Music Production and Engineering Bachelor's Degree

The music production and engineering (MP&E) experience at Berklee prepares you to enter the current music production field as an effective professional in any number of roles within a landscape of rapidly evolving tools and techniques. Your experience will prepare you to appropriately adapt to the changing demands of the recording industry.

WATCH

Real World Studios Recording Session

Music Production and Engineering students visit Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England, and assist in a recording session with the artist Robert Vincent.

The student engineers are Wadhams Production Scholars and have the opportunity to record in world-class studios with some of the industry's top producers and engineers.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Learn about financial aid, scholarships, and others ways of paying for your Berklee education.

Alumni Story

Kenzie B.M. '99

Global hit-maker and alumna Kenzie B.M. '99 has composed for some of the biggest names in K-Pop, including Girls' Generation, f(x), KangTa, BoA, and Super Junior. Her glittering, electro-dance music has captured the attention of audiences throughout her native Seoul and across the globe.

Student Spotlight

Music Production and Engineering Student Federico Masetti Pushes toward Dreams

Federico Masetti, president of the Berklee chapter of the Audio Engineering Society, founds the nonprofit MusicXChange Ghana.

Full Description

Through in-studio classroom experience, hands-on project work, and exposure to resident and visiting industry professionals, you will:

develop an informed and critical aesthetic vision;
gain a thorough knowledge and understanding of complex technical systems;
learn to collaborate effectively with others in numerous musical settings through participation as an engineer and producer;
learn to define quality using both musical and technical criteria, and to apply those criteria to your work and to the work of others; and
refine your communication and time-management skills in the context of multidisciplinary productions.

Please review these frequently asked questions to learn more about applying to the MP&E major. Prospective students indicating preference for this major will be sent detailed information by the Office of Admissions.

What Will I Learn?

The learning outcomes for the MP&E major fall under four main themes: professional discourse and analysis, tools and technology, methodologies and best practices, and business.

Upon successful completion of this major, students will:

apply critical listening skills and advanced analysis of both the aesthetic form and commercial function of records to evaluate audio program material across a variety of genres, and make technical and artistic decisions based upon that critical analysis;
multitrack record, overdub, edit, and mix both live ensemble and electronically-produced sources, using complex analog and digital audio systems while demonstrating professional best practices;
demonstrate a high-level understanding of the underlying technology and use of microphones, recording consoles, signal processing, signal flows and DAW workflows, and the ability to adapt to diverse and changing technology environments;
manifest an informed and critical aesthetic vision while leading a creative project from idea inception to final delivery;
successfully collaborate with others in a variety of musical settings through participation as an engineer and/or producer;
communicate effectively, and employ time management skills in the context of multistage multidisciplinary productions;
develop business plans and budgets in the context of multi-stakeholder music production projects; and
produce and deliver commercially competitive masters to record labels and other media outlets in a variety of recommended formats.

Entrance Requirements

Due to the rigor and popularity of the program, admission to the MP&E major is by application only. Acceptance is competitive and decisions are based on musicianship, prior academic record, and demonstrated passion for the craft.

Applications are accepted online at the beginning of fall and spring semesters, and students typically apply during their second semester on campus.

Application Process

The application is a two-step process that includes:

submission of a written online application consisting of a series of short-answer essays; and
a five-minute (maximum) video responding to selected prompts.

Once received, applications will be reviewed by the MP&E selections committee. All applicants will be notified of their decision via email prior to registration for the following semester.

Prerequisites

You must be a currently enrolled Berklee College of Music student before being considered for admission to the MP&E major. Prior to applying, potential applicants must have completed at least one semester of study at the college or have a minimum of 12 transfer credits. Students intending to apply for MP&E should enroll in MP-113 no later than their second semester.

For detailed information on the application process, including specific information for Berklee Global Partner students, please see the answers to frequently asked questions.

Curriculum and Courses

There are 32 required credits specific to this major in addition to the B.M. required core music courses (41 credits), liberal arts courses (40 credits), and general electives (7 credits) for a degree total of 120 credits. See the sample curriculum here.

32 credits specific to the major:

MP-113 Accelerated Pro Tools Online (2 credits)
MP-211 Principles of Audio Technology 1 (2 credits)
MP-214 Critical Listening Lab (1 credit)
MP-215 Production Analysis Lab (1 credit)
MP-225 Audio and MIDI Systems for Music Production (2 credits)
MP-226 Hybrid Production (2 credits)
MP-212 Principles of Audio Technology 2 (2 credits)
MP-241 Mix Techniques (2 credits)
MP-318 Creative Production Skills (2 credits)
MP-340 Multitrack Recording Techniques (2 credits)
MP-341 Mix Techniques 2 (2 credits)
MP-320 Music Production for Records (2 credits)
MP-385 Advanced Recording Techniques (2 credits)
MP-447 The Business of Music Production (2 credits)
MP-461 Advanced Production Projects (2 credits)
Major electives: 4 credits (see grids for more information; select any MP elective level 200 or above or MTEC elective level 300 or above)

In addition, LMSC-208 or LMSC-209 Music Acoustics or Architechtural Acoustics (3 credits) is recommended for MP&E students to fulfill their Mathematics/Natural Sciences degree requirement.

Updated for catalogue year fall 2024

Sample Curriculum by Semester

Music Production and Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Music Production and Engineering Diploma

Music Production and Engineering Bachelor's Degree

Undergraduate Programs

Real World Studios Recording Session