

With regard to the artistic-scientific major subject, excellent written and spoken English skills are also strongly recommended (level C1 - C2).

Entrance Exam

Students are able to graduate the pedagogic education on their instrument/voice and chose the following alternative artistic Major

Projects / Ensembles

At Hochschule für Musik Basel, students have the opportunity to participate in various project and ensemble programmes.
To the overview of the recurring offers.

• Welcome: A brief overview
• Studying in Switzerland
• Tuition fees & Financing
• Scholarship
• Module descriptions

• Dates Entrance Exam on Site
• List of works for Entrance Exam
• Study Regulations
• Semester dates

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