Program Title: Direct Student Exchange - Music Majors Only
Location Abroad: Birmingham, England
Program Description: This is a challenging program of performance in music designed to fit the needs and interests of students majoring in music, considering entering the teaching profession, and wanting to have the special experience of studying abroad. The Birmingham Conservatoire is one of Britain's leading music colleges, and, with over 500 students, the country's largest music department. The Birmingham Conservatoire, a branch of the Birmingham City University is a music college of international stature, primarily involved in preparing students for the music profession, with undergraduate and post-graduate programs.
Birmingham is Britain's second city, both in size and in cultural resources. It is easily accessible by plane and train and about two hours from London, while also close to the picturesque farming country of Warwickshire. Birmingham's symphony is world renowned and Birmingham has an outstanding Art Gallery and Library and Museum facilities. The Conservatoire is located in the heart of Birmingham within walking distance of Symphony Hall, theaters, museums, and art galleries. This is a unique program of its kind and offers a real challenge as well as the chance to experience living as a British student, immersed with other students of music in a university environment.
Admission Criteria: Students must be juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.0 and above and demonstrate musical ability. Academic standards are high at Birmingham and their students are well prepared. This will be a challenging program. Placement at Birmingham is contingent upon the following: 1) successful review of Birmingham's competitive audition process, 2) Birmingham's ability to accommodate qualified students and 3) the number of Birmingham students coming to Potsdam.
Fields of Study: Music: ensemble, studio, composition, music history and music theory; and a limited number of liberal arts electives. For a complete listing of academic programs please visit the Conservatoire's Department webpage.
Term Dates: The program is for one semester or one academic year. Admission in Fall only; no students will arrive in Birmingham at the start of the second semester. Fall semester dates are mid-September to mid-December. Crane students will generally go to the Conservatoire for one semester in their third or fourth year. Visits by Crane students of two semesters will be subject to the approval of the Conservatoire's Registrar and may depend on practical arrangements being possible.
Housing and Meals: Students are housed in one of seven housing options located throughout the city of Birmingham. Rooms are typically single rooms with a wash basin; residents share bathroom and kitchen facilities. There is no meal plan; students are responsible for their own meal preparation.
Costs: This is a direct-exchange program in which the outgoing student pays most expenses to SUNY Potsdam, and the exchange partner covers most costs in Birmingham, England. SUNY students pay tuition and fees to their home campus; non-SUNY students pay tuition directly to SUNY Potsdam.
How to Apply: Students should submit all completed SUNY OAP application forms, the Birmingham Conservatoire Application Form and an audition DVD (see audition guidelines for general guidance on preparations) directly to SUNY Potsdam’s Office of International Education. Do not send any application forms, other documents or audition DVD directly to Birmingham Conservatoire; ALL SUNY OAP and Birmingham Conservatoire applications, official transcripts, audition DVD, etc. should be sent directly to SUNY Potsdam IE&P.
Application Deadline: February 15
Completed applications materials should be sent to:
SUNY Potsdam
International Education
107 Crumb Library, 44 Pierrepont Avenue
Potsdam, NY 13676-2294
Telephone: (315) 267-2507
Fax: (315) 267-2811
Email: international@potsdam.edu
Passports: Students are responsible for obtaining their own passports. Since passports take some time to receive, you should begin this process early. If you have any questions about this program or for more information, please contact the respective International Education Office.