How to apply for exchange studies at the Sibelius Academy

Published 9.1.2020 | Updated 24.6.2026

Who can apply and the nomination process

We accept exchange student applications from all Erasmus+ programme eligible institutions. Students from institutions that have a bilateral exchange agreement with the Sibelius Academy are also eligible to apply.

To confirm your eligibility, please contact the international office at your home institution. After you have initiated your application in our system, your home institution will receive a request to submit a nomination.

Language requirements

The Sibelius Academy does not have exact requirements for exchange students’ language skills. However, we expect CEFR level B2 on language proficiency in English (or Finnish / Swedish). You can use the CEFR self-assesment grid to evaluate your level of proficiency in English.

Deadline, application schedule and academic year dates

Application schedule

The application period for the 2026 – 2027 academic year has ended. Next application period will be open in 1 February – 1 March 2027 (estimated).

We have only one application round each year for the following academic periods: autumn term, spring term or full academic year.

Academic calendar 2026 – 2027

• Autumn term 17 August – 18 December 2026
• Spring term 7 January – 31 May 2027

Exchange students can apply to the Sibelius Academy either for the autumn term, spring term or the full academic year. Please note that if you have been accepted only for the autumn term, the possibility to extend the exchange period for the spring term is not guaranteed. That is why we advise anyone who wants to stay for the full academic year to apply for the entire period already during the original the application process.

You can apply to the Sibelius Academy only according to the above-mentioned academic year schedule, not according to the academic year schedule of your home institution.

The maximum duration of exchange studies at the Sibelius Academy is two academic terms within one study cycle (bachelor/master/doctoral).

Exceptions:

• The Music Education Department accepts exchange students for the full academic year only.

How to apply – step by step

1. Check eligibility:
Make sure that your home institution:
– participates in the Erasmus+ programme or has a bilateral exchange agreement with the Sibelius Academy, and
– has nominated you or given you permission to apply.

2. Prepare your documents:

• CV
• Motivation letter
• Transcript
• Portfolio / videos

3. Register in Mobility Online:
Create your account in Easy Mobility Online.

4. Complete your application:
Fill in all required fields and study plan.

5. Upload your materials:
Add document files and video or portfolio links.

6. Submit your application:
Deadline: 1 March (midnight Finnish time)

7. Wait for results:
Results are announced in April–May.

Application process

All applications have to be submitted through the EASY Mobility Online by the deadline. Please don’t wait until the last minutes to start your application: there are steps that you need to follow to be able to confirm the final submission.

Start by registering in the Easy Mobility Online:

• On the starting page, click on Become an applicant and continue to choosing the country and name of your home institution.
• Next, choose your destination: Country = Finland; Institution = University of the Arts Helsinki; Faculty = Sibelius Academy.
• After submitting the registration form, you will receive an email with a link to get access to your application workflow where you will complete the rest of the application.
• You need to answer all questions and add documents, study plan and media file links, and confirm final submission by the deadline.

We will not accept any applications submitted after the deadline.

Application documents

Prepare the following documents for your application:

• CV
• Letter of motivation
• Transcript of records and/or a certificate of previous studies

Audition videos or portfolio

Depending on your field of study, you will need to submit specific audition videos or a portfolio. See the requirements for each programme below.

Classical Music Performance, Jazz, Folk Music, Global Music, Music Education

• Video Recording: Submit 2-3 video recordings of your playing or singing in contrasting styles. The total length should not exceed 20 minutes.
• Submission: Add the video links (YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox) to your application in Mobility Online.
• Note: You can add up to 4 individual video links.

Conducting

• Video Recording: Submit 2-3 video recordings of your conducting and playing or singing in contrasting styles. The total length should not exceed 20 minutes.
• Submission: Add the video links (YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox) to your application in Mobility Online.
• Note: You can add up to 4 individual video links to your application.

Composition

• Scores: Submit the score of one or two works showing your technical and compositional skills.
• Submission: Upload the scores online (e.g., Dropbox) and add the links to your application in Mobility Online.
• Note: You can add up to 4 individual links to your application.
• Interview: Be prepared for an online interview.

Music Theory

• Portfolio: Submit a portfolio documenting your music theory work (e.g., analysis exercises). You can also attach a video of yourself playing or singing, but this is optional.
• Submission: Upload your works or portfolio online (e.g., Dropbox) and add the links to your application in Mobility Online.
• Note: You can add up to 4 individual links to your application.
• Interview: Be prepared for an online interview.

