Registration for the Conservatory's summer experiential learning courses is now closed.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee is offering in-person experiential learning opportunities during summer 2021 that provide students with credits that can be applied towards their degree programs. These summer experience courses will be offered at the Conservatory for three weeks, from May 10 through 28. All Conservatory students are invited to participate; those who were enrolled in the fall 2020 semester may be eligible to receive up to six free credits.
Full details on each course, who is eligible for free credits, and instructions on how to register can be found below.
Webinar: Watch a recording of a webinar presented by Student Financial Services, the Office of Student Accounts, and Academic Advising to learn more about these summer courses and how they impact your financial aid and scholarships.
Who Is Eligible to Receive Free Credits
Conservatory undergraduate and graduate students who were enrolled in the Conservatory’s fall 2020 semester are eligible to receive free credits this summer, which can be applied towards their degrees.
Those who were enrolled full-time in fall 2020 may take up to six credits for free during summer 2021, and those who were enrolled part-time may take up to three credits for free during summer 2021.
At the 2020–2021 tuition rates, six free credits represent a cost savings of $10,920 for undergraduate students and $11,310 for graduate students, while three free credits represent a cost savings of $5,460 for undergraduate students and $5,655 for graduate students. Please note that while there is no charge for tuition, students will be responsible for paying a prorated comprehensive fee of $250 to cover the cost of using on-campus facilities.
How to Redeem Credits
Eligible students can redeem these free credits by taking the Conservatory's summer experience courses listed below (see Course Offerings), or by taking courses through Berklee College of Music’s summer semester. Registration instructions differ for Conservatory and College courses, so be sure to carefully review the registration instructions below when you’re ready to register (see How to Register).
Please note that free credits cannot be applied towards degree program courses that were already scheduled to run this summer, such as the graduate music education or M.F.A. programs. The purpose of the free credits is to provide in-person experiential learning opportunities that were not available in the fall 2020 semester, and therefore they can only be used to cover tuition for these special summer 2021 courses.
Learn more about eligibility and billing.
Taking Additional Credits
Students who wish to take additional credits beyond these free credits may do so by paying the per-credit pricing noted for summer on the Conservatory website under Other Fees.
How Students Who Are Not Eligible for Free Credits Can Participate
Students who were not enrolled in the Conservatory’s fall 2020 semester may still participate in the summer 2021 experiences listed below under Course Offerings by paying the per-credit pricing noted for summer on the Conservatory website under Other Fees.
Registration instructions can be found in the How to Register section below.
Course Offerings
If you have questions about these courses, please email the Conservatory's Academic Affairs Office at bcbacademics@berklee.edu.
Beyond Walls: Performance in Public Space
A six-credit intensive led by Maria Finkelmeier available to dance, music, and theater students
Acclaimed artist and entrepreneur Maria Finkelmeier, who recently received praise for her inventive project at the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston, will be in residence this summer at the Conservatory, leading a three-week intensive course designed around performing in public spaces. The course is available to dance, music, and theater students, and includes a 10-day production component that will engage several guest artists and a coordinating five-day improvisation component in partnership with Silkroad.
Students will take a deep dive into different creative projects produced over the last decade while also observing the vast landscape of opportunity that exists in the field of public performance. Participants will have the opportunity to interface with artists, producers, creators, clients, city officials, and other stakeholders involved in manifesting public performance programs.
For the performance lab portion of the intensive, each cohort of students will design their own idea, which they will pitch to a panel of professionals. The panel will select one or two works to be produced for a public viewing during the final weekend of the program. All students in the course will contribute to the production and final presentation.
This course is open to all Conservatory dance, music, and theater students.
Experiential Theater Labs
Four three-credit labs for theater students
The Theater Division has created four new courses, designed as labs, which allow students to tailor their summer experience. Each course will be held five days a week in three-hour blocks. Because of the intensive class schedule, students should be prepared for a rigorous and demanding workload, and they will be placed in sections that combine all years of study. Instructors are to be determined.
Musical Theater Lab: Screen to Stage (3 Credits)
This in-person, master class–style experience will focus on stage musicals that were adapted from movies (Moulin Rouge, Newsies, Mean Girls, Aladdin, etc.) in solo and group work. Students will attend large musical theater classes for solo singing, followed by smaller breakout dance classes. Class years and dance levels will be combined. This course is available to musical theater students only.
Acting Lab: The Comic Spirit (3 Credits)
This in-person acting class is focused on comedic scenes and monologues from classical and contemporary plays or film scripts. Special weekly workshop topics may include physical comedy, clowning, and improvisation. This course is available to both contemporary theater and musical theater students.
