Holland College—Canada
Holland College School of Performing Arts provides an opportunity for students to develop their artistic skills, share their passion for music, theater, and dance; explore career options in the performing arts; and gain an understanding of the business side of the performance industry.
Visit the Holland College website to learn more about the credit transfer pathway to Berklee.
Benefits for Students
Holland College School of Performing Arts (SoPA) offers students four different program offerings in music performance, dance performance, theater performance, and performing arts foundation. Holland College offers students the unique opportunity to enjoy hands-on learning with a competency-based curriculum and work with instructors who come straight from the stage and studio. The School of Performing Arts has articulation agreements with Berklee, Saint Francis University, and Acadia University.
Students learn how to interpret, improvise, and perform many contemporary music styles, such as jazz, Celtic, R&B, and others. In addition to theory and arranging, students learn the ins and outs of the music business. SoPA uses licensed curriculum, developed by Berklee, for all core music courses. Students have the opportunity to develop their performance style on stage in the state-of-the-art Florence Simmons Performance Hall and in SoPA’s newest rehearsal space, the SoPA Garage.
The Berklee Pathway program, delivered with core Berklee curriculum, provides students with the opportunity to study at Holland College for two years, and upon successful completion and a successful audition, attend Berklee for degree completion. With highly competitive tuition options, excellent curriculum, and outstanding instructors, this pathway option will help students obtain a Berklee music degree.
About the Program
Students Who Entered Holland College on or after September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Students transferring from Holland 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: Holland 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 Holland 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.
Holland students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at Holland.
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 6 credits in liberal arts and may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credits.
Performance Courses
- Ensembles:
- Holland transfer students will receive up to 6 transfer credits in ensembles after completing one or two credits per course taken at Holland 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.
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: 18
| Holland College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUSC-1000 Music Theory: Introduction | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| MUSC-1030 Harmony: Introduction | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1005 Ear Training I | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2000 Harmony: Intermediate | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1035 Ear Training II | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2105 Ear Training III | ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-231 Solfege 1 (2 credits), depending on Berklee major requirement |
| MUSC-2070 Harmony: Advanced | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2005 Arranging: Introduction | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
Additional Potential Transfer Credits: 33
Note: Contact the academic advisor at this institution to ask about the courses below.
| Holland College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUSC-1010 Music Styles: Rock and Country | MLAN-335 Analysis Progressive Rock Music (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1045 Music Styles: R&B and Pop | MLAN-2xx Music Analysis elective (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2015 Music Styles: Celtic and World Music | MLAN-2xx Music Analysis elective (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2050 Music Styles: Jazz and Latin | MLAN-2xx Music Analysis elective (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1040 Music Licensing for Film Television and Video Games | MB-415 International Music Licensing (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1020 Keyboard Harmony: Introduction | ISKB-211 Basic Keyboard Techniques I (1 credit) |
| MUSC-1055 Keyboard Harmony: Intermediate | ISKB-212 Basic Keyboard Techniques 2 (1 credit) |
| COMM-1002 Writing for College and UPEI ENGLISH 101 Academic Writing | LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
UPEI ENGLISH 192 Introduction to Literature | LENG-223 Literature (3 credits) |
| FUNARTS-1030 Art History and Criticism | LVIS-2xx Art History (3 credits) |
| UPEI any 3-credit history course except 103, 104, and 378 | LHIS-2xx History (3 credits) |
| ANAT-1000 Anatomy and Physiology (recommended for students who plan to study music therapy) | LMSC-424 Human Anatomy and Physiology (3 credits) |
| One 3-credit math or natural science course, 200-level or above, from the list below (3 credits) | |
| CHEM-1000 General Chemistry | LMSC-2xx Natural Science elective |
| BIOL-1100 Environmental Microbiology | LMSC-2xx Natural Science elective |
| KINE-1146 Physiology of Human Movement | LMSC-2xx Natural Science elective |
| Math-1290 Introductory Statistics (recommended for students who plan to major in music business/management) | LMSC-251 Data Management and Statistics |
| One 3-credit math or natural science course, 200-level or above, from the list below (3 credits) | |
| BUSI-2030 Economics (recommended for students who plan to major in music business/management) | LSOC-225 Principles of Economics (for students who plan to major in music business/management) |
| PSYC-2025 | LSOC-411 Child and Adolescent Psychology |
| PSYC-1001 Psychology I Core Concepts | LSOC-211 General Psychology |
| PSYC-1002 Psychology II Core Concepts | LSOC-2xx Social Science elective |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Required Transfer Credits: 18
Additional Potential Transfer Credits: 33
Potential Ensemble Credits: 6
Potential Transfer Credit Total: 57
Students Who Entered Holland College Prior to September 1, 2022
Entrance Requirements
Holland 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: Holland 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 Holland 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.
