Film Scoring Certificate Program

Learn the craft and business of creating original music for film, tv and more through hands-on practice.

PLAN YOUR STUDIES

Courses

11 Required

1 Elective

F-1 Visa Eligible

Yes

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This program is perfect for...

Professionals pursuing a career in film scoring

Musicians making the transition into film composition

Composers seeking to expand their film scoring skills

Individuals who are passionate about film scores

What you can learn.

Score cues for film, television and video games

Learn how to use MIDI, professional musicians and other tools to maximize a project's budget

Study business principles relating to film music

Practice essential creative and technical skills for film scoring

Enroll in one of the top film scoring programs in the world.

The UCLA Extension Film Scoring Certificate program gives students the knowledge and skills needed to score cues for films, television shows and video games.

Learn the essential creative, business, and technical skills necessary for a successful film scoring career. Instruction emphasizes maximizing project budgets by composing music both electronically using MIDI and utilizing professional union musicians. By program end, participants will have composed and produced pieces suitable for their professional reels.

Duration: 1 year (Full-Time pace) to 3 years
Format: In-Person
Unit Requirement: 48
GPA Requirement: minimum 3.0 for certificate completion

individual wearing headphones using an electronic piano

This certificate is approved for international students to study full time in the U.S. on an F-1 visa.

International students must meet English language proficiency requirements for admission into the program.

While most certificate programs begin each quarter, some have limited intakes for students studying on F-1 visa. Find this program on the Browse Certificate Programs page to confirm entry quarters before applying.

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Get Started

Step 1: Enroll in a Course

Courses in this program are open enrollment and paid for individually. You may take courses without committing to the program.

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Have questions? Talk to an Academic Advisor

Step 2: Become a Candidate

Establish candidacy in the certificate program to receive tailored information, lock in course requirements, and gain access to exclusive student benefits. Registration Fee: $200

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Important Note for International Students: Candidacy fees are included in your program fees and do not need to be paid separately.

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Cost and Fees

All courses in this program are paid for individually, unless otherwise noted. An application form is required to establish candidacy in this program. From the 'Apply Now' button, complete the online application and pay the application fee if applicable.

Application and Candidacy Fee

$200

Estimated Textbooks and Materials

$550

Estimated Program Tuition

$16642

International Student Fees

Payment Options

Eligible for VA Benefit
Federal Financial Aid is not available

Entry Quarter

Domestic students may begin the program in any quarter, though it should be noted that Instrumentation and Introduction to Orchestration is only available in the fall quarter, and it is recommended in your first two quarters.
International students (F-1 student visa) may begin the program in fall quarter only. Plan your studies.

Prerequisites

Students who wish to take courses in the Film Scoring certificate program should have a basic musical background and should possess the following skills before beginning any coursework:

Ability to read music: musical staff and clefs; notes in both treble and bass clef; notes on the piano keyboard; accidentals; rhythmic values (i.e. whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, dotted values, etc.); and simple and compound meters.
Music theory fundamentals: major scales; all forms of minor scales (i.e. natural, harmonic, melodic); major and minor key signatures; the circle of fifths; intervals and interval inversions; interval qualities (i.e. perfect, major, minor, diminished, augmented); chord qualities and inversion symbols; triads (major, minor, diminished, augmented); and seventh chords (i.e. dominant sevenths, half diminished, full diminished, etc.).

Film Scoring students must have access to a sequencing workstation in which audio can be recorded and synched to video (a sequencing workstation is software that combines audio and MIDI recording, editing, and a variety of other tools for working with music and sound on a computer).

Computer hardware and software is available at a discount for UCLA Extension certificate students at the UCLA Store. Speak to a program representative for more information.

Required Courses

Customize your experience

Harmony Requirement

Select 1 harmony course (4 units) from the list below.

The Art of Counterpoint

This course is designed for all those who wish to develop a foundation in the craft of composition regardless of stylistic differences through the study of counterpoint.

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Harmony I: Crash Course in Composing for Tonal Music

Introduce yourself to the power and nuance of harmony, study its use in classical symphonies, gain a foundational understanding of harmony, and create your own compositions emulating the harmonic lessons learned.

