Exploring the Bachelor of Cultural Study of Music

29.9.2025 0 Like 0 kommenttia

Siiri gains a wide perspective of humanities and culture through the lens of music and shares her experience at an internship with Helsinki Urban Art.

I got to sit down with Siiri (@seer.ee), who studies Cultural Study of Music, and talk about the ins and outs of her study. Listen to the whole interview in the Life of an Art Student podcast.

Siiri’s book recommendations :)

• Stuart Hall: Essential Essays, Volume 1 & 2 (2019)
• Janet Wolff: The Social Production of Art (1981)
• Sini Mononen ja Susanna Välimäki (toim.): Muusiikki muutosvoimana: Aktivistisen musiikintutkimuksen manifesti (2018)

Cultural Study of Music is a degree program offered at the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki), organized by the Sibelius Academy’s Seinäjoki unit. It provides a humanities-based foundation in cultural studies and musicology. The program is structured to give students a broad perspective, with academic studies as the main focus. Students can participate in lectures and classes in person at the Seinäjoki unit or remotely from Helsinki or elsewhere.

Program Structure & Flexibility

The bachelor’s degree requires 180 credits, with half dedicated to core subject studies and the other half available for students to choose themselves from any Uniarts Helsinki offerings. This flexibility allows for a highly personalized study path. Siiri chose to take language courses like French and German, as well as classes in cultural politics and philosophy. The program is relatively small, with about 15 students.

What You’ll Study

This program studies music from the perspective of cultural studies, not musicology. This means the focus is on music as a “lens” to understand cultural phenomena and “bigger picture” ideas. Siiri took a class on “music and violence” to explore the topic of violence through the framework of cultural studies. The program’s thesis is a written paper, without an artistic component. Siiri’s thesis topic was “hate speech in music and the bigger hate culture”.

Application & Career Path

Applications for the program take place every two years. The application process is unique in that a key part of the entrance exam is writing about books that were assigned to be read in advance. This focus on reading and written assignments prepares students for the academic nature of the studies. The program includes a required internship. Siiri completed an internship at Helsinki Urban Art, where they gained experience in production and communication. Graduates are equipped with a strong foundation in the humanities and cultural studies, which prepares them for various master’s programs. Possible career paths include arts administration, politics, or research.