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Film Scoring Certificate Plan of Study

Program at a Glance 

In the charts below, view the quarter offered and teaching format for all required and elective courses in this certificate.

Full-time students, jump to entry quarter-specific charts.

Course Format Legend

  • I = In Person
  • L = Live Online (Synchronously via Zoom)
  • O = Online (Asynchronous)

See Instructional Format Descriptions

Harmony Requirement (4 units)

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

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 403.52
Harmony I: Crash Course in Composing for Tonal Music		4I   
MUSC X 403.53
Harmony II: Techniques for Composing Contemporary Music		4   I
MUSC X 403.51
The Art of Counterpoint		4 I  

Software Requirement (4 units)

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

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 480
Introduction to Logic Pro		4OOOO
MUSC X 479.12
Introduction to Pro Tools		4OOOO

Practical Requirement (4 units)

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

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 498.3
Fundamentals of Conducting: From the Symphony to the Scoring Stage		4  I 
MUSC X 483.12
Writing and Scoring for Strings		4   I

8 Required Courses (32 units)

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 483.43
Instrumentation and Introduction to Orchestration +		4I   
MUSC X 449.91
The Art and Craft of MIDI †		4 I  
MUSC X 483.2
Advanced Orchestration: Applied Techniques for the Studio and Scoring Stage		4 I  
MUSC X 449.41
Recording, Mixing, and Editing Techniques for Film Composers		4 I  
MUSC X 483.3
Score like the Masters: Contemporary Techniques †		4  I 
MUSC X 483.1
Film Scoring on a Budget †		4  I 
MUSC X 448.171
The Business of Film Music		4   I
MUSC X 498
Advanced Film Scoring Workshop * †		4   I

Select 1 Elective (4 units)

Students must complete 1 elective (4 units) from the above list or other Film Scoring, Music Production, or Music Business courses numbered X 400-X 499. Below is a list of suggested electives. New electives are added regularly.

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 478.52
Composing Music for Video Games		4 I  
MUSC X 482.3
Bringing the Power of Music to Film		4   I
MUSC X 484.931
Put Your Music to Work: Composition for Commercials †		4   I
MUSC X 485
Composing Music for Animation †		4I   
MUSC X 482.8
Anatomy of a Film Score		4  I 
MUSC X 499
Music Industry Internship		4IIII

+Complete these courses within the first 2 quarters of study.

*Should be taken in the last quarter of study.

† Courses require access to and some proficiency in a sequencing workstation in which audio can be recorded and synced 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).

Full-Time Students

Full-time students who wish to complete their program in 4 quarters must start in the Fall quarter and follow the recommended Fall plan of study.

Darker shaded boxes represent the quarter in which the course is recommended to be taken. Lighter shaded boxes indicate available course options which may be taken to achieve full-time status during the specific quarter. Some courses have limited spaces; early enrollment is recommended.

Harmony Requirement (4 units)

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

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 403.52
Harmony I: Crash Course in Composing for Tonal Music		4I   
MUSC X 403.53
Harmony II: Techniques for Composing Contemporary Music		4   I
MUSC X 403.51
The Art of Counterpoint		4 I  

Software Requirement (4 units)

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

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Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 480
Introduction to Logic Pro		4OOOO
MUSC X 479.12
Introduction to Pro Tools		4OOOO

Practical Requirement (4 units)

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

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 498.3
Fundamentals of Conducting: From the Symphony to the Scoring Stage		4  I 
MUSC X 483.12
Writing and Scoring for Strings		4   I

8 Required Courses (32 units)

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 483.43
Instrumentation and Introduction to Orchestration +		4I   
MUSC X 449.91
The Art and Craft of MIDI †		4 I  
MUSC X 483.2
Advanced Orchestration: Applied Techniques for the Studio and Scoring Stage		4 I  
MUSC X 449.41
Recording, Mixing, and Editing Techniques for Film Composers		4 I  
MUSC X 483.3
Score like the Masters: Contemporary Techniques †		4  I 
MUSC X 483.1
Film Scoring on a Budget †		4  I 
MUSC X 448.171
The Business of Film Music		4   I
MUSC X 498
Advanced Film Scoring Workshop * †		4   I

Select 1 Elective (4 units)

Students must complete 1 elective (4 units) from the above list or other Film Scoring, Music Production, or Music Business courses numbered X 400-X 499. Below is a list of suggested electives. New electives are added regularly.

Course Number and TitleUnitsFallWinterSpringSummer
MUSC X 478.52
Composing Music for Video Games		4 I  
MUSC X 482.3
Bringing the Power of Music to Film		4   I
MUSC X 484.931
Put Your Music to Work: Composition for Commercials †		4   I
MUSC X 485
Composing Music for Animation †		4I   
MUSC X 482.8
Anatomy of a Film Score		4  I 
MUSC X 499
Music Industry Internship		4IIII

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