BA Course in General Music Studies with Kodály emphasis

The Institute offers an undergraduate degree programme: Bachelor of Arts Degree in General Music Studies with Kodály emphasis (180 credits). Admission is based on successful completion of the entrance examination. To apply for a Bachelor's degree (3 years), prospective students need to possess a high school diploma translated into English with the corresponding transcript of courses and grades. Because of the nature of the programme, graduates will be able to continue their studies in various fields, including but not limited to graduate studies in Music Education, Choral Conducting, Music Theory and Musicology.

For those who are interested in applying for our BA degree programme, we are offering an Intensive Preparatory Course for the BA Entrance Exam in the spring of 2025. Details will be available later on.

BA Course Content

List of subjects is available here in this document.

General Information

The language of instruction and examinations (both aural and written) is ENGLISH.
Non-native English speakers must submit proof of English proficiency. As a guide, we expect an intermediate, type C general language, or intermediate (B2) complex-type state-recognized exam, or an equivalent: TOEFL iBT min. 60, IELTS Academic min. 6.0, Cambridge min. 154, etc.

The programme is comprised of 6 semesters, with the fall semester starting at the beginning of September, and the spring semester lasting until the middle of June each year. The graduation ceremony is usually at the end of June.

Entrance examinations are held on 4-5-6 June, 2025.
Applicants will be notified individually about the procedure after the application deadline.

For applicants residing in the following continents/countries online examination is NOT available:

Europe (up to Russia and Turkey, from these two countries online examination IS available)

For applicants residing in the following continents/countries online examination IS available:

Asia (including Russia and Turkey)
North America
South America
Africa
Australia (Oceania)

The date of the entrance examinations for Hungarian or EU citizens who apply through the Hungarian felvi.hu system will be at the end of June or the beginning of July. The exact dates will be announced during the application process.

For details about accommodation please follow this link.

The Institute reserves the right to change or amend any of its programmes, requirements for degrees, tuition, fees, etc. from year to year.

Application

Application deadline for Hungarian or EU citizens who apply through the Hungarian felvi.hu system is 15 February.
Application deadline for others is 31 March each year.

However, applicants are kindly asked to send the applications at their earliest convenience so that necessary arrangements can be made and applicants can be informed of acceptance in time.

Please do not forget to attach the following documents to your application:

detailed curriculum vitae including a photo of you
motivation letter
photocopy of highest school certificate(s)/degree with English translation
copy of academic transcripts translated into English (if any)
photocopy of your passport
proof of English proficiency

For the 2025-2026 academic year, online application will open in January 2025.

Notification of acceptance will be sent out no later than 15 June.

Expenses For the 2023-2024 & 2024-2025 academic yearS

Fees for the 2025-2026 Academic Year will be updated soon.

Tuition fee:	1 600 000 HUF per year (800 000 HUF for each semester)
Registration fee:	120 EUR (for new students)
Additional supplies:	10 000 HUF per month (use of library, musical instruments in the building of the Institute and audio-visual equipment, educational material received at lessons, Wi-Fi, computer room, etc.)
Library & Archives membership fee:	1100 HUF per academic year
Exam fee:	5 000 HUF per exam – this special fee applies if someone misses exams in the exam period
Copies of study documents:	5 000 HUF for a copy of certificates 12 000 HUF for a copy of evaluations, degrees

PAYMENT

The tuition fee - based on the pro-forma invoice issued by the Institute - must be paid for the first semester prior to enrolment, and for the second semester no later than 15 February.

Methods of payment:

1) bank transfer:

Bank name: MAGYAR NEMZETI BANK (=Hungarian National Bank)
Bank address: 1054 Budapest, Szabadság tér 9., Hungary
Name of account holder: Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem (=Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music)
Address of account holder: 1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 8., Hungary
HUF-based account number: IBAN HU22 1003 2000 0142 6768 0000 0000
EUR-based account number: IBAN HU34 1003 2017 0142 6768 0601 0014
Swift code (SWIFTBIC): MANEHUHB or HUSTHUHB (or HUSTHUHBXXX if the system requires 11 characters to input)

Please make sure you pay your tuition fee in the given currency, and to the account that accepts that given currency.

Please write this reference into the appropriate field when transferring: "Kodály Institute".

Please note that the payer is liable for covering the bank transfer/handling fee and not the Liszt Academy.

2) banking card:

Types of cards accepted: all kinds of VISA, EUROCARD/MASTERCARD, American Express.

Please contact us for details regarding this way of payment.

Please be aware that paying by banking card involves a 2-5% commission that the bank charges on the card holder. Please make sure with your bank at home that transactions are allowed in Hungary.

Please note that we cannot accept cash and cheques.

LATE PAYMENT

Those students who do not pay their fees by the given deadline the following late payment fines will apply: 1st week: 3 % of total amount, 2nd week: 5 % of total amount, 3rd week: 10 % of total amount.

If payment is not made by the end of the 3rd week, the student is not allowed to continue studies in that semester.

Exams & Evaluation in general

The entrance examination takes place during the first week of June for studies commencing in September.
Students will be notified of the exact dates by e-mail no later than 1 April.

Examinations are held at the end of each semester in January and May.
Students will be notified of the content of the examination and the exact dates during the semester.

Examinations are evaluated by five grades: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – 5 being the highest and 2 the poorest grade. 1 is considered as fail.

CONTENT OF THE IN-PERSON ENTRANCE EXAMINATION IN THE PAST

Prerequisites:

good musical hearing and good sight reading skills
basic knowledge of classical forms and functional tonal harmony
the ability to present a brief summary of the musical traditions of the applicant's home country including folk music
at least intermediate piano skills
expressive singing skills

The entrance examination consists of 2 parts (written and aural). Test your actual expertise using this mock test: student's copy - teacher's copy

Total points: 200

Music Theory – written: 30 points
Music Theory – aural: 30 points
Solfege – written: 30 points
Solfege – aural: 30 points
Piano: 30 points
Singing: 30 points
Folk Music (aural exam only): 20 points

Written Examination (dictation):

- excerpt from an art song (chosen from the Classical period): notation of the soprano and bass parts
- a non-tonal monophonic tune
- intervals, triads and seventh chords (root position and inversions)

Aural examination:

- sight-singing of an easier Classical art song
- sight-singing of an atonal melody

Singing:

- 1 Baroque aria or Classical/Romantic art song
- 1 folksong or folksong arrangement

Piano:

- a piece by J. S. Bach chosen by the candidate (at least on the level of the two-part inventions)
- first movement (allegro) of a Classical sonata (J. Haydn or W. A. Mozart)
- a piece written by a 19th- or 20th-century composer