ConductIT

• The application process for ConductIT is administered by the central admission office at UiS
• Apply through Søknadsweb and submit the Specification form within 1 March
  See 'ConductIT - digital conducting'
• Check the admission requirements
• In order for your application to be considered for admission, it is required that all the necessary application documents are uploaded in SøknadsWeb, and that the Specification form is completed submitted within the application deadline
• After completing your registration in SøknadsWeb you will receive a receipt to your e-mail where you can find a link to the Specification form
• Incomplete applications will be withdrawn
• There are specific guidelines for video recording. The video link(s) must be shared in the submission form by the application deadline. Read more under 'Submission of self-produced video'
• Applicants to the ConductIT-courses on level I and II must have access to an ensemble/band during the study period
• You will receive the result of your application during April

• Diploma and final transcript of record - Higher Secondary School, general university and college admission certification (GSK)
• Please notice: Applicants with foreign education must document general university admissions certification and English language proficiency according to the GSU list
• Passport copy or national ID card - Upload only the page with the photograph and name. The passport must be valid at the time of application. If you have changed your name, please provide this documentation in the same PDF file
• Proof of English proficiency - read more about how to meet our language requirements. If you plan on taking the test during spring, please provide confirmation of registration for a language test in Søknadsweb within the deadline
• Certificates and references if desired

Notice!

If the documentation is not in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or English, it must be officially translated into English. Both translations and originals must be uploaded in the same PDF file

If you have not yet graduated:

Please upload a confirmation from your place of study stating completion of higher secondary education during the spring semester together with a preliminary transcript.

File format:

We want you to use the PDF file format. All attachments you upload should be of your original documents (do not scan copies).

Notice! A check of the original diploma and transcript may be initiated at the beginning of the term.

In addition to submitting required documents to Søknadsweb, you must also complete and submit the electronic Specification form within the deadline.

Submitting the electronic Specification form is mandatory for all study programmes at the Faculty of Performing Arts! Incomplete applications will be not be considered for evaluation and will be withdrawn from the application system.

You can find the link to the Specification form in the application receipt from Søknadsweb. The link can also be found in the confirmation e-mail sent from Søknadsweb.

If you submit multiple Specification forms, the last submission will be prioritized during application processing.

Specification form - What to submit?

• Personalia - name, address, phone etc.
• CV - information about your musical and educational career
• Motivation letter
• Video*

For applicants to courses at level I or II, personal development goals and a video must also be included as part of the assessment basis.

Video as part of the assessment

*Applicants to ConductIT courses at level I or II must submit a video recording of up to 10 minutes of themselves conducting an ensemble/band/group of musicians/choir. The video link must be shared in the Specification form by the application deadline. Read more under 'Submission of Self-produced video'.

Personal Development Goals

Applicants to all 8 different ConductIT courses must attach a motivation letter in the Specification form. For applicants to courses at level I or II, the motivation letter must also include personal development goals.

Applicants to ConductIT Intro:

The applicant must demonstrate in their CV that they have a basic, general musical competence, such as music reading and experience in performing in ensembles. This can be achieved through previous training or education, or through personal practice as a performer, educator, conductor, composer, or similar.

Applicants to Orchestra I and II:

The applicant must demonstrate in their CV general musical competence and previous experience in the orchestral genre, for example through prior training, education, or through practice as a performer, educator, conductor, composer, or similar. Applicants to Orchestra II must document completion of Orchestra level I, or equivalent.

Applicants to Wind Band and Brass Band I and II:

The applicant must demonstrate in their CV general musical competence and previous experience in the band genre, for example through prior training, education, or through practice as a performer, educator, conductor, composer, or similar. Applicants to Wind Band and Brass Band II must document completion of Wind Band and Brass Band level I, or equivalent.

Applicants to School Band I and II:

The applicant must demonstrate in their CV general musical competence and previous experience in the school band genre, for example through prior training, education, or through practice as a performer, educator, conductor, composer, or similar. Applicants to School Band II must document completion of School Band level I, or equivalent.

Applicants to Choral I and II:

The applicant must demonstrate in their CV general musical competence and previous experience in the choir genre, for example through prior training, education, or through practice as a performer, educator, conductor, composer, or similar. Applicants to Choral II must document completion of Choral level I, or equivalent.
NB! The courses Choral I and II are only announced every other year.

Video requirements*

As a part of the application process to ConductIT, you will be asked to submitt a 10-minute video recording of you conducting an ensemble/group of musicians.

* requirements are applied to applicants to the following subjects: Orchestral conducting level I and II, Wind and Brass Band conducting level I and II, School Band conducting level I and II and Choral I and II.

• Information about how to submitt a video link can be found in the Specification form
• The video link(s) must be submitted in the Specification form within the deadline 1 March
• We do not accept audio files
• We only accept Youtube-links
• The audition video must be up to date and no older than 1 November, 2024.

