Make 2023 Your Year!
Posted on 2022-11-01T23:00:00+0000 in Catalyst
Here’s everything you need to know for applying to the 2023/24 academic year:
“This year is going to be my year.” The last couple of years made it pretty hard to keep faith in that statement. Yet, if you ask some of our thriving current students, who plunged head-first into courses at Catalyst despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, they’ll tell you that next year can always be your year – if you make it happen. So allow us to add a huge opportunity to your horizon: 2023 applications are now open!
If you’re ready to kick-start your career in audio or music production, sound for media, filmmaking, screenwriting, visual effects, digital arts and animation, or screen acting, apply by our round one deadline of the 31 March, 2023, to secure your spot. Keep reading for more information.
[Header photo: Screen Acting Bachelor alumnus Daniel Straube by Aurélie Nydegger]
Application deadlines
Application deadlines vary depending on course or where you are applying from (for example if you need a visa)
🎓 All degree courses (Undergraduate/Masters)
/// 31 March: international (non-EU) and EU
If you will need a visa or intend to apply for funding, we recommend that you apply during this round so that you’ll have enough time for all the associated organisation. Student visa applications can often take 3+ months. You’ll also have more time to plan your re-location to Berlin!
/// 31 May: EU only
This round is for EU citizens only or students with long-term residency in Germany. However, we suggest you apply earlier than this date to secure your spot and leave sufficient time to plan your relocation to Berlin.
☀️ 4-week Summer Short Courses
/// Round one deadline: 31 March, 2023
/// Final deadline: 15 May, 2023
We've a limited number of places on our summer courses, therefore we suggest you apply as soon as you're 100% sure that you'd like to join us this summer.
How to apply
The application process varies for each of our courses, but here’s an overview of what to expect:
Undergraduate applicants will be asked to provide: personal and educational information, documentation of their education experience, a portfolio or audition tape, and a personal introduction (which can be submitted as a written statement of motivation or a video/audio clip).
Postgraduate applicants will be asked to provide: personal and educational information, documentation of their education experience, a detailed project proposal, sample of research/academic writing and a portfolio.
Short courses are the easiest to apply for. All that’s needed are your personal details and a statement of motivation.
You can can find out more details on our application guide.
Funding possibilities
Are you eligible for funding?
We’ve compiled a list of agencies which some of our students have successfully received funding from.
Our Bachelors and Masters courses are eligible for BAföG (German state funding) which is good news for local and EU students.
Other funding bodies include: Lín (Iceland), CSN (Sweden), Lånekassen (Norway) and DUO (The Netherlands).
Alternative pathways to join us
Interested in one of our undergraduate courses but not sure if you have the right academic qualification?
Or perhaps you don’t yet have a portfolio?
We might be able to admit you to a course based on other life experience, as we recognise that education happens outside the classroom too. We also offer workshops for students who require academic support and run summer courses that could help you to create a portfolio.
If you think that these options could be helpful for you, please contact our Admissions team and we’ll be happy to chat with you: admissions@catalyst-berlin.com
Summer short courses
A perfect addition to your Summer; our 4-week intense short courses are a great way to get up to speed on the essential foundational skills or simply freshen up on your music production, sound engineering, film production, acting. The courses take place from 19 June to 14 July, 2023.
🔅 Mixing and Mastering Electronic Music
Additionally, if you’re coming from outside of the EU, the good news is that usually there no visa is required to stay in Berlin for 4-weeks!
Undergraduate (1 year)
Learn by doing through our one year Higher Education Certificates. At the end of the year, you can choose to take your industry-ready skills to the wider world or continue on a deeper learning dive with access directly into the second year of the associated BA course.
Music school
⚡️ Creative Music Production & Sound Engineering
⚡️ Electronic Music Production & Performance
⚡️ Music & Sound Design for Visual Media
Film school
⚡️ Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation
Acting school
Undergraduate (3 years)
Our Bachelor of Arts degrees (BA Hons) courses put you in a position to fully express yourself in your chosen craft. You'll have the training and the mindset to take on whatever comes your way as you develop yourself through personal projects and multi-disciplinary collaborative practice.
Music school
⭐️ Creative Music Production & Sound Engineering
⭐️ Electronic Music Production & Performance
⭐️ Music & Sound Design for Visual Media
Film school
⭐️ Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation
Acting school
Post-graduate (1 year FT / 2-years PT)
The Masters courses are an opportunity to fully immerse yourself in a topic of your choice through practice-led artistic research. Explore, innovate and magnify your capabilities through our excellent facilities, workshops and lectures designed to widen and deepen frames in your field of interest and a course framework that puts you and your research in the driving seat.
Get a sneak peek
Get a taste of Catalyst from the comfort of your sofa! Got any burning questions about the applications process? Attend an online Ask Admissions session. You can also sign up to one of our online Meet the Tutor sessions to hear more about the course you're interested in.
Prefer to visit us in Berlin? Explore our world-class facilities and learn about our courses and community at an Open Day or a guided tour. You can also schedule a campus visit directly with our Admissions team.
A word of encouragement
What really makes applicants stand out is being open and honest about interests and goals, and demonstrating a strong motivation to learn and collaborate.
Working on projects with your fellow students who have different interests and skills than you is not only fun, but it also mirrors what you might spend your professional life doing. We like to see people who can work well with others. It’s also important for you to have an idea of where your skills are at currently. If this is clear, we can help you figure out where you want to go and how to get you there.
Communicate with us if you need some extra time for a step and don’t stress about the quality of any track or videos you submit. Finally, if you are ambitious, don’t hide that. We try hard to create a safe space for people to dream big.
