Bachelor of Music -
Electronic Composition

Applications are submitted online via the muvac platform. All information on the procedure can be found on our application page.

Admission requirements

• General university entrance qualification or a comparable university entrance qualification
• Proof of a TestDaF 3 language certificate for non-German-speaking applicants
• Successfully passed aptitude test

Qualifying examination

The aptitude test consists of the following three parts:

1. Oral main subject examination (duration: approx. 30 minutes) The aptitude test consists of a colloquium with the presentation and discussion of submitted works, with questions on knowledge of literature and movement techniques of contemporary electronic and also instrumental music.
2. Music theory (elementary theory of movements/aural training) (written exams, duration together approx. 90 minutes).

Detailed information can be found in the aptitude test regulations, especially in the appendix for content requirements and conduct of the test.

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:

1. Core module
2. Artistic-practical context
3. Education
4. Mediation
5. Professionalization
6. Bachelor thesis / Interdisciplinary project
7. Supplement

In the first years of study, a comprehensive basic knowledge is imparted in the areas of instrumentation, music history, analysis and composition, among others. In addition, the necessary technical skills are taught in practice-oriented seminars in the basic studies. In the main study period, the focus is on concerts and other events with the possibility of specialization in the areas of internet/performance/visualization or instrumental composition.
The focus of the training is on the artistic field and on the use of various software programs. The development and realization of musical concepts and the preoccupation with special forms of presentation for music in connection with various audiovisual media types are just as much in the foreground as the examination of questions of media theory and networking with external institutions through joint projects.

The instrumental and electronic composition classes work closely together. Thus, it is possible not only to participate in projects of the respective other area, but also to temporarily receive corresponding main subject instruction.

The Bachelor's program is completed with a Bachelor's thesis and an oral examination.

The field of work of today's composers has expanded considerably; in addition to concert music, possible fields of activity include theater, video, installation and performance.
The practical orientation and the intended variety in the course of studies should guarantee that versatile possibilities open up for the composers after graduation. In addition, students are involved in internal and external projects at an early stage in order to establish a network with musicians, organizers, but also with artists from other fields.
For several years now, the Institute for New Music at HfMT Cologne has been working closely with the Ensemble Musikfabrik. The ensemble's specialized musicians perform new compositions by students in two concerts each year as part of the Adventure cooperation.
The broad and flexible range of training opportunities allows students to individually shape their studies and career prospects. In many cases, graduates do not work exclusively as composers after graduation. As in other professional fields, composing is rarely limited to one area, but rather requires flexibility and versatility. However, this flexibility is not to be understood in the sense of adaptation, but rather as the ability to shape one's studies and subsequent professional activity independently. Today's composers are not only responsible for their own music, but also for their professional career.