Curriculum

Explore a career in screen composing while honing your skills in music production, editing, orchestration, recording, and mixing. Your training will blend theory and practice, with opportunities to collaborate closely with working industry professionals.

You will collaborate on multiple scoring projects, create multiple professional reels; in Steinhardt's unparalleled facilities, you’ll explore diverse musical traditions and work closely with our faculty of internationally recognized composers.

Core Course Sequence

Throughout your studies, you will gain proficiency in the technologies including DAWs, sample libraries, synthesizers, and game middleware. Simultaneously, you also will learn crucial aesthetics and techniques for composing music for film, documentaries, gaming, TV and streaming, and commercials. Collaborative professional opportunities will be abundant. NYU Steinhardt immerses you in every aspect of a recording session: composing, orchestrating, music preparation, scoring, and editing, and effective team communication.

Sample Elective Courses

By advisement, students select elective courses in areas that correspond to their individual interests and research such as in the Psychology of Music, historical composition approaches, music theory, music editing, and music technology. Students can also take a variety of classes throughout the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, collaborating with the programs in Music Business, Music Technology, Screen Scoring and Songwriting, and Instrumental and Vocal Performance. 

Culminating Experience

The terminal experience course for this degree is MPATC-GE 2026: Colloquy in Music Composition. Students work with a faculty mentor to coordinate and develop all aspects of the concert experience, including production, marketing, and programming. The realization of their composition culminates in a final public performance.