Institut Klassik | Is your professional goal to teach Music Theory? In this master’s degree programme, you will develop your basic skills from the BA on an individual basis and bring them to professional maturity. This is achieved through a strong focus on teaching the main subject on the one hand, and through sound pedagogical training on the other. Graduates of this programme teach music theory in private lessons, at music schools and as a compulsory subject at music colleges.
Factsheet
- Degree
- Master of Arts FHNW in Musikpädagogik, Studienrichtung Musiktheorie
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Learning environment
- Onsite
- ECTS points
- 120
- Duration
- 4 semesters
- Language
- B1 level in German required
- Staying abroad
- Possible
- Application fee
- 200 CHF
- Semester fee
- 750 CHF (CH) | 1000 CHF (EU/EFTA) | 1250 CHF (Not-EU/Not-EFTA)
At a glance
- Acquire a broad education in music theory.
- Learn to pass on this knowledge in a musically practical and linguistically competent manner
- Be qualified to teach music theory at music education institutions such as conservatories and music schools, or independently
Why study this?
Graduates of this study programme are qualified to teach music theory on a private basis, in music schools and music academies.
This study programme is aimed at holders of a Bachelor degree with a Music Theory Major (or equivalent qualification).
Structure and programme contents
Intellectual ability and musicianship
The FHNW Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy with a Music Theory Major places considerable emphasis on the students’ reflective intellectual abilities (including research-related aspects), their musicianship (writing stylistic exercises and small-scale compositions, score playing and improvisation) and their capacity to talk about and write on the subject in a clear and competent manner. Students may also make use of external educational opportunities in the fields of music theory, music practice and musicology (at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the University of Basel or the Paul Sacher Stiftung) in order to acquire knowledge and ideas beyond the boundaries of their own subject that could be of benefit in their future career.
Modules and Reglements
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.
Structure
Structure MA MP Klassik Music Theory in German
Minors
Minors of Institut Klassik
Module descriptions
Below please find the link with all the information on the module descriptions of several FHNW universities.
- Switch the language settings to English.
- Filter by semester, Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW, the desired degree programme or other criteria to display the relevant module information.
- Use the PDF button to call up a document from each overview and save it for yourself.
- Course registrations are made via the intranet.
Study Regulations
Study Regulations Music Pedagogy in German
Lecturers
Music Theory
Institut Klassik
Requirements, admission, entrance exam
In order to enter the FHNW Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy programme with the Major Music Theory, applicants must be awarded a Bachelor in Music 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 Study regulations of the Master of Arts FHNW in Music Pedagogy.
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 31 Mai. Exceptions will be decided upon by the head of degree programme.
Entrance exam
The entrance exam is individual for each study programme direction.
Dates
Registration
You may apply between 15th December and 1st March.
Along with the registration, it is mandatory to submit the following documents:
- A curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, the school leaving qualification, the Bachelor Diploma. In case that the applicant already holds a Master Diploma, we also need a copy of that.
- Furthermore you need to submit a written analysis (free choice of genre and stylistics), exercises in style, editorings, exercise of composition, concepts, digital music programmes, projects, essays, documentations, scientific or music theoretical papers, etc.
- A recording of two short, chosen works of the upper intermediate level which you play on the piano.
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 registration.hsm@fhnw.ch by 1st March.
On-site
The written and oral exam of the theoretical part will take place at the end of April. The exact dates may be seen here.
The date of the pedagogical aptitude test will be communicated individually.
Announcement of the results
The results will be communicated by mail in May.
Procedure
The entrance exams is split into several parts.
Artistic exam
Written exam by mail (duration: three hours)
- Four-part movement: choral excerpt.
- Out of a given tone sequence, you must develop two different themes (single or various part, free choice of genre and stylistics).
- Analysis of a work which was written between 1700 and 1900
Oral exam (online, approx. 45′)
Online meeting with the jury
Ear training
Only for applicants who do not hold a BA in Music with a Music Theory Major from the HSM Basel and who have no ear training qualifications from their previous studies: written and oral exam with the same level of difficulty as the third-year final exam in the Bachelor of Arts with a Classical Music Major.
Examples (in German):
Pedagogical exam
The pedagogical exam can only be taken after successfully passing the artistical entrance exam (or, for enrolled students, after a previous evaluation by the head of programme). If the pedagogic exam is delayed due to organizational reasons, there will be some special restrictions.
The trial lesson is held in German. The pupils will be assigned by the didactical teaching staff and after the trial lesson, there will be a conversation about the self-reflection.
Examples exams
Examples entrance exam Music Theory (in German):
Hörbeispiel
Organisational matters
sonic space basel
sonic space basel is a platform of Basel Academy of Music for Audio Design (BA and MA), Composition (BA and MA and MA SP), MA SP Creative Interpretation in New Music, Music Theory (BA and MA MP), MA SP New Music Theory, MA SP Open Creation, Continuing Education and Research.
We consider ourselves a laboratory, a communication tool and an information hub for contemporary music.
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.
Quicklinks
Advising and information events
Contact
Student Administration Academy of Music, Klassik
- Phone
- +41 61 264 57 32 (Direct)
- klassik.hsm@fhnw.ch
Prof. Annekatrin Klein
- Phone
- +41 61 264 58 36
- annekatrin.klein@fhnw.ch
Prof. Uli Fussenegger
- Phone
- +41 61 264 56 19
- uli.fussenegger@fhnw.ch
Information events
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Registration
The next registration window is open from 15th December to 1st March.