Yes, there is an aptitude assessment procedure for the Bachelor's programme, but this is not an artistic entrance examination on an instrument, as is the case at music colleges, for example. You can find more information on our application and admission information page.

The degree programmes are admission-free and therefore have no NC. However, please note the aptitude assessment procedure for the Bachelor's programme and the determination of equivalence and fit for the Master's programme. You can find more information on our application and admission information page.

Please note the current deadlines and information from the Registrar's Office.

Admission to the Bachelor's degree programme is only possible in the winter semester. Applications for the Master's degree programme may also be open for the summer semester.

The application for both study programmes is made via the Registrar's Office. There you will receive information about the application formalities. International students should contact the International Office at Paderborn University. You can find further information on the subject-specific requirements on our application and admission information page.

A special interest in the subject area of popular music and media and the associated willingness to engage intensively and continuously with historical and current developments in the field of pop music and media is mandatory. Accordingly, the applicants have already acquired relevant knowledge and/or skills according to their individual interests - be it in the field of music production, music journalism, music theory and history, instrumental practice or event management. The qualification profiles of suitable applicants are therefore very heterogeneous, which is in line with the interdisciplinary concept of the degree programme. Further information can be found on our application & admission information page.

The applicants should think intensively in advance about which of their previously acquired knowledge and skills qualify them in a special way for the degree programme and which qualification(s) they expect to gain from the degree programme. In other words, candidates should be able to explain to what extent they are suitable for the Popular Music and Media degree programme and what motives and goals they associate with the degree programme. Accordingly, it is assumed that the applicants have familiarised themselves with the study programme in advance.

In addition, it is advisable to familiarise yourself with introductory specialist literature in preparation for the degree programme (if you have not already done so). For this purpose, we recommend the following books as examples:

• Diederichsen, Diedrich (2014): On Pop Music. Cologne: Kiepenheuer&Witsch.
• Jacke, Christoph (2013): Introduction to popular music and media. Münster et al: LIT (Popular Culture and Media series, vol. 1, 2nd edition).
• Reynolds, Simon (2012): Retromania. Why pop can't let go of its past. Mainz: Ventil Verlag.
• Rumpf, Wolfgang (2011): Pop music and media. Münster: LIT.
• Schramm, Holger; Spangardt, Benedikt & Ruth, Nicholas (2017): Media and music (series "Medienwissen kompakt"). Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
• Wicke, Peter (2011): Rock and pop. From Elvis Presley to Lady Gaga. Munich: Beck.

We also recommend the following academic publications on pop (music) culture from the Federal Agency for Civic Education:

• Balzer, Jens (2021): Pop and populism. On responsibility in music. Bonn: bpb
• Mrozek, Bodo (2021): Youth - Pop - Culture. A transnational history. Bonn: bpb
• Leggewie, Claus; Meyer, Erik (eds.) (2017): Global Pop. The book on world music. Bonn: bpb

Instrumental skills are desirable, but not a mandatory requirement for our degree programmes. If you already have instrumental skills, we reserve the right to address these in the second part of the aptitude assessment procedure (personal interview).

The regular payments to be made (semester fees) can be viewed here at the Registrar's Office. You will also find information on financing your studies there.

The central place of study for the degree programme is Paderborn University. However, some courses also take place at the Paderborn University/Detmold Musicology Department, which is located at the Detmold University of Music.

Experience has shown that you have courses in Detmold in the first two semesters, which can usually all be attended on one day a week so that you don't have to commute several times a week. Travelling between the study locations is free of charge with the Deutschlandsemesterticket.

Almost all students on the Pop degree programme live in Paderborn or the surrounding area.

Paderborn University regularly organises information events for prospective students.

You can also contact the central student advisory service at any time with basic questions about studying.

"Popular Music and Media is a university degree programme in cultural studies. Accordingly, the programme is primarily concerned with academic issues in fields such as (pop) music history and theory, media history and theory, reception research, music and media economics, cultural sociology, gender studies, music and media analysis.

