Harvard University & New England Conservatory of Music Dual Degree Program

Overview 

The Harvard-New England Conservatory (NEC) Dual-Degree program is a 5-year program leading to a Bachelor of Arts (AB) or Bachelor of Science (SB) from Harvard University and a Master of Music (MM) from New England Conservatory of Music. The program benefits musically and intellectually talented students who wish to pursue both a professional music education at NEC and a rigorous liberal arts education at Harvard.  

At Harvard, students in the Dual-Degree program may pursue the 4-year undergraduate concentration of their choice, including options for double concentrations, joint concentrations, or secondaries. Students may elect to participate in courses and programs offered by the Harvard Department of Music, including the option for a concentration or secondary in Music. Students at Harvard can also participate in Harvard’s performing ensembles, student groups, or other creative outlets. 

At NEC, students take private studio instruction and may elect to participate in performing ensembles as their schedule permits. Students must complete a promotional jury each academic year to ensure they are on track with NEC requirements. A successful promotional jury at the end of the third year is required to confirm the student’s level of preparedness to begin their graduate studies at NEC. Work towards the master’s degree takes place in years 4 and 5 of the program, with year 4 running concurrently with the student’s final year at Harvard. 

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Application and Admission 

Application to the Harvard-NEC Dual-Degree Studies program is a shared process managed separately by the admission programs at each institution. Prospective students must apply separately to both Harvard and NEC’s undergraduate programs and must be accepted independently at each institution before they can be considered for the Dual-Degree program.  

Once accepted at both schools, NEC is responsible for making the final decision on admittance to the Dual-Degree program. Only a small cohort of students are accepted into the Dual-Degree program every year.  

Harvard University and New England Conservatory of Music make their final acceptance decisions independently of one another and do not collaborate on their admission processes. Each school will share its admission decision separately with applicants. 

How to Apply 

Applying to Harvard; students should follow the application process as described by the Harvard Admissions Department. The Harvard Department of Music does not participate in the admission process and does not influence final admission decisions. Please refer to Harvard Admissions for all admissions questions and processes. 

Applying to NEC; students should follow the application and audition process as described by the NEC Enrollment Office. Please note that applicants are held to a higher standard than traditional Bachelor of Music applicants because of the nature of the trajectory to the Master of Music degree.  

Applicants must check the Harvard-NEC Dual-Degree check box on each school’s application to be considered for the program. 

Due to the unique and competitive nature of the Dual-Degree program, admittance is limited to a small cohort of students.

This program is not available to undergraduate students transferring from external institutions to either Harvard or NEC. Additionally, students currently enrolled at either Harvard or NEC are not eligible to apply, with one exception: Harvard first-year students who have not previously applied to NEC may apply to NEC during their first year at Harvard for consideration as a transfer student into the Dual-Degree program. 

Students who have applied to the Dual-Degree program, but who have been accepted to one school only, may not re-apply for additional consideration. Similarly, students who have applied to the Dual-Degree program who have been accepted at both schools, but who have not been accepted into the Dual-Degree program, may not re-apply for additional consideration.  

Application Deadlines and Timeline

Prospective students must apply separately to both Harvard and NEC to be considered for the Dual-Degree program. 

Harvard University: 

• Restrictive Early Action candidates must apply by November 1 and will receive notification by mid-December. 
• Regular Decision candidates must apply by January 1 and will receive notification by the end of March.
• Harvard does not require an audition, including for students interested in pursuing Music at Harvard.

Harvard’s admission decisions are made solely by Harvard’s central admissions office. The Harvard Department of Music does not participate in the admissions process and does not influence final admission decisions. Harvard does not require an audition, including for students interested in pursuing Music at Harvard. Students wishing to supplement their Harvard application with appropriate artistic experience should do so using the formats offered through the admissions process. Please refer to Harvard Admissions for more information. 

New England Conservatory: 

• Application and pre-screening materials are due by December 1. 
• Letters of recommendation and transcripts are due by January 15.
• NEC requires a live audition from all candidates on campus in February. 

Consideration for the Harvard-NEC Dual-Degree program requires successful acceptance at both Harvard and NEC. Once accepted at both schools, NEC is then responsible for making the final decision on admittance to the Dual-Degree program and communicating these results to all admitted students.  

Program Tuition

Because participation in the Dual-Degree program requires successful acceptance to both Harvard and NEC, tuition and program costs are managed independently at each institution. Please contact each school’s admissions and financial aid offices with any questions. 

At Harvard, students are responsible for all tuition and fees for Harvard’s 4-year undergraduate programs. To learn more about the cost of attending Harvard as an undergraduate, including details regarding financial aid, please visit Harvard College Financial Aid. Harvard tuition may be reduced on a per-course basis for each course taken at NEC that is transferred for Harvard degree credit. Current Harvard students should consult the Harvard College Student Handbook for more information.  

At NEC, students in years 1-4 pay tuition that covers the cost of studio instruction. Please note that there is an additional fee for credits beyond studio instruction in years 1-4. In year five, students are subject to the Master of Music tuition. After the third-year promotional, students will receive their enrollment details for the fifth year. Please note that students participating in federal aid programs will need to submit a FAFSA to NEC for year 5. To learn more about program costs and tuition for the NEC portion of the Dual-Degree program, please visit NEC Tuition and Aid. 

Orientation and Housing

At Harvard, students in the Dual-Degree program participate as full undergraduate students at Harvard College, including residence on the Harvard campus. Student orientation, housing, advising, and first-year onboarding will take place as per all incoming first-year Harvard students. More information is available through Harvard’s First-Year Experience. 

