Berlin’s University of the Arts to close historic sound studies program

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Europe’s leading sonic arts program faces elimination amid budget crisis

The Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) has announced the closure of its Master’s program in Sound Studies and Sonic Arts, eliminating Berlin’s only university-level degree program in a field where the city has international renown. The decision, announced January 13, affects all Master’s programs at the university’s Central Institute for Continuing Education and Transfer (ZIWT), with an immediate admission freeze that initiates the dissolution of the 20-year-old program, which currently serves 63 students.

For two decades, the program has served as a hub for artistic research and international exchange, with students and alumni presenting work at prestigious venues including the Venice Biennale, documenta, Ars Electronica, and Berghain. “Once dissolved, this established structure of knowledge transfer and artistic excellence cannot be restored,” program faculty warned in a statement. The university cited structural adjustments to comply with the amended Berlin Higher Education Act as the primary reason, though it faces significant budget cuts.

Students and faculty are fighting the decision through a petition and an open letter, criticising the lack of consultation before the announcement.

"We are not only students, but we are also active participants in Berlin's artistic and cultural community,"

current students wrote, noting many relocated internationally specifically for the program. The closure would leave Berlin, a UNESCO-recognised centre for underground electronic music = without public university-level education in sonic arts, raising questions about the city’s commitment to the cultural infrastructure underpinning its international reputation.

The open letter and petition can be found here