Folkwang University of the Arts is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with campuses in Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, and Dortmund. Since its founding in 1927, it has consistently pursued interdisciplinary integration across music, dance, theater, design, and academic research. Today, it stands as Germany’s largest and most comprehensive university of the arts, ranking second in Germany in overall influence, surpassed only by the Berlin University of the Arts. Its programs in contemporary dance, music composition, and musical theater are globally recognized as leaders in arts education.
✦ History and Legacy: From Interdisciplinary Vision to Comprehensive Arts Institution
✧ Founded in 1927: Opera director Rudolf Schulz-Dänberg and ballet choreographer Kurt Jooss established the “Fokwan School,” dedicated to multidisciplinary education spanning music, dance, and speech.
✧ Golden Age of Dance Education: Through the collaborative efforts of Rudolf von Laban and Kurt Jooss, the school became Germany’s foremost institution for dance education starting in 1929. Two iconic figures of German modern dance—Kurt Jooss and Pina Bausch—successively led the institution, cementing its international leadership in contemporary dance. Lost German Diploma? What to Do
✧ Elevated to University Status in 1963: Folkwang was formally established as a comprehensive university of the arts. Subsequent mergers included the Duisburg Conservatory (founded 1972), the Bochum Drama School (founded 2000), and the Dortmund branch (joined 2004), culminating in Germany’s first “Orchestra Center NRW.”
✧ Artistic Sanctuary in Historic Architecture: The university houses the ancient Widden Abbey, whose foundation walls date back to 799 AD. Nearly all other campus buildings are also heritage-protected historical sites, allowing students to study cutting-edge art within millennia-old spaces.
✦ Faculties and Programs: A Comprehensive Artistic Spectrum Across Five Schools
The Folkwang University of the Arts offers five specialized departments: Music, Dance, Theater, Design, and Scientific Research, making it one of Germany’s few comprehensive arts universities with a full range of disciplines. The table below outlines its core program structure:
School Undergraduate Programs Master’s/Advanced Programs Distinctive Features & Strengths
Department of Music Instrumental Performance, Comprehensive Composition, Jazz, Church Music, Vocal Studies, Music Education, Conducting, Chamber Music, Jazz/Improvisation, Popular Music, Electronic Composition Germany’s only institution offering five composition tracks (instrumental, electronic, visual, jazz, popular); features Germany’s rare Institute for Electronic Media (ICEM)
Dance Department Dance (Bachelor of Arts) Dance Creation (Choreography, Movement Notation/Analysis, Performance), Artistic Dance Pedagogy Carries on the dance traditions of Kurt Jooss and Pina Bausch; Folkwang Dance Company (FTS) boasts a 70-year history with members from around the world
Theatre and Performance Department Acting, Directing, Musical Theatre, Physical Theatre, Vocal Performance/ Musical Theatre (Master’s) Offers stage performance training in physical theatre, singing, and musical theatre, including scene work, language skills, and vocal technique.
Design Department Communication Design, Industrial Design, Photography (BA) Communication Design, Industrial Design, Photography Research and Practice, Art and Design Sciences (Master’s) Design bridges tradition and modernity; Industrial Design encompasses consumer goods, capital goods, furniture, vehicles, ships, etc.
Academic Research Department Musicology, Music Education, German/French Music Studies Art and Design Science, Musicology, Photography Research and Studies, Music Education (Master’s/Doctoral) Doctoral programs cover music science, art studies, design studies, and engineering
✦ Teaching Model & Signature Programs: A Paradigm of Interdisciplinary Art Education
✧ Folkwang Philosophy: The name “Folkwang” symbolizes artistic freedom and development, representing the Ruhr region’s cultural excellence. Its unique interdisciplinary approach integrates diverse art forms—students gain cross-disciplinary exposure while mastering their primary field, cultivating comprehensive artistic literacy.
