Registration and admission process

Major – BA in Music, Conducting

Thank you for your interest in the Bachelor's programme in Music, Conducting at Zurich University of the Arts.

Bachelor students must first register for a major. They begin their degree programme with the selected major and choose a minor during their first year of study. They begin studying the selected minor in their second year of study. 

→ Detailed information on the Major-Minor programme structure

→ The information days will take place mid-November. Detailed information please find on zhdk.ch/en/information-days

The admissions process for the autumn semester of this year has been completed.
Information on the next admissions process will be published here in mid-November.

Admissions requirements

The requirements for admission to the degree programme and for enrolment are governed by the Regulatory Framework for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Zurich University of the Arts (RO § 19–24).

Additional admission requirements for the selected major programme, including the required language skills, are set out in the Degree Programme Regulations of the Bachelor of Arts in Music at Zurich University of the Arts (StO BA Music § 4 ff.). 

  • Application documents

    Please ensure you submit the following documents when submitting your application:

    1. CV: Personal details (Full curriculum vitae/please indicate dates with all information: School education, previous musical training: instruments, tutors, ensemble experience; other studies, professional activities, work experience
      → CV template (Word document for download)
       
    2. Letter of motivation (typewritten, in German or English)
      Why do you wish to study music at Zurich University of Arts (ZHdK)? Please give reasons for choosing this major. What are your career plans?
       
    3. Personal Statement 
      Why do I want to study music at ZHdK? Reason for choosing this major. How do I envision my professional future? Link to a video in which the applicant explains in 1–2 minutes why he/she wants to become a conductor and study this at ZHdK.
       
    4. Link (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) to a video with music from different eras, in which the conductor can be seen from the front. Preferably with orchestra or ensemble. It can also be with choir, wind orchestra or piano if not possible otherwise.
       
    5. Swiss Matriculation number
      The field “matriculation number” only concerns applicants who have already studied at a university or applied university in Switzerland. Applicants who have studied abroad (not in Switzerland) are not required to fill in the field “matriculation number”. 
      All students receive a matriculation number when they register for the first time at a university or an applied university in Switzerland or at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH in the shape of a yellow sticker, which is affixed to the reverse of their qualifying diploma (e.g. baccalaureate certificate, Swiss Federal Certificate of Competence). Please provide this number when registering and submit your university entrance qualification certificate as a PDF file.
       
    6. Exmatriculation certificate / Proof of withdrawal
      Confirmation of exmatriculation or proof of withdrawal is issued at Swiss universities upon graduation or upon termination of studies. If issue is pending, confirmation must be submitted later.
       
    7. Swiss Social security number
      If you live or work in Switzerland, you will find your Swiss social security number (756...) on your AHV card or on your Swiss health insurance card. Applicants who wish to come to Switzerland to study do not yet have a Swiss social security number and therefore do not need to provide one.
       
    8. Personal photo as JPG
      Please upload a recent passport quality photo – no copies/screenshots of the passport page or identity card. The photo must be a frontal shot of the face that is 2/3 of the frame and at least 320 x 400 pixels.
       
    9. Identity card or passport
      A PDF of the identity card (both sides) or passport must be uploaded. If a residence permit for Switzerland is available, please also submit a PDF of it.
       

    10. Language skills
      The language skills required are listed for each degree programme in the programme regulations. Language skills can be demonstrated as follows:
      —    Native speaker (does not have to be proven)
      —    Required language as a subject in the educational certificate, passed or at least grade 4 (submit the upper secondary education transcript as a PDF)
      —    Recognized certificate (according to the list “Recognized Certificates for Language Requirements”)
      —    University degree (Bachelor’s/Master’s) in a degree programme where the language of instruction corresponds to the language skills required by the study regulations (submit diploma supplement or official confirmation from the university as a PDF)

      Note: The language certificates should usually be no more than five years old. The decision on whether the admission requirements regarding language skills have been met is made during the formal review of the documents.

    11. Further documents
      Please submit the corresponding transcripts, diplomas and certificates to provide evidence of your:
      • Educational qualifications
      • Professional activities (relevant to your degree programme/chosen specialization)
      • Internships (relevant to your degree programme/chosen specialization)
         
    12. Consent form from legal guardians for applicants under the age of 18
      Applicants who have not yet reached the age of 18 at the time of application must submit a declaration of consent from their legal guardians. For this purpose, the PDF U18 is available. This form must be completed, signed by the legal guardians and submitted with the application.
      This form must be completed and submitted with the signature of the parents or legal guardians in the ‘Self-declarations/Legal Notices section of the online registration.

    Documents must be uploaded in PDF format. If you wish to upload several individual PDF files, you may do so one after the other.

