Vocal studies – Popular Music Performance
Graduate (Master)
Art Education
Why choose this programme?
Second-cycle studies in the Vocal Studies – Popular Singing Performance study path, offered as part of the Art Education programme at VIZJA University, are intended for individuals who want to develop their vocal skills while also gaining competencies in teaching singing. The programme focuses on intensive work on vocal technique, voice emission, vocal improvisation, and stage image creation in styles such as pop, jazz, soul, gospel, and R&B. At the same time, throughout the entire course of study, students explore the methodology of teaching popular singing, preparing for professional activity also in this area.
The programme is open to graduates of at least first-cycle studies, both in fields related to music or art education and in other disciplines – provided they demonstrate an appropriate level of musical preparation and aptitude for the chosen study path. If you want to link your future with popular music and aim not only to consciously build your stage career but also to teach others with passion – this programme offers a unique educational path that opens the way to professional development in the modern artistic and creative industries.
Vocal studies – Popular Music Performance – what sets us apart?
- A teaching staff composed of true masters – renowned vocal artists and educators with international recognition and experience, including Prof. Ewa Iżykowska-Lipińska, PhD, and Prof. Alicja Węgorzewska-Whiskerd, PhD
- A unique combination of high-level vocal training and methodological preparation for teaching popular music performance
- Collaboration with respected cultural institutions in organising internships and work placements for students
What can you do after graduation?
Graduates of the second-cycle Art Education programme with the Vocal Studies – Popular Singing Performance study path are prepared for creative and professional work in the field of popular music, vocal education, and broadly understood artistic activity.
Thanks to the combination of advanced training in popular singing and comprehensive pedagogical preparation, they can successfully pursue careers as soloists or vocalists in pop, jazz, soul, or gospel bands, participate in concert, television, studio, and festival projects, and develop their own artistic initiatives.
Their teaching competencies allow them to conduct classes in voice emission and popular singing, for example in vocal studios, cultural institutions, and the broader creative sector.
Completing the master’s programme also opens the possibility of continuing an academic career at the doctoral level in musical arts or art education, making this programme an attractive choice for both active performers and future educators and researchers.
The faculty of masters and mentors
Prof. Ewa Iżykowska-Lipińska, PhD
Programme coordinator
Professor of musical arts, world-renowned soprano, outstanding vocal teacher with international experience.
Her on-stage experience includes roles in classical opera (including La Traviata, Carmen, Turandot, Eugene Onegin, Tosca), performances of monumental musical works from various époques (Verdi, Beethoven, Mahler, Penderecki, and others), as well as chamber music projects and recitals. She has performed on all the most important stages in Poland and around the world, including La Scala in Milan, Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Musikverein in Vienna.
She is a highly regarded voice teacher. She lectures at Polish and foreign universities, as well as at the Polish Academy of Sciences. She regularly conducts masterclasses in Poland and abroad – in the USA, Italy, South Korea and Austria. She directs musical performances and works as a consultant for drama and musical theaters, record labels, and film companies. She also has managerial experience in cultural management.
Alicja Węgorzewska, PhD
Doctor of Music, vocalist, actress, producer, director, educator, and cultural manager.
After her debut at the Vienna Kammeroper, she has performed in prestigious concert halls and theatres around the world (including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice), with a repertoire including parts in Carmen, Orpheus and Eurydice, The Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin. She has participated in numerous international festivals and opera galas.
As an actress and producer, she has realised theatre and music projects, including the monodrama Diva for rent at the Polonia Theatre. She is the winner of prestigious awards (e.g. the Callas Tribute Prize) and regularly comments on television broadcasts of musical events, including the famous New Year's Concerts from Vienna. She creates her own productions, festivals and educational projects, boldly combining musical styles – from classical opera to musicals and crossover – and passionately promoting Polish and European culture around the world.
This programme
is for you if:
You are interested in professional vocal development in the field of popular music, based on strong vocal technique and conscious interpretation.
