FAQs

The primary difference between the Steinhardt Music Business and Music Technology programs and the Tisch Clive Davis Institute program is the degree that students receive upon graduation. The Steinhardt Music Business and Music Technology students receive a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) and Clive Davis Institute students receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.).  

Steinhardt Music Business and Music Technology undergraduates participate in a core music curriculum in music theory, history, and keyboard skills, along with a rich liberal arts foundation. Music Business students take classes in the Stern School of Business and follow an intensive sequence of specialized music business courses. Music Technology students take a sequence of courses offering a solid foundation in all areas of music technology, while giving the flexibility to obtain specialized expertise in a specific area of music and audio technology. As a part of the audition process, students are required to sing or play one piece of music in addition to an interview and music theory test.

The Clive Davis Institute B.F.A. undergraduate program is designed to provide professional training for students who aim to succeed as creative entrepreneurs in the music industry. Whether aspiring executives, producers, performers or critics, all Clive Davis Institute students develop their entrepreneurial skills by taking core courses in the following areas: business & technology, production, performance, musicianship & songwriting, and writing, history & emergent media. Students learn about business and legal issues and they are expected to become proficient in a range of recorded music practices through practicums in the recording studio. Concurrently, students explore critical writing and music journalism, delving into the cultural impact of recorded music and the history of contemporary musical genres such as rock, R&B, hip-hop, and pop. By senior year, all Clive Davis Institute students hone their skills as music entrepreneurs by developing a comprehensive creative plan to launch a music business venture such as a record label, production company or new media enterprise.  As is the case with all Tisch programs, professional training is combined with a solid liberal arts education.  

For information about the Clive Davis Institute Creative Portfolio review, please visit our Application Requirements page.

This depends on the specific double major or minor program you are interested in pursuing. Students must consult with their academic advisor and review the program requirements for the major or minor in order to plan how they will complete these additional requirements in addition to their Recorded Music major. In some cases, these courses may double count towards a student's General Education requirements.

Tisch may award advanced standing credit for approved standardized tests such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), certain Maturity Certificate Examinations, and for college courses taken while the student was in high school. Please see below for limitations and a full explanation regarding each type of credit.

For students who entered Tisch in Fall 2020 or later, advanced standing credit will not be automatically posted to the NYU transcript upon admission. Instead, at the end of the first academic year, and after consulting with their adviser, students may elect to post these advanced standing credits.

The total number of advanced standing credits a student may receive cannot exceed 32. For more information, see here.

All admitted students are required to take the following courses to satisfy the Musicianship, Performance, and Songwriting area of the Recorded Music Major:

• Musicianship: Music Theory & Construction

• Critical Listening for the Recording Studio

• Writing the Hit Song

While students may continue to take elective courses in this area to further their knowledge and expertise, we do not require our students to take intensive theory or musicianship courses since not all of our students are musicians. 

Please note: NYU does not accept AP Music Theory for test credit.

Clive Davis Institute majors are required to study abroad in the fall semester of their junior year. In Fall 2016, the Institute launched its first-ever study abroad program in Berlin, Germany. With a strong focus on the art, business, and historical culture of electronic and club music, students will have the opportunity to take 14-18 credits while abroad. They are required to take a German language/culture course, a writing, history, & emergent media course, and a global business course. In addition to those courses, they may also select elective courses such as a technology course, a production or performance course, and/or an internship. By the end of the semester, students will have been fully immersed in the art and culture of one of the most vibrant arts capitals of the world.

In addition to Berlin, there are numerous other study abroad opportunities for students to take advantage of, either through Tisch Special Programs or NYU Study Abroad.

Taken alongside courses in production, musicianship & performance, and writing, history & emergent media, our complement of business courses will give you the necessary training to function in a professional music industry environment. Our program's unique entrepreneurial focus will encourage you to think creatively and with an innovative lens about opportunities for growth in the music business.

Taken alongside courses in business, musicianship & performance, and writing, history & emergent media, our production courses are designed to give students the essential training to operate in a variety of professional audio recording situations. Students who have graduated from our program who have a special focus on producing have gone on to pursue careers as producers, engineers, and mixers among other professional positions.

The Clive Davis Institute offers specific courses in performance & songwriting training such as Stagecraft, Vocal Techniques, private Vocal Coaching, Advanced Songwriting Techniques, Art of the MC, Alchemy of the DJ, and many more. Select courses in the performance area have end-of-semester live showcases at music venues in New York City and within our very own performance space, The Garage, located on the first floor of 370 Jay Street. Students can also take advantage of special workshops and events offered throughout the semester.

The Clive Davis Institute offers a progression of writing, history & emergent media core courses that students are required to take toward the completion of their major. We also offer a variety of writing, history & emergent media electives. Beyond these courses, you may also elect to do a minor or double major in the CAS Journalism department. While enrolled in the department, your advisor will be able to direct you to these opportunities.

All of our students take the same holistic, core curriculum. The core curriculum is designed to help students acquire a full spectrum of skills for the music industry, and lends itself well to people that feel like they fit into different roles in the music industry.