Strad Degrees Checklist

WHY... do you want to pursue a course in music? Thinking about your ultimate career goals, and discussing them with your current teacher, will help you to choose the right course. WHAT... type of qualification do you want to have? Do you have the educational background requirements for the course? type of institution would you prefer - a specialist music college or the broader environment of a university? Visit websites and contact the institutions with further questions. WHO... would you like as your teacher? do you know at the institution or in the local area? Some teachers are based at more than one institution in a region. WHERE... would you like to study? Do some research on the area and culture, and think about whether you speak the local language, whether the institution offers tuition in a language you speak, and whether you will need a visa or passport. Be aware that the institutions you contact may not have English speakers. WHEN... is the deadline for applications? is the start of sessions? Be sure to apply in good time so that you can prepare audition pieces. HOW... will you support yourself during the course? Are bursaries and scholarships available? do the living costs in the country where you want to study convert into your local currency? will you access your funds if you study in a different country from your own? You may need to supply proof that you can support yourself throughout the course. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED - WHAT NOW? immediately check if any government funding is available (leaving it late could lose you a grant). check the validity of your passport and/or visa; many places require documents to be valid for a year after the end of a course. apply early for a visa to the appropriate embassy or consulate; it can take 3–4 months for the paperwork to be completed. check whether you need to register with local police on arrival. contact the institution’s student services to check whether you need to : register with a doctor register with a dentist contact your embassy or consulate arrange accommodation in conjunction with the institution. take out appropriate health insurance to cover the whole of your course. Some institutions require you to take out their own health insurance.