Tip

Start recording rehearsals and/or concerts well in advance of the application deadline. Choose one or two excerpts where you think you had a good flow in the instruction or a nice 'run through' that you can submit. We are not so concerned with how it sounds, but it is more about how you affect the singers/musicians and the music through both instruction and technique. Recordings from rehearsals will do just fine, it doesn't necessarily have to be from a concert.

Remember!

Remember to film so that we see your face, i.e. set up the camera behind the ensemble, or from the side. Be sure to check that the audio is ok and that you have uploaded the file to YouTube with the settings that give us permission to play it.

NB: We can not guarantee that the entire recorded video material will be viewed by the commission.

The ConductIT study programme consists of a number of individual courses in conducting. Each course represents a profile or specialization within conducting; fundamentals of conducting, orchestral conducting, wind and brass band conducting, school band conducting or choral conducting.

NB! Only one course of the ConductIT programme can be followed at any given time - it is not possible to combine two or more ConductIT courses during the same academic year. 

Here is a short description of each on the courses:

ConductIT Intro

ConductIT Intro is a one-semester, 10 ETCS course in fundamentals of conducting. Students must participate at Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, complete the ConductIT MOOC, and attend one final weekend on-campus in Stavanger in the fall. 

Orchestral conducting - level I

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking a course in orchestral conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as entrepreneurship and career development. Students in the ConductIT Orchestra course must attend Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, as well as three UiS-organised weekend sessions on campus during the academic year.

Orchestral conducting - level II

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have significant experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking an advanced course in orchestral conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as entrepreneurship and career development. Students in the ConductIT Orchestra course must attend Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, as well as three UiS-organised weekend sessions on campus during the academic year. For admission to the ConductIT Orchestra level II course, the applicant must normally have completed and passed the ConductIT Orchestra level I course, or equivalent.

Wind and Brass Band conducting - level I

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking a course in band conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as entrepreneurship and career development. Students in the ConductIT Wind and Brass Band course must attend Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, as well as three UiS-organised weekend sessions on campus.

Wind and Brass Band conducting - level II

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have significant experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking an advanced course in band conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as entrepreneurship and career development. Students in the ConductIT Wind and Brass Band course must attend Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, as well as three UiS-organised weekend sessions on campus. For admission to the ConductIT Wind and Brass Band level II course, the applicant must normally have completed and passed the ConductIT Wind and Brass Band level I course, or equivalent.

School Band conducting - level I

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking a course in school band conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as organisational work and personal development. Students in the ConductIT School Band course must attend Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, as well as two UiS-organised weekend sessions on campus.

School Band conducting - level II

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have significant experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking an advanced course in school band conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as organisational work and personal development. Students in the ConductIT School Band course must attend Dirigentuka in Stavanger in August, as well as two UiS-organised weekend sessions on campus. For admission to the ConductIT School Band level II course, the applicant must normally have completed and passed the ConductIT School Band level I course, or equivalent.

Choral conducting - level I

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking a course in choral conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as entrepreneurship and career development. ConductIT Choral students must attend 3 UiS-organized weekend gatherings on campus. NB! The course is only offered every other year. The next admission period opens on January 1, 2026.

Choral conducting - level II

This is a 30-credit course that spans an entire academic year. The course is suitable for applicants who already have significant experience in performing music, such as performers, educators, or conductors, and who are seeking an advanced course in choral conducting. The programme covers various topics, including conducting practice, conducting technique and theory, as well as entrepreneurship and career development. ConductIT Choral students must attend 3 UiS-organized weekend gatherings on campus. For admission to the ConductIT Choral, level 2 course, the applicant must normally have completed and passed the ConductIT Choral, level 1 course, or equivalent. NB! The course is only offered every other year. The next admission period opens on January 1, 2026.

Students meet for 1-4 sessions on Campus Bjergsted during the course; participation in the conducting course Dirigentuka in August in Stavanger, plus 1-3 weekend sessions.

Session dates for the academic year 2025/2026:

ConductIT Intro

• Monday 4. - Friday 8. August 2025: Dirigentuka
  With optional preliminary course from 2. August.
• Friday 14. - Sunday 16. November 2025: Weekend session with exam
  Practice ensemble: quintet with students from UiS.

ConductIT Orchestra, level I and II

• Monday 4. - Friday 8. August 2025 : Dirigentuka
  With optional preliminary course from 2. August.
• Friday 24. - Sunday 26. October 2025 : Weekend session 1
  Practice ensemble: string quintet + piano.
• Friday 16. - Sunday 18. January 2026 : Weekend session 2
  Practice ensemble: TBA.
• Friday 1. - Sunday 3. May 2026 : Weekend session 3 with exam
  Practice ensemble: TBA.

