Information for Transfer Students

Almost half of the total student body is comprised of musicians who have transferred to Berklee from other educational institutions. When applying, you must submit official college transcripts from all institutions that you attended. Once you are accepted to the college, your transcripts will be evaluated and you will receive a transfer credit evaluation in the mail informing you which of your credits will transfer to Berklee.

Transfer Credit for Liberal Arts Courses

Transfer credit may be granted in the area of liberal arts course work, history of music and some business-related courses. To transfer, courses must have comparable descriptions to those offered at Berklee and be successfully completed as at an accredited institution with a minimum grade of "C" (73% or 2.0).

Candidates for the Bachelor of Music degree may transfer up to 36 credits in liberal arts courses. Degree candidates may also transfer 2 additional liberal arts electives to be applied towards a general elective requirement. General electives are normally elective music courses, not liberal arts courses. The number of general electives that will be required of you at Berklee will be determined by your program and your major.

Professional Diploma students may transfer up to 12 credits in liberal arts courses toward general elective requirements.

The maximum total number of transferable credits for a Diploma candidate is 29 and the maximum number for Degree candidates is 60.

Berklee does not award transfer credit for music courses other than those listed under transferable courses. If you feel you have expertise in a course, you may test out of the course or speak with the course Chairperson about the possibility of credit by exam once you are here at the college.

Please use our course descriptions for any course work you may have already completed or will be signing up for. You will find the descriptions by using the course links below.

Liberal Arts Courses - three (3) credits per course may be transferred

  • English Composition
  • Introduction to English Literature
  • History of Western Civilization I & II
  • History of Art I & II
  • Social Science (e.g. psychology, sociology, religion, economics, political science or history) (one course)
  • Physical Science (e.g. biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy or physics) (one course)
  • Liberal Arts Electives (any two humanities courses)

Music History Courses - two (2) credits per course may be transferred

  • History of Western Music I
  • History of Western Music II
  • History of Jazz
  • History of Rock Music

Music and Business Management Courses - two (2) credits per course may be transferred except for International Economics and Finance which is three (3) credits

  • International Economics and Finance
  • Principles of Business Management
  • Data Management and Statistics
  • Principals of Financial Accounting

Music Education Courses - three (3) credits per course may be transferred

  • General Psychology
  • Child Psychology
  • Philosophy of Education

Music Therapy Courses - three (3) credits per course may be transferred

  • General Psychology
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Anatomy and Physiology

Transfering Berkleemusic Courses to Berklee College of Music

Many Berkleemusic courses are transferable into Berklee College of Music for credit. The following rules apply:

  • Students wishing to transfer Berkleemusic courses must first apply and be accepted to Berklee College of Music through the Admissions Office.
  • Credits may only be applied to a matriculated student's general elective requirement for Berklee degree and diploma programs.
  • Students can to transfer up to two Berkleemusic courses in total. The transfer equivalent will be two credits per course. The list of eligible courses is below.
  • A grade of "C" or better in each course is required for transfer approval.
  • The Berkleemusic courses must have been taken for-credit or be part of a certificate program.

Transferable courses

Contemporary Writing & Production Courses

  • Hip-Hop Writing and Production
  • Style Writing for Performers and Arrangers
  • Writing Music with Finale

Ear Training

  • Harmonic Ear Training

Film Scoring

  • Film Scoring 101

Music Business and Management

  • Inside the Record Industry
  • Legal Aspects of the Music Industry
  • Music Business 101
  • Music Industry Entrepreneurship
  • Music Publishing 101
  • The Future of Music and the Music Business

Music Production & Engineering

  • Critical Listening
  • Recording and Producing in the Home studio
  • Remixing
  • Mixing and Mastering with Pro Tools
  • Desktop Music Production for Mac
  • Desktop Music Production for PC
  • Producing Music with Pro Tools
  • Pro Tools 101
  • Midi Sequencing Intermediate
  • Producing Music with Ableton Live
  • Producing Music with Digital Performer
  • Producing Music with Reason

Music Synthesis

  • Sampling and Audio Production
  • Sound Design for the Electronic Musician

Songwriting

  • Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies
  • Lyric Writing: Writing from the Title
  • Lyric Writing: Writing Lyrics to Music
  • Songwriting Workshop: Harmony
  • Songwriting Workshop: Melody