Studies & Degrees in Music Composition
Music composition is the craft of writing original music. Composers write and arrange music in many styles, for orchestras, bands, choirs and chamber groups, for opera and musical theatre, and for film, television and advertising. A composition degree trains that craft systematically and gives students performers, rehearsals and feedback for their own pieces.
The core of the course is the student's own writing, usually taught in individual lessons. At the University of British Columbia (UBC), for example, the private lesson concentrates on the student's creative work and not on exercises. Around it sit harmony and counterpoint, analysis, music history, ear training, instrumentation and orchestration, and music technology. The study plan of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata shows this mix, with composition every year next to orchestration and practical work with electroacoustic media. Northwestern University adds a weekly Composition Colloquium, where students and teachers present and discuss their current work.
Qualifications and levels
- United States and Canada. Composition is studied within a music school in three steps: Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts. UBC offers all three in Composition, and Boston University offers a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Music Theory, a Master of Music in Composition and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition.
- Spain. Composition is taught at higher conservatories, not at universities, as a speciality of the higher artistic education degree in Music. Royal Decree 631/2010 sets four academic years of 60 credits each, 240 credits in total. At the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid the degree lasts four years full time. Its 240 ECTS credits are divided into 33 theoretical, 112 theoretical-practical and 59 practical credits, 30 optional credits and 6 for the final degree project.
- Latin America. Composition is usually an orientation of a licenciatura in music. At the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, the Licenciatura en Música with orientation in Composition has a basic music training cycle followed by five years. At the Universidad de Guadalajara, the Licenciatura en Música has five orientations: performer, singing, music pedagogy, composition and choral conducting.
Admission
Entry is selective and based on what the applicant has already written. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, applicants to music programmes are typically required to submit recordings, audition in person, or both. UBC evaluates all the compositions an applicant submits, sets no required length for each work and states no preference of style or genre, although its programme currently focuses on contemporary concert music, including acoustic, electroacoustic and computer music.
In Madrid the entrance examination for the composition speciality has several parts: a musical analysis of up to two hours, a two-part invention in the style of J. S. Bach written in four hours, sight-reading of harmonic schemes at the piano, and the presentation of up to three of the candidate's own works. For candidates who hold the professional music qualification, the final mark combines the specific test (70%) and the average mark of that qualification (30%).
Where to study music composition
SpainExchange lists 21 active schools for music composition: 16 in the United States, two in Canada and one each in Spain, Mexico and Argentina. Schools in the United States include Northwestern University, Boston University, the University of Michigan, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Washington, Florida State University, Temple University and the University of Miami. In Canada the list has UBC and the University of Toronto. The Spanish-language options are the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid, the Universidad de Guadalajara and the Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
Careers
Composers write concert music on commission, score films and television, write for theatre and advertising, arrange existing music, and very often teach. Many combine several of these activities.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics groups composers with music directors. It counted about 51,100 jobs in that group in the United States in 2025: 58% in religious, civic, professional and similar organisations, 25% self-employed, 9% in performing arts companies and 5% in educational services. It projects employment to grow 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,200 openings a year, and notes that some employers prefer candidates with a master's degree.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a degree to become a composer?
Not in every field. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that there are no specific educational requirements for writing popular music, but that a degree programme may help to hone skills. Concert music and teaching posts usually call for formal training.
What do I have to submit to apply?
Normally scores and recordings of your own pieces. UBC sets no required length for each work. The Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid lets candidates present up to three works of their own in addition to its written and piano tests.
How long does a composition degree take in Spain?
Four academic years and 240 ECTS credits, as set by Royal Decree 631/2010 for the higher degree in Music.
Do I have to write in a particular style?
It depends on the school. UBC states that it has no stylistic or genre preference for the portfolio, while the Madrid entrance examination includes an invention in the style of J. S. Bach.