Music is one of the earliest forms of art. Research has shown that listening to music may have a positive influence on an individual’s psychological well-being. Music is an art form that expresses thoughts and feelings through the use of sound, namely melodies, harmony, rhythm, and color. The power and artistry of audio are intertwined, and this industry has been developing rapidly in recent times.
Concerning this, the South Korean music industry has seen a meteoric rise. According to the Korean Creative Content Agency, this business rose by 31.7% over the previous year, while income from music exports increased by 26.2%. This demonstrates the expanding recognition of K-pop worldwide and the positive impact it has had on the Korean music industry.
According to stats for 2021, South Korea’s music industry had an economic surplus of $3.1 billion for trademarks of music and pictures. Aspiring artists and musicians can apply for a bachelor’s or master’s degree program in music to gain the advantage of enhancing their theoretical knowledge and developing their skills in composition, performance, and the like.
South Korea offers advanced music programs in the field from top-tier institutions, which will be elaborated further for our readers in the article below.
What Career Opportunities are Open to Graduates with a Music Degree?
Obtaining a music degree can provide individuals with practical and invaluable skills that may be challenging to acquire in non-academic settings or outside an educational institution or higher education environment. It provides students with a devoted space in which they may focus on developing personally and technically, much like in the music industry of South Korea.
A music degree’s genuine value lies in its ability to produce diverse artists and place them in thriving careers. A wide variety of employment opportunities are open to international students who choose to study in South Korea. For those with music degrees, some available jobs include music director and producer, sound engineer, sound effects designer, acoustical consultant, audio designer, musician, choir director, video production director, and many more with varying rewarding income scales.
Top Music Schools in South Korea
1. Seoul National University – College of Music
To this day, Seoul National University is a leading public university in Korea, and its reputation as a higher premier education institution that the nation can be proud of is only growing. Established in 1946, this public institution quickly rose to prominence as Seoul’s first full-service university.
It offers a bachelor’s degree with several majors, including composition, vocal arts, instrumental music, and Korean music. They emphasize performance-based learning with core courses as well as electives.
Also known as one of the most affordable universities in Seoul, SNU provides a variety of scholarship programs, including a complete tuition waiver for 8 semesters, monthly living costs of 900,000 KRW, and several additional benefits under the Korean Government Scholarship program.
Majors in Music Production and Sound Engineering, Acoustic Engineering, and Screen Scoring are all available to overseas students in the master’s degree program of the College of Music, which is housed in the Graduate School of Seoul National University. This two-year master’s degree program is designed to train future musicians, music educators, and music scholars.
2. Korea National University of Arts – School of Music
Our second recommendation for the top music schools in South Korea is the Korea National University of Arts. Since its founding in 1993, the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts) has become the preeminent arts university in the nation, offering degrees in a wide range of artistic disciplines. K-Arts provides courses in various artistic and cultural disciplines, such as music, theater, dance, cinema, and arts, to encourage analytical thinking and creative problem-solving.
From its founding, the K-Arts School of Music has strived to match Juilliard, Curtis, and Paris National High School. Its intense, creative courses inspire brilliant students and cultivate internationally acclaimed musicians. Programs at the School of Music are taught by musical experts and masters in the performing arts. KNUA offers many undergraduate programs in music with majors. These consist of vocal music, instrumental music, composition, conducting, and musicology. The goal of these programs is to encourage the development of innovative academics and professionals in the field of the study of music. Through research and writing, students hone their capacities for original thought, critical analysis, and rational expression.
These courses are designed to foster the next generation of innovative musicians by developing their worldwide talents, musical sensitivity, creativity, encyclopedic knowledge of music, and interpretive prowess. The tuition fee of K-Arts is 4,800,000 KRW for international students.
3. Sejong University – Department of Music
Our third recommendation is Sejong University, which is well-established in the fields of research and liberal arts. Among the finest private institutions in Seoul, South Korea, Sejong University has been consistently placed in the top 500 schools in the world by the QS World Rankings.
Sejong Applied Music is a new program at Sejong University that combines classroom instruction with studio recordings and performance training. International students seeking to become highly-trained musicians/entertainers in sync with the newest worldwide trends would do well to consider learning contemporary music in Korea.
The total tuition fee for this program is 4,311,000 KRW. K-pop musical instruction and the growth of culture and arts are among the main objectives of this program. The minimum educational requirement for participation in this program is the completion of high school or its equivalent, as determined by the Korean Minister of Education.
4. Sung Shin Women’s University – College of Music
Another great school in South Korea with top music programs is the Sung Shin Women’s University. The school’s College of Music is dedicated to developing talented singers, musicians, and composers by providing them with advanced training in their respective fields. Through participating in a wide range of concerts and shows, students of the college hone their musical abilities and talents.
The university offers bachelor’s degrees in music to international students with a focus on majors including vocal arts, composition, and instrumental music. They provide advanced courses and units to students to upgrade their skills in the music industry.
Performance artists and educators with specialized expertise and leadership qualities are nurtured in these programs. They foster artists who will give back to their communities on both a global and local level.
Music is frequently considered to be a global language. Attending a reputable music school considerably improves the academic and career prospects of aspiring musicians. And Korea promises to deliver that through its top music schools.
We hope that after reading this article on the best music schools in South Korea, you will be better able to decide which school is perfect for you. If you wish to explore more programs currently catering to international students worldwide, we strongly encourage you to visit our open courses page! Also, to know more about Korea, visit our Study in Korea page!
