Berklee College of Music Admissions

Berklee College of Music is a premium institute specializing in contemporary music and the performing arts, the college offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees and also offers its award-winning distance learning programs, through an Online mode of learning. The College is dedicated to nurturing the creative potential of the world’s most inspiring artists, Berklee’s is committed to providing world-class arts education which is reflected in the work of its students, faculty, and alumni and more than hundreds of the students passed out from the college have been conferred trophies such as Grammy, Tony, Oscar, and Emmy. This blog brings to you all the information you need related to Berklee College of Music admissions.

University	Berklee College of Music
Founded in	1945
Type	Private Music College
Location	Boston, United States
Courses Duration	Master’s Degree: 1-3 Years Bachelor’s Degree: 2-4 Years Certificates : 3-18 months Online Courses: 5-10 hours per week
Acceptance Rate	52%
Intakes	Summer, Autumn
English Proficiency Test	IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic, SAT, Duolingo
Application Fee	INR 5,724

Courses Offered

Degree Level	Major Courses
Undergraduate	Music Production and Engineering
	Music Business/Management
	Composition
	Film Scoring
	Performance
	Electronic Production and Design
	Jazz Composition
	Professional Music
	Songwriting
	Music Therapy
	Contemporary Writing and Production
	Music Education
	Music Technology and Innovation
	Music Industry Leadership and Innovation
	Musicology
	Music Theory
	Sound Design
	Conducting
	Game and Interactive Media Scoring
	Music and Society
	Performance (Voice, Guitar, Piano, etc.)
	Recording Arts
	Studio Composition
	Vocal Performance
Postgraduate	Master of Music in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation
	Master of Music in Contemporary Performance (Global Jazz Concentration)
	Master of Arts in Music Business
	Master of Music in Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games
	Master of Arts in Global Entertainment and Music Business
	Master of Music in Songwriting
	Master of Music in Music Therapy
	Master of Music in Music Education

Berkeley College of Music Entry Requirements

Like any other college, the Berkeley College of Music comes with its own entry requirements. For undergraduates and postgraduates, these criteria differ. Below mentioned is everything that you should know about it.

Undergraduate Entry Requirements

• You must be proficient in the English language in terms of reading, writing, and speaking, and you must have completed your high school/secondary school by the time you enroll in an undergraduate course at the Berklee College of Music.
• If you have pursued your school education anywhere outside of the United States or Canada, you are required to get your academic records assessed well in advance according to the US standards. You can do this either by submitting them to a NACES-approved credential evaluation agency (such as ECE) OR by submitting them directly to Berklee Online.

As an international student, you can choose any one of the following:

External Credential Evaluation Agency:

• One way to get through your application as an international student is to submit your academic transcripts directly to a NACES-approved credential evaluation agency, and then you can request a structural way of course-by-course evaluation along with grades. Then you can get your report sent directly from the agency itself to the Berklee Online platform. Electronic copies are preferred whenever possible.

• Berklee Online:

Another way to get through your application is to submit all your academic transcripts for complete evaluation via a direct mode to Berklee Online. You can visit the International Student webpage for more information. 

English Language Proficiency Requirement

As the classes are taught and presented in English, applicants must have demonstrated proficiency in the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking, in order to be successful in our program. Applicants who have applied for a degree program at the College and whose first language is not English are required to possess and submit a PTE Academic,  IELTS, TOEFL, or a Duolingo scorecard in order to complete their application process for admission.

Recommended scores are

• TOEFL: iBT ( for Internet-based tests): 100;  for Computer-based tests: 250; for Paper-based tests: 600
• PTE Academic: 68
• IELTS: 7.5 or higher
• Duolingo: 120 or higher

Postgraduate Entry Requirements

• You must be proficient in the English language which includes reading, writing, and speaking. You are also expected to have a good academic.

• In order to be eligible for Graduate Degrees at the Berklee College of Music, you must have a Bachelor’s degree.

• For Master of Music in Music Production: Bachelor’s degree in music production, engineering, or technology, or bachelor’s degree with significant work experience in music production, engineering, and/or technology.

• For Master of Arts in Music Business: Bachelor’s degree, preferably with coursework in business, finance, and marketing.

• For Master of Music in Film Scoring: Bachelor’s degree in composition with a focus on scoring to media, or bachelor’s degree with a minimum of two years of professional work in film composition.

For International Applicants

If you have pursued your college degree anywhere outside of the United States or Canada, you are required to get your academic records assessed well in advance according to the US standards. You can do this either by submitting them to a NACES-approved credential evaluation agency (such as ECE) OR by submitting them directly to Berklee Online.

As an international student, you can choose any one of the following:

External Credential Evaluation Agency:

• One way to get through your application as an international student is to submit your academic transcripts directly to a NACES-approved credential evaluation agency, and then you can request a structural way of course-by-course evaluation along with grades. Then you can get your report sent directly from the agency itself to the Berklee Online platform. Electronic copies are preferred whenever possible.

• Berklee Online:

Another way to get through your application is to submit all your academic transcripts for complete evaluation via a direct mode to Berklee Online. You can visit the International Student webpage for more information.

English Language Proficiency Requirement

The classes at the Berklee College of Music are mostly taught and instructed in English, the applicants are required to demonstrate their proficiency in the English language which includes reading, writing, and speaking, in order to be successful in the program. Applicants who have applied for a degree program at the College and whose first language is not English are required to possess and submit a PTE Academic,  IELTS, TOEFL, or a Duolingo scorecard in order to complete their application process for admission.

Recommended scores:

• TOEFL: iBT (Internet-based): 100; Computer-based: 250; Paper-based: 600
• PTE Academic: 68
• IELTS: 7.5 or higher
• Duolingo: 120 or higher

How to Apply?

As a freshman at the Berklee School of Music, please follow the step-by-step instructions below:

Step 1: Fill out the online application form which will take you about 15 minutes. This step will connect you to an advisor, who will guide you through the rest of the admissions process.

Step 2: Collect the rest of your application materials. This step includes all your Personal Statement, Demonstration of Musicianship, and supplemental material, as applicable.

Step 3: Request your transcripts and letters of recommendation from the appropriate parties. If you are an international applicant, you are required to go through a credential evaluation and you also need to have an acceptable English language proficiency test score.

Step 4: Submit your completed application along with the application fee.

Documents Required

• Completed online application
• Copy of the official high school transcript (or an equivalent certificate)
• Copy of all the transcripts from all institutions attended or in which the student is currently enrolled
• TOEFL or IELTS score for applicants whose first language is not English
• Personal essay or video presentation
• Two letters of recommendation (one academic/professional and one personal)
• Portfolio

Cost of Studying and Accommodation at Berklee School of Music

Undergraduate courses- 

Expense Category	Cost (USD)
Average Tuition Fees	$18,314 – $22,808
Books and/or Software	$600
Loan Fees	$54
Personal Expenses	$680
Room & Board	$7,560
Transportation	$2,154

Postgraduate courses- 

Expense Category	Cost (USD)
Average Tuition Fees	$33,620 – $36,120
Books	$5,250
Room & Board	$10,082
Personal Expenses	$1,132
Loan Fees	$208
Transportation	$2,872

FAQs

This was all the related information for the admissions at the Berklee College of Music. If you have any queries or you need assistance with your admission procedure, you call our Leverage Edu experts at our toll-free number 1800572000.