Harvard/Berklee Dual Degree Program FAQ

To be considered for the Harvard/Berklee dual degree program, you must apply to both Harvard and Berklee. On each undergraduate application, check the box to indicate your interest in this program. You can visit each college’s website to learn more about Berklee’s application process and application deadlines, as well as Harvard’s application process and application deadlines.

Currently enrolled Harvard students may apply during their freshman year only. To apply, you will need to fill out the Berklee undergraduate application as a new applicant (not a transfer student) and check the box to indicate your interest in this program. You will also have to include Berklee when you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 


No. You don’t have to make a decision about your master’s program until the fall of your sophomore year at Harvard.

As an applicant, you should follow each college’s application instructions. If you are admitted to Harvard, you will receive specific visa information directly from Harvard. Then, when you are ready to enroll in your master’s program, Berklee will provide you with specific visa information for the program you are enrolling in.

Yes, you can apply for financial aid. Be sure to include both Berklee and Harvard on your FAFSA so that both schools will be able to assess information about your need. You can learn about Harvard’s financial process on their website. For students admitted to this dual degree program, annual awards for the Berklee portion of the undergraduate program are available for those with demonstrated financial need. This is made possible through the Paul and Catherine Buttenweiser Endowed Scholarship Fund.


This program is limited to undergraduate students at Harvard only. 

Berklee expects to admit no more than 20 students per year, but this number may expand based on the size of the cohort interested and eligible for the program.


At the end of your junior year at Harvard, you will confirm your interest in the graduate program you selected, and Berklee will confirm that it's still a good fit. As long as you have successfully progressed through the program and completed the requirements, you can expect to enroll in your chosen master’s program. 

You will receive the credits you earned through the program and could receive a Berklee transcript, but your diploma will not show an extra designation.

As a student in the dual degree program, you will have a Berklee ID and the same access to Berklee facilities as a typical Berklee student, including access to Berklee practice rooms and the opportunity to audition for Berklee performances.


Berklee's master’s programs are three semesters long. You will begin your program in the fall following your graduation from Harvard, then graduate from Berklee the following summer.


You must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at Harvard to take classes through this program. Students enrolled at Berklee are not eligible to take classes through this program at Harvard.


As an undergraduate at Harvard, you will take the courses required for your degree. At Berklee, you will take private instruction on your principal instrument. In addition, you will take ensembles at either Berklee or Harvard, and you will complete courses at Berklee by advisement, depending on your master’s program of interest, so that you are prepared for your graduate studies. You can read more about the curriculum at Harvard’s Department of Music and at Berklee’s dual degree program pages. 


Yes, you will have an orientation at both Berklee and Harvard before you begin classes as a first-year student.


Berklee and Harvard will work together to make sure that your schedule works for you. Your Berklee classes will be determined as you work with your advisor.


The Berklee tuition fee includes all the fall and spring semester classes you take at Berklee, including private music lessons, ensembles, and courses by advisement. Depending on selected courses, students may be required to meet Berklee laptop and software requirements. You also have the option to participate in Berklee’s summer semester in Boston or Valencia, Spain, for additional tuition.


The application of transfer credit for Berklee courses to meet Harvard requirements is determined by Harvard. You should contact your Harvard undergraduate coordinator and your resident dean for more information about transferring course credit.


You may enroll in courses at Berklee with your advisor’s approval. The Berklee tuition fee includes all fall and spring semester classes you take at Berklee. If you choose to take courses over the summer on the Boston or Valencia campuses, you may enroll in courses for additional tuition.