Requirements
Admission to the Bachelor’s programme is conditional upon passing an aptitude test. The aptitude test consists of three stages. To be admitted to the aptitude test, application documents must be submitted in the correct format and by the deadline.
Documents to be submitted
- A curriculum vitae (covering your entire career history up to the date of the application) with a passport photograph
- A short letter of motivation (maximum one A4 page; font size 12), explaining the specific knowledge, interests and talents that make the applicant particularly suited to the Bachelor’s degree programme in Directing – Music and Drama Theatre, Performing Arts
- Concept for a theatre project: This may take the form of a directorial concept for a scene from a theatrical text (spoken or musical theatre) or proposals for other theatrical-performative projects (maximum two A4 pages; font size 12). Set designs, mood boards and character sketches must be included with the concept. These do not count towards the two-page limit. If the work is not from the standard repertoire, the original text and the stage direction (for the selected scene) must be enclosed if applicable.
- Where applicable, evidence (internship certificates, etc.) of practical work in theatre and other cultural institutions
- A copy of your most recent school or university diploma
- A copy of your birth certificate, or a copy of your identity card, or a copy of your passport, or a copy of your residence permit
- Declaration that the submitted essay and the project proposal were produced independently
- Proof of payment of the aptitude test fee (€30) in the form of a copy of a bank statement or a cash deposit receipt
- For international applicants from non-German-speaking countries: a language certificate demonstrating at least level B1 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). Proof must be submitted no later than upon enrolment at the start of the summer semester.
Please note the privacy policy regarding registration for the aptitude test
Application deadlines
All application documents must be submitted online via the website.
All documents and information must be submitted or uploaded via the application portal.
The application deadline for the summer semester of 2027 is 24th of September 2026. The website will be open from the 24th of August to the 24th of September 2026.
Entry exams (Stages 2 and 3) (on-site): 17–19 November 2026
Start of the academic year: 9th of March 2027
Procedure for the aptitude test
First stage of the aptitude test
The examination board will shortlist candidates from among the eligible applications. To this end, the documents submitted will be assessed by the examination board as part of an overall artistic evaluation based on the following criteria:
- the aesthetic and artistic value of the submitted proposal
- practical artistic experience and personal background
- written expressiveness
Second stage of the aptitude test
The second stage of the aptitude test consists of an interview (duration: approx. 20 minutes). The interview focuses primarily on the candidate’s understanding of theatre and culture. Questions may relate particularly to the aesthetics of contemporary theatre and other cultural practices, to cultural and theatre history, and to current issues in cultural policy. During the interview, the candidate’s ability to engage in discourse on interpretative issues will also be assessed.
Third stage of the aptitude test
The third stage of the aptitude test consists of a practical seminar (duration: approx. 30 minutes). The examination board may set the following tasks in particular:
1. Oral presentation of a directorial concept (prepared in advance) for a given theatre text. The theatre texts available for selection will be announced with the invitation to the aptitude test. Criteria for evaluation: the coherence and aesthetic-artistic merit of the interpretative approach, scenic imagination, clarity and effectiveness of the presentation, and oral expressiveness.
2. Presentation of a sketch of a stage design for the work selected under No. 1 (prepared in advance). Criteria for evaluation: creative ability, sense of style, artistic and technical skill, visual imagination.
3. Practical work on scenes selected by the examination board from the work chosen under No. 1 (the scenes selected by the examination board will be announced on the evening before the practical seminar). Criteria for evaluation: observation and description of stage action, corrections, sensitivity in working with performers.
Applicants will be notified in writing of their overall result in the aptitude test.
If an applicant fails the aptitude test, they may retake it once.
The first two academic terms spent at the Theatre Academy are considered a probationary period.
Students can seek academic advice from their principal subject tutors and the lecturers in the various specialist areas.
Application fees
Payment recipient: Staatsoberkasse Bayern
IBAN: DE75 7005 0000 0001 1903 15
BIC: BYLADEMM
Please ensure you include the following reference number in the payment reference field:
Bayerische Theaterakademie 7032 011 06-7 156501-9 Regie; and the applicant’s name.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees have been abolished since the 2013/2014 winter semester.
However, a basic fee of 97€ is charged per semester for the Student Services Organisation.
The public transport semester ticket has been abolished, so students are advised to purchase the Deutschlandticket.