Graduate Admissions

Entrance Requirements

Applicants should possess a bachelor's degree in music. Bachelor's degrees in other disciplines will be considered, provided the student demonstrates a high degree of musicianship. Applicants should demonstrate strong working knowledge of harmony, leadership qualities, sequencing skills, ensemble experience, motivation, intellectual curiosity, and the promise of great achievement in their area of study.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for highly skilled and creative instrumentalists and vocalists from all styles of contemporary music who wish to develop their performance career further while also immersing themselves in the recorded production process and experience.

Ideal candidates will:

• Enter the program with a very advanced level of instrumental or vocal technique and musical skill;
• Desire to expand their experience through further exploration of familiar and new styles including fusions of genres;
• Be deeply motivated to learn and apply strategies for recorded music production (including the preproduction, recording, and mixing processes) to their craft, with a focus on artistic identity and intent; and
• Demonstrate a strong interest in learning and applying new performance technology, electroacoustic instruments, and video into their live and recorded performances.

Entrance Requirements

Global entertainment and music business applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate leadership, motivation, intellectual curiosity, and promise of great achievement in their area of study.

Who We Are Looking For

We seek focused, motivated, creative candidates with excellent academic and professional backgrounds who can contribute skills that will benefit the program.

Ideal candidates want to:

• Explore advanced concepts and models in the global music industry;
• Apply managerial and/or entrepreneurial skills to existing entertainment and music business environments;
• Lead and influence the direction of the profession as visionaries, executives, and entrepreneurs; and
• Gain a thorough understanding of the elements of a successful enterprise.

Ideal candidates should demonstrate:

• Professional goals of working at an executive/managerial level in a company or creating a business/organization;
• Prior academic success;
• Prior knowledge in business;
• Good understanding of the current situation of the entertainment industry and technology; and
• Leadership in professional and/or academic environments.

Entrance Requirements

Music production, technology, and innovation applicants should possess a bachelor’s degree in music while demonstrating technological proficiency, musical excellence in performance and/or composition, leadership, motivation, intellectual curiosity, and promise of great achievement in their area of study. Bachelor's degrees in other disciplines will be considered, provided the student demonstrates a high degree of musicianship.

Who We Are Looking For

We seek open-minded, ambitious musicians who want to leverage technology in pursuit of their artistic vision and career goals.

Ideal candidates want to:

• Gain cutting-edge skills in music technology;
• Apply new inspiration and possibilities to their artistic endeavors;
• Implement the principles of innovation to their craft and careers;
• Focus on developing and implementing new and emerging music technologies; and
• Shape the future of music.

Ideal candidates should demonstrate:

• Excellent musicianship;
• Facility with technology;
• Success in both artistic and academic settings;
• A strong work ethic, including prior accomplishment; and
• The motivation to make massive progress in one year.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in music composition, electronic music production, or film scoring. Outstanding musicians with bachelor's degrees in performance or other disciplines, who have a strong background in songwriting or composition, will also be considered.

Who We Are Looking For

We seek focused, motivated, innovative, and, above all, passionately creative candidates with excellent academic and/or professional backgrounds. Additional study and/or work experience in the following areas will be helpful but is not required: interactive scoring techniques, conducting to picture, basic music editing skills, and project collaboration. Prospective students do not need to have extensive direct experience working with live orchestras.

Ideal candidates will:

• Demonstrate a strong compositional foundation from their studies and/or professional experience;
• Possess the ability to notate one’s ideas competently, follow an orchestral score, and conceive material in an orchestral context; and
• Exhibit passion for musical storytelling and a demonstrated aptitude for visual music.

You must also submit a scanned copy of your corresponding bachelor’s diploma in PDF format.

For applicants who attended university in the U.S. or Canada:

• If you are in the final year of your bachelor's degree, you must upload your unofficial transcripts for initial review. You will need to submit your official transcripts when you graduate.
• Send your official transcripts to this address:
  Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus
  Office of Graduate Admissions
  Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía - Anexo Sur
  Avenida Profesor Lopez Piñero, 1
  46013 Valencia, Spain

For applicants who attended university outside the U.S. or Canada:

• Transcripts from institutions outside the U.S. or Canada must be evaluated by an approved third-party credential evaluation service, such as World Education Services or Education Credential Evaluators. Please ask for a course-by-course evaluation and ask to send grades to the postal address above.
• If you have not yet finished your degree, you must submit a credential evaluation report of all your courses completed so far. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit a copy of your diploma from your college/university before enrolling at Berklee.
• Download a PDF with frequently asked questions about credential evaluations.

