About this programme
Master of Music in Composition is a Master's Degree programme at Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, taught in English. It runs for 2 years and carries 120 ECTS credits. The register gives Oslo as the campus town. It lists the degree as Master. Norwegian Academy of Music is an arts, music and architecture academy in Oslo.
How it compares
Master of Music in Composition is one of 14 English-taught Music programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 6 institutions. 1 of them lists an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. 14 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.
What you will study
The Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH) offers a Master of Music in Composition over two years, full time, worth 120 ECTS. The programme has four specialisations, and you choose the one that fits your work.
What you study
All four tracks build on composing art music, but each points in a different direction.
- Interdisciplinary composition is for students who move between artistic disciplines. The page names music theatre, movement, visuality, instrumental innovation, collaborative processes and site-specific practices as examples. You can work alone or with others, including music theatre and choreography projects with other art academies.
- Acoustic composition covers instrumental and vocal composition. Teaching combines one-to-one lessons, seminars and projects built on your own work. You work with professional soloists and ensembles; the page names Rei Nakamura, Heather Roche, the Oslo Philharmonic and The Norwegian Wind Ensemble as recent collaborators.
- Creative music technology is for composers working in an electroacoustic and music technology context. Alongside composition it takes in instrument design, electroacoustic composition, sound installation, video, electrical engineering, experimental performance practice and creative programming.
- Jazz composition for large ensembles has you write music performed by internal and external orchestras. Partners named on the page are The Norwegian Wind Ensemble and The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, plus NMH Big Band projects and the Talent development program (TUP). Part of the study runs with the continuing-studies programme in Rhythmic Ensemble Conducting and Jazz Composition. You shape your own artistic projects, often around your own ensemble, and write a thesis.
How the programme is organised
Study is full time, starting in the autumn semester. The acoustic track is described as one-to-one lessons, seminars and projects based on your own work. The jazz track includes work with the continuing-studies programme and a written thesis. Composition teaching staff listed on the page include Elena Rykova, Sivan Eldar, Lene Grenager, Kristine Tjøgersen, Eivind Buene, Jon Henrik Hellstenius, Trond Olav Reinholdtsen, Rune Rebne, Simon Løffler and Koka Nikoladze. Geir Øystein Lysne teaches ensemble, Helge Sunde arranging, composition and music theory, and Anders Tveit music technology.
Who it suits
Composers who already have a clear direction and want room to develop it. That could mean writing for orchestras, building instruments, making sound installations, or working across theatre and choreography. The jazz track suits someone who writes for large ensembles and wants their music played by professional orchestras.
Admission, language and next steps
The page gives the language as NO/EN, so expect both Norwegian and English in the study environment. The intake is 15 December. Admission requirements, audition or portfolio details and language requirements are set by the academy, so check the programme page before you apply. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at state institutions; other degree students normally pay a fee the institution sets.
Job opportunities after graduating
- Composer for orchestras and ensembles
- Composer for music theatre and choreography projects
- Electroacoustic composer and sound artist
- Sound installation and video work
- Instrument design and creative programming
- Jazz composer and arranger for large ensembles
- Collaborative and site-specific art projects
Before you apply
Master’s applications go straight to Norwegian Academy of Music, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme. The institution lists its deadline as: 15 December. The register shows 15 December 2026 as a deadline date for this programme. Deadlines are set by each institution for each programme, so confirm yours. Entry requirements and language tests are also set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, study permits and housing.
Facts on this page come from the Study in Norway register, the official English-programme list run by HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Fees are in NOK as the institution lists them. "Not listed" means the register has no figure, not that the programme is free. Always confirm requirements, fees and deadlines with the institution.
Quick answers
Is Master of Music in Composition taught in English?
Yes. The Study in Norway register, run by HK-dir, lists it as an English-taught programme at Norwegian Academy of Music. Only English-taught degree programmes are included here.
How long does it take?
The register records 2 years of study and 120 ECTS credits. Sixty ECTS credits are one academic year of full-time study.
Where is it taught?
The register lists Oslo as the campus town for this programme at Norwegian Academy of Music.
How do I apply?
Master’s applications go straight to the institution, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme, and some programmes require a minimum grade average. Norwegian Academy of Music publishes its requirements on the programme page.
When is the application deadline?
Each institution sets and publishes its own deadline for each programme, and the dates can differ between applicants from outside the EU/EEA, EU/EEA applicants and Nordic applicants. As Norwegian Academy of Music lists it: 15 December. The register shows 15 December 2026 as a deadline date for this programme. Confirm the date for your own situation on the programme page at Norwegian Academy of Music.
What does it cost?
No annual fee is listed for this programme. Degree students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland normally pay tuition at Norwegian institutions, and the fees vary by institution and programme, so ask Norwegian Academy of Music what applies to you. For students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland the record shows no tuition fee. Fees are in NOK as the institution lists them. Every student also pays a semester fee of about NOK 1,000 to the student welfare organisation linked to the institution.
Do I need a permit to study there?
Students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland need a study permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). UDI asks for proof of admission, housing and funds of NOK 15,488 a month or NOK 170,368 a year (2026/27), on top of any tuition fee. A study permit allows work of up to 20 hours a week during term and full time in the holidays. Students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland register with the police within three months of arrival instead.
Is this programme officially listed?
It comes from the Study in Norway register at studyinnorway.no, the English-programme list run by HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. The programme page at Norwegian Academy of Music is linked from this page so you can compare.
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