    The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is generally permitted, except where it is explicitly not accepted for certain documents to be submitted. The use of AI must be declared when the application is submitted.

  • Aptitude test

    Pre-selection for the aptitude test on the basis of the video portfolio (conducting and oral statement), the submitted CV and the letter of motivation (see “Application documents”).  

    After reviewing all portfolios, the jury decides on a “short list” of candidates who will be invited to the aptitude test. 

    Pre-selection Examination Committee:  
    The jury is composed of main subject lecturers and a representative of the head of department. 

    The entrance examination consists of 4 parts:

    1. Submission of further videos (by 19 April 2026)
      • Piano: Submission of a video in you perform two different works/movements that demonstrate your current skill level on the piano.
      • Main instrument: Video on the main instrument (if this is not piano): Performance of works or individual (whole) pieces. Total duration of 10–15 minutes.
        If possible – but not mandatory – the video should be recorded with piano accompaniment.
        → Information about technical requirements of the video submission (format, upload, date)
         
    2. Aptitude test (2 May 2026, Zurich, Toni Campus)
      (25 Minutes) 
      Conducting: Conducting a work with an ensemble. Candidates will receive pieces no later than one month before the examination.
       
    3. Written examination in music theory (independent online test on the computer)
      2 May 2026, Duration 2 hours, individually on a computer.

      Content
      • Identification of intervals (up to the octave, both notes played simultaneously)
      • Identification of triads (tonal triads, all inversions, played in four parts)
      • Melody dictation (upper voice and bass voice)
      • Rhythm dictation
      • Aural analysis: describing short musical excerpts from the 15th–21st century
      • Score analysis: Describing short score excerpts from the 15th–21st century
      • Written realization of a simple figured bass in four-part harmony (triads only, in all inversions, including dominant chords with suspensions)
      • Harmonic analysis of a four-part texture (triads only, in all inversions, including dominant chords with suspensions).

        → A sample exam can be found here. 

  • Dates

    The dates for the next admissions process will be published here in mid-November.
     

    Information day

    20 November 2025

    Online application

    6 January – 2 March 2026

    Admissions examination

    –  End of March: preselection short list
    –  2 May 2026: Aptitude test
    –  29 April 2026: Written examination in music theory / integrated aptitude test

    Allocation of places

    Mid-May 2026

    Course commencement

    14 September 2026

  • Registration and examination fee

    The registration fee for the admissions process is CHF 100 Registrations are valid once the registration fee has been paid. Payment is made online by credit card, TWINT or PostFinance Card. Applicants who are invited to the second part of the aptitude test (interview or examination) pay an additional examination fee of CHF 200 for participation in the second part of the aptitude test. The payment request is sent by e-mail. Once the payment has been transferred, the invitation with the examination dates will be made available in the online registration.
    Fees are based on the Directive on Tuition Fees of Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the corresponding fact sheet on Tuition Fees at ZHdK.

  • Entry into Switzerland

    Different rules apply for entry to Switzerland. In principle, a distinction is made between nationals of EU/EFTA countries and third-country nationals. An overview of ID and visa provisions according to nationality can be found on the webpage of the State Secretariat for Migration SEM.
    Third-country nationals who require a visa to study in Switzerland must apply in person for a student visa at the relevant Swiss consulate abroad (embassy or consulate-general). Visa applications should be made at least 3 months before the envisaged entry to Switzerland.
    International students from countries that do not require a visa to study (stays of more than 90 days) may apply for their residence permit directly at their place of residence in Switzerland after entering the country.

    You can find the checklists to prepare your entry into Switzerland at: www.zhdk.ch/migration

    Importing musical instruments into Switzerland

    Please note the regulations for importing musical instruments into Switzerland. If you intend to import musical instruments into other countries, please consult the corresponding import regulations upon leaving Switzerland.

  • Information regarding online registration

    • Login to the online registration with SWITCH edu-ID
      • To register online, you will need a SWITCH edu-ID, which must be created once. If you do not yet have a SWITCH edu-ID, you can create one during the registration process. Please ensure you use your personal email address to register.
        → How to create and use a SWITCH edu-ID

      • Each person should only have one SWITCH edu-ID. 
        If you forget your password, you can create a new password via “Reset Password”

    • You may interrupt your application at any time and continue at a later stage. Any information entered will be stored.
    • Compulsory fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
    • Once all the details have been entered and the documents submitted, you must finalise your application by clicking “Complete entry” and pay the registration fee. The registration cannot be changed afterwards. The registration is only considered to be submitted and checked once the registration fee has been paid.
    • If the registration has not been completed, including payment of the registration fee, the data will be deleted after the registration deadline.
    • For technical enquiries and in emergencies, you can contact us on +41 43 446 44 00. 

Questions concerning the aptitude test?

Please contact us via email.