Miami Dade College—U.S.
The Miami Dade College music department has guided its students to top universities in our state and around the nation, success stories underscored by our articulation agreements. The articulation agreements allow Associate in Arts pathway students to continue their educations at prestigious four-year institutions.
In addition to providing private instruction on all instruments, the department is home to a variety of associate degree options and performance ensembles that foster the development of creativity, proficiency, and perspective.
You can play a part in transforming the lives of our talented music students through scholarships and academic program initiatives. Your contribution ensures that Performing Arts and Industries continues to be a vital source in enriching the lives of students and the community through the performing arts.
Visit the Miami Dade website to learn more about the credit transfer pathway to Berklee.
Benefits for Students
This program enables students to begin their music education at Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida, and complete an undergraduate degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Once accepted to Berklee, students may receive transfer credit for certain courses taken at Miami Dade.
Miami Dade College works collaboratively with Berklee to present music clinics and master classes each academic year. Additionally, Berklee holds auditions and interviews for students at the Miami Dade College campus.
Contact Information
Miami Dade College - Kendall Campus
11011 SW 104 Street, Room 8121
Miami FL 33176
Brenda Cervantes, Music/Humanities Lab Manager
305-237-2859
bcervant@mdc.edu
Miami Dade College - Wolfson Campus
300 NE 2nd Ave
Suite 3604
Miami, FL 33132
Mark Small, Director of Jazz Studies
(305) 237-3067
msmall@mdc.edu
Miami Dade College - North Campus
11380 NW 27 Ave, Room 5226
Miami, FL 33167
Building 5 - 2nd floor
Andy Quiroga, Chair Person
305-237-1450
aquiroga@mdc.edu
About the Program
Students Who Entered Miami Dade College on or after September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Students transferring from Miami Dade College 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: Miami Dade College 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 SJA 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.
Miami Dade College students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at Miami Dade College.
Liberal Arts and General Electives
Students seeking to transfer credit to Berklee must first take the steps outlined in the Pre-Approval Process to determine whether the desired course(s) qualify for transfer.
- 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 6 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 6 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:
- Miami Dade College transfer students will receive up to six transfer credits in ensembles after completing one or two credits per course taken at Miami Dade College 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
- 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.
We encourage you to review the Berklee Global Partner Berklee Track Guidebook, which provides comprehensive information about the credit transfer process.
Courses and Credits
Required Transfer Credits: 20
| Miami Dade College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUT 1111 Theory I (3 credits) | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| MUT 1112 Theory II (3 credits) | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2116 Theory III (3 credits) | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2117 Theory IV (3 credits) | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2351 Introduction to Popular Music Arranging | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| MUT 1241 Sightsinging and Ear Training 1 (1 credit) | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| MUT 1242 Sightsinging and Ear Training 2 (1 credit) | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2246 Sightsinging and Ear Training 3 (1 credit) | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUT 2247 Sightsinging and Ear Training 4 (1 credit) | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
Additional Potential Transfer Credits 38
Note: Contact the academic advisor at this institution about the courses below.
| Miami Dade College Courses | BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC COURSE EQUIVALENTS |
|---|---|
| ENC 1101 English Composition I (Gen Ed.) | LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
| ENC 1102 English Composition II (Gen Ed.) | LENG-223 Literature (3 credits) |
| SPC 1017 Fundamentals of Speech (Gen Ed.) | LENG-211 Effective Communication (3 credits) |
| (Old course) MGF 1106 Mathematics for Liberal Arts I (Gen Ed.) (New course 20220901) MGF1130 Mathematical Thinking | LMSC-xxx Mathematics course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
| (Old course) MGF 1107 (MAC) Mathematics for Liberal Arts II (Gen Ed.) (New course 20220901) MGF1131 Mathematics in Context | LMSC-xxx Mathematics course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
| HUN 1201 Essentials of Human Nutrition (Gen Ed.) | LMSC-xxx Natural Science course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
PSC 1121 General Education Physical Science (Gen Ed.) or, AST 1002 Descriptive Astronomy (Gen Ed) | LMSC-xxx Natural Science course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
| CLP 1006 Psychology of Personal Effectiveness (Gen Ed.) | MTH-301 Behavioral Assessment and Observation (3 credits) |
| AMH 2010 History of the US to 1877 (Gen Ed.) | LHIS-2xx History Elective (3 credits) |
| ARH 1000 Art Appreciation (Any Gen Ed. Art History) | LVIS-223 Art History Topics (3 credits) |
| MUH 2111 Survey of Music History 1 (Gen Ed.) and MUH 2112 Survey of Music History 2 (Gen Ed.) | MHIS-201 History of Music in the European Tradition (2 credits) |
| MUT 2238 Jazz Keyboard Harmony 1 | ILPN-271 Jazz Harmonic Techniques for Piano 1 (1 credit) |
| MUT 2239 Jazz Keyboard Harmony 2 | ILPN-272 Jazz Harmonic Techniques for Piano 2 (1 credit) |
| MUT 2641 Introduction to Jazz Improvisation 1 | PSIJ-211 Jazz Improvisational Techniques (2 credits) |
| MUT 2642 Jazz Improvisation 2 | PSIJ-221 Jazz Improvisations Techniques 1 (2 credits) |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Required Transfer Credits: 20
Additional Potential Credits: 38
Potential Ensemble Courses: 6
Potential Transfer Credit Total: 64
Students Who Entered Miami Dade College Prior to September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Miami Dade 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 Miami Dade in accordance with an agreement between the two schools.
