Both academic qualifications and musical entrance requirements must be met. All applications are dealt with handled in accordance with national requirements for admission into higher education. To enter the undergraduate courses at the Norwegian Academy of Music, foreign applicants should normally have an education corresponding to British A-Levels or equivalent, the German Abitur, the French baccalauréat or an equivalent. Admission to the postgraduate programmes requires a completed undergraduate study programme from the Norwegian Academy of Music or a corresponding programme. The programme is open to applicants with a background in classical music as well as jazz, pop or rock music or traditional music.

In 2003 a reform was carried out in Norwegian Higher Education. The Quality Reform introduced a degree structure, grading system and quality assurance system in line with the Bologna Process. The grading scale conforms to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) rating scale with the letters A (best) to E for pass and F for failed. The reform also meant the establishment of a quality assurance agency, The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). This is an independent agency with the task of carrying out external quality assurance of higher education and tertiary vocational education in Norway.

The teachers for primary and secondary schools are fully qualified after they have passed all elements in the Bachelor’s programme (240 ECTS) and other requirements laid down by the Ministry of Education. The title of the qualification is Bachelor of Music Education.