Music as a profession
– Study for a music degree!
Dreaming of a career as a musician? Are you invited by venues or do you want to work in the sound department? Make your dream come true! Pop & Jazz Conservatory’s An undergraduate degree in music will give you a good start in your career as a musician .
Vocational qualification in Music (180 credits)
Field of Music (Musician)
Field of music technology (Music technologist)
Vocational qualification in Music has a total of 180 credits. The duration of studies for a primary school-based student is three academic years. Recognition of prior learning reduces the study period so that a student who has completed upper secondary school has approximately two academic years to complete the degree. The progression of studies is planned on an individual basis by means of a personal competence development plan (PDP). The qualification includes both compulsory and optional modules.
You can also supplement your skills with an individual part or parts of the Vocational Qualification of Music.
Further Vocational Qualification for Music Producers (150 credits)
If you already have a music degree or are already working in the music industry, you can complete your skills by a Further Vocational Qualification for Music Producers (150 credits). It also includes two fields:
Competences in Song writing and Music production
Working with music is challenging but rewarding. Join Pop & Jazz Conservatory’s and learn a profession where there’s never a dull day!
Implementation of vocational studies
Studies for a music degree are mainly carried out in groups. Other teaching methods include face-to-face and distance learning, as well as work-based learning.
The language of instruction and the language of examination is Finnish. Language proficiency is also tested during the application phase.
Each semester, a personal study plan is drawn up for the student based on the curriculum and the student’s choices.
Studying is full-time and requires commitment. An undergraduate student has a five-day working week.
It is also possible to take parallel studies to complete two or three qualifications, in cooperation with a general upper secondary school for adults.
Studying for Further Vocational Qualification for Music Producers is a blended learning programme, which includes 1-2 residential days per week as well as distance learning and independent work. You can also study other subjects from the institution in accordance with your personal study plan.
On-the-job training
Pop & Jazz conservatory offers professional students a wide range of opportunities to practice for the world of work. Students can acquire skills in different learning environments and flexibly combine them. Jobs in the rhythm music industry typically range from cafés, libraries, clubs and restaurants to concert halls, open-air events and studios.
We offer undergraduate and postgraduate students the opportunity to grow as professionals in different workplaces, through practice, real-life conditions and practical work.
On-the-job training contains eg.
– practise performing and meeting the audience
– practise sound reinforcement at a concert
– practise livestreaming
– prepare marketing material for promoting gigs
– arrange transport of instruments
Training contract
On-the-job training is always the subject of a training agreement between the institution and the workplace. In a work placement, the student is not employed and is therefore not paid a salary or other consideration.
The traineeships also provide evidence and feedback. These are carefully planned in advance with the student and the supervising teacher. At the invitation of the supervising teacher, a representative from the working world also participates in the assessment of the demonstration. Representatives from working life are trained to evaluate the evidence and provide constructive pedagogical feedback.
Student social benefits
Students who are admitted to a course of study are entitled to social benefits in accordance with the relevant provisions. Students are entitled to study grants, and students studying for a professional music degree receive a hot meal paid for by the institution on each day of study.
Financing your studies
The Vocational Qualification of Music is free of charge and there is no tuition fee for vocational studies. Students studying for Further Vocational Qualification for Music Producers are charged a one-off fee of €1,500 for the duration of their studies (which can be paid in instalments).
Students can apply to Kela for student loans, student grants and housing allowance. You should apply for a student grant in OmaKela as soon as you have confirmed your place.
For more information, visit www.kela.fi.
Housing during your studies
The school does not have a dormitory. Vocational students can apply for accommodation on the open market or from the Foundation for student housing in the Helsinki region (HOAS).
For more information and application forms, visit www.hoas.fi.
Apprenticeship
If the student wants to study through an apprenticeship and find a job suitable for the field of study, an apprenticeship contract is signed with, for example, Stadin AO (Helsinki Vocational College and Adult Institute), and an agreement is made to obtain training from the Pop & Jazz Conservatory. The apprentice will find the apprenticeship job themselves.
The Vocational Qualification in Music degree in music gives access to postgraduate studies
After completing a bachelor’s degree in music, students can apply for higher education, for example at universities or universities of applied sciences. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences’ pop/jazz music programme is located in the same building as Pop & Jazz Conservatory’s.
A bachelor’s degree in music is a good route to, for example, a degree in music, a degree in music pedagogy or university studies in musicology or music education.
More information about postgraduate study opportunities can be found at https://opintopolku.fi/konfo/fi/sivu/korkeakoulujen-yhteishaku.