Search NYU Steinhardt

The MM in Music Theory and Composition: Screen Scoring is a 39-credit program that prepares composers to work in the Screen Scoring industry while developing skills in music production, music editing, orchestrating, mixing, and engineering.

Content Area

Course

Credits
Foundations (Required)
(6 credits)		 MPATC-GE 2550 Screen Music: History, Analysis, and Aesthetics 3
MPATC-GE 2024 Seminar in Composition: Advanced Scoring Toolkit* 3
Specialization (Required)
(22 credits)		 MPATC-GE 2321 Private Composition Lessons (taken three times for 3 points each) 9
MPATC-GE 2049 Contemporary Scoring 3
MPATC-GE 2041/2048 Scoring Techniques: Film and Animation or Video Games 3
MPATC-GE 2555 Music Editing for Screen Music 3
MPATC-GE 2424 Composers Forum 1
One course by placement**:
MPATC-GE 2088 Orchestration I, MPATC-GE 2098 Orchestration II, MPATC-GE 2080 Advanced Orchestration: Screen Scoring		 3
Terminal Experience (Required)
(3 credits)		 MPATC-GE 2026 Colloquy in Music 3
Electives
(8 credits)		 Chosen by advisement from a wide selection of elective courses 8

* Seminar in composition can be substituted by another foundations course that focuses on analysis, music theory, or music history.

** There will be an orchestration placement before the first semester starts. You can take other orchestration courses as part of your electives.

Private Composition Lessons

Students take 3 semesters of private instruction with our faculty. As a student, you are free to choose a faculty member from the Screen Scoring, Concert Music, or Songwriting programs. You will decide your private instructor with your advisor, who will carefully help you to design a plan for your studies.

Orchestration

In order to better serve students with different musical backgrounds, we have created an orchestration placement exam that will serve us to recommend the best orchestration course to begin with from our orchestration sequence. You are free to select the rest of the courses of the sequence as elective courses if you wish.

Terminal Experience

Students take a Screen Scoring section of our Colloquy in music as their terminal experience. In that class, students will prepare their websites and social presence to be an asset for their professional lives, create a set of reels to pitch for projects, and connect with different professionals in the field.

Recording Sessions

The program recording sessions are linked to your private lessons, as you will be working with your private instructor to create music for these sessions. In addition, orchestration courses have their own recording sessions as well.

Elective Courses

The Screen Scoring industry requires students with multiple and very different skills. This is why we are open for our students to choose from a wide range of electives, especially in areas such as: Conducting, Scoring, Songwriting, Concert Composition, Music Theory, and Music Technology and Production.

Electives

This is a list of some of the courses you can select as electives, which you will decide together with your advisor.

Content Area

Course

Credits
Notation MPATC-GE 2429 Music Notation 1
Conducting MPATC-GE 2131 Conducting: Foundations 1
MPATC-GE 2133 Conducting: Intermediate Instrumental 2
MPATC-GE 2135 Conducting: Advanced Instrumental 3
MPATC-GE 2134 Conducting: Advanced Musical Theatre 3
Orchestration MPATC-GE 2088 Orchestration I 3
MPATC-GE 2098 Orchestration II 3
MPATC-GE 2080 Adv. Orchestration: Screen Scoring 3
MPATC-GE 2082 Adv. Orchestration: Concert Music 3
MPAJZ-GE 2273 Jazz Arranging Techniques I (including Jazz Theory I) 3
Scoring MPATC-GE 2041 Scoring Techniques: Video Games 3
MPATC-GE 2048 Scoring Techniques: Film and Animation 3
Songwriting MPATC-GE 2090 Songwriters Forum 3
MPATE-GE 2636 Advanced Topics in Music Technology: Production for Songwriters 3
MPAVP-GE 2321 Musical Theatre Songwriting Seminar 3
Game Audio MPATE-GE 2604 Game Audio 3
MPATE-GE 2635 Audio for Games and Immersive Env. 3
Concert Music MPATC-GE 2027-8 Seminar in Composition: String Quartet I & II 6
MPATC-GE 2021 Seminar in Composition: Chamber Ensembles and Electronics 3
MPATC-GE 2127 Compositional Processes in the Symphony 3
Technology and Production MPATE-GE 2650 Ear Training for Audio Engineers 3
MPATE-GE 2629