✧ Over 300 Artistic Events Annually: Frequent opera, concerts, dance performances, and other artistic events are held here. Student performances by Folkwang students can be viewed every Tuesday and Wednesday. Graduation recitals, examination performances, master’s diploma recitals, and class performances represent artistic highlights, totaling over 300 events annually. Students thus gain invaluable stage experience—a condition coveted elsewhere.
✧ Top-tier German facilities: The university boasts hardware facilities far surpassing other German arts institutions:
▸ 9 concert and theater halls
▸ Over 100 classrooms, lecture halls, and seminar rooms
▸ More than 200 practice rooms
▸ 2 vocal practice rooms, 8 dance studios
✧ Duisburg Masterclasses: Open to members of the Duisburg Symphony Orchestra, these masterclasses feature guest instructors who are active on the international music scene, offering students opportunities to learn directly from top artists.
✧ Corporate and Banking Sponsored Cultural Events: Located in the Ruhr region, home to numerous corporations, banks, and foundations, students perform concerts in the Old Town Hall of Weiden, supported by private sponsors. The Duisburg-Rembruck Museum regularly hosts high-caliber Folkwang concerts sponsored by banks.
✦ International Cooperation and Exchange: Connecting Global Art Networks
✧ International Campus: Folkwang University of the Arts is highly international, offering instruction in multiple languages and enabling students to easily acquire dual-language proficiency. Faculty and students from Europe and around the world cultivate a creative environment transcending national boundaries.
✧ Global Cooperation Network: The university maintains partnerships with institutions worldwide, particularly in China, the Middle East, and the United States, facilitating exchange programs and collaborative projects. This international cooperation and exchange has become an integral part of student life.
✧ Pioneer of Sino-German Cooperation:
▸ Group Direct Admission Program: Folkwang University of the Arts was the first German art institution to establish a group direct admission program in China. Through direct university partnerships and special admission criteria, students receive official acceptance letters domestically without needing Uni-Assist. The university arranges group visa applications, ensuring high approval rates.
▸ No 800-Hour German Requirement: Students can gain admission with only basic German proficiency in China. Airport pickup and accommodation are arranged before departure, providing a convenient pathway for studying abroad.
▸ Qingdao University of Science and Technology Partnership: In February 2018, Folkwang University of the Arts signed a cooperative education agreement with Qingdao University of Science and Technology. The partnership deepens talent cultivation collaboration by jointly establishing professor studios in industrial design and art design.
▸ “Ice-Breaking Journey” for Northeast Revitalization: In 2017, a Folkwang University delegation visited Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang Normal University, and Shenyang Conservatory of Music to advance Sino-German collaboration in industrial design, visual communication, photography, and modern dance.
✧ Support for the Palestinian Theatre Academy: Since 2009, Folkwang University of the Arts has continuously supported the development of Ramallah’s first professional theatre academy in Palestine, making significant contributions to dialogue-based peaceful social development. In 2012, the first cohort of students received their bachelor’s degrees.
✦ Campus Facilities and Environment: A Fusion of Millennium History and Modern Art
✧ Four Campus Locations: The university operates campuses in Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, and Dortmund, forming an art education network spanning the core cities of the Ruhr region.
✧ Essen Main Campus: Essen, a city of culture, hosts the main campus of Folkwang University of the Arts. Its designation as the “German Capital of Culture” in 2010 further solidifies its appeal as an educational destination.
✧ Wieden Abbey: The university incorporates the ancient Wieden Abbey, whose foundation walls date back to 799 AD. Nearly all other university buildings are also protected historical heritage sites, allowing students to study cutting-edge art within millennia-old architecture.
✧ Orchestra Center: The Dortmund campus houses Germany’s first “Orchestra Center NRW,” specifically designed to train musicians for North Rhine-Westphalia’s symphony orchestras.
✧ Faculty-Student Ratio & Scale: With approximately 328 faculty members and nearly 2,000 students, the university maintains a faculty-student ratio of about 1:6, ensuring high-quality teaching and guidance.
