Music Performance – Jazz and Contemporary Music

Applying from abroad

Foreign nationals require valid travel documents recognised by the Swiss government. A visa is often required. Exchange students must also apply for a residency permit and purchase health insurance before their studies begin. Please research your specific entry requirements carefully.

* The application fee can be paid by credit card or by deposit slip / paper invoice (+ CHF 10.– processing fee). There are no waivers or refunds for withdrawn or abandoned applications. The application is processed after payment has been received.
** If the application leads to matriculation, the matriculation fee is covered by the application fee.
*** International students are defined as persons of foreign citizenship who at the time of obtaining their university entrance qualification were domiciled under civil law neither in Switzerland nor the Principality of Liechtenstein.

There is also a fixed fee for materials whose amount depends on the degree programme as well as additional costs for teaching materials, specialist literature, supplies, etc.

Financial aid is available through grants and loans. Grants are one-off or ongoing payments that don’t usually have to be paid back provided you complete your course. Loans are one-off or ongoing payments that must be paid back after you finish your course. There are also numerous private foundations and funds that offer financial support to students. The electronic foundation directory administered by the Federal Department of Home Affairs offers a comprehensive summary of these organisations and can be searched by keywords (e.g. student, research, financial aid, etc.).

HKB scholarship fund

Many HKB students live in precarious financial circumstances. The opportunities to earn money while undertaking demanding and time-consuming studies are limited. And the cost of living in Switzerland is one of the highest in all of Europe. A doctor’s bill, a healthy diet, and paying the rent or semester and examination fees can become pressing problems. To help in such cases, the HKB scholarship fund provides targeted support by covering the tuition fees from CHF 750 up to CHF 950. To apply for support, you need to take the following steps:

1. Fill out the online application form in full and print it out
2. Send the application online
3. Submit the printed form to the secretariat for your degree programme

The deadline for applications for a semester fee waiver is 15 May to 15 June (for the following autumn semester), or 15 November to 15 December (for the following spring semester).

Applications for a waiver of the semester fees will only be considered and included in the selection process once the course offer has been.

Application form (link valid as of November 15 2023)

Application form SS24 available for students from Music, Theatre & Literary Writing.

Other grants

Cantonal grants

Grants and loans for Swiss students and overseas students are generally paid out by the canton where the students’ parents are tax residents. Students who have been tax residents in the Canton of Bern for at least two years are able to apply for cantonal grants and loans. Applications should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office at the Department of Education.

Other grants

• Hirschmann grant for master’s degree students
• The Fritz Gerber Foundation for gifted young people awards grants for education, training and continuing education.
• Ernst Göhner grants for artists in training
• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists
• Students from Germany can apply to receive German federal assistance for study abroad: Auslands-BAföG.
• The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) promotes young scientists and basic research in all scientific disciplines on behalf of the Swiss Confederation.

Further information

• Department of Education and Culture of the Canton of Bern

• Addresses for cantonal grant-awarding bodies (in german)

The websites EDK – Stipendien, stipendium.ch and European Funding Guide cover all the key information about grants in Switzerland and overseas.

Support through cultural promotion

• BAK Federal Office of Culture
• Pro Helvetia
• Migros Cultural Office
• Artists in Residence
• Database of cultural promotion addresses in Switzerland

Your contact persons for questions about scholarships and loans

• Conservation and Restoration Division: Secretariat
• Design and Fine Arts Division: Hannah Rocchi
• Master Contemporary Arts Practice: Wanda Lehmann
• Music Division: Claire Brawand
• Swiss Literature Institute: Donna Sahiti
• Theatre Division: Secretariat Theatre

Contact

If you have any questions regarding scholarships and loans please contact Claire Brawand.

At Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH, we promote balance between study, work and family.

A limited number of nursery places are available to BFH staff and students. If you’d like to take advantage of this offer, the relevant documents can be found on the BFH Intranet. The fees are income-based and in line with the cantonal rates described in the Verordnung über die Angebote der sozialen Integration (Decree on Social Integration Offer ASIV) issued by the Canton of Bern. You can apply for a nursery place using the online form on the BFH Intranet. If you’re a new student or member of staff and don’t have access to the Intranet, please contact Sarah Gross. There is no legal entitlement to a nursery place.

Students must fulfil their military service obligations during their studies. Plan and coordinate studies and service obligations well in advance.

We strongly recommend that you complete the military training programme and your first period of civil service before starting your studies. Completing them during your Master will result in absences and may prolong the duration of your studies.

General information about military and civil service

• Information zum Rekrutierungsprozess (VBS)

• Kanton Bern, Sicherheitsdirektion

• Informationen zu Zivildienst und Studium

Advisory service

If you wish to get advice on how to co-ordinate your studies and your compulsory service, please contact HKB Student Administration (+41 31 848 49 49).