Berklee Online Signs Transfer Articulation with Conservatorio Nacional de Música

On Wednesday, May 7, Berklee Online and the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (CNM) signed a transfer articulation agreement that will allow CNM students in the Dominican Republic to earn their bachelor’s degrees online through Berklee. Debbie Cavalier, Berklee Online’s CEO and cofounder, and the Dominican Republic’s minister of culture, Roberto Ángel Salcedo, were both present for the signing at Berklee’s Boston campus. The Ministry of Culture supports music education in the Dominican Republic and signed the agreement on behalf of the CNM. 

“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Cavalier. “Berklee Online welcomes dozens of students from the Dominican Republic each year. By establishing this agreement, CNM students will have a streamlined pathway toward earning their degree with Berklee. This supports the minister of culture’s vision for the arts and his interest in strengthening the DR’s creative industries. I look forward to welcoming many more CNM students to Berklee Online through this partnership.”

“This agreement represents a strategic alliance that strengthens specialized music education in the country and expands academic and professional opportunities for young national musical talents,” said Salcedo. “This collaboration marks a significant step toward the internationalization of music education for students, while promoting cultural exchange, knowledge transfer, and creating a solid connection with one of the most prestigious music institutions in the world.” 

In 2024, Berklee and the CNM signed an agreement that allowed students in the Dominican Republic to transfer their credits to Berklee College of Music to continue their studies in Boston. 

The new agreement makes a Berklee education even more accessible by allowing CNM students to transfer into a Berklee Online undergraduate degree program without leaving the Dominican Republic. This is Berklee Online’s first articulation agreement with the Dominican Republic, with other international partner school agreements in Colombia, Chile, and India.

"Building on the success of our collaboration with the Conservatorio Nacional de Música through Berklee Global, this new partnership with Berklee Online significantly expands access and opportunity for our Global Partner students in the Dominican Republic, enabling them to continue—and complete—their educational journey with Berklee," added María Iturriaga, senior vice president, Berklee Global.

About the Transfer Agreement

The CNM program is made up of practical and theoretical courses from its Classical Music and Popular Music departments. Once students complete their CNM program, they will receive a Diploma of Intermediate Level Musical Studies. CNM students may transfer to Berklee Online at any point in their studies, as long as they have earned a credential comparable to a high school diploma, which in the Dominican Republic is a bachillerato. Depending on a student’s desired major, CNM students may transfer anywhere from 33 to 54 credits to a Berklee Online undergraduate degree program that consists of 120 total credits. 

About Berklee Online

Founded in 2002, Berklee Online is the premier innovator and largest provider of worldwide music education, offering more than 75,000 students from 164 countries the renowned curriculum of Berklee College of Music, at a fraction of the cost. With more than 18,000 annual enrollments in credit-based courses, certificates, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs, and 3.7 million enrollments in massive open online courses, students receive expert music instruction and emerge with the skills to exceed the demands of the music industry.

About Conservatorio Nacional de Música

The Conservatorio Nacional de Música (CNM) belongs to a group of institutions dedicated to arts education under the supervision of Dirección de Bellas Artes, which is a dependency of the Ministry of Culture in the Dominican Republic. It is considered the highest academic institution specializing in music education and training in the country, offering programs focused on performance, interpretation, and creativity. Founded in 1942, the conservatory has welcomed many of the greatest classical and popular musicians in the Dominican Republic.