Program Overview
After completing an undergraduate or graduate degree in music, students may wish to continue building their compositional portfolio before pursuing an advanced degree or a career in the industry. Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Graduate Performance Diploma (G.P.D.) is a two-year program that provides concentrated artistic training without the academic coursework required of a master's program. Because the G.P.D. program is designed to maximize students' time spent creating artistic work while minimizing their time in the classroom, students entering the program are expected to be strongly self-motivated and well versed in their knowledge of music. Therefore, an undergraduate degree in music is required to be eligible for enrollment.
Performance Opportunities
G.P.D. composition students receive weekly personalized lessons with their Conservatory instructor and are expected to attend the weekly composition seminar. They are also expected to meet the same artistic requirements as all of our degree candidates, and have access to the same performance opportunities for their work, including the Composer Recital Series, large ensembles, and guest ensembles and performers. In addition, G.P.D. students have a number of elective credits that can be applied to a wide array of course offerings.
Additionally, students are encouraged to take advantage of the Conservatory's prime location in Boston by auditioning for local ensembles and participating in music festivals and competitions. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to build real-world experience and strong professional networks.
Course Requirements
The Graduate Performance Diploma in Composition requires students to complete 24 credits, consisting of the course requirements listed below. View the Sample Curriculum by Semester for additional details.
- M-AP 0009 Applied lessons (12 credits total, 3 credits each)
- M-AP 009x Applied Concentrate lessons (2 credits total, 1–2 credits each)
- M-EN xxxx Ensemble electives (2 credits total, 1–2 credits each)
- M-SK 0009 Recital (0 credit)
- M-ST 0309 Composition Seminar (4 credits total, 1 credit each)
- Xxxxx General electives (4 credits total)
What You Will Learn
Upon successful completion of the G.P.D. in Composition, students will:
- communicate clearly and effectively as creative musical artists as an outcome of private instruction, coursework, and artistic collaborations with their peers and guest artists, as well as exposure to a wide variety of contemporary repertoire;
- clearly and accurately notate their musical ideas using conventional musical notation;
- demonstrate entrepreneurial acumen through organizing, collaborating, and communicating with fellow artists in the creation of performances of their works;
- present a portfolio of video- and audio-recorded performances of their music; and
- speak and write clearly and concisely about their work to audiences of varying familiarity with new musical works through their experience speaking during performances, creating program notes, presenting their work to their peers in seminars and studio classes, as well as to the faculty during juries.
How to apply
Gainful Employment Disclosure
