BA Music | Instrument / Voice

Basel Academy of Music

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Institut Klassik | Music lovers love Basel! The cultural city in the border triangle of Switzerland, Germany and France offers the ideal environment for studying music. Internationally renowned lecturers help students from all over the world make their dreams come true.

Factsheet

Degree: Bachelor of Arts FHNW in Musik, Studienrichtung instrumental/vokal
Study mode: Full-time
Learning mode: Onsite
ECTS credits: 180
Next start: 14.9.2026
Duration: 6 semesters
Teaching language: German: B1 level in German required
Stay abroad: Possible
Application fee: 200 CHF
Semester fee: 750 CHF (CH) | 1000 CHF (EU/EFTA) | 1250 CHF (Not-EU/Not-EFTA)

At a glance

Intensive work on the instrument or voice
Technology, repertoire, artistic expressiveness
Wide range of compulsory and optional subjects

Why study this?

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music with an instrumental/vocal major focuses on enhancing students’ instrumental/vocal proficiency. To this end, students will hone their technical skills, acquire a stylistically broad repertoire and build on their forms of artistic expression. As well as the core curriculum, the programme covers a wide range of closely aligned compulsory and elective courses.

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music is a pre-professional music training programme which aims to develop and produce versatile and multifaceted musical personalities. Graduates should be able to demonstrate an assured instrumental/vocal technique, as well as sound knowledge and solid skills in relation to general music education. They should also be capable of critical thinking on the subject of music and possess the other skills that will qualify them for employment as a professional musician.

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music is not a professional qualification. Those seeking a career as a music teacher, orchestral musician or soloist must follow up their undergraduate studies with a Master’s degree programme in their chosen field of specialisation.

A FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music opens up further education opportunities at other universities for the arts, teacher education universities or research/doctoral universities.

The FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music is a degree programme aimed at talented instrumentalists and vocalists who have excellent prior knowledge of their chosen discipline, and are already familiar with music theory and ear training.

Why are you studying this programme? Why in Basel?

Find out about Eloy Tamòs motivations in the video portrait.

Structure and programme contents

The BA and MA degree programmes 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.

Structures

Module descriptions

Study Regulations

Lecturers

Institut Klassik

All Lecturers

Requirements, admission, entrance exam

In order to enter the FHNW Bachelor of Arts in Music programme with an instrumental or vocal major, applicants must hold a school-leaving qualification (Baccalaureate, Professional Baccalaureate 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 Study regulations of the Bachelor of Arts FHNW in Music (in German).

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 a B1 or a higher level 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 a minimum level of B1 overall. Only certificates with the ALTE-Q-Mark seal of approval (e.g. the B1 certificate of the Goethe-Institut or the telc certificate) are accepted.

General Registration Procedure All about Studying in Basel