How to apply for exchange studies at the Sibelius Academy
Find out if you can apply and how is it done. The application round for the academic year 2023–2024 will be open from January 14 to March 1, 2023.
Who can apply?
We accept exchange student applications from all Erasmus+ programme eligible institutions. In addition, students from institutions that have Bilateral Exchange Agreements with the Sibelius Academy can apply. Please contact your home institution’s International Office to find out whether you can apply for an exchange study period at the Sibelius Academy.
Application schedule and semester dates
Application schedule
The application round for the academic year 2023–2024 is open between January 14 – March 1, 2023.
Academic calendar 2023–2024 (dates to be confirmed)
- Fall semester August 28 – December 21, 2023
- Spring semester January 8 – May 31, 2024
Application guidelines
General conditions
The applicant has to be a higher education student at an Erasmus+ programme eligible institution, or a student at an institution that has a Bilateral Exchange Agreement with the Sibelius Academy.
All applications have to be submitted through the EASY online application system aec.dreamapply.com by the deadline March 1, 2023.
Exchange students can apply to the Sibelius Academy either for the autumn semester, spring semester or the full academic year. Please note, if you have been accepted only for the fall semester, prolongation of the exchange period for the spring semester is not guaranteed. Therefore, if you wish to stay for the full academic year, apply for the entire period.
You can apply to the Sibelius Academy only according to the above-mentioned semester dates, not according to the semester dates of your home institution.
The maximum length of exchange studies at the Sibelius Academy is two semesters within one study cycle (Bachelor/Master/Doctoral).
Exceptions:
- Music Education department accepts exchange students for the full academic year only.
- Arts Management, Society, and Creative Entrepreneurship department accepts Master level exchange students only.
Do you have problems finding the Sibelius Academy in the EASY application system?
If you cannot find the Sibelius Academy listed in the EASY application system after choosing your home institution, your institution may not have an Erasmus+ Inter Institutional Agreement with the Sibelius Academy. In this case, please send a message to siba.international@uniarts.fi and ask about the possibility to apply.
Required documents and videos
Before starting your online application, please prepare the following documents you need to add into your application:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of motivation
- Transcript of records and/or a certificate of previous studies
- A scanned copy of your passport’s photo page
- Video recording
A video recording / recordings of your playing or singing is required (students applying for Conducting studies: a video recording of your playing or singing and conducting is required). You need to upload the videos or the links to the videos to the application system. You may choose the works freely; 2-3 pieces in contrasting styles. The total length of the recordings should not be longer than 20 minutes. You can attach the videos as links to YouTube, Vimeo, or DropBox. - Students applying for Composition studies: Scores and interview
Composition applicants must submit the score of one or two work(s) showing both technical and compositional skills. - Students applying for Music Theory studies: Portfolio
Music Theory applicants must submit a portfolio documenting their music theory work (e.g. analysis exercises). In addition, you can attach a video of yourself playing or singing, but this is not obligatory. - Students applying for Music technology studies: Portfolio
Music technology applicants should include a portfolio of previous works to the application. - Students applying for Arts Management, Society and Creative Entrepreneurship studies: Interview
Arts Management, Society and Creative Entrepreneurship applicants should be prepared for an online interview.
All applicants should be prepared for an online interview. We will contact you if an interview is required.
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.
Study Plan must be included in the application
In the EASY online application form, we ask you to fill in a Study Plan with the courses you wish to take during your exchange period at the Sibelius Academy. In addition, there is a section where you can describe your plans and requirements regarding your exchange period in your own words. Please note that you cannot do more than one main subject. If you want to have a second instrument, you have to state it in the Study Plan – however, we cannot guarantee a second instrument.
Please fill in the Study Plan and answer the open question carefully, especially if there are subjects that are compulsory for you during the exchange. We will not consider applications with an empty Study Plan.
You can find further information on how to create a Study Plan here:
Evaluation and final decisions
Complete 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 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.
Contact
If you have questions about the application process, please send an email to siba.international@uniarts.fi.