FAQ Music & Creative Industries

There are 20 students accepted per year.

Two years, i.e. four semesters.

You can only enrol starting in winter semester.

Yes, a three month long internship is required. It must be completed at a time when no courses must be attended.

The students are required to organize their own internships. Students are made aware of offers from Popakademie partner organizations and other institutions by way of the login-required WebBoard.

There is currently a partnership with the University of Adger in Kristiansand, Norway and with Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.

Of course.

Yes, as long as your grades suffice, your M.A. in Popular Music will entitle you to continue on to a doctorate degree.

Yes, because we offer a three day prep-course. Participation in the course is mandatory and the course content is a prerequisite for the seminar Music Business I.

Yes, our Open House day usually takes place in February. The exact date will be posted on our calendar.

Applications are accepted online and will be available starting February 05, 2022.

No.

In place of your graduation diploma, please attach any final grades completed thus far to your application materials. You can deliver your graduation diploma at the time of the entrance exam or upon enrolment or by 31 December of the enrolment year at the latest. Please submit a certified copy of your grade point average, as of this plays a decisive role in the selection process.

At least six months of practical experience, they need not be consecutive, in organization or administration in the areas of music, cultural or creative industries. In addition to professional experience, part-time jobs, internships or volunteer activities can also be submitted. Please provide proof of experience in the form of certificates, as only these can be considered as part of the process. Also provide proof if your experience exceeds six months, as this may earn the maximum amount of points in the selection process.

Every year there are approximately 80 applicants to the master’s degree programme Music and Creative Industries.

Yes, of course! In order to apply, you need to get your (foreign) diploma recognised and show evidence of sufficient German language skills if you did not graduate from a German-speaking school.

For refugees, more information can be found on the website of the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst).

German language skills are required for studying at the Popakademie. The following certificates are recognised: DSH-exam from a German university, assessment test from the Studienkolleg, German Language Diploma Level II (Deutsches Sprachdiplom Stufe II), Goethe Institute’s Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS) or Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS), Goethe Institute’s Central Upper Secondary Exam.

The submitted application materials are scored according to five criteria:

• Final grade from bachelor’s degree programme
• Professional qualification through your bachelor’s degree
• Practical experience in and knowledge of the areas of music, culture and/or creative industries
• Voluntary and social commitment outside of studies
• Letter of motivation

Each of these criteria is rated with a maximum of 5 points, so that in the pre-selection a maximum of 25 points can be achieved. To be admitted to the second round, the interview, at least 17 points must be achieved. On the basis of the achieved score a ranking of the applicants is created. The best 40 applicants with the minimum number of points will be invited to the interview.

The date for the entrance exam for the degree programme Music and Creative Industries will be announced under Facts.

These are one-to-one interviews with an examination board of at least three people. The following points are scored:

• Knowledge of the music, cultural and creative industries
• English skills
• Goal orientation
• Motivation
• Communication, appearance and personality

Each of these criteria is rated with a maximum of 5 points, so that in the selection interview a maximum of 25 points can be achieved. At least 17 points have to be achieved in order to be taken into consideration for receiving admission.

You can take the entrance examination twice.

Unfortunately, not all can be invited to the entrance examination, which is why there is a pre-selection based on the submitted application documents.

In each of the two application rounds 17 points must be achieved. The total points result from the sum of the points achieved for the preselection and for the selection interview. Based on the achieved total score a ranking is created. The best 20 applicants will be offered admission; the remaining applicants will be placed on a waiting list. If there is a tie, the lot decides. If an applicant does not want to begin his studies at the Popakademie, admission will be offered to the next best candidate on the waiting list.

Unfortunately that is not possible. If an applicant rejects his acceptance, admission will lapse and the candidate concerned will have to go through the selection process again.

The student union fees are currently 85 € per semester.

Yes, as a Popakademie student you are entitled to funding through BAföG.

The Popakademie is a member of the Mannheim Student Union. Since our students pay student union fees, they are entitled to a discounted semester ticket.

The Popakademie does not have its own student dormitories. However, through membership in the Mannheim Student Union, our students can take advantage of its housing referral service. One of the largest student dormitories is located very close to the Popakademie.

Unfortunately it is not possible to attend a lecture as a guest. However, we offer open lectures during our Open House, which is usually in February - this is a good opportunity to see what a lecture is like.