Escuela de Música Contemporánea (EMC)—Argentina
Escuela de Música Contemporánea (EMC) was founded in 1997 in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. Combining theory with practical experience, EMC’s main purpose is to prepare students for careers in contemporary music in such a way that they will make a significant contribution to society and the musical scene in the region.
Diploma Programs:
- Professional music
- Composition and arranging
- Performance
- Music production
Benefits for Students
EMC has been collaborating with and hosting programs by Berklee College of Music and its faculty from the time of its inception. The institution has held a credit transfer agreement since 2013 that allows students to begin their studies at EMC prior to finishing their degrees at Berklee. EMC has been hosting Berklee auditions and interviews in Argentina on a yearly basis since 2011.
EMC counts 35 faculty members who are among the finest performers on the local scene. Several are Berklee alumni, and some others are former EMC students. Jazz, blues, rock, pop, Latin American, and Argentinean popular music are the main styles on which instruction focuses. Currently, EMC has almost 500 students, with a high percentage of international students, mostly from South and Central America.
EMC is also one of the founding members of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Escuelas de Música (ALAEMUS) and presents annual summits, and its goals are to promote collaboration among Latin American institutions, students, and teachers, as well as to promote the exchange of educational material and publications.
EMC 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 EMC in accordance with an agreement between the two schools.
Students transferring to Berklee must earn a grade of B or higher (3.00–4.00) 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 transferring to the Bachelor of Music degree program at Berklee College of Music 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 at Berklee may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credit. Students attending Berklee’s on-campus programs under this agreement must fulfill Berklee’s residency requirement (see above). This requirement will be applied regardless of the number of credits transferred.
See more information about liberal arts courses at Berklee.
Performance Courses
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Ensembles: EMC transfer students may receive up to six transfer credits for ensembles.
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Principal Instrument: Principal instrument courses (private lessons) taken at EMC are non-transferable. 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.
Potential transfer credits in ensembles: 6 credits
We encourage you to review the Berklee Global Academic Partner Berklee Track Guidebook, which provides comprehensive information about the credit transfer process.
Level 1: Required Core Music Courses (31 Potential Transfer Credits)
| EMC Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| NTM I Music Theory and Notation I and NTM II Music Theory and Notation II |
PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| APC I Harmony I | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| APC II Harmony II | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| APC III Harmony III | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| ARR I Arranging I | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
| INA I Introduction to Ear Training I and INA II Introduction to Ear Training II |
ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| EAP I Ear Training I | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| EAP II Ear Training II | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| EAP III Ear Training III | ET-212 Ear Training 4 (2 credits) or ET-232 Solfege 2 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| ART I Traditional Harmony and Composition I | CM-211 Traditional Harmony and Composition 1 (2 credits) |
| ART II Traditional Harmony and Composition II | CM-212 Traditional Harmony and Composition 2 (2 credits) |
| CTO I Traditional Counterpoint I | CP-210 The Art of Counterpoint (3 credits) |
| CTO II Traditional Counterpoint II | CP-215 Art of Counterpoint 2 (2 credits)* |
| TAM Technology Applied to Music with PME Electronic Music Production and PRT Pro Tools | MTEC-111 Introduction to Music Technology (2 credits) |
Level 2: Other Liberal Arts Courses and General Elective Courses (12 Potential Transfer Credits)
Note: Contact the academic advisor at this institution to ask about the courses below.
| EMC Course | BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC COURSE EQUIVALENTS |
|---|---|
| Evolution of Western Music (EMO) | MHIS-201 History of Music in the European Tradition (2 credits) |
| Jazz History | MLAN-xxx Music Literature, History, and Analysis Electives (2 credits) |
| APC IV Harmony IV | HR-325 Reharmonization Techniques (2 credits) |
| LPNC 1 Secondary Piano Lab 1 | ISKB-211 Basic Keyboard Techniques I (1 credit) |
| LPNC 2 Secondary Piano Lab 2 | ISKB-212 Basic Keyboard Techniques II (1 credit) |
| AMF Folkloric and Latin American Music Arranging | CW-217 Writing in Folkloric Latin Styles (2 credits) |
| RIM Improvisation Resources | PSHR-321 Harmonic Considerations in Improvisation 1 (2 credits) |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Level 1 courses: 31 credits
Level 2 courses: 12 credits
Ensemble courses: 6 credits
Total: 49 credits