National overviews

Armenia National Overview

Updated in June 2018 by Arkadi Avanesov, Vice-Rector of the Yerevan State Conservatoire

Overview of Higher Music Education System

In Armenia, professional music training is organised in 2 educational levels:

  1. In vocational education (musical colleges)
  2. In higher education (universities)
The vocational study programs take 4 years to complete. They are designed either for secondary education or for high school graduates and lead to basic vocational qualifications. All 4-year study programs provide eligibility to continue studies in institutions of higher education. There are 9 colleges in Armenia that offer vocational training in music.
In the field of music, the professional music training in higher education is organised in the universities. There is only one music specific university, Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas (YSC), and one multi-faculty university, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan (ASPU), which offers music teacher education.
Higher music education in Armenia falls under Ministry of Education and Science.
Armenia developed its higher education’s structure in accordance with the principals of the Bologna process. The structure has been in using seen 2004.
Total number of institutions
One university (+ one multy-faculty university)
Total number of music students
YSC – 750+
ASPU – 170+
Colleges – 1520+
Funding
Universities are funded by the State and Tuition Fees:
YSC: government funding – 70%, tuition fees – 30%
ASPU: government funding – 40%, tuition fees – 60%
Vocational education is co-financed by the government and the local authorities.
Curricula
The underlying principals in higher education is the freedom of research and institutional autonomy, which gives the universities latitude for independent decisions.
Genres
We feel that genre-oriented thinking is maybe not suitable and representing of today’s education.
2-cycle system
At the YSC and ASPU
1st cycle: 4 years (240 credits) Bachelor degree
2nd cycle: 2 years (120 credits) Master degree
Qualifications
Bachelor and Master Degree in the following disciplines:
At the YSC: Performing Art, Music Art, Theory and History of Art.
At the ASPU: Music Pedagogic, Performing Art
Entry requirements 1st cycle
Applications guidelines are published in each institution’s web-pages.
Entry requirements 2nd cycle
Those students coming from the applied sciences or outside YSC will have to take part entrance examinations, which are given early. For students continuing to the 2nd cycle from the Bachelor’s degree within their own study programme in YSC, no additional examination is required.
% of students who continue with 2nd cycle About 30% of the students in 1st cycle continue to the Master degree.
3rd cycle 3rd cycle is available at YSC.
3rd cycle: 3 years (180 credits).
Now 3rd cycle is available only in field of musicology.
YSC very interested to embed artistic research in 3rd cycle.
Credit point system
ECTS
Internationalization
YSC is member of the AEC and has around 28 agreements with outside universities. YSC have 110 foreign students from 14 countries. Unfortunately we have some objective reasons for more extending our internationalisation. There is no information available on the ASPU.
Quality assurance
Armenian National Quality Assurance (ANQA) is the National quality assurance agency for evolutions of higher education in Armenia. ANQA is a member of ENQA (from 2009) and INQAAHE (from 2011).
Employability
The network of music schools, orchestras, theatres, choruses are employers for musicians and music educators. More and more musicians compose their own careers, including versatile activities from performing, to teaching, composing, media etc.
Academic Year
Academic year: September to June
Tuition: 10 months
Overview of the Pre-College Music Education System
There is no information available yet.

Overview of Music Teacher Education System

There is no information available yet.