Music Technology

• Portfolio: Include a portfolio of your previous works in your application.
• Submission: Upload the works or portfolio online (e.g., Dropbox, Soundcloud) and add the links to your application in Mobility Online.
• Note: You can add up to 4 individual links to your application.

Arts Management, Society, and Creative Entrepreneurship

• Portfolio: Include a portfolio of your previous works in your application.
• Submission: Upload the portfolio online (e.g., Dropbox) and add the link to your application in Mobility Online.
• Note: You can add up to 4 individual links to your application.
• Interview: Be prepared for an online interview.

You must include a study plan in the application

You must fill in a study plan as part of your application in Easy Mobility Online. You can find guidelines for compiling the plan via the link below. We will not accept applications with an empty study plan.

Please note:

• We cannot guarantee 25-30 ECTS per academic term.
• Uniarts Helsinki mainly uses a pass/fail grading system instead of numerical grades. This may differ from the system used at your home institution.
• You may only have one main subject during your exchange period.
• If you want to have a second instrument, you must state it in the study plan – however, we cannot guarantee a second instrument.
• We will not consider applications with an empty study plan.

Application results

Fully completed applications submitted through the online application system by the deadline will be sent for evaluation to the department in question. The head of the department makes the final decision based on the quality of the application and the availability of study places and suitable teachers.

We evaluate the applications in March–April. We will notify both the applicant and the coordinator of the sending institution about the result of the selection procedure in April–May. Accepted students will receive the decision and the letter of acceptance through the Easy Mobility Online application system. The students who are placed on a waiting list and the students that are not selected will also be notified through Easy Mobility Online.

After admission

Confirm study place 

When you receive an offer for an exchange study place, you should either accept or reject the offer in the Easy Mobility Online application system within 2 weeks. You may also be placed on waiting list and offered a place later; in that case the time to make a decision is shorter, 2-3 days.

Learning Agreement

If your exchange is funded with Erasmus+, a Learning Agreement needs to be signed before the beginning of the exchange period. Follow your home institution’s guidelines on how initiate the Learning Agreement. Please note that the persons signing the Learning Agreement at the Sibelius Academy are the coordinators in the departments/degree programmes. Their names and contact details are on our website for students: https://student.uniarts.fi/units/study-services/

Healthcare and insurence

EU, EEA and UK citizens can access public healthcare services with a European or Global Health Insurance Card and receive urgent treatment on the same basis as local residents. Private clinics are also available if you have additional insurance.

Non-EU/EEA citizens are required to have health insurance for their residence permit and should follow their insurer’s instructions in non-urgent cases, while urgent care is available through public health services.

Read about health care services for exchange students on our website.

We recommend all students to buy a private health and accident insurance.
Read more about the insurances on the Finnish Immigration Service website.

Living in Helsinki and studying at Uniarts

To get a good start to your exchange period in Helsinki you can take a look at some topics that we think you will find interesting:

• What is it like to study at Uniarts Helsinki?
• Well­be­ing and daily life
• Study costs and liv­ing ex­penses
• Stu­dent hous­ing op­tions
• Student interviews

Start at the orientation

If your exchange period starts in fall, you will attend the orientation week with all new Uniarts Helsinki students in mid-August. The orientation consists of the following:

• Online course that you complete independently on Moodle – you will get a link to the course via email in August
• Orientation Days organised on the Töölö campus for all new students of Uniarts Helsinki on 17 August and 14 September 2026
• Orientation programme of your academy and degree programme/department/subject area.

See the programme for Uniarts Helsinki as a learning environment here.

If your exchange period is during spring semester only, you will be invited to a shorter orientation programme.

Leaving

You will get a signed Certificate of Attendance from the internationl office upon request.

You can download an official Transcript of Records from Peppi at any time. Your course credits should be registered within four weeks of completing a course.

Grading system at Uniarts Helsinki
In principle, Uniarts Helsinki’s study programmes do not use numerical grading scales. Instead, courses are assessed on a pass/fail basis. This will be reflected in the Transcript of Records issued after the exchange period.

See the guidelines on downloading a Transcript of Records here.

Contact

If you have questions about the application process, please send an email to siba.international@uniarts.fi.

IN.TUNE university alliance

Uniarts Helsinki is part of the IN.TUNE alliance – a European network of eight universities dedicated to music and the arts. Learn more about the exchange opportunities and the partner institutions on the IN.TUNE mobility portal.