Students transferring to Berklee must earn a grade of C or higher (2.00–4.00) in each level 1 (core music) course, and a grade of C or higher (2.00–4.00) in each level 2 (other liberal arts and general electives) course designated for transfer in this agreement (see "Required Courses" below) in order to receive transfer credit from Berklee.
In order to earn credit for any course in Level 1 for which students receive a grade below “B”, students will be required upon entering Berklee either (1) to take the Entering Student Proficiency Assessment (ESPA) (for Harmony and Ear Training courses); or (2) to earn credit by exam (CBX) (for Music Technology, Tonal Harmony, and Counterpoint courses), or (3) to enroll in the course at Berklee. For any course in Level 2 for which students receive a grade below “C” credit will not be granted.
Residency Requirements
Students attending Berklee’s on-campus programs under this agreement must fulfill Berklee’s residency requirement: All students, including candidates transferring from another school, are normally required to complete at least four semesters of attendance and a minimum of 60 credits for the bachelor of music degree and 48 credits for the diploma at Berklee in order to graduate from the college. This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
See more information about the Berklee core music courses.
Liberal Arts and General Electives
Students seeking to transfer credit to Berklee must first take the steps outlined in the Pre-Approval Process to determine whether the desired course(s) qualify for transfer.
- 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: nine 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 six 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: Miami Dade transfer students may receive up to six transfer credits for ensembles.
Principal Instrument: Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at Miami Dade will not transfer directly. Students must participate in and pass a minimum of four semesters of principal instrument instruction at Berklee. All transferring students are required to take a Berklee instrumental/vocal proficiency placement examination upon arrival and may receive advanced placement in principal instrument courses. Any credit resulting from advanced placement in the principal instrument will be awarded when all other requirements for graduation have been completed.
Potential transfer credits in ensembles: six credits
We encourage you to review the Berklee Global 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, Potential Transfer Credits: 20
| Miami Dade College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUT 1111 Theory I (3 credits) | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| MUT 1112 Theory II (3 credits) | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2116 Theory III (3 credits) | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2117 Theory IV (3 credits) | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2351 Introduction to Popular Music Arranging | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| MUT 1241 Sightsinging and Ear Training 1 (1 credit) | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| MUT 1242 Sightsinging and Ear Training 2 (1 credit) | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| MUT 2246 Sightsinging and Ear Training 3 (1 credit) | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUT 2247 Sightsinging and Ear Training 4 (1 credit) | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
Level 2: Other Liberal Arts and General Elective Courses, Potential Transfer Credits 38
Note: Contact the academic advisor at this institution about the courses below.
| Miami Dade College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| ENC 1101 English Composition I (Gen Ed.) | LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
| ENC 1102 English Composition II (Gen Ed.) | LENG-223 Literature (3 credits) |
| SPC 1017 Fundamentals of Speech (Gen Ed.) | LENG-211 Effective Communication (3 credits) |
| MGF 1106 Mathematics for Liberal Arts I (Gen Ed.) | LMSC-xxx Mathematics course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
| MGF 1107 (MAC) Mathematics for Liberal Arts II (Gen Ed.) | LMSC-xxx Mathematics course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
| HUN 1201 Essentials of Human Nutrition (Gen Ed.) | LMSC-xxx Natural Science course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
PSC 1121 General Education Physical Science (Gen Ed.) or, AST 1002 Descriptive Astronomy (Gen Ed) | LMSC-xxx Natural Science course (200 level or above) (3 credits) |
| CLP 1006 Psychology of Personal Effectiveness (Gen Ed.) | MTH-301 Behavioral Assessment and Observation (3 credits) |
| AMH 2010 History of the US to 1877 (Gen Ed.) | LHIS-2xx History Elective (3 credits) |
| ARH 1000 Art Appreciation (Any Gen Ed. Art History) | LVIS-223 Art History Topics (3 credits) |
| MUH 2111 Survey of Music History 1 (Gen Ed.) and MUH 2112 Survey of Music History 2 (Gen Ed.) | MHIS-201 History of Music in the European Tradition (2 credits) |
| MUT 2238 Jazz Keyboard Harmony 1 | ILPN-271 Jazz Harmonic Techniques for Piano 1 (1 credit) |
| MUT 2239 Jazz Keyboard Harmony 2 | ILPN-272 Jazz Harmonic Techniques for Piano 2 (1 credit) |
| MUT 2641 Introduction to Jazz Improvisation 1 | PSIJ-211 Jazz Improvisational Techniques (2 credits) |
| MUT 2642 Jazz Improvisation 2 | PSIJ-221 Jazz Improvisations Techniques 1 (2 credits) |
*Note that other Miami Dade College courses will satisfy the liberal arts requirements.
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Level 1 Core Music Courses: 20 credits
Level 2 Other Liberal Arts and General Elective Courses: 38 credits
Ensemble Courses: 6 credits
Total potential transfer credits: 64 credits