University of Arts in Belgrade

About University of Arts in Belgrade

The university began on 10 June 1957 as the Academy of Arts, bringing together four existing Belgrade arts academies. When those academies became faculties in 1973, the institution adopted its present University of Arts identity. It remains an association of the Faculty of Music, Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Applied Arts and Faculty of Dramatic Arts, with additional interdisciplinary study coordinated at university level. This structure matters for prospective students. The university provides the shared academic framework, international office and interdisciplinary center, but much teaching and administration take place within the individual faculties. Applicants should identify both the subject and the responsible faculty before comparing entry examinations, portfolios, tuition or facilities. The official 2026/2027 exchange fact sheet lists undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels and reports 70 study programs, 3,000 students and 430 professors for 2023/2024; those figures describe that earlier reporting year rather than a live 2026 count. The institution’s current status is well documented. Its accreditation page publishes a 2024 institutional-accreditation certificate and operating-permit records, while a Serbian higher-education information portal identifies it as a public university with 2024 accreditation. Current 2026/2027 admissions and mobility materials also demonstrate ongoing teaching and recruitment. The university is best suited to students seeking a specialized arts environment in which studio, performance, production, theoretical inquiry and interdisciplinary work sit within one institution.

Admissions are decentralized. Applicants to programs in music, fine arts, applied arts or dramatic arts should use the current call issued for the relevant faculty, while applicants to university-run interdisciplinary programs follow the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies process. Selection methods differ by subject and may include an entrance examination, audition, portfolio, interview or assessment of prior academic work. Meeting a general academic threshold should not be confused with satisfying a program’s artistic selection requirements. For 2026/2027 interdisciplinary master’s and doctoral admissions, the university states that selection considers the complete application, previous educational achievement and entrance-examination performance. The published schedule includes separate June, August–September and late-September–October rounds for specified programs, with later rounds dependent on the program and available places. Candidates with foreign qualifications must allow time for formal academic recognition and required translations. The English-taught MA in Cultural Policy and Management requires a prior university degree in social sciences, humanities or arts totaling 240 ECTS, with relevant professional experience preferred and fluency in English required. Its official 2026/2027 page lists application dates of 22 June, 24 August and 1 October 2026, with the October opportunity dependent on remaining places. Exchange admission is a different route and should not be applied to full-degree candidates. For 2026/2027, exchange applicants require nomination by their home institution, a learning agreement, transcript, CV, passport copy and language evidence; practice-based course applicants also submit a portfolio. The exchange fact sheet specifies English at CEFR B1–B2.

Academic programs span music, fine arts, applied arts, design, conservation and restoration, dramatic and audiovisual arts, cultural and media management, and arts theory. The four faculties deliver the main disciplinary programs, while the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies connects staff and subjects across established boundaries. Its current catalog includes interdisciplinary master’s and doctoral options alongside the faculty-based degrees. The university follows a three-cycle structure. Its standard undergraduate academic programs carry 240 ECTS over four years; standard master’s programs carry 60 ECTS over one year; and doctoral programs carry 180 ECTS over three years. Specialist study is also offered, but that credential is distinct from the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels represented in this profile. Artistic doctorates may culminate in a publicly presented original project accompanied by analytical written work, while research-oriented routes emphasize scholarship in the arts and media. Most full-degree offerings listed in the program finder use Serbian. A notable exception is the full-time, English-taught MA in Cultural Policy and Management in Culture, a 60-ECTS program scheduled to begin on 7 October 2026. Exchange students may also find individual courses available to international participants, but course language and availability must be checked separately; an English description does not mean that the entire degree is taught in English. Teaching formats vary by discipline. Fine-arts study, for example, combines supervised studio work, technical development, seminars and exhibitions. The English-taught cultural-policy master’s uses lectures, projects, research-based learning, workshops and an obligatory internship. Applicants should consult the relevant faculty’s current call because portfolios, auditions, examinations and prior-degree requirements differ substantially.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1957 as the Academy of Arts and renamed the University of Arts in 1973
• Public specialized university comprising four arts faculties
• Official 2026/2027 materials confirm active undergraduate, master’s and doctoral provision
• Institutional accreditation was renewed in 2024

Student Life & Environment

Student experience is spread across faculty buildings and cultural locations rather than concentrated on a self-contained campus. That arrangement can place students close to studios, performance spaces and Belgrade’s wider artistic community, but it also means that daily routines, facilities and peer groups vary by faculty and program. Prospective students should ask their intended faculty about building access, rehearsal or studio schedules, libraries, equipment and student organizations. The university has a Students’ Parliament, scholarship and competition information, and formal student-support services. For incoming international mobility students, the university and ESN BelUPgrade operate buddy support. Student volunteers can help newcomers navigate faculty locations, classrooms, libraries and practical settling-in tasks. Exchange students are also assigned academic mentoring according to their courses, giving them a faculty contact for academic integration. The international support page describes assistance for students with fewer opportunities, including students with disabilities, minority backgrounds, financial disadvantage and foreign citizenship. Available help includes orientation, information services, support with status questions and communication with teaching staff about individual needs. Students should contact the university before arrival to determine what adjustments can be arranged in their particular faculty. Housing requires advance planning. The university states that it has no campus or university-owned student accommodation. Its international offices may help exchange students seek a place in a student residence or locate private housing, but accommodation is not guaranteed or directly provided by the university.

Location & Surroundings

The university rectorate is at Kosančićev venac 29 in Belgrade’s historic center, while teaching is distributed among the four faculties and interdisciplinary facilities. Students should map the location of their actual department rather than assuming that all classes meet at the rectorate. Travel time between buildings may matter when combining courses or attending rehearsals, exhibitions and university events. Belgrade is Serbia’s capital and uses the Serbian dinar. For arts students, studying in the city offers access to a broader cultural setting beyond university premises, including performance, exhibition, film and media activity. The university explicitly presents its relationship with Belgrade’s cultural and creative community as part of the learning environment, particularly for interdisciplinary and cultural-management study. International students should budget for an urban, non-residential experience. The university advises arranging accommodation early because it does not operate its own residences. Its international office may assist exchange students with applications to a student residence or with private-market options. Foreign students must also check Serbia’s entry rules, obtain required health insurance and complete residence formalities; stays exceeding 90 days require attention to temporary-residence procedures.

Costs & Career Outcomes

No single university-wide 2026/2027 tuition figure covers every student. Fees depend on the faculty, program, funding status and, where applicable, applicant category. Candidates should use the fee decision attached to the relevant 2026/2027 admissions call and obtain written confirmation from the responsible student office before making a financial commitment. The absence of tuition values in the database record should not be read as free study. For one current reference point only, the official page for the English-taught MA in Cultural Policy and Management displays tuition of €2,100/€2,300 for its 2026/2027 intake. Because the page presents two amounts, applicants should confirm which rate applies to their circumstances. It also lists a €170 foreign-qualification recognition expense, separate administrative charges and possible bank costs. These amounts should not be generalized to other degrees. Housing is likewise excluded from a university-wide residential charge because the institution does not operate campus accommodation; students need a separate budget for a student residence or private rental, transport, food, materials and health insurance. Career preparation is closely connected to artistic practice but differs by discipline. The cultural-policy master’s includes an obligatory internship, while practice-based programs develop work through studios, performances, productions, exhibitions and supervised projects. The university’s Center for Teaching and Learning offers workshops and resources related to employment, self-employment and professional networking. No current institution-wide graduate employment rate, salary figure or employer list was found in the selected official sources, so applicants should ask individual faculties about recent graduate pathways, industry partnerships and discipline-specific placement evidence.