Composition / Music Theory, B.Mus.
The Cologne University of Music and Dance offers a four-year Bachelor's degree course and a two-year consecutive artistic Master's degree course in composition / music theory. After four semesters, students can choose between a pedagogical and an artistic profile (formerly "pedagogical composition" and "artistic composition"). The composition/music theory course offers a particularly broad-based education. It teaches artistic-practical, academic and pedagogical skills in the areas of composition, music theory and composition. In addition to classical composition theory, the course includes the acquisition of music analytical, stylistic and music historical knowledge, the methodology and didactics of the subject area, the artistic-practical use of modern notation and production software as well as the planning and realization of own productions and performance projects. The aim is a comprehensive creative and post-creative development of the aesthetic diversity of music in the past and present.
Programme facts
| Degree | Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 semesters, 240 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | B2 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 01.03 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €307.89 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →What you study
The program is divided into a basic study period (1st and 2nd year) with a high proportion of compulsory modules and a differentiated main study period (3rd and 4th year). The structural framework is formed by 7 main modules:
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €307.89 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | A school certificate that gives access to university in Germany — directly or after a Studienkolleg. |
|---|---|
| Language | German B2 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 01.03 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to B2 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application directly to the university until 01.03Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 01.03.2027 (138 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.