How to apply - Music programmes

Our online application service opens on 1 November and closes 1 December. 

All international applicants must apply within the stated timeframe above. The only exception to this is applicants from the EU/EEA for Popular Music - Music Business and Management. Their application period is from 1 February to 1 March. 

If you are a Norwegian citizen, the deadline is 15 December. 

In the period from 1 November till 1 December, you must apply for our master's degree programme in Music Performance.

Following this, you must submit your application package by 10 December.

Once we have received the application package, we will start to process your application. We will verify the copies, and make sure that all necessary documents have been submitted.

When your application has been processed, you will be sent an e-mail of acceptance or rejection by mid March.  

You must then remember to accept or reject the offer if you received one. 

Following this, you must follow the steps in order to make sure you transfer the necessary funds, apply for housing, and ensure that you are ready to apply for the study visa. The application for the study visa must be submitted no later than 31 May.

You need to make sure that you have travel insurance that will cover your entire stay in Norway. 

The semester starts mid August, so please make sure you are able to arrive on time. 

In order to be eligible for admission to the master's degree programme in Music Performance at our university, you must fulfill the following criteria:

1. You must have completed a bachelor's degree or the equivalent. 
2. You must have at least 90 ECTS in music performance or equivalent.  

All foreign applicants are required to send in their Higher Education Entrance Qualification, such as their High School/Upper Secondary School diploma or its equivalent.

In Norway, a bachelor's degree comprises of three years of higher educational study. For some countries, there is a requirement that the applicant has completed in excess of these three years. Please check the link on the right hand side of this page to see if you are from one of these countries. 

Please note that applicants must meet the English requirements set out by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and the University Board at the University of Agder.

English requirements

Non-native English speakers must document their English proficiency by completing and passing one of the following tests:

The British Council's International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) – with a minimum overall score of 6.0

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - minimum score of 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based) or 80 (internet based). The TOEFL institution code for the University of Agder is 5433.

We require that the test results be sent directly from the test centre, and the test result cannot be more than two years old.

Applicants from certain Asian and Eastern European countries (for example Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Iran and others) with a BA degree and/or a MA degree where the language of instruction has been English are not exempted from the English language requirements.

In order for your application to be processed, you must submit all the required documentation within the deadline stated in the e-mail you received on application. All documentation must be translated unless in English, Swedish, Danish or Norwegian. The translation should be done by a government authorized translator, or by an official translator. You must submit a copy of the original documentation together with the translation.

Please submit the following documentation:

• High school/secondary school diploma
• Diploma and transcripts from higher education. If you have a diploma supplement in English, this may be sent instead of a translation.
• Proof of English requirements. 
• Proof of funding. 
• Copy of passport.
• Documentation of name change if applicable

For applicants to Master in Music Performance Western Classical Music you also need to submit:

• Recording of you playing your main instrument (approx. 20 minutes)

For applicants to Master in Popular Music* you also need to submit:

• Proposal for your master thesis – 2-3 typed pages.
• Letter of motivation – 1 typed page. 

*Not applicable for the specialization in Music Business and Management

The following documentation is not necessary unless otherwise stated:

• Work experience

All the documentation you hand in must be in the form of certified copies. An official stamp with a signature is required. Copies of attested copies will not be accepted.

Please note that we require that the transcript should be sent to us directly from your home institution if your bachelor´s degree is from one of the following countries:

• Nigeria
• Cameroon
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Sudan
• Kenya
• Russia

All original documents, final degrees and mark sheets/transcripts, which are not issued in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English must be translated into one of these languages by a state authorized translator.

For applicants with education from Pakistan we require HEC verification of all documentation from higher education. 

If you are granted admission to one of our master's degree programmes, you must apply for a study permit. This must be done before arriving in Norway.

Non-EU/EEA citizens are required to apply for a residence permit via the relevant Norwegian embassy. If there is no Norwegian embassy in your country, the application should be submitted via the Danish or Swedish embassies. If you apply through the Norwegian embassy, you are required to apply with an online application form. If you are applying through a Danish or Swedish embassy, you are required to hand in paper-based application forms.

EU/EEA citizens can apply through the Schengen scheme.  

The University of Agder does not provide any scholarships. This means that you are required to be able to support your stay in Norway on your own. For applicants outside the EU/EEA, this means that you must submit proof of funding when you send in your application package.

The amount you must provide is currently 121 220 NOK (in 2019, subject to change).

We accept the following documentation:

• An original bank statement in your name (stamped, signed and dated by a bank official)
• An original letter from your sponsor and an original bank statement in your sponsor's name (stamped, signed and dated by a bank official)

Non-EU/EEA applicants who are granted admission must be prepared to transfer the required amount to a bank account set up by the university. This must happen soon as possible after being prompted to do so, but no later than mid May. As soon as we have registered the amount in our bank account, we will send you a statement of deposit that you are required to submit together with your study permit application.

The money that you have transferred to the university will be enough to cover your living expenses while studying during your first year in Norway. This said, many international students are able to live on far less than the full amount.

When you arrive to Norway and at the University of Agder, you need to complete the following steps in order to get the money transferred to your account:

1. You must acquire a Norwegian ID number
2. You must have opened a bank account in a Norwegian bank
3. You must have registered for your courses and exams for the autumn semester

Please be advised that you must have access to enough funds to pay for living costs for the first two months of your stay.