Information for International Applicants

On this page, you will find information on application requirements that pertain specifically to applicants who have attended school outside the U.S. and Canada. Be sure to also familiarize yourself with the overall process for applying to Berklee College of Music.

Transcripts and Credential Evaluations

Applicants with schooling that has been completed outside the U.S. and Canada are required to submit a credential evaluation report from an accredited credential evaluation agency. Berklee works closely with SpanTran and Educational Credential Evaluators, and we recommend their services. Please ask for a course-by-course evaluation with grades. 

Any applicant who is enrolled in or has graduated from an international baccalaureate (IB) diploma school with an IB diploma is exempt from submitting documents through a credential evaluator.

English Language and TOEFL Requirements

If you are applying to the degree program and your first language is not English, you are required to submit an English test score to complete your application for admission. The following tests are accepted as proof of English proficiency: 

Test

Recommended Minimum Score

TOEFL iBT

The following TOEFL tests are not accepted: TOEFL Special Home Edition, TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL ITP

72

IELTS

The IELTS Academic is preferred, but the General Training is also accepted. IELTS Indicator is not accepted.

6.0

Duolingo English Test

110

PTE Academic

48

English Language Requirement Waiver

If you complete an IB Diploma (excluding the IB Bilingual Diploma), your English test requirement can be waived. If you have studied for two years of high school or two semesters of college entirely in English, your requirement can also be waived. When your transcripts arrive, we will review them to see if they meet the requirements for a waiver.

Visa Requirements for Accepted International Students

International students will have to obtain an F-1 student visa prior to commencing their study in the U.S. Learn more about international visas.


Questions?

If you are an international applicant and have questions about applying to Berklee, please contact us at admissions@berklee.edu or by calling the Office of Admissions at 617-747-2222.