Berklee Summer Semester

Woman playing guitar outside of 160 Massachusetts Avenue.

Spend an entire summer at Berklee pursuing your passion for guitar performance or songwriting. You'll join a community of musicians, creatives, and innovators who, like you, want to explore everything there is to their craft. Dive into focused studies in either guitar or songwriting as you learn from renowned faculty at Berklee's world-class facilities in Boston. Upon successful completion of your studies, you will earn a certificate and eight college credits, which can be transferred to many other colleges and universities around the world.

2023 Program Information

Program length:	12 weeks
Move-in date:	2023 dates coming soon
Orientation dates:	2023 dates coming soon
Program dates:	2023 dates coming soon
Age range:	16 years and older
Registration fee:	$50
Tuition:	$13,240
Housing:	$8,000
Housing prepayment: This is a nonrefundable, nontransferable deposit to secure your spot in our residence halls.	$500
Comprehensive fee: This covers the cost of non-curricular facilities, programs, and services.	$666
Health insurance: This may be waived with proof of comparable insurance coverage.	$703
Payment deadline:	May 1

Program information is subject to change.

Engaging Coursework

Based on your track, your classes during the Berklee Summer Semester will include the following:

Guitar Track

Private Instruction (two credits): Study one-on-one with a Berklee faculty member to improve your technique and overall musicianship.
Four Guitar Labs/Ensembles (four credits): Enhance your understanding of a variety of contemporary styles or focus on areas such as sight reading or soloing.
Survey of Guitar Styles (two credits): Explore contemporary guitar players and styles through listening exposure and transcriptions.

Songwriting Track

Songwriting 1 (two credits): Explore songwriting techniques in a variety of styles to develop a strong sense of form, melody, harmony, bass-line development, and rhythm.
Lyric Writing 1 (two credits): Study the structural aspects of lyric writing with an emphasis on compositional decisions and the choices available to you.
Singer-Songwriter Workshop (two credits): Write and perform your own material, developing your ability to express your persona to the audience with the song as your vehicle.
Business of Songwriting (two credits): Learn the business considerations of songwriting, including making and marketing demos, copyright law, publishing contracts, sources of royalty income, performance societies, and collection agencies.

World-Class Facilities

As a student in the Berklee Summer Semester, you will have access to Berklee's many resources:

Practice rooms
Ensemble rehearsal rooms
Visiting artist clinics
Stan Getz Library and Media Center
Learning Center
Career Development Center
Counseling Services
Campus Life Center
Student discounts on tickets to Berklee concerts

Entrance Requirements

No audition is required. You will need a minimum of two years of formal music training or experience in your area of study (guitar or songwriting), and a good working knowledge of the written fundamentals of music theory (including rhythmic notation, melodic notation in treble and bass clefs, key signatures, major and minor scales, intervals, and the construction of triads and seventh chords).

Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to participate only if they are already in the U.S. on a valid visa that allows for postsecondary study. Berklee is unable to sponsor F-1 student visas for this program, and entry on a tourist visa or ESTA waiver is not permitted for participation.

Transfer Credit and Study Abroad

Students currently attending a university program may earn transferable credit through completion of the Berklee Summer Semester. Check with your institution to see what credits can be applied.

Main Site

Summer Programs