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Degrees & Programs

School of Music
The K-Arts School of Music has sought to stand shoulder to shoulder with schools such as the Juilliard Music School, Curtis School of Music and Paris National High Conservatory since its foundation. It offers innovative and intensive courses designed to engage talented students and nurture world-renowned musicians. As soon as they enter the School of Music, students are immediately exposed to professors who are also maestros in the field. With the one-to-one tutorial system that helps individual students find their own unique artistic voice, students are able to realize their true musical spirit, which transcends the simple acquisition of technical training to reach a global level.
This is proven by the remarkable achievements recorded by students of the School of Music, as well as the countless awards won at international competitions.
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Students are able to concentrate on their music in 92 individual practice rooms and have the opportunity to participate in more than 140 concerts a year at the Ensemble Room, Percussion Room, Opera Practice Room, Orchestral Room, and KNUA Hall equipped with a Baroque pipe organ. At the end of each semester, regular performances by the student orchestra, string ensemble, wind orchestra, choir, and opera are held in order to help students feel the vivid presence of stage experience as professional musicians.

Moreover, performances of new pieces composed by students at the Department of Composition demonstrate contemporary music creation. The Computer Music Technology Lab equipped with state-of-the-art sound equipment offers a venue for various sound experiments and challenges to create new kinds of music.
  • Curriculum List of Curriculum
    From their very first year at the School, students take intensive major courses without selective liberal arts courses. Core theoretical courses are integrated into a single course called Harmony and Analysis, which is taught according to the School’s unique method. With a great emphasis on practice and performance in each major, the practical courses of the major account for 4 credits, which is twice that of other colleges and a quarter of all credits required for graduation. There are workshops for each major that also allow open lessons. While the practical courses function as private lessons, workshops provide an occasion for various professors to meet with students for open lessons of their major and share their experience. To improve students’ ability to compose music, the curriculum also focuses on ensembles, requiring students to take courses such as Chamber Music, Chorus and Ensemble. For courses such as Sight Singing, Music Dictation and Harmony and Analysis, students can earn credits for the courses, regardless of whether they took them or not, as long as they reach a certain level of ability.
  • Department

    Instrumental Music

    The Department of Instrumental Music nurtures creative professional performers balanced with outstanding global performance ability, musical sensibility, expressiveness, broad musical knowledge, and interpretative ability. There are 21 majors covering keyboard, string, wind and percussion instruments, and the curriculum is most effective in achieving the goal and it is designed to reflect the characteristics of each instrument. The curriculum is divided into three groups. First, there are courses designed to improve the students’ performing skills for specialized instruments, such as major courses, workshops, chamber music, and ensembles, most of which are mandatory. Second, there are courses designed to cultivate the core musical refinement, musical knowledge and interpretative skills, such as Sight-Singing, Music Dictation, Harmony and Analysis, History of Western Music, Keyboard Harmony, Literatures, Score Reading, and Figured Bass. Third, there are courses offered that are designed to build a broad and creative world of art through experience and research on music and other genres of art or the humanities, such as Music History, Secondary Major, Chorus, Art History, Foreign Languages, Understanding Cultures, and Special Lectures. The performance skills, musical sensibility, and expressiveness cultivated by the curriculum are further enhanced through performance opportunities that include solo, chamber music and ensembles.
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    Vocal Music

    Exchange students should have D-2 visa issued with the Certificate of Admission from K-Arts after they arrive in Korea. Foreigners (of most countries) can stay for 90 days in Korea without visa. However, Certificate of Alien Registration is required to stay more than 90 days. D-2 visa is issued for the exchange students in K-Arts.
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    Composition

    The Department of Composition teaches students the principles and theories of Western and Korean music, while offering continuous opportunities to practice compositions and nurture composers with artistic thinking and technical skills. Students receive many kinds of musical training, including computer music. Students also receive the training required to reach a professional level in the ability to play at least one Western or Korean traditional instrument. In addition, students present their creations at a recital once a semester for three years. They are also able to build their careers as composers by presenting their works at off-campus recitals, publishing musical pieces, and participating in other performances.
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    Conducting

    The Department of Conducting aims to discover students who are capable of reconstructing musical pieces into creative art, develop their capabilities and train them to become competent professional conductors. The required major courses include conducting practice, piano performance, score reading, opera accompaniment, and continuo. Students gain a broad understanding and knowledge of music and art in general, as well as learning how to play each instrument and experiencing conducting through practical training.
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    Musicology

    The Department of Musicology aims to foster creative musicologists, music theorists, and critics with expertise in both theory and practice. Students learn how to select research topics and methodologies, collect data and enhance their writing skills in order to develop their creative thinking, critical and logical communication skills. They are required to obtain knowledge and execution skills pertaining to various kinds of music, such as Western, non-Western, and modern Korean music. The curriculum is divided into courses that help students actively respond to the rapidly changing global music industry, with courses that systemize and lead music in Korea, courses linked to the actual field of music, and courses balanced in both theory and practice.
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