Conservatório Souza Lima—Brazil
This program enables students to begin their music education at Faculdade e Conservatório Souza Lima (Souza Lima) in São Paulo, Brazil, and complete undergraduate degrees as Berklee students in Boston. Once accepted to Berklee, students may receive transfer credit for certain courses taken at Souza Lima.
Visit the Souza Lima website to learn more about the credit transfer pathway to Berklee.
About the Program
Students Who Entered Souza Lima on or after September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Students transferring from Souza Lima to Berklee must earn a grade of “B” (3.00/4.00 GPA) or better in each course specified in the Berklee Global Partner (BGP) credit transfer agreement (see "Courses and Credits" below) to receive credit. If a student receives a grade of “B-“ or lower in any of the required core music courses, no credit will be awarded to the student for any of the core music courses listed in the credit transfer agreement.
In this case, the student will enter Berklee as a transfer student. In the first semester of study, they will be required to take the Entering Student Placement Assessment (ESPA) for course placement in core music courses. They may transfer in any applicable liberal arts and sciences courses admissible under the transfer credit policy in place at the time of the student's matriculation to Berklee.
Admissions: Souza Lima students who wish to transfer to Berklee are required to go through Berklee's official undergraduate admissions process. Students accepted to Berklee will receive transfer credit for courses taken at Souza Lima in accordance with an agreement between the two schools. Transferring students must send Berklee an official transcript showing all courses specified as completed with a satisfactory grade of "B" or better before credit transfer at Berklee can take place.
Souza Lima students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at Souza Lima.
Liberal Arts and General Electives
- Students may transfer up to 24 credits of liberal arts courses toward their liberal arts requirements at Berklee.
- Only 15 of those 24 credits can be completed and transferred in after a student has started their studies at Berklee.
- Those 15 credits can be applied to a student’s academic requirements as follows: 9 credits can be applied to liberal arts requirements, and six credits can be applied to general elective requirements.
- Students in the Bachelor of Music or Arts degree programs must earn a minimum of 39 credits in liberal arts and may use six additional liberal arts credits (two courses) as general elective credit.
- Students in the Professional Diploma program must earn a minimum of 6 credits in liberal arts and may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credits.
See detailed information about transfers of liberal arts courses and general elective courses.
Performance Courses
- Ensembles:
- Souza Lima transfer students will receive up to 6 transfer credits in ensembles after completing one or two credits per course taken at Souza Lima based on credit equivalency with an average grade of “B” or better.
- All students are required to enroll in an ensemble in their first semester at Berklee.
- Principal Instrument:
- Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at a BGP school are nontransferable.
- Berklee’s policy states that all students, including transfer students, must participate in and pass a minimum of four semesters of principal instrument instruction at Berklee, regardless of their level of proficiency.
- All transfer students are required to take a Berklee instrumental/vocal proficiency placement examination upon arrival at Berklee to ensure appropriate placement in principal instrument courses.
Requirements to Graduate
Berklee College of Music students must meet the following requirements to qualify for graduation:
- Residency: All students, including candidates transferring from another school, are normally required to complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time attendance and earn a minimum of 60 credits (48 credits for diploma students) at Berklee College of Music in order to graduate. Credit by exam (CBX), advanced placement credit, CLEP credit, and transfer credit do not count as residency requirement credits, even if earned while at Berklee College of Music. This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
- Attain at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in all major courses and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
- Complete the principal instrument proficiency level, as specified by the major.
- Complete a required final project in the chosen area of concentration, as described and approved by the department chair (as applicable).
- For music education majors, complete all observation and student teaching requirements.
- For music therapy majors, complete all coursework and a six-month, full-time, post-coursework internship.
- Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.
Courses and Credits
Required Transfer Credits: 34
| Souza Lima Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| Harmony 1 | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| Arranging 1 | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| Harmony 2 | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| Harmony 3 | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| Harmony 4 | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| Ear Training 1 | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| Ear Training 2 | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| Ear Training 3 | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| Ear Training 4 | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| Tonal Harmony 1 | CM-211 Tonal Harmony and Composition 1 (2 credits) |
| Tonal Harmony 2 | CM-212 Tonal Harmony and Composition 2 (2 credits) |
| Tonal Counterpoint I | CP-210 The Art of Counterpoint 1 (3 credits) |
| Tonal Counterpoint II | CP-215 Art of Counterpoint 2 (2 credits)* |
| Regencia I | COND-211 Conducting 1 (1 credit) |
| Regencia II | COND-212 Conducting 2 (1 credit)* |
| Introduction to Music Technology I | MTEC-111 Introduction to Music Technology (2 credits) |
*Berklee music courses required by some Berklee degree programs
Additional Potential Transfer Credits: 8
Note: Contact the academic advisor at the institution about the courses below.
| Souza Lima Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| History of Music I and II | MHIS-201 History of Music in the European Tradition (2 credits) |
| Improvisation I | PS-190 Improvisation Concepts Workshop I (2 credits) |
| Improvisation II | PS-192 Improvisation Concepts Workshop II (2 credits) |
| Introduction to Music Technology II | CW-191 Sequencing and Production Techniques (2 credits) |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Required Transfer Credits: 34
Additional Potential Additional Credits: 8
Potential Ensemble Credits: 6
Potential Transfer Credit Total: 48
Students Who Entered Souza Lima Prior to September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Souza Lima students transferring to Berklee must earn a grade of "B" or higher (3.00–4.00) in each core music course, and a grade of "C" or higher (2.00–4.00) in each liberal arts and general elective course designated for transfer in this agreement (see "Courses and Credits" below) to receive transfer credit from Berklee.
