STOCKHOLMS MUSIKPEDAGOGISKA INSTITUT

University College of Music Education in Stockholm

The Stockholm University College of Music Education (in Swedish: Stockholms Musikpedagogiska Institut, SMI) is an independent “hochschule” (högskola) offering undergraduate higher-education tuition in music and related arts education. Formed in 1960 as a private foundation by a group of music pedagogues who felt constrained by the traditional and somewhat slow-evolving government conservatories, SMI is dedicated to the task of providing teacher training in the music education profession that is relevant, up-to-date and with a high standard of practical application focus.

SMI educates instrumental and song teachers as well as voice and speech pedagogues, spanning over a half a century as a unique and important contributor to higher education in the music teaching profession. Some of our main ideologies that make SMI unique in the field:

• We have a high degree of staff teaching both at SMI and in relevant school-forms in their subject areas outside of SMI, as well as performing professionally. The staff bring with them the continual cross-application of their skills and knowledge both in the teaching of music in schools, gymnasia and culture schools, as well as the didactic reflection into SMI for their subject teaching here.
• Our students are predominantly somewhat older (median age is around 30 years old) and bring with them at least two years previous teaching experience. Studying at SMI also includes 4 hours own teaching practice, which can include employed work, integrated with your studies. In this way we are able to focus on teaching being done now, incorporate that into our didactical and methodological work and share experiences in the classroom that are relevant and current.

Our commitment to being up-to-date has made SMI a groundbreaker in the teaching of music education in Sweden. Among the ”firsts” we are renowned for are:

• Incorporating song as a teaching and learning tool in all music education
• Offering popular music genres as a major
• Recognising the potential of music teaching through aural traditions, improvisation and ensemble as well as via notation
• Recognising the potential of instrumental teaching in groups as well as individually
• Integrating digital technology in the field of music teaching
• Providing professional development in aesthetic learning processes and the interaction of relevant artforms in arts education

We are also the only tertiary institution to offer a degree in Logonomy (aesthetic voice and speech pedagogy), a program that is unique in Scandinavia.

SMI also offers a large number of single-subject courses for further education of teachers in music and other fields.

SMI is located at Campus Flemingsberg, in Huddinge south of Stockholm. Campus Flemingsberg comprises four other university colleges (University College of Södertörn, Karolinska Institute Royal Technical College and Red Cross University College), with access to the facilities and service you would expect of a modern university campus. Despite this, SMI is a small university college where you get to know everyone and share classes with students from various programmes in pedagogical and artistic projects.

NB: The language of instruction in SMI:s tertiary programs is Swedish. Therefore if you are to attend SMI, you will need to fulfill the minimum requirements of Swedish language proficiency as required. For further information please consult the following links:

• TISUS test providing proof of Swedish proficiency for higher education studies
• Behörighet i svenska för högskolestudier

Bachelor programme

SMI offers a three-year, full-time study undergraduate program to qualify you as an instrumental or song teacher in schools of music and arts or other types of schools. The program leads to a Bachelor of Music Education: Instrumental or song teaching (180 ECTS credits).

Graduate Diploma programmes

To be accepted to the Advanced Study program (two years full-time study) you are required to have a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Education, or equivalent education or work experience. Programs of Advanced Study offered include a Graduate Diploma in Logonomy: Voice and speech pedagogy with a focus on aesthetics (120 ECTS credits) and a Graduate Diploma in Music Education: Instrumental or song teaching (120 ECTS credits).

Applying to SMI

Admission is conducted through entrance testing (auditions), held at SMI. Auditions take place annually in May and the deadline for applications is normally April 15. Apart from the general admission requirements that are stipulated by the Swedish government (which you can read more about here), at least two years post-secondary study or work experience in a relevant field is a requirement for studies at SMI. Previous and current work experience as a music teacher will be considered a merit.

In order for a candidate to be able to qualify for entrance to SMI, you will need to meet the following requirements:

1) Completion of an upper-secondary school program conferring eligibility for university studies in the same country and corresponding in level to the equivalent program in Sweden.

2) Language proficiency in English and Swedish. The candidate will need to show that they have attained a level of proficiency that allows them to follow university courses taught in Swedish. You can do so by taking the national Swedish test, TISUS.

If eligible according to 1) and 2) above, the candidate will be invited to attend SMI:s Entrance Tests, which consists of you sitting a number of small auditions and examinations. For entrance requirements to the individual programs you will find further instructions to the right of the linked page.

For further information, please contact:

Stockholms Musikpedagogika Institut, att. Cattis Eriksson
Alfred Nobels Allé 15
141 52 HUDDINGE

Phone: +46 8 6110502
Fax: +46 8 6115261
E-mail: info@smi.se

Senast upppdaterad: 2024-03-13