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Harmony II: Techniques for Composing Contemporary Music

Deepen your understanding of harmony with an exploration of contemporary music starting with the French Impressionists of the 19th century and ending with current composers. In this course, you will create your own compositions informed by the lessons learned from great composers.

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Software Requirement

Select 1 software course (4 units) from the list below. Students must be proficient in a digital audio workstation (DAW). If you are already proficient in a DAW such as Logic, Pro Tools, Digital Performer or Cubase, you may petition to waive this course requirement by emailing entertainmentstudies@uclaextension.edu.

Introduction to Pro Tools

Build the skills and confidence to create professional audio with Pro Tools, the industry-standard digital audio workstation used in top studios, production houses, and post facilities worldwide. Whether you're starting your first project or looking to collaborate in a professional environment, this course equips you with the foundational knowledge you need to record, edit, and mix like a pro. Perfect for beginners or anyone new to the Pro Tools ecosystem, this is your gateway into the world of modern audio production

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Introduction to Logic Pro

Unlock your creative potential with Logic Pro, Apple’s industry-standard music production software used by top artists, composers, and producers worldwide. This course introduces you to the essential tools and workflows needed to take a song from idea to finished mix. Learn how to record, program, arrange, and produce using Logic’s powerful features—including the latest additions like Session Players, AI-assisted mastering, and Stem Splitter.

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Practical Requirement

Select 1 practical course (4 units) from the list below to be completed in the 3rd or 4th quarter of study.

Writing and Scoring for Strings

This comprehensive workshop in writing music for the string family takes a thorough look at the contemporary and historical use of the strings in both film and concert music composition.

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Fundamentals of Conducting: From the Symphony to the Scoring Stage

Learn the fundamentals of conducting from a professional film and concert conductor with practice focusing on baton technique, cueing, and other aspects. Work with live professional musicians to practice skills learned.

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Required Courses

The Business of Film Music

Focusing on the vital business skills needed to build and maintain your career as a film and television composer, this course features comprehensive coverage of current business and financial practices in the industry.

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Recording, Mixing, and Editing Techniques for Film Composers

Geared towards film composers, this course teaches you the basics of professional applications and workflows for composing, recording, mixing, and editing in the modern DAW environment.

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The Art and Craft of MIDI

Learn to bring your electronic realizations of your demos and scores to more vivid life through take-home assignments, and learn to produce sample-based cues that sound more musical and realistic.

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Film Scoring on a Budget

Learn to compose an effective film score on a limited budget using both MIDI pre-records and live professional musicians.

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Advanced Orchestration: Applied Techniques for the Studio and Scoring Stage

This course further explores the unique evocative capabilities of each musical instrument and examines their applications in regard to scoring to picture, considered from both the composer's and orchestrator's perspective.

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Elective Courses

Customize your experience

Complete 1 elective (4 units) from courses numbered X 400-499 in Music. Below is a list of suggested electives.

Suggested Electives

Composing Music for Video Games

Through weekly writing assignments and audio-visual demonstrations, you gain an understanding of the composition techniques, organization, and delivery formats unique to the video game industry.

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Bringing the Power of Music to Film: A Film Scoring Seminar

This seminar is for film composers, filmmakers, and others interested in the subtle art of film scoring. During the seminar we will examine the crucial contribution music makes to narrative and emotional expression in film.

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Anatomy of a Film Score

Through weekly in-depth film score analyses, aspiring film composers, producers, and directors gain an understanding of what makes an effective and memorable film score and how it is assembled.

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Put Your Music to Work: Composition for Commercials

Learn how to develop and fine-tune your musical skills for scoring TV commercials with weekly assignments, discussions, and critiques. Finish this course with a successful body of work to be put on your reel or website.

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Composing Music for Animation

Learn the aspects of scoring for animation including musical jokes, quick changes in style, and mood in wall-to-wall score by following broad schools of animation: story driven, action-oriented animation, and hip and quirky.

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An internship in the music industry can provide you with practical experience in a variety of job functions. Certificate students must complete a minimum of 12 units of program curriculum (3 courses) before completing the application for approval to enroll in an internship.

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BMI /Jerry Goldsmith Film Scoring Scholarship

Named in honor of the late Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning film and television composer Jerry Goldsmith, the BMI/Jerry Goldsmith Film Scoring Scholarship is awarded annually to partially underwrite study in the UCLA Extension Film Scoring program.

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