ConductIT Wind and Brass Band, level I and II

• Monday 4. - Friday 8. August 2025 : Dirigentuka
  With optional preliminary course from 2. August.
• Friday 7. - Sunday 9. November 2025 : Weekend session 1
  Practical ensemble: Gjallarhorn Music Band.
• Friday 16. - Sunday 18. January 2026 : Weekend session 2
  Practical ensemble: TBA.
• Friday 8. - Sunday 10. May 2026 : Weekend session 3 with exam
  Practical ensemble: Gjallarhorn Music Band.

ConductIT School Band, level I and II

• Monday 4. - Friday 8. August 2025: Dirigentuka
  With optional preliminary course from 2. August.
• Friday 16. - Sunday 18. January 2026 : Weekend session 1
  Practical ensemble: TBA.
• Friday 29. - Sunday 31. May 2026: Weekend session 2 with exam
  Practical ensemble: TBA.

Weekend sessions are scheduled from Friday at 18:00 to Sunday at 16:00.

NB! Changes may occur.

Please notice! The courses Choral I and II are only offered every other year. The next admission period opens on January 1, 2026.

The programme is taught in English and is open to applicants from both the Nordic countries and internationally. However, for the courses School Band, levels I and II, proficiency in a Scandinavian language is recommended.

When can I apply?

The main admission period is open from 1. January - 1. March.
Apply via our local application portal SøknadsWeb.

Secondary admission is opened for certain studies that have available study places after the primary admission period. Secondary enrollment is open from 15. April to 15. May.

Applicants with citizenship outside of EU/EEA and Switzerland must pay tuition fee.

General study qualification

Nordic applicants are required to have completed upper secondary school and achieved general qualification for university entrance (GSK).

International applicants must provide documentation of general eligibility for university entrance according to the GSU list (Higher Education Entrance Qualification).

Prior learning 

Alternatively, applicants aged 25 years and older, without documentable upper education entrance qualifications, may request to have their qualifications assessed on the basis of prior learning. This entails, for example, all acquired skills accumulated through paid or unpaid work, continuing education, leisure activities or other. Applications for prior learning must be well documented.

English language requirement

As a general requirement for admission to ConductIT, all applicants must document proficiency in English on advanced level through an international test, recognized by the University of Stavanger/Samordna opptak. Please see English language requirements for detailed information regarding required score.

Norwegian language proficiency is not required as the courses are mainly taught in English. However, for the School Band courses, levels I and II, Scandinavian language skills are recommended. This is because some of the conducting exercises will be with Norwegian youth, in a setting where it is advantageous to speak and understand Norwegian or another Scandinavian language.

Video - Part of the assessment

There are no regular entrance exams for ConductIT. For applicants to 8 of the 9 ConductIT courses, admission approval requires the assessment of a video recording of up to 10 minutes of the applicant conducting an ensemble/band/group of musicians/choir. The submitted video should be representative of the applicant’s current conducting level.

The requirement to submit a video applies to applicants for:

• Orchestra I or II
• Wind and Brass Band I or II
• School Band I or II
• Choral I or II

Guidelines and requirements for video can be found under 'Submission of Self-produced video'.

Access to ensamble

Applicants applying to one of the 8 courses on level I and II:

• It is a prerequisite that the applicant has access to an ensemble/band/group of musicians/choir to conduct during the course.

The head of department appoints an academic commission, which evaluates and ranks all applicants. The head of department and academic commission evaluates the applicants as qualified/not qualified based on the academic commission's evalutaion and rankings, submitted own work and application documents. Final admission is decided by the dean.

Qualified applicants are then offered a study place to the extent that there are available places on the applied study programme. If the faculty has more qualified applicants than the admission framework indicates that we can offer, the applicants are put on a waiting list based on the commission's ranking list.

See supplementary rules for admission in the admission regulations in the article further down.

The commencement of courses is subject to change.

Admission letter, Rejection letter or Waiting list letter will be published in SøknadsWeb under ''My applications''. You will receive an e-mail when the results are ready.

If you fail to submit a successful application to the faculty within the deadline, your application will be withdrawn from the system and you will receive a rejection letter.

If you have any questions about your offer, refusal or waiting list place, you can send us an e-mail to opptak@uis.no.

Remember to reply

If you are offered letter of admission or waiting list letter you must remember to reply ''Yes'' or ''No'' in SøknadsWeb within the mentioned deadline. Information regarding deadline is shared in the admission letter/waiting list letter.

Students from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland who start their studies in autumn 2025 are required to pay tuition fees at the University of Stavanger. Read more about the tuition fee.

If something unforeseen should happen and you do not get the opportunity to submit a video within the deadline, you may be able to transfer your application to our secondary admission.

It is important to remember that a secondary admission is only carried out if there are available study places after the main admission period. If the faculty has vacant study places, applications for individual studies will be opened on 15 April, with an application deadline of 15 May.

