Master's Programme in Performing Arts

The Master's programme consists primarily of three parts:

1. Thematic courses where you develop practical methods and approaches and gain a contextual and theoretical understanding of the field. Special attention will be given to interdisciplinary discourses and to practices and creative processes relating to bodily, conceptual, compositional, dramaturgical, material, audience and context-related aspects of performing arts. The programme is taught through lectures and seminars online with three five-day practical workshops in Stockholm per term. In your second year you can choose from a list of elective courses from other subjects across Stockholm University of the Arts, with online and onsite options.
2. Method courses prepare you for practice-led research and introduce you to key methods and concepts within artistic research. These interdisciplinary method courses are taught in the first two terms of your MA together with students from other MA programmes within Stockholm University of the Arts. Teaching takes place online with onsite options.
3. An individual project or investigation (the Degree project). Over the course of the programme you have three taught Degree project courses which facilitate the development of your individual investigation. These courses introduce you to methods of research, reflective writing, documentation, models of presentation, and exposition and practice-led research project planning. In addition to the taught online sessions you will work with a designated supervisor.

Structure of the programme

Year 1

Methods in Artistic Research I, 7.5 ects

Bodily and Vocal Practices in Performing Arts, 15 ects

Writing Practices in the Arts, 7.5 ects

Methods in Artistic Research II, 7.5 ects

Concept and Composition in Performing Arts, 15 ects

Degree Project in Performing Arts, Part I, 7.5 ects

Year 2

Elective course, 7.5 ects

Technology and Materiality in Performing Arts, 15 ects

Degree Project in Performing Arts, Part II, 7.5 ects

Site, Event, Encounter in Performing Arts, 15 ects

Degree Project in Performing Arts, Part III, 15 ects

General entry requirement for studies at the second cycle (a Bachelor's degree or the equivalent),

and

Specific entry requirements:

• A bachelor in fine arts or the equivalent
• English 5 or the equivalent
• A grade of Pass in the qualification test showing artistic ability in performing arts

Eligibility through prior learning

If you don’t fulfil the formal entry requirements for the programme you may apply for recognition of prior learning, in other words that the knowledge and competence you have acquired through other activities are assessed as the equivalent of the formal merits that are required. Submit your application for recognition of prior learning with your application for the programme. Submit at universityadmissions.se under My pages/Documents/Documents/Provide educational documents. 

You may also apply for an exemption/a waiver, that allows you to proceed to the selection process even though you don’t meet the general admission requirements. Submit your application for an exemption/a waiver together with your application.

Read more about how you can show that you meet the entry requirements (that you are eligible).

Read more about recognition of prior learning.

Start your application early

Don’t delay in submitting your application! You may run into trouble if you wait until the last day and your internet connection happens to be down, or you find that your files are in the wrong format. You will not be able to apply once the last date for applications has passed. Keep in mind that your application has to be turned in by 23:59 (Swedish time).

You apply to the programme in two steps

1. Apply to the programme via universityadmissions.se.
Last day for application: 15 January 2027.
Please note! Choose "Autumn 2027" if you search for the course at universityadmissions.se

Please note that you need to submit supporting documents showing that you meet the entry requirements via universityadmissions.se under My pages/Documents/Documents/Provide educational documents. 

Last day to submit supporting documentation: 1 February 2027. Please also note that this does not apply to any work samples that may be used as qualification test, see below. Please note that date for Stockholm University of the Arts is an earlier date then the general last day communicated on universityadmission.se. 

2. Submit your work sample via Grade Varbi (according to instructions below) 
Last day to submit work samples to be part of the selection: 15 January 2027.

Instructions for work samples via Grade Varbi

You need to upload the work samples below via Grade Varbi to prove the special entry requirement ‘Passed qualification test’ and to participate in the selection process.

We are looking for your personal and unique expression. If you use AI tools or AI techniques to produce or process video, image, audio or text in any of your artistic works or submitted work samples, we expect you to disclose and describe your use and production process.  

All written documents should preferably be in English, font size 12, line spacing 1,5, and uploaded as PDF file. 

1. Individual investigation or question

A description where you outline and explain the investigation that you wish to undertake over the course of the two years and to be finalised in your “Degree project”. Word count: 2500–3000 words in total.

Address the following questions:

• What do you intend to explore/investigate and why? What would you like to find out through this investigation? It could be more than one thing, of course.
• Situate your question or investigation within your artistic work and practice to give a sense of how it connects to your practice.
• Include a list of four to six annotated references (for example other people's writing and/or artistic works and projects) in support of your description. Which examples, inspiration and references provide a helpful context for your investigation, how and why. Your explanation should be no longer than 200 words per reference.