At NEC, students in the Dual-Degree program receive information regarding arrival on campus from the Office of Academic and Student Affairs during the summer prior to their matriculation. Students are expected to read these communications carefully and take the necessary actions to ensure they are prepared to start the year at NEC. A session specifically for new students in the Dual-Degree is offered during NEC’s orientation week. While attendance is not mandatory, students are encouraged to attend to meet with NEC administrative staff and other students in their cohort. Students in the Dual-Degree program are not otherwise required to participate in orientation activities at NEC.  

During the spring semester of the 3rd year, rising 4th-year students will meet with NEC advising staff to discuss details pertinent to the 4th and 5th years of the program. Students will be contacted by staff from NEC with further information about this “re-orientation” session.

Curriculum and Programs of Study

The curriculum for the Dual-Degree program is pursued by students independently at both Harvard and NEC, and therefore highly customizable. Students in the Dual-Degree program must manage their schedules carefully, with guidance from advisors at both institutions.
 
At Harvard, students taking part in the Dual-Degree program may pursue the undergraduate concentration of their choice. Students will work closely with Harvard advisors as they declare concentrations and strategize on courses and schedules. Students wishing to pursue interests in the Harvard Department of Music may do so, including a concentration or secondary in Music.  
 
At NEC, students follow the basic curriculum described below: 

• Years 1-3:  
  • Studio instruction at NEC (1 hour per week) 
  • Promotional juries to conclude each academic year 
• Year 4: 
  • Studio instruction at NEC (1 hour per week) 
  • Ensemble participation for credit at Harvard or NEC 
  • Chamber music for credit at Harvard or NEC (strings only) 
  • Promotional evaluation during spring semester 
  • MM coursework at NEC by advisement 
• Year 5: 
  • Studio instruction at NEC (1 hour per week) 
  • Ensemble participation for credit at NEC 
  • Chamber music for credit at NEC (most majors) 
  • MM coursework at NEC  
  • Recital requirement 

Credit Transfer Between Institutions

To facilitate programs of study and to support student learning across institutions, Harvard and NEC are pleased to permit course credit transfer between programs in the following ways:

Transferring NEC Course Credits to Harvard 
Students participating in the Dual-Degree program may transfer up to 16 NEC credits (four courses) to Harvard, with a maximum of 8 credits towards a concentration in Music. To submit courses for approval, students must complete Harvard’s Proposal Form for Dual Programs of Study out of Residence. This petition must be signed by the Harvard Department of Music Director of Undergraduate Studies and the student’s Harvard Resident Dean.  

The proposed course(s) cannot overlap in content or subject matter with Harvard’s available course curriculum and must demonstrate that the material in question will contribute to a compelling academic plan tied to the student’s concentration at Harvard, and/or the work in the dual program of study. Private instruction and/or instrumental or vocal lessons of any kind are not eligible for transfer credit.  

Students must provide a course description and syllabus for each proposed course. Courses for transfer credit will be approved at the discretion of the Harvard Department of Music DUS. See the Harvard College Handbook and Fields of Concentration documents for more information. 

Transferring Harvard Course Credits to NEC 
The NEC M.M. program requires 42-44 credits, depending on the student’s major. These credits are fulfilled over a five-year period through taking courses at NEC and transferring courses completed at Harvard into the NEC M.M. NEC will not accept outside transfer credit for students in this program.  

Careful course management for the five years is critical for the successful completion of both degrees. Students in the dual-degree program must work closely with their advisors at both institutions to become fluent in their specific degree requirements and institutional academic procedures. Harvard-NEC students are required to meet with their Academic Advisors at Harvard and NEC once per semester to ensure they are on track for Graduation.  

Admission Deferrals and Leaves of Absence

Due to the collaborative nature of the Dual-Degree program, concurrent enrollment at both institutions for the program’s duration is crucial to maintaining curricular integrity. Deferrals and leaves of absence will only be considered under the following circumstances, and with careful coordination between both Harvard and NEC administration.  

Deferral of First Year 
If an admitted student wishes to defer their first year, they must defer at both institutions simultaneously and for the same duration to maintain access to the Dual-Degree program. Students should discuss this option with each school’s admission departments and dual-program administrators to ensure a deferral will be possible at both institutions. 

Leaves of Absence 
Students must maintain concurrent enrollment at both institutions for the 5-year program to maintain access to the Dual-Degree program. A leave of absence is not possible during the first four years, including study abroad opportunities. A leave of absence may be possible between years 4 and 5, after completing studies at Harvard, and before beginning the final year of NEC’s MM program. Students should discuss this option with each school’s administrators to ensure that a leave of absence will be possible. 

Traveling Between Campuses

Transportation between campuses is not provided as part of the Dual-Degree program. While the Harvard and NEC campuses are relatively close to each other, students should allow for transit time between Cambridge and Boston when planning courses and schedules. The Harvard and NEC campuses are approximately 2.5 miles apart, on opposite sides of the Charles River. Travel time between campuses is approximately 60 minutes walking, 30 minutes by bus, or 20 minutes by car or bicycle. The most convenient transportation options are the free Harvard M2 shuttle and the MBTA Bus #1. Students should review the MBTA transit schedule for additional travel information.  
 
While Dual-Degree students are not eligible for reduced MBTA fares, Harvard student ID cards can be used to access MBTA services.

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Frequently Asked Questions

For More Information, Please Contact: 

Program administrators at both Harvard and NEC are available to provide more information on the Harvard-NEC Dual-Degree Program. 

Harvard University Department of Music  
Peter Charig, Undergraduate Program Coordinator  
pcharig@fas.harvard.edu 

New England Conservatory of Music 
Admissions@necmusic.edu