Devising Lab: Dreamscapes (3 Credits)
This in-person ensemble performance lab will explore devising techniques using dreams as source material. Through exercises, writing, and improvisation, explore the imagery and power of dreams and nightmares, both personal and social. This course is available to both contemporary theater and musical theater students.
Playwriting Lab: The PlayGround (3 Credits, Online)
This online course will include weekly readings and discussions of a keynote play, followed by a workshop experience during which students will write monologues or 10-minute plays. Each week will be led by a different playwright. The course will combine large group meetings and breakout sessions. This course is available to both contemporary theater and musical theater students.
Berklee College of Music’s Summer Semester
As in previous years, any Conservatory student may enroll in elective or liberal arts courses through the College’s summer semester to earn credits towards their Conservatory degree. This is considered a cross-registration program, and those interested in enrolling should follow the standard cross-registration process outlined on the Integrated Course Offerings page.
Students who were enrolled in the fall 2020 semester and are eligible for free credits may use those credits towards courses offered through the College’s summer 2021 or summer 2022 semester. Students who are eligible for free credits and who are graduating in May 2021 can use their free credits towards the College’s 12-Week courses only for summer 2021.
Browse the College’s summer 2021 course offerings.
How to Register for Summer Courses
Registration is now closed.
To register for the Conservatory’s experiential summer courses (Beyond Walls: Performance in Public Space and the various theater labs), complete the Conservatory’s Summer Experience Course Registration form by May 7.
Please allow time for processing after submitting your registration form. The Registrar’s Office will be in communication with you as soon as possible regarding your summer schedules.
To cross-register for the College’s summer semester, please follow the standard cross-registration process outlined on the Integrated Course Offerings page. Note that the College’s summer 2021 registration period does not begin until April 5. Before cross-registering for courses, please complete the Summer 2021 Learning Modality Selection form to indicate your plans.
If you have questions about registration for any of these programs, please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@berklee.edu.
On-Campus Housing
If you are a Conservatory student who plans to participate in the Conservatory's summer 2021 experience and you require on-campus housing, please complete the housing application as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Student Financial Services
Can I still use my scholarship for the summer semester in addition to receiving the free classes?
Yes, provided that you also enroll in additional courses beyond the free courses. All scholarships will be prorated (login required), or adjusted, based on the number of credits you are paying for. Scholarships cannot be awarded beyond tuition charges and cannot be used to pay for housing.
Can I use my full-tuition scholarship to pay for summer and transfer the free credits to a different semester?
The free courses are only applicable towards the summer 2021 semester or the summer 2022 semester (note that if you choose to apply them to summer 2022, you will only be able to use them for Berklee College of Music’s summer semester). However, you can choose not to use your scholarship for summer, and have it reinstated upon your return as long as you are meeting satisfactory academic progress. That semester will not count as a semester of usage for your scholarship.
Can I use federal financial aid for summer 2021?
Yes, provided that you have eligibility remaining and enroll in a minimum of 6 credits (3 credits for graduate students). Students who attended in both the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters may not have federal financial aid remaining for the summer semester, and should explore other sources of funding. Please log into financialaid.berklee.edu to view your yearly financial aid awards.
Can I use financial aid to pay for housing in summer 2021?
Students who have federal financial aid remaining and are enrolling in a minimum of 6 total credits (3 credits for graduate students) can use their federal financial aid in the summer, and any overages beyond tuition will either be refunded, or can go towards paying for Berklee housing.
Do I need to do a new FAFSA to get financial aid for summer 2021?
You need to have a completed 2020/2021 FAFSA on file for the summer 2021 semester. No new FAFSA is necessary. Students who have not yet filed the 2020/2021 FAFSA may do so to be considered for federal financial aid.
If I’m only planning on taking the free credits this summer, can I get my scholarship as a refund?
Students who only enroll in free courses and do not have any other tuition charges will not receive their scholarship in the summer semester, and it will not count as a semester of usage. Scholarships are only able to be awarded up to tuition costs, and cannot be refunded directly to students.
Student Accounts/Billing
Can I enroll in a payment plan for the summer semester?
Similar to previous years, there are no official payment plans for the summer semester, as the semester is shorter and overlaps with fall/spring payment plans. Learn more about billing.
Registration and Schedule Planning
Can the free courses be used for hybrid and/or remote classes?
Yes. Hybrid and remote courses are billed the same and this credit applies to each equally.
What courses are covered within these free credits/courses?
You may choose to participate in the experiential learning program this summer or enroll in Berklee College of Music's summer semester.
Housing
If I am only enrolled in free courses for the summer semester, can I live in the residence hall for summer 2021?
Yes, you can still apply. Boston Conservatory at Berklee continuing and returning students who are enrolled in classes during the summer semester can apply for summer housing. Conservatory students who are enrolled in the intensive programs can apply for short-term housing for the duration of the program.