Holland students planning to transfer to Berklee under this agreement must do so within four years after completing their program of study at Holland.
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 6 credits in liberal arts and may use up to 12 liberal arts credits (four courses) as general elective credits.
Performance Courses
- Ensembles:
- Holland transfer students may receive up to 3 transfer credits in ensembles after completing the courses in Block 1 and up to 6 transfer credits in ensembles for completing the courses in both Block 1 and Block 2.
- 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 (16 Potential Transfer Credits)
Students must complete all of the Level 1 Required core music Courses listed in Block 1 below to be eligible for transfer credits. Contact the academic advisor at this institution to ask for details.
| BLOCK 1 (8 credits) | |
|---|---|
| Holland College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
| MUSC-1000 Music Theory: Introduction | PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| MUSC-1030 Harmony: Introduction | HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1005 Ear Training: Introduction | ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| BLOCK 2 (8 Potential additional credits) | |
|---|---|
| MUSC-2000 Harmony: Intermediate | HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1035 Ear Training: Intermediate | ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2070 Harmony: Advanced | HR-212 Harmony 4 (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2005 Arranging: Introduction | AR-111 Arranging 1 (2 credits) |
Level 2: Other Liberal Arts and General Electives (49 Potential Transfer Credits)
Note: Contact the academic advisor at this institution to ask about the courses below.
| Holland College Courses | Berklee College of Music Course Equivalents |
|---|---|
| MUSC-1010 Music Styles: Rock and Country | MLAN-335 Analysis Progressive Rock Music (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1045 Music Styles: R&B and Pop | MLAN-2xx Music Analysis elective (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2015 Music Styles: Celtic and World Music | MLAN-2xx Music Analysis elective (2 credits) |
| MUSC-2050 Music Styles: Jazz and Latin | MLAN-2xx Music Analysis elective (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1040 Music Licensing for Film Television and Video Games | MB-415 International Music Licensing (2 credits) |
| MUSC-1020 Keyboard Harmony: Introduction | ISKB-211 Basic Keyboard Techniques I (1 credit) |
| MUSC-1055 Keyboard Harmony: Intermediate | ISKB-212 Basic Keyboard Techniques 2 (1 credit) |
| COMM-1002 Writing for College and UPEI ENGLISH 101 Academic Writing | LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
UPEI ENGLISH 192 Introduction to Literature | LENG-223 Literature (3 credits) |
| FUNARTS-1030 Art History and Criticism | LVIS-2xx Art History (3 credits) |
| UPEI any 3-credit history course except 103, 104, and 378 | LHIS-2xx History (3 credits) |
| ANAT-1000 Anatomy and Physiology (recommended for students who plan to study music therapy) | LMSC-424 Human Anatomy and Physiology (3 credits) |
| One 3-credit math or natural science course, 200-level or above, from the list below (3 credits) | |
| CHEM-1000 General Chemistry | LMSC-2xx Natural Science elective |
| BIOL-1100 Environmental Microbiology | LMSC-2xx Natural Science elective |
| KINE-1146 Physiology of Human Movement | LMSC-2xx Natural Science elective |
| Math-1290 Introductory Statistics (recommended for students who plan to major in music business/management) | LMSC-251 Data Management and Statistics (3 credits) |
| One 3-credit math or natural science course, 200-level or above, from the list below (3 credits) | |
| BUSI-2030 Economics (recommended for students who plan to major in music business/management) | LSOC-225 Principles of Economics (for students who plan to major in music business/management) |
| PSYC-2025 | LSOC-411 Child and Adolescent Psychology |
| PSYC-1001 Psychology I Core Concepts | LSOC-211 General Psychology |
| PSYC-1002 Psychology II Core Concepts | LSOC-2xx Social Science elective |
Potential Transfer Credit Summary
Level 1 courses: 16 credits
Level 2 courses: 33 credits
Ensemble courses: 6 credits
Total: 55 credits