Graduate Certificate

All applicants must have an undergraduate degree in composition or the equivalent in professional experience with an undergraduate degree in a related field. Previous education and experience in working with film is not mandatory, but the application process does focus on the applicant’s ability and potential to compose and produce music to picture.

Required items:

• USC Graduate Application - the following documents will also be submitted online with the USC application:
• Résumé
• Statement of Objectives
• 1-3 Letters of Recommendation (see the USC online application for instructions on how to submit)
• Materials to be delivered to USC Admission (click here for the correct mailing address)
• Official transcripts
• TOEFL score report - required from all applicants for whom English is a second language, regardless of educational background or immigration status.
• Three original compositions (full scores with optional sketches) in .PDF format to be uploaded to the USC Thornton School website (see below). Applicants should not mail their compositions to the school directly.
• Three music recordings as audio files, each as a stereo mix (.WAV or AIFF at 44.1 kHz or mp3 at 192 kbps) to be uploaded to the USC Thornton School website (see below). Movie files (Quicktime) may be included if the work was scored to picture (see below). Total running time of all works should not exceed 30 minutes. Applicants should not mail their recordings to the school directly.

**Please do not send any additional materials to the USC Thornton Office of Admission.

Compositions

The three original scores should convey the applicant’s ability to capture mood, color, action and panorama for film through orchestration. We appreciate receiving live recorded works whenever possible. Midi only, and hybrid (midi and live) recordings are permissible. In any case, make sure your scores are accurate and professionally prepared in either Finale or Sibelius.

Movie files may be included if the work was scored to picture. Make sure the movie files are clearly marked for the scene to match the score. You can only use one work per film in this application. In other words, don’t submit all of your works from one film project. You can submit up to three film projects per upload (one work for each but they must be from three different films). This does not preclude the audio tracks. In this case you would submit both movie files and audio files. In no case do we accept VHS tapes.

Additionally, whenever possible, we like to see sketches of your scores before rendering them in your notation program. This enables us to trace your process from composition to orchestration. While encouraged, sketches are not mandatory, but should also be in .PDF format.

Uploading to USC Thornton

Once an application has been submitted the applicant will be sent an email with instructions on uploading their compositions to the USC Thornton school website including the direct link and package specifications.

International Applicants

In addition to the application materials required of all applicants, international applicants must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), certified translations of any transcript or diploma not issued in English, and a statement of financial support. There is a minimum TOEFL score of 83 on the internet-based test (220 for the computer-based test or 560 for the paper-based) for admittance into the SMPTV program.

Additional Information

Applicants to this program may not apply more than two times. If a student has been denied twice to this program, no further applications will be reviewed. Admission to this program is limited to Fall semesters only.

For more details about the program, click here.