Music degrees in Colombia: universities and degree titles

2027 Music Admissions Calendar

If you want to start a music degree in 2027, many applications and tests take place during the rest of 2026. This table brings together the dates published by each university, with a link to its admission guide for details.

To help you arrive well prepared, our music pre-university prep covers theory, solfège, dictation and instrument skills, with mock exams and auditions. See the packages and prices.

What degrees you can earn

Maestro en Música is an undergraduate degree, not a master's. The confusion is so common that we've devoted a full guide to it: Maestro en Música or Licenciatura en Música?.

There is also valuable non-degree training before university: the Escuelas Municipales de Música run through the Plan Nacional de Música para la Convivencia, Fundación Nacional Batuta, Red de Músicas de Medellín, and the universities' own preparatory programs.

What an undergraduate music degree is

An undergraduate music degree is a university music program: the first level of higher education, taken after high school. In Colombia, it leads to the title of Maestro en Música (or Músico) if it focuses on performing, composing, or conducting, or Licenciado en Música if it trains teachers.

Both are professional undergraduate degrees; the difference lies in their focus and where you can work afterward. After graduating, you can go on to a master’s degree or a postgraduate specialization.

Universities for studying music in Colombia

We reviewed thirteen universities offering music programs in Colombia, both public and private, in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Ibagué, Bucaramanga, Manizales, and Barranquilla. This table summarizes them and links to each university’s admissions guide.

This is not a complete list of programs available in the country: other universities offer music programs that we have not reviewed yet. Further down, we group the programs by city.

Music degrees in Bogotá

Sergio Arboleda and Fundación Universitaria Juan N. Corpas, among others, also offer music programs in Bogotá; contact them directly for their requirements. Each program’s official page is the definitive source; for example, the pages for Musical Arts at Distrital or Musical Studies at Javeriana.

If you already have a university in mind, we have admissions guides explaining what each exam assesses: Universidad Nacional, Distrital ASAB, Pedagógica Nacional, Javeriana, Los Andes, and El Bosque.

Music degree programs outside Bogotá

There are more options we haven't reviewed in detail, such as UPTC, UNAB, Icesi, and Bellas Artes in Medellín. We explain the entrance exams at several of these universities in studying music in Medellín, Cali, and other cities.

We also have detailed admissions guides for several of them: Universidad de Antioquia, EAFIT, Univalle, Conservatorio del Tolima, UIS, Universidad de Caldas, and Universidad del Atlántico.

Specializations: what you can focus on within the degree

Your specialization determines many of your courses and often your entrance exam too. Here are examples from the information we reviewed:

Not all universities ask you to choose a specialization at the same stage. At Los Andes, for example, the instrument audition for the performance track takes place after admission, sometimes as late as the end of the first semester.

How long a music degree takes

A music degree in Colombia usually takes between 8 and 10 semesters, or four to five years. The length depends on the university and program, so check the current curriculum on its official website.

• 10 semesters: the Music Education degree at Pedagógica Nacional, the undergraduate music programs at Univalle, and both programs at Conservatorio del Tolima.
• 9 semesters: Musical Studies at Javeriana, Musical Training at El Bosque, and Music at EAFIT.
• 8 semesters: Music and Vocal Music at Universidad de Antioquia, while its Music Education degree takes 10.

Allow time for preparation, too. If you are not yet at the level the exams require, a music admissions preparation course or a few months of guided study can help you arrive better prepared; in this guide, we put together a study plan.

Degree programs related to music

Alongside music degrees, there are related fields of study: music production and sound engineering, music therapy, musicology, conducting, and cultural management. Not all are offered as undergraduate music degrees or at every university.

If you are interested in production or conducting, look at the specializations table above. And if you want to conduct bands, start by learning about wind bands in Colombia.

Public or private university?

Neither option is universally better. A public university may let you study without going into debt, while a private one may offer exactly the specialization you want. Applying to more than one—for example, one public and one private—is a sensible strategy, as long as the dates and exams allow it.

How to choose your music degree program

1. Define your goal. Do you want to play in an orchestra, compose, teach at a school, or produce songs? Your goal tells you which degree and specialization to look for.
2. Read the curriculum, not just the program's name. Check how many semesters of instrument lessons, ensembles, and theory it includes.
3. Compare the exams with your background. If you learned by ear, an aptitude exam like the one at Los Andes may suit you better than one involving harmonic analysis and counterpoint.
4. Check that your instrument is offered. Not every university offers every instrument or specialization.
5. Work out the time and costs: program length (several programs reviewed last ten semesters), tuition, transportation, and living expenses if you move to another city.
6. Talk to students and graduates and, if possible, attend concerts at the music department to hear the level of performance.

Whichever you choose, you'll need a solid foundation in theory, ear training, and music reading. To organize your study, see how to prepare for a music entrance exam. At Gissi, you can take music theory lessons and lessons on your instrument, online or at home in Bogotá, as part of your admissions preparation.

Frequently asked questions