1. Scope of the regulations

The regulations apply to admission to the ConductIT study programme, an education in conducting for 10 or 30 ECTS credits at the Faculty of Performing Arts, Universiy of Stavanger.

The programme has three levels:

• ConductIT Intro - an introduction course in conducting. 10 ECTS credits
• A fundamental course in conducting with specializations in orchestra, brass band, and school band. 30 ECTS credits.
• An advanced course in conducting with specializations in orchestra, brass band, and school band. 30 ECTS credits.

The study programme is open for applicants from the Nordic countries and international applicants.

The admission regulations for ConductIT are based on the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges (the Universities and University Colleges Act) of April 1, 2005, § 3-6, p. 7, and FOR-2007-01-31-173: Regulation on Admission to Higher Education, as well as the Regulation on Admission to Studies and Courses at the University of Stavanger of October 18, 2018, §1-1."

2. Basis for admission 

2.1 Applicants for ConductIT, must document completed upper secondary education.

Applicants with education from outside Norway must check entrance requirements for admission to upper education depending on their country.

Alternatively, applicants aged 25 and above, without documented upper secondary education, may request an assessment of their qualifications based on practical experience. The applicant must turn 25 in the year they apply for admission.

Applicants with higher education as their only application basis may be considered for admission.

2.2 English language requirements must be met in accordance with entrance requirements for admission to upper education . Exceptions to language requirements are granted based on decisions by the dean.

2.3 A motivation letter and a CV describing the applicant's experience as a performing musician and conductor must be included with the application. Applicants for level 2 courses must provide documentation of completed level 1 courses or their equivalents.

2.4 A 10-minute video recording of the applicant conducting an ensemble of at least 5 individuals must be submitted as part of the documentation.

2.5 It is a prerequisite that the student has access to an ensemble or group of musicians to conduct throughout the entire course of study.

2.6 Sections 2.4 and 2.5 do not apply to applicants for the ConductIT Intro course.

3. Appointment of Committees

3.1 The head of department appoints an academic commission for admission.
3.2 The commission is responsible for:

1. assessing qualifications based on application documents
2. evaluating qualifications based on submitted video recordings (not applicable to applicants for the ConductIT Intro course)
3. ranking applicants (see point 4)

3.3 The commission presents the results to the head of department.

4. Ranking

4.1 Applicants are ranked according to specific criteria established by the commission based on their professional evaluation.

4.2 If the faculty has more qualified applicants than the admission capacity allows, applicants are placed on a waiting list according to the commission's ranking.

5. Admission

5.1 The Evaluation of formalities and basic competence is conducted by administrative personnel responsible for admission.

5.2 The evaluation of a complete application with a video, and further consideration for admission, is carried out by the academic commission.

5.3 The academic commission proposes admissions to the head of department, who then recommends admissions to the dean based on an overall assessment of the number of available study places and economical implications. Final admissions are decided by the dean.

The proposal for admission is based on:

• The commission's assessment and ranking
• Other resource considerations

5.4 In case of more vacant study places after the primary admission process, the head of department may decide whether to open the program for a secondary admission round. Additional admissions can also be made by the head of department, with the final decision by the dean.

5.5 Digital conductor studies for choir and ConductIT courses cannot be combined in the same academic year. It is also not possible to combine multiple ConductIT courses in the same academic year.

6. Offer of Admission

6.1 Applicants are notified of offers, waitlist status, or rejections.

6.2 If an applicant does not confirm acceptance of an offered study place within the specified deadline, the spot will be offered to another qualified applicant.

6.3 Commencement of study programs and courses is subject to conditions such as group size and economical considerations.

7. Right to appeal

7.1 Decisions made under the authority of this regulation can be appealed, according to the Administrative Procedures Act, §28 to §32. The deadline for filing an appeal is 3 weeks from the day the admission results are published or 3 weeks after receiving any explanation, if provided.

7.2 Appeals regarding individual decisions related to admissions for programmes not covered by the Centralised Admission System will be handled by the Appeals Board at the University of Stavanger, in accordance with the Act on Universities and Colleges, §5-1.

7.3 Appeals concerning formal errors in admissions will initially be processed by the faculty. If the faculty's original decision is upheld and the applicant chooses to maintain the appeal, the appeal will be forwarded to the university's appeals board. According to §28 and §29 of the Administrative Procedures Act, decisions can be appealed in writing within 3 weeks after the date of receiving the letter. The appeal should be sent to the University of Stavanger.

Adopted by the Study Programme Committee/Faculty of Performing Arts on October 28, 2021. Last revised and adopted by the Study Portfolio Committee/Faculty of Performing Arts on November 21, 2023.

Where there are linguistic differences the Norwegian version is the official version.

If you have any questions, please contact us at opptak@uis.no.