Cuyahoga Community College—U.S.
The Music program at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) will connect you with top-notch instructors and professional musicians to help you on your musical journey. Through classes in vocal or instrumental music, theory and history, jazz studies, ear training, and music technology, students prepare for a deeper dive into a musical life.
Tri-C students participate in for-credit performance ensembles of all kinds and enjoy master classes with visiting artists from New York and beyond.
Benefits for Students
This program enables students to begin their music education at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Cleveland, Ohio, 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 Tri-C.
Visit the Tri-C website to learn more about the credit transfer pathway to Berklee.
Contact Information
Tri-C Jazz Studies Program
Gill and Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts
Tri-C Metropolitan Campus
Cuyahoga Community College
2900 Community College Avenue
Cleveland, OH 4411
Alfredo Guerrieri, Lecturer of Music
Tel: (216) 987-4256
Email: Alfredo.Guerrieri@tri-c.edu
About the Program
Students Who Entered Tri-C on or after September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Students transferring from Tri-C 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: Tri-C 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 Tri-C 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.
Tri-C students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at Tri-C.
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:
- Tri-C transfer students will receive up to 6 transfer credits in ensembles after completing one or two credits per course taken at Tri-C 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 Academic Partner Berklee Track Guidebook, which provides comprehensive information about the credit transfer process.
Courses and Credits
Required Transfer Credits: 26
| CCC Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUS 1600 Traditional Theory I | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| MUS 1600 Traditional Theory I | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUS 2650 Jazz Theory II | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1620 Traditional Theory II | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1720 Arranging I | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1610 Ear Training I | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1630 Ear Training II | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| MUS 2610 Ear Training III | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUS 2630 Ear Training IV | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUS 1620 Traditional Theory II | CM-211 Traditional Harmony 1 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1650 Jazz Theory I | CM-212 Traditional Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1570 Technology Tools I | MTEC-111 Introduction to Music Technology (2 credits) |
Additional Potential Transfer Credits: 25
Note: Contact the academic advisor at this institution to ask about the courses below.
| CCC Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| ENG 1010/ENG 101H College Comp II/Honors II | LENG-223 Literature (3 credits) |
| Additional Credits for Communications | LENG-XXX Communications Elective (3 credits) |
| Mathematics and Data Analysis 1000 Level or Higher | LMSC-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| Natural and Physical Science | LMSC-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | LSOC-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| Additional Liberal Arts Courses | LXXX-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| ENG 1010/ENG 101H College Comp I/Honors I | LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
| MUS 1301 Applied Piano Minor I | ISKB-211 or ISKB-221 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
| MUS 1302 Applied Piano Minor II | ISKB-212 or ISKB-222 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
| MUS 2301 Applied Piano Minor III | ISKB-321 Keyboard Class 3 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
| MUS 2302 Applied Piano Minor IV | ISKB-322 Keyboard Class 4 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Required Transfer Credits: 26
Additional Potential Credits: 25
Potential Ensemble Credits: 6
Potential Transfer Credit Total: 57
Students Who Entered Tri-C Prior to September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Tri-C 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 Tri-C 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.
To earn credit for any course in level 1 for which students receive a grade below B, students will be required upon entering Berklee to (1) take the entering student proficiency assessment (ESPA) for harmony and ear training courses; (2) earn credit by exam (CBX) for music technology, tonal harmony, and counterpoint courses; or (3) 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 (or 48 credits for the professional diploma) in order to graduate from the college. This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
See more information about core music courses at Berklee.
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: Tri-C transfer students may receive up to six transfer credits for ensembles.
Principal Instrument: Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at Tri-C 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 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 (26 Potential Transfer Credits)
| CCC Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUS 1600 Traditional Theory I | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) and HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUS 2650 Jazz Theory II | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1620 Traditional Theory II | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1720 Arranging I | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1610 Ear Training I | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1630 Ear Training II | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| MUS 2610 Ear Training III | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUS 2630 Ear Training IV | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUS 1620 Traditional Theory II | CM-211 Traditional Harmony 1 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1650 Jazz Theory I | CM-212 Traditional Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUS 1570 Technology Tools I | MTEC-111 Introduction to Music Technology (2 credits) |
Level 2: Other Liberal Arts and General Elective Courses (25 Potential Transfer Credits)
| CCC Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| ENG 1020/ENG 102H College Comp II/Honors II | LENG-223 Literature (3 credits) |
| COMM 1010/101H Fundamentals of Speech Communications/Honors | LENG-XXX Communications Elective (3 credits) |
| OT36 Mathematics and Data Analysis 1190 Level or Higher | LMSC-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| OT36 Natural and Physical Science | LMSC-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| OT36 Social and Behavioral Sciences | LSOC-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| OT36 Additional Liberal Arts Courses | LXXX-XXX as appropriate (3 credits) |
| ENG 1010/ENG 101H College Comp I/Honors I | LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
| MUS 1301 Applied Piano Minor I | ISKB-211 or ISKB-221 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
| MUS 1302 Applied Piano Minor II | ISKB-212 or ISKB-222 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
| MUS 2301 Applied Piano Minor III | ISKB-321 Keyboard Class 3 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
| MUS 2302 Applied Piano Minor IV | ISKB-322 Keyboard Class 4 for Music Education Majors (1 credit) |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Level 1 courses: 26 credits
Level 2 courses: 25 credits
Ensemble courses: 6 credits
Total: 57 credits