Berkeley,
CA,
United States
Type
Public
Degrees offered
Bachelor's Degree
PhD in Music - Music Composition in Berkeley United States | University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
|
Berkeley United States
Visit institution website
for more information
Qualification
Doctor of Philosophy
Languages
English
Delivery Mode
On-Campus
Tuition (2025)
USD
27,366
Attendance
Full-time
Full-time Duration
36 months
UC Berkeley's Composition graduate program aims to cultivate tomorrow's cultural innovators—composers, performer-composers, improvisers, sound artists, and technology-focused creators. The program equips students for careers as professional artists and scholars. All enrolled students benefit from a comprehensive fellowship package, featuring a first-year stipend without teaching obligations, subsequent teaching assistant roles until dissertation work begins, and a dedicated dissertation completion year (contingent on timely qualification exam completion). Additional financial support may include summer funding, prestigious composition awards like the Paris-based Ladd Prize, and research assistant positions.
The internationally recognized composition faculty—including Franck Bedrossian, Edmund Campion, Carmine-Emanuele Cella, Cindy Cox, Myra Melford, and Ken Ueno—maintains strong ties to the Bay Area's vibrant arts scene. Graduate composers frequently showcase their works through the Berkeley New Music Project (BNMP), performed by the professional Eco Ensemble under David Milnes' direction. Collaborative opportunities with Edmund Campion's Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT) enable exploration of cutting-edge digital tools for music creation, including interactive systems, computer-assisted composition, real-time audio processing, and instrument enhancement technologies.
Destination of Study
Subjects of Study
Language Requirements
English
IELTS 7.0
Qualification Requirements
The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:
A bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution,
A grade point average of B or better (3.0),
If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 on a 9-point scale (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these), and
Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field. Transcripts: Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. If the applicant is admitted, then official transcripts of all college-level work will be required. Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division. An audition is not required. Applicants who would like to visit the department should contact faculty members in their field of interest directly.
A bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution,
A grade point average of B or better (3.0),
If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 on a 9-point scale (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these), and
Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field. Transcripts: Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. If the applicant is admitted, then official transcripts of all college-level work will be required. Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division. An audition is not required. Applicants who would like to visit the department should contact faculty members in their field of interest directly.
Tuition
USD
27,366