You are thinking about a future on stage, but you also value the opportunity to teach and inspire others.
You are looking for space for your own creative growth, where you will also gain experience in running vocal projects and classes.
Admission criteria
for the ART EDUCATION programme
at VIZJA University
Due to the specific nature of the programme, candidates are required to take an entrance examination, which includes:
- a vocal audition (classical repertoire);
- aural skills and music theory test;
- assessment of acting abilities (diction, text interpretation, movement/dance performance);
- an interview to evaluate general music knowledge.
Examination dates will be presented soon.
In addition, candidates must provide a medical certificate from a phoniatric specialist confirming that there are no contraindications to undertaking vocal studies.
Admission rules and regulations
Note: important information for 2025 candidates
Please read carefully the application procedures in line with the changes introduced by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education in 2025.
Curriculum and study structure
Master's studies
The programme offers in-depth, integrated education in popular singing and music didactics, with a focus on the conscious development of artistic identity and the acquisition of practical teaching skills.
The studies lead to the master’s degree, which opens the way to further development – both in stage performance and teaching practice, as well as in academic work and cultural animation.
The content of the study program may change as a result of efforts to improve the quality of education and adapt the teaching offer to the current challenges of the labor market. Each change is approved by the University Senate and introduced with the aim of preparing students for their future careers in the best possible way.
Tuition fees
Fixed tuition - flexible payments
By choosing to study at VIZJA University, you can be sure that the tuition fee will not change throughout the duration of your studies. You can pay the tuition fee once for the entire year of study or spread over a semester payment. This allows you to decide how you want to plan your expenses.
Scholarships - easier than you think
While studying at VIZJA University, you can take advantage of a wide range of financial support from the state budget and European funds, as well as benefit from special discounts with VIZJA University discount program
You can submit most scholarship applications quickly and easily through your online account.
In the academic year 2023/2024, VIZJA University awarded 800 Rector’s Scholarships, ranging from PLN 400 /month to PLN 1000 /month, depending on the average or achievements. For outstanding sport, artistic or scientific achievements, the Scholarship Committee awarded scholarships of PLN 600 /month.
Detailed information on the possibility of applying for the Rector’s Scholarship is available in the dean’s system.
A sports scholarship may be awarded to a student who excels in sport achievements at least national level. In addition we also encourage our students to take part in additional support programs- eg. the National Academic Representation.
Young sportsmen can count on financial support in the amount of PLN 600 /month.
Detailed information on the possibility of applying for sports scholarship is available in the dean’s system.
A scholarship for people with disabilities may be awarded to a student who has a disability certificate, a disability degree certificate, a ZUS certifying physician’s certificate, a disability group certificate or a certificate of permanent or long-term incapacity to work on a farm.
In the 2023/2024 academic year, depending on the degree of disability, 350 scholarships for people with disabilities were awarded, ranging from PLN 1700 /month to PLN 1900 /month.
Detailed information on the possibility of applying for a scholarship for people with disabilities is available in the dean’s system.
The allowance is a form of emergency financial assistance. Any student who found himself temporarily in a difficult life situation resulting from random events beyond the student’s control can apply for it.The allowance may be granted twice in one academic year, and the allowance is not granted twice for the same random event.
In 2024, we granted 51 allowances for a total of PLN 255 000. The allowances, depending on the student’s situation, were paid in the amount of PLN 2,000 to PLN 5,000 at a time.
Detailed information on the possibility of applying for the allowance is available in the dean’s system.
2023/2024 academic year
800 Rector’s Scholarships
51 allowances
350 scholarships for people with disabilities
12 500 000 PLN was spent in 2023/2024 on scholarships
PLN 1,890,289.35 was spent in 2019/2020 on scholarships
PLN 2,911,662.50 was spent in 2020/2021 on scholarships
PLN 4,158,177.00 was spent in 2021/2022 on scholarships
PLN 7,829,950.00 was spent in 2022/2023 on scholarships
Rector’s Scholarship – highest average: 5,44