Nevertheless, practical components are an integral part of the study programme. Seminars and exercises on music and media practice, music journalism, songwriting and arranging, the basics of music production and English as a specialised language are firmly implemented.

There is a corresponding compulsory module (Module 7) for all students on the Bachelor's programme in the field of music management and law, in which the basics of this field are taught. In addition, there is the opportunity to acquire business and economics knowledge as part of the optional area (see modules 15-17).

Instrumental lessons are not part of the degree programme. However, existing instrumental skills can be cultivated and deepened as part of student projects and within fixed ensembles, such as the Salsa Ensemble, the university orchestra and the university Big Band. The university's own Centre for Information and Media Technology Services (ZIM) offers various courses (video recording and editing, photography, recording, campus radio, etc.) for acquiring and testing practical media know-how.

Detailed information on the programme content can be found in the section of the same name as well as in the special provisions of the examination regulations for "Popular Music and Media" (BA/MA) (see Appendix II in particular), which we strongly recommend prospective students read.

There are many career opportunities after completing the Bachelor's degree programme in Popular Music and Media. Possible career fields include: music and cultural journalism (print, radio, TV, online), music industry (A&R, PR, management, marketing), event management, advertising, studio and stage. Completing the Master's programme also opens up the professional prospect of an academic career.

Of course, it is impossible to give a generalised answer as to which career you will pursue after graduation and what exactly your activities will consist of. It all depends very much on which fields you choose to focus on during your studies, which additional qualifications you acquire (through company internships, optional or additional courses, semesters abroad, etc.) and what the labour market offers at the time of graduation.

Upon successful completion of the Bachelor's degree programme "Popular Music and Media", the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Paderborn University awards the academic degree "Bachelor of Arts" (abbreviated to "B.A."). Similarly, the academic degree "Master of Arts" (abbreviated to "M.A.") is awarded upon successful completion of the Master's degree programme in "Popular Music and Media". These are NOT professional titles, but the designations of university degrees. The professional title ultimately depends on the actual profession practised.

Academic work means that subject-related questions and problems are dealt with systematically and methodically. Accordingly, the "Popular Music and Media" degree programme teaches students the principles and methods of working on relevant subject areas and how to apply them. These competences are not only the basis of the academic craft, but are also helpful and in demand in practical professional contexts. This applies in particular to fields in which content is to be communicated and processed (journalism, PR, cultural projects, etc.). An academic degree programme is therefore not vocational training in the narrower sense, in which you are prepared for very specific job profiles (e.g. camera assistant). Instead, basic qualifications are taught that are relevant across subject areas and professions.

The introduction of the Bachelor's/Master's system was aimed at achieving international comparability of academic achievements and qualifications. However, differences in the national education systems are the reason why this could not be fully realised. In the case of the "Popular Music and Media" degree programme, however, there is no known case in which a semester abroad, postgraduate studies or similar could not be completed due to a lack of comparability. The extent to which Bachelor's and Master's degrees are recognised as sufficient prerequisites for taking up further studies abroad depends, of course, on the relevant regulations at the institution in question. In order to enable international comparability in terms of content, graduates of the "Popular Music and Media" degree programmes are also issued with a so-called "Diploma Supplement" when their certificates are issued. This document lists and explains in English the achievements completed as part of the degree programme.

In principle, it is possible to study abroad during your degree programme in Paderborn and have the credits earned there recognised. However, there is no institutionally established way of doing this, for example in the form of an existing exchange programme. Instead, it is the student's own responsibility to attend courses that are compatible and equivalent to the coursework required in Paderborn.

The Bachelor's degree programme "Popular Music and Media" also offers the option of an internship or a semester abroad in the fifth semester - whereby the internship can also be completed abroad. Further information can be found on the website of the International Office.

The four-semester Master's degree programme is characterised by a high academic standard. It can be used both as a first step towards an academic career in the field of Popular Music Studies and as a qualification for responsible positions within the cultural industries. The Master's degree is also a prerequisite for a subsequent doctorate.