2. Documentation of former artistic work

Please collect documentation of your choice for 2 examples of your artistic work. For each project you need to list:

• Name of the project
• Short description of the project
• Your role in the work
• Documentation, for instance text, images, links to sound files, links to video material

The descriptions of the artistic work and your role should be in English. The documentation (in for example the video) can be in the languages in which the artistic work was carried out. 

3. Reflection on documented work

Choose one of your submitted documented works and reflect on the creation process: what insights did the work and process offer up for you as a maker, and how would you articulate the work´s investigation and exploration. Word count: 1000–1200 words. 

Proceed as follow to upload work samples via Grade Varbi

•    Register by providing name and e-mail address. NB! Please enter your name exactly as it appears on universityadmissions.se.
•    Fill in you contact information.
•    Please note! Fill in the application number you received when submitting your application to the course via universityadmissions.se.
•    Submit the requested documents/files.
•    Please name the document/file with content and your name for example: CV_ first name_ family name.

Confirmation that you have submitted your work samples via Grade Varbi

When you've submitted your work samples you will receive a confirmation to the e-mail address that you’ve stated. If you don’t receive a confirmation e-mail, you should first check your spam filter. If the confirmation e-mail is not there, contact Grade Varbi's technical support.
Phone: +46 520 580 050 (weekdays 08:30–12:00 and 13:00–16:30)
Support Talentech, of which Grade Varbi is a part: Talentech Help Center 
Enter: Company name: Stockholm University of the Arts; Candidate; Subject: E.g. Problem uploading a file; Product: Grade Varbi; Area: Candidate/Application.

Important dates for your application 

• Last day for applications: 15 Januari 2027.
  Please note! Choose “Autumn 2027” when you search for the course at universityadmissions.se.
• Last day to submit supporting documentation for entry requirements: 1 February 2027. Please note that this does not apply to any work samples that may be used as qualification test, see below. Please note that date for Stockholm University of the Arts is an earlier date then the general last day communicated on universityadmission.se. However, you can supplement with certain qualifications later.*
• Last day to pay the application fee or prove that you are not required to pay the fees: 1 February 2027 (read more under Application and tuition fees below). Submit passport/identification card on universityadmissions.se under My Pages/Documents/Provide identity documents.
• Admission results 1: Published on My pages on universityadmissions.se 1 April 2027. 

Last day to reply to possible course offer: 15 April 2027. 

*5 July 2026 is deadline for you who need to submit proficiency test in English or Swedish. Please upload a certificate confirming that you are currently studying or a certificate of registration for a recognised language test, along with your application.
Deadline for Diploma of Bachelor’s Degree and transcript of records for you who are currently studying the last term of your Bachelor’s Programme, is by the time for course start. Please upload a certificate confirming that you are currently studying, along with your application.

The assessment of entry requirements and selection take place in several stages.

The assessment of formal merits/grades is primarily carried out by the Swedish Council for Higher Education and the Educational Department. The assessment of artistic merits is primarily carried out by an admission group from SKH consisting of teachers from the field. 

Recognition of prior learning is assessed by an appointed teacher. 

A student representative may also take part in the admissions process and, in that case, has the right to attend and speak, but not the right to vote.

After each stage of the selection we call applicants who will proceed to the next step. Everyone is informed of whether they will proceed or not.

Detailed information about the admission process can be found here

If you are a citizen of Sweden, another EU or EEA country or or Switzerland you are not required to pay application or tuition fees. Some other groups are also exempt from the requirement to pay application and study fees.

If you are not a citizen of Sweden, another EU or EEA country or or Switzerland you are required to pay application and tuition fees. The level of the study fees depends on which course/programme they are for, and the level is set in order to cover the actual costs of the course/programme in question. SKH has some possibilities of offering scholarships that cover the study fees for Bachelor´s and Master´s programmes.

If you are required to pay an application fee, the Swedish Council for Higher Education needs to receive your payment by the last date for paying the application fee. The application fee is SEK 900. If you are required to pay the application fee and the Swedish Council for Higher Education has not received your payment by the last date for paying the tuition fee, they will not process your application. Read more here.

The tuition fee per semester and for the whole programme will be updated on the opening of the application.

Scholarships to Cover the Tuition Fee

If you are obliged to pay a tuition fee you can apply for a scholarship which covers the tuition fee. The scholarship does not cover any private costs during your studies. Please note that you still need to pay an application fee (900 SEK). The application fee is non-refundable.

Read more about tuition fees and scholarships.