Berklee College of Music

What is the history of Berklee College of Music?

Berklee College of Music began in Boston in 1945 as Schillinger House, founded by Lawrence Berk. Its early focus on contemporary music distinguished it from conservatories centered primarily on classical performance. The school later became Berklee School of Music and adopted the name Berklee College of Music in 1970.

A major change came in 2016, when Berklee and the Boston Conservatory joined together. The conservatory now operates as Boston Conservatory at Berklee, extending the institution's offerings in classical music, dance, and theater. Berklee also operates a campus in Valencia, Spain, and offers degrees through Berklee Online. These are distinct study settings: an applicant should check which school, campus, and degree program an admissions or tuition policy covers.

What are the faculties and departments at Berklee College of Music?

Berklee's academic offerings center on contemporary music and related creative fields, while Boston Conservatory at Berklee offers conservatory programs in music, dance, and theater. Students can pursue undergraduate and graduate credentials, but the available degrees and application requirements differ by program and location.

At Berklee College of Music, undergraduate options include performance, composition, songwriting, music production and engineering, film and media scoring, music business, music education, and music therapy. The academic organization includes departments devoted to instruments and voice as well as fields such as ensemble performance and music technology. Boston Conservatory at Berklee has its own programs in instrumental and vocal performance, dance, and theater.

Applicants should compare the curriculum of a specific major, not just its title. A performance degree, a production-focused degree, and a music business degree can have substantially different coursework, equipment needs, and graduation requirements. Berklee Online and the Valencia campus also have program offerings that should not be assumed to match those in Boston.

What is the location of Berklee College of Music?

Berklee College of Music is based in Boston, Massachusetts, primarily in the Back Bay area around Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street. Its buildings are part of a dense urban neighborhood rather than a single enclosed campus.

That setting gives students access to Boston's performance venues and other colleges, but it also makes travel between buildings and housing choices part of everyday planning. MBTA subway and bus service serve the area, and walking or public transit may be more practical than driving; first-year students are not permitted to register or park a car on campus. Boston Logan International Airport is the nearest major airport.

Berklee's Valencia campus is in Spain, and Berklee Online serves remote students. Information about Boston housing, transportation, and facilities should not be treated as applying automatically to either of those options.

What is the mission and vision of Berklee College of Music?

Berklee describes its educational mission in terms of developing artists and other creative professionals for contemporary music and the performing arts. Its approach places performance and creative practice alongside study of the technologies and professional contexts in which artists work.

The institution's expansion beyond its original music school - particularly its combination with Boston Conservatory at Berklee - means that this stated purpose now encompasses classical music, dance, and theater as well as contemporary music. Those are institutional priorities, not evidence that any particular degree produces a guaranteed career outcome. Prospective students can assess how the priorities appear in a program's required courses, ensembles, productions, and access to facilities.