Master's Programme in Performing Arts

The Master's programme consists primarily of three parts:

1. Thematic courses where you develop practical methods, approaches and are introduced to critical theories contextualization and relevant international references. Special attention will be given to interdisciplinary discourses and to practices and creative processes relating to bodily, conceptual, compositional, dramaturgical, technical, audience, context and materiality-related aspects of performing arts. The courses are taught through lectures and seminars online with three 5-day practical workshops in Stockholm every term. The thematic courses, which are sourced from the school’s four research and profile areas, invite you to view your practice as well as degree project work through the prism of the specific area’s content, artistic field and methods. In Bodily and Vocal Practices, you situate your practice and look at the relationship between body, movement and voice; In Concept and Composition you develop dramaturgical, compositional and conceptual awareness; In Technology and Materiality the focus is on technical, audiovisual and materiality aspects of the performing arts. And in the final thematic course Site, Event, Encounter attention shifts to wider contexts, publics and audiences. 
   2.    Method courses prepare you for practice-led research and introduce you to key methods and concepts within artistic research. These 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. In your second year you can choose an elective course from other subjects across Stockholm University of the Arts. 
   3.    An individual project with an investigation (the Degree project). Over the course of your studies, you will work on your individual project. To support this, you will have taught Degree project courses (Degree project, part 1, 2,3) throughout the course. As well as giving you the opportunity to work with a designated supervisor as you develop and implement your project you will have sessions on reflective writing, documentation, models and formats of exposition, practice-led research project planning and research ethics. In addition to the taught online sessions, you will work with a designated supervisor. This is the project with which you applied, and it is important to keep in mind that due to the online nature of the MA programme the school is unable to support projects which need a lot of technical support and resources.  

Structure of the programme (autumn 2027 - spring 2029)

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 project investigation or question

The individual project is submitted as a text where you outline and explain your project and the artistic investigation that you wish to undertake over the course of the education. This project will be your “Degree project”. By project is meant a more in-depth investigation which is grounded and situated in your artistic practice. It is important to keep in mind that due to the online nature of the MA programme the school is unable to support projects which need a lot of technical support and resources. The project should therefore be realistic in scope and capable of being carried out within the MA education framework. Word count: 3000–3500 words in total. You’re welcome to include visuals and illustrations.

Ensure you address the following questions:

•    What do you intend to explore/investigate and why? What questions, topics, processes or ideas are important for you to explore and why. What would you like to find out through this investigation? 
•    Situate the proposed investigation within your artistic work and practice: how does it relate to your practice, and how may help to expand and develop it. 
•    Describe how you intend to carry out the investigation and why you have chosen this two-year Master education as the context and structure for this. Also explain the practical challenges the project may encounter.  
•    Include a list of four key references (for example other people's writing and/or artistic works and projects) in support of your project. Which references, works or artists provide a helpful context for your investigation, how and why. 

2. Documentation of former artistic work

Please collect documentation of your choice for three 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. Reflective text (700 words)

Dowload the text: Future Stage (PDF). Also found here: https://future-stage.org/
This text was published October 2021 as a proposal for the performing arts of the future.  Thinking about the text: which topics, ideas and proposals do you think still resonate today and what may have changed or shifted since this text was published. Which of the different proposals, statements or visions outlined in the text are relevant for your own artistic practice and which are not? (word count: 700 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.