Contemporary Performance Graduate Program Applicants

• TOEFL*: iBT (internet-based) 80; computer-based 213; paper-based 550.
• IELTS: 6.5
• Cambridge English Language Exams: First (FCE) or Business Vantage (BEC Vantage) or higher

All Other Graduate Program Applicants

• TOEFL*: iBT (internet-based) 100; computer-based 250; paper-based 600.
• IELTS: 7.5
• Cambridge English Language Exams: Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Business English Certificate (BEC) or higher

To send exam scores, you may be asked for a code that represents Berklee College of Music. The institution code for Berklee is 3107.

1. Provide links to three recent performances that demonstrate and showcase the diversity of your playing, motivation to experiment, and musicianship. These can include solo performances or performances with a small ensemble or band where you are clearly featured. At least one link should be a video. Write a short description of your role in each performance.
2. Describe one to three potential projects that interest you as possible ideas for your culminating experience (thesis) project (program proposal). These could be a musical performance idea, a recording project, artistic research or other initiative that you would like to pursue while at Berklee. Each description should be one paragraph long, as specific as possible, and include how each project will foster your academic, artistic, musical, and professional growth.

Optional: In addition to the above requirements, the following materials may also be submitted for consideration:

• A link to your personal website or Facebook artist page that conveys a sense of your artistry.
• One-page artist biography, not in first person. Note that this is different from the Statement of Purpose and Resume.

1. Provide a brief analysis of the current state of the music and entertainment industry and identify professional opportunities that interest you (portfolio).
2. Describe one to three potential projects that interest you as possible ideas for your culminating experience (thesis) project (program proposal). These could be research projects, entrepreneurial projects, or other initiatives that you would like to pursue while at Berklee. Each description should be as specific as possible, and include how each project will foster your academic, artistic, and professional growth.

1. Describe one to three projects you would like to execute as your culminating experience (thesis) project (program proposal). These projects are an opportunity to explore something that doesn't exist or hasn't been done before. They could be original music incorporating video or innovative technology, a hyper-instrument or controller you would like to invent, a personal live-performance system, the development of your artistic voice, an App or virtual musical environment you would like to design, or something not described here. Each description should be one paragraph long, as specific as possible, and include how each project will foster your academic, artistic, musical, and professional growth.
2. Additionally, a portfolio with one to three recorded examples of recent work should be submitted in the highest quality audio possible, along with a detailed explanation of your specific role in the work. If written scores or other documentation are available, please submit these as well (portfolio)

Berklee embraces and values all music styles, so you should prepare a piece that you are comfortable with and that displays your strengths as a musician. It should be approximately three to five minutes in length and should be in any style that demonstrates your instrumental proficiency and your overall musicianship. Here are some guidelines that may help when selecting your prepared piece:

• You might choose a tune from a well-known artist or band (in any style).
• You might choose a jazz or blues standard tune (which may include rhythm changes) to which you have the option of adding your own improvisation.
• You might choose a composition from the instrumental/voice repertoire or a movement, sonata, concerto, or etude.
• You might choose a transcription of a well-known artist's solo.

If composing or songwriting is your primary focus, you may choose to play an original piece that showcases your individual style. However, the original piece should be no longer than three minutes, and you should also prepare a second piece drawing on the guidelines above.

If you require accompaniment for your prepared piece, you may bring an accompanist, a play-a-long CD, or a digital music player. It is not recommended to use the original tracks of artists or bands as play-a-longs.

If you require accompaniment for your prepared piece, you may bring an accompanist, a play-along CD, or an iPod. Berklee does not provide an accompanist to applicants.

You must bring your instrument to the audition if you play acoustic or electric bass, brass, guitar, hand percussion, a string instrument (including the harp, mandolin, and banjo), or woodwinds.

Bass players, guitarists, and string players (including mandolin and banjo players) are reminded to bring a tuner, instrument cable(s), and any effects needed for their prepared piece.

Drummers should bring their sticks as well as a practice pad to use in the warm-up room, as many warm-up rooms will not have a drum set.

Due to rental limitations, orchestral percussion principals are required to audition and interview in Boston or Valencia.

• completed and submitted the application and paid the $150 application fee;
• access to a private room where you can participate without interruption;
• access to a computer with internet connection and audio/video capability that meets the system requirements*;
• access to a set of headphones for use during the online audition and interview;
• access to all instruments and accompaniment you need to participate.

*See the specific system requirements for online auditions and take the Adobe Connect connection test to make sure you will be able to connect with us for your audition.