Entrance exam for the Bachelor's Programme in Electronic Music

Admission is based on Higher Entrance Qualifications (or equivalent) and a passed music-specific entrance exam.

In addition to documentation of prior education, applicants must submit documentation of their own work.

Part of the admission process involves selecting the material that best represents you.

To be considered for admission you must meet the University of Agder’s formal admission requirements, which can be found here: How to apply to degree programmes. 

You must also submit a portfolio of musical work and a written statement of up to two A4 pages in PDF format. You may also include a short introductory video, but this is optional. Applicants whose submitted work is approved will be invited to an interview.

About the portfolio

You must submit examples of your artistic work. Select material that you feel best represents you and your abilities.

We are interested in your artistic interests, your curiosity about sound and technology, and your willingness to explore and develop your own practice. We do not expect you to have advanced skills in every aspect of music production, such as mixing and mastering. Choose work that gives us a sense of your ideas and artistic direction.

Examples of acceptable material include:

• Music that you have written, composed, and/or produced, alone or with others
• Videos of you performing music live alone or together with others
• Sound design for film, video games, or theatre
• Sound installations and site-specific compositions

If you are unsure what to select, consider the areas you would like to focus on during the programme.

Your portfolio must be submitted digitally and may include individual and collaborative work. You must clearly describe your contribution to each work in your written statement. The total duration should be 10–15 minutes. You may submit multiple works, but their combined duration must not exceed 15 minutes. All attachments must be labelled with your name and application number.

About the written statement

Your application must also include a written statement of up to two A4 pages in PDF format, covering:

• How you created the work included in your portfolio
• Your roles and responsibilities in each submitted work. For collaborative work, credit the other contributors and briefly describe their roles so that your own contribution is clear.
• Your skills and artistic experience within electronic music
• How you use software, hardware, or other tools to explore sound and realise your artistic ideas
• Your motivation for applying and your expectations of the programme

About the video introduction (recommended but optional)

You are encouraged to include a 60–90-second video in which you introduce yourself as an artist and musician. You may discuss:

• Your current artistic interests and sources of inspiration
• What you would like to develop or learn more about during the Bachelor’s Programme in Electronic Music

Include a link to the video in your PDF statement. Speak directly to the camera in your own words; there is no need to prepare a script, use extensive editing, or use specialist camera equipment.

All materials should be sent to:

Pia Elise Goul
pia.goul@uia.no

If you need to send files that are too large for email, we recommend using www.wetransfer.com (remember to include your application number).

About the interview

Applicants whose submitted work is approved and who already hold, or are expected to obtain, a general university entrance qualification by 1 July will be invited to an online interview.

The interview will focus on your suitability for the programme, your motivation, and your ability to reflect on the work submitted in your portfolio.

Interview invitations will be sent by email shortly after the application deadline. Interviews are planned for week 10 (to be confirmed).

Applicants will be notified of the outcome in week 12 or 13 (to be confirmed). Based on the assessment of their qualifications and the number of available places, applicants will either be offered a place, placed on a waiting list, or not offered admission. It is not uncommon for applicants to apply more than once before being offered a place.

Please send everything to Pia Elise Goul at pia.goul@uia.no

If you need to send files that exceed email size limits, we recommend using www.wetransfer.com (please include your applicant number).