First-Semester Schedule Components
Berklee College of Music's first-semester schedule includes foundational courses in core music, performance, and liberal arts and sciences. Each program (degree or diploma) has a set of course components that are required to ensure you stay on track for major selection and timely graduation.
You can verify your program by logging on to my.berklee.edu, clicking on the "My Registration Profile" link, and looking under the title "Academic Profile."
Determining Your First-Semester Schedule: Assessment, Exams, and Audition
Berklee uses your responses to the Entering Student Proficiency Assessment (ESPA) and other placement forms and assessments to create a first-semester schedule of classes that are the best fit for you. Learn more about how Berklee builds each component of your first-semester schedule below:
Harmony, Arranging, Ear Training, and Music Technology
Berklee uses your responses to the virtual ESPA to ensure accurate placement in your core music courses of harmony, arranging, and ear training. You cannot pass or fail the assessment, and no grade will be assigned to the results. It is simply an assessment to ensure you are placed in classes with other students of similar music theory knowledge.
Your responses to the last section of the ESPA is to determine if you need to take Introduction to Music Technology (MTEC-111) or a higher-level course. If you successfully test out of MTEC-111, you will earn credit by exam (CBX) and may be placed in a course such as MTEC-213 Producing Music with Ableton Live or MTEC-214 Producing Music with Logic Pro.
Here are some resources for ESPA preparation.
Private Instruction and Ensemble
Berklee offers virtual placement auditions leading up to the semester as well as in-person placement auditions during orientation week. This audition is used to determine the appropriate private lesson instructor for you and to assign you an ensemble rating. The ensemble rating is simply a placement tool and is not designed to be viewed as an indicator of your potential to succeed at Berklee or in the music industry.
You are graded in four areas using a 1–8 rating system. The four rated areas are reading, instrumental skill, improvisation, and rhythmic interpretation. The four numerical ratings are averaged together for an overall rating. Here's an example of what the rating looks like: 2, 2, 1, 1, 1. The fifth number is the overall rating, which is used for ensemble placement. This example has an overall rating of 1.5, which is rounded down to 1. Any overall rating at .6 or higher would be rounded up.
Liberal Arts Engaging Seminar (LENS) and Introduction to College Writing
LENS
This course will help you navigate your Berklee education, build your foundation as a student and an artist, and foster your creative community.
Introduction to College Writing
A three-credit liberal arts course is required for all first-semester degree-seeking students. The majority of entering students take Introduction to College Writing; however, some students enter Berklee with transfer credits (including qualifying AP or CLEP scores). Students who receive transfer credit for Introduction to College Writing will be placed into another three-credit liberal arts course that will fulfill a liberal arts graduation requirement.
Students seeking transfer credit must submit their most recent college transcript to update their transfer credit records. Some documents may already have been submitted during the application process. Students who are seeking transfer credit via CLEP or AP should submit their official score report or reports to the Office of Admissions.
Information on how to submit an official transcript to the Office of Admissions is available on the Transcript and Other Support Materials page.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Students from countries where English is not the official language must take the English Proficiency Exam. Based on exam results, students may be placed in one of four levels of an English as a second language (ESL) course. Both degree and diploma students are required to take an ESL course if they place into one.
More Placement Options for Transfer Students and Classically Training Musicians
Traditional Harmony and Counterpoint Exam
This exam offers you the opportunity to receive credit for Traditional Harmony (CM-211 and CM-212), provided that you demonstrate strong comprehension of the subject matter.
Exam dates and information will be provided on your orientation schedule. Students are encouraged to take sample tests (Berklee OnePass login required).
Note: You can take this exam in any semester, not just in your entering semester.
Math Test
The General Math and Logarithms Exam is an online exam to satisfy prerequisite requirements. Course credits are not given for passing the test. Certain required courses in the music business, music production and engineering, contemporary writing and production, and electronic production and design majors require a math proficiency prerequisite.
Learn more about the online math exam.
Note: You can take this exam in any semester, not just in your entering semester. This test is for placement only and is not considered a test-out option for the liberal arts math/science requirement.
