Admission to Music Studies

You apply through NLA University College's Søknadsweb. The deadline to apply is December 15th. In the application, you must document that you have general university admissions certification. If you complete upper secondary school in the spring of 2026, upload your diploma when it is ready in June.

By January 16th:

You must submit a list of 3-5 selected productions/songs you have written. You can send the list along with a link to Spotify or other streaming services. The list should be sent to nettskjema. 

Auditions, parts 2 and 3 of the admission test, will be held at NLA University College in Oslo, Pilestredet Park 33 on March 17th and 18th, 2026. The admission test will be conducted in week 12 (Tuesday and Wednesday), and each applicant will only attend one day. Invitations to the admission test will be sent by email after part 1 has been assessed, and it is important that you confirm whether you will attend or not within the given deadline in the email. The test itself takes place in two parts; admission test part 2, presentation of three productions and secondary instrument with interview, and admission test part 3, music theory and ear training assessment (this is only an assessment and not a test that must be passed).

The candidate presents three productions or songs, as well as a laptop with arrangements in the software the productions were produced in. It is also possible to perform songs with guitar or piano if you do not have a recording of the songs. In addition to playback/presentation, there will be a conversation about working methods in connection with the productions or songs. The candidate will also be tested in a secondary instrument, piano, or another chord instrument, and interviewed. The total time frame is approximately 20 minutes.

If you are prevented from attending the audition day you are invited to, please notify us immediately. The audition time is generally not possible to change, but in cases of compelling reasons such as illness documented by a doctor's note or an admission test at another institution, you can apply to have the admission test on another date.

April 10th: Sending of offer and rejection letters. Offers of admission, rejections, or offers to be placed on a waiting list will be sent via email. Acceptance or rejection of the offered place is done via Søknadsweb. If you are rejected or offered a place on the waiting list, a notification will be sent on the same date via email. April 24th: Deadline to accept a place of study via Søknadsweb. No reasons for rejection or information about results will be given by telephone. If you have any questions regarding this, you can contact studier.staffeldts@nla.no via email. Supplementary admission tests: NLA University College Oslo arranges new admission tests in music after April 25th, should there be a need for a more even instrument composition.

• December 15, 2025: deadline for submitting the application electronically in Søknadsweb
• January 16, 2026: deadline for submitting self-declaration and list of productions/songs you have created. Week 12, 2026: audition week
• April 10, 2026: offer and rejection letters are sent out
• April 24, 2026: deadline for accepting a place of study via Søknadsweb

If the submission deadlines are not met, this means that you will not be able to participate in the admission test. If you have any questions, you can send them to studier.staffeldts@nla.no. Mark the email: application music.

The application process is the same for Bachelor in Music, Congregation and Leadership / Bachelor in Performing Music, and for Bachelor in Performing Rhythmic Music. There are requirements for general university admissions certification, and an admission test in addition. The admission test is the same for these studies. The results after the admission test and instrument composition are decisive for who is offered a place.

You apply through NLA University College's Søknadsweb. You can apply to several of the bachelor's programs in prioritized order. The deadline to apply is December 15th. In the application, you must document that you have general university admissions certification. If you complete upper secondary school in the spring of 2026, upload your diploma when it is ready in June.

The admission test must be submitted to nettskjema by January 11, 2026. It must contain:

1. Video of you on the main instrument where you perform parts of 2 different songs. (Total duration of 3-4 minutes). Mobile recording is sufficient quality. You must include links to YouTube, Dropbox, Drive or similar.
2. References: Name and telephone number of two music professional people who know you.
3. Self-declaration: Upload a picture of yourself and answer the questions in the form about your experience and musical background.

By February 3, 2026, you will receive an answer as to whether you have passed part 1. If you pass the entrance exam part 1 and meet the formal requirements for admission, you will be invited to entrance exam parts 2 and 3.

By March 1, 2025, you must confirm whether you will attend entrance exam parts 2 and 3, and submit your program for the audition. It must consist of two songs. You can use the school's own recording band on one or both songs. Songs with the school's recording band are chosen from the repertoire below. You can also play solo, use a backing track, or bring your own band. The program is submitted on a web form.

• Sheet music for bass
• Sheet music for wind instruments
• Sheet music for piano
• Sheet music for guitar
• Sheet music for vocals
• Sheet music for drums

March 16–20, 2026: Audition week

Practical information about the audition day, entrance exam parts 2 and 3, at Øvingshotellet in Trondheimsveien 2, building H.

The entrance exam is conducted in week 12, and each applicant only attends one day. Invitations to the entrance exam are sent by email by February 3rd.

Every morning on the audition days, a short mandatory orientation meeting will be held. Here, in addition to important information about the audition day, attendance registration will be carried out by roll call. The exact time for the auditions will be announced after the attendance registration has been completed.

The audition itself takes place in two parts; entrance exam part 2, audition on main and secondary instrument with interview, and entrance exam part 3, music theory and ear training test.

Main and secondary instrument

Everyone prepares two self-selected pieces of music on their main instrument. Remember to prepare pieces of music with different characters where you can, among other things, show off your soloistic qualities. The university college has arranged rooms with a piano, a singing system with a microphone, and a backline (bass amplifier, guitar amplifier, and drum set). In auditions for rhythmic main instruments, it is permitted to bring your own band. The length of the audition on the main instrument is 15 minutes.

Following the main instrument audition, an audition on a secondary instrument is conducted for 5 minutes. You perform a self-selected piece. Students who are admitted will have piano (sheet music-based and chord symbols) as a mandatory secondary instrument, with the exception of those who have piano as their main instrument, who will have vocals as a mandatory secondary instrument.

For those of you applying for secondary instrument vocals:

Submit sheet music to the study consultant in advance if an accompanist is needed.

Interview

In connection with the audition on the main instrument, we will include an interview. In the interview, we want to hear about your goals and motivation for the study program, while you have the opportunity to ask questions. The time frame for the interview is approximately 10 minutes.

If you are prevented from attending the audition day you are invited to, please notify us immediately. The audition time is generally not possible to change, but in cases of compelling reasons such as illness documented by a doctor's certificate or an entrance exam at another institution, you can apply to have the audition on another date.

To be admitted to the bachelor's programs, requirements apply to basic knowledge and skills in music theory and ear training. The music theory and ear training test must be passed in order to be offered admission to the program. The time frame for the theory test is 50 minutes. The test can be carried out in three ways:

1. On the actual audition day at NLA University College.

2. As a pre-test on February 17th at 5:00 PM in classroom 4003 at NLA University College in Pilestredet Park 33. No registration is required.

3. By documenting a passed national ear training and theory test at another institution.

If you are unsure of your knowledge, the pre-test is a good indication of what you need to work on for the test that is carried out on the actual audition day. If you pass this, you do not have to retake the test on the audition day. The test includes the following:

• to recognize, determine, and name intervals and various triads and four-note chords

• to notate/correct melodies, chords, and rhythms

• music theory questions

Helpful literature: Benestad, F. (2009) Musikklære. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

The results from the pre-test will be announced on March 6th.

Announcement of results

By March 15th, offer and rejection letters will be sent out. Offers of a place, rejections of a place, or offers to be on the waiting list will be sent out via email. Acceptance or rejection of an assigned place is done via Søknadsweb. If a rejection or an offer to be on the waiting list is given, it will be sent via email.

Deadline

for response April 15th: Deadline for accepting a study place via Søknadsweb. No justifications for rejection or information about results will be given by telephone. If you have questions regarding this, you can contact studier.oslo@nla.no via email.

• December 15: Deadline for submitting the application electronically in Søknadsweb

• January 11: Deadline for submitting entrance exam part 1

• February 3: Results from entrance exam part 1 are sent out

• March 3: Deadline for confirming invitation to entrance exam parts 2 and 3, as well as submitting the program for the audition

• Week 12: Entrance exam parts 2 and 3 are conducted at Øvingshotellet.

• March 25: Offer and rejection letters are sent out

• April 15: Deadline for accepting a study place via Søknadsweb

If the submission deadlines are not met, this means that you will not have the opportunity to participate in the entrance exam.

• Bachelor's degree with at least 80 ECTS credits in performing music.

• Passed entrance exam. (Qualified applicants will be ranked based on the entrance exam.)

You apply through NLA University College's Søknadsweb. The application deadline is December 15.

After that, upload diplomas and other relevant documentation in the application, if it is not available electronically. The deadline for uploading documentation is January 5, 2026.

January 9, 2026: Deadline for submitting the reflection document and video. Use this nettskjemaet to submit this.

The reflection document should give us insight into what you want to work with in the master's program. Write in a natural and personal language. We want insight into your thoughts about your own music.

1. Why do you want to take a master's degree in performing music at NLA?

2. What do you want to immerse yourself in through the study?

3. How do you envision working with the master's project, and what do you hope it will result in?

4. In what musical context do you see yourself and your project?

5. What kind of musical development do you want to achieve through the study?

You don't need to have all the answers ready - describe where you are in the process right now.

The video:

• Record excerpts from your audition repertoire.

• Choose parts that show level and musical identity.

• The video does not need to be professional. Mobile recording is perfectly fine. The most important thing is that we hear you well and see you clearly.

Important: The first round of selection is digital

Due to a large number of applicants, the admission will start digitally.

We consider the reflection document and the video as the first part of the admission process.

January 19, 2026: Invitation to physical audition

We will send an e-mail to applicants who proceed to the physical audition in Oslo.

February 23–26, 2026 (week 9): Physical audition in Oslo. Entrance exams are conducted at Øvingshotellet, Trondheimsveien 2, building H, Oslo.

• Each applicant only attends one of the days
• You will receive the time and practical information in the e-mail
• It is important that you confirm within the deadline in the invitation

What does the physical audition involve?

The ranking of applicants is based on an overall assessment of the following two parts:

Playing test (20 minutes)

You play a self-selected repertoire that shows level, expression and musicality.

• You can bring your own band or fellow musicians.
• The repertoire should give us the best possible impression of who you are as a performer.
• The playing test is the most important part of the assessment basis.

Interview (10–15 minutes)

The interview is based on the reflection document you have submitted.

We will talk about, among other things:

• artistic direction and interests
• project idea and working method
• motivation for the study
• how you want to develop further

If you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible. Times cannot normally be changed, but in the event of documented illness or a conflicting admission test at another institution, you can apply for a new date.

Week 10 (2026): Offer of a study place

Offers of a study place, waiting list or rejection are sent by e-mail.

You confirm by answering yes or no in Søknadsweb.

March 31, 2026: Deadline for accepting a study place in Søknadsweb.

If you would like a reason for the decision, you can send an e-mail to studier.oslo@nla.no

NLA may conduct supplementary admissions after March 31 if there is a need to supplement the instrument composition.

Main instrument – extended understanding

In addition to traditional instruments in performing music, the following can also be considered as main instruments:

• Songwriting / production
• Choir direction
• Laptop (performing or production)

More about diplomas and requirements for a bachelor's degree

A completed bachelor's degree, cand.mag. degree, other degree or vocational training of a minimum of three years' duration or education which, pursuant to Section 3 of the Regulations on requirements for a master's degree, is approved as equivalent to the aforementioned degrees or educational courses is required. In the study plan, this is simplified to a requirement for a completed bachelor's degree or equivalent and with reference to the regulations. The requirement for specialization is a minimum of 80 credits in performing music.

You apply for admission through Samordna opptak (The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service). The application portal usually opens on February 1st, and the deadline is April 15th.

To be admitted, you must document that you have general university admissions eligibility. Read about this at Samordna opptak.

Once you have registered your application with Samordna opptak, you must submit material to NLA University College:

• Video of main instrument
• Self-declaration describing your musical history
• 2 audio files of self-composed songs

Video, audio files and self-declaration are submitted in online form. You must have an applicant number from Samordna opptak to submit.

The form must be submitted by May 1st.