To earn credit for any core music course for which a student receives a grade below B, students will be required upon entering Berklee to:
- take the entering student proficiency assessment (ESPA) for harmony and ear training courses
or - earn credit by exam (CBX) for music technology, tonal harmony, and counterpoint courses
or - enroll in the course at Berklee
For any liberal arts and sciences courses for which a student receives a grade below C, no credit will be granted.
Admissions: Souza Lima students who wish to transfer to Berklee are required to go through Berklee's official undergraduate admissions process. Students accepted to Berklee will receive transfer credit for courses taken at Souza Lima in accordance with an agreement between the two schools. Transferring students must send Berklee an official transcript showing all courses specified as completed with a satisfactory grade of "B" or better before credit transfer at Berklee can take place.
Souza Lima students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at Souza Lima.
Liberal Arts and General Electives
- Students may transfer up to 24 credits of liberal arts courses toward their liberal arts requirements at Berklee.
- Only 15 of those 24 credits can be completed and transferred in after a student has started their studies at Berklee.
- Those 15 credits can be applied to a student’s academic requirements as follows: 9 credits can be applied to liberal arts requirements, and six credits can be applied to general elective requirements.
- Students in the Bachelor of Music or Arts degree programs must earn a minimum of 39 credits in liberal arts and may use six additional liberal arts credits (two courses) as general elective credit.
- Students in the Professional Diploma program must earn a minimum of 6 credits in liberal arts and may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credits.
See detailed information about transfers of liberal arts courses and general elective courses.
Performance Courses
- Ensembles:
- Souza Lima transfer students may receive up to six transfer credits for ensembles that earn a grade of C or better.
- All students are required to enroll in an ensemble in their first semester at Berklee.
- Principal Instrument:
- Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at a BGP school are nontransferable.
- Berklee’s policy states that all students, including transfer students, must participate in and pass a minimum of four semesters of principal instrument instruction at Berklee, regardless of their level of proficiency.
- All transfer students are required to take a Berklee instrumental/vocal proficiency placement examination upon arrival at Berklee to ensure appropriate placement in principal instrument courses.
We encourage you to review the Berklee Global Academic Partner Berklee Track Guidebook, which provides comprehensive information about the credit transfer process.
Requirements to Graduate
- Residency: All students, including candidates transferring from another school, are normally required to complete a minimum of four semesters of full-time attendance and earn a minimum of 60 credits (48 credits for diploma students) at Berklee College of Music in order to graduate. Credit by exam (CBX), advanced placement credit, CLEP credit, and transfer credit do not count as residency requirement credits, even if earned while at Berklee College of Music. This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
- Attain at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in all major courses and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
- Complete the principal instrument proficiency level, as specified by the major.
- Complete a required final project in the chosen area of concentration, as described and approved by the department chair (as applicable).
- For music education majors, complete all observation and student teaching requirements.
- For music therapy majors, complete all coursework and a six-month, full-time, post-coursework internship.
- Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.
Learn more about the requirements to graduate.
Courses and Credits
Level 1: Required Core Music Courses (34 Potential Transfer Credits)
| Souza Lima Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| Harmony 1 | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| Arranging 1 | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| Harmony 2 | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| Harmony 3 | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| Harmony 4 | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| Ear Training 1 | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| Ear Training 2 | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| Ear Training 3 | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| Ear Training 4 | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| Tonal Harmony 1 | CM-211 Tonal Harmony and Composition 1 (2 credits) |
| Tonal Harmony 2 | CM-212 Tonal Harmony and Composition 2 (2 credits) |
| Tonal Counterpoint I | CP-210 The Art of Counterpoint 1 (3 credits) |
| Tonal Counterpoint II | CP-215 Art of Counterpoint 2 (2 credits)* |
| Regencia I | COND-211 Conducting 1 (1 credit) |
| Regencia II | COND-212 Conducting 2 (1 credit)* |
| Introduction to Music Technology I | MTEC-111 Introduction to Music Technology (2 credits) |
*Berklee music courses required by some Berklee degree programs
Level 2: Other Liberal Arts Courses and General Elective Courses (8 Potential Transfer Credits)
Note: Contact the academic advisor at the institution about the courses below.
| Souza Lima Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| History of Music I and II | MHIS-201 History of Music in the European Tradition (2 credits) |
| Improvisation I | PS-190 Improvisation Concepts Workshop I (2 credits) |
| Improvisation II | PS-192 Improvisation Concepts Workshop II (2 credits) |
| Introduction to Music Technology II | CW-191 Sequencing and Production Techniques (2 credits) |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Level 1 courses: 34 credits
Level 2 courses: 8 credits
Ensemble courses: 6 credits
Total credits: 48 credits