Berklee to offer first online songwriting degree

Berklee Online’s songwriting degree begins on 11 January 2016

The digital division of Berklee College Of Music will offer world’s first online bachelor of professional studies degree for songwriting

erklee Online, the online continuing education division of Berklee College Of Music, announced that it will offer the world’s first online bachelor of professional studies degree for songwriting. The degree, accredited by the New England Association Of Schools And Colleges, will require 120 credits for completion. The $14,490 per year tuition for the online degree is 62 percent less than Berklee’s on-campus tuition. The application process for the songwriting major is open now, and the inaugural class for the online bachelor’s degree begins on 11 January 2016.

“I think online learning is a big part of the future of music education,” says Berklee songwriting department chair Bonnie Hayes, who has written songs for Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, David Crosby and others. “With our new online songwriting degree, we can reach students who can’t physically get to our Boston campus… Part of my goal at Berklee is to broaden the overall reach of the Songwriting Department, so that everyone gets a chance to be heard and develop the tools that they need to build the kind of songs they want to produce.”

All of the courses are written and taught by Berklee faculty members or industry experts, such as Pat Pattison, Neil Diercks, Jimmy Kachulis and Andrea Stolpe. These renowned faculty members have taught countless successful songwriters, both online and on-campus, including recent Berklee graduate and pop hitmaker Charlie Puth.

In the program, students will learn techniques to develop their own voice as a songwriter, as well as the business background to attain a career in their chosen field. Students will gain skills for writing and arranging across a variety of popular musical styles and collaborate with other songwriters in co-writing and team-writing situations. Upon graduation, students will have developed a portfolio of original songs that includes lead sheets, lyric sheets, and professional-quality demo recordings equivalent to those typically presented to music publishers, producers, and labels.

To find out more about the Berklee Online songwriting degree course, visit: online.berklee.edu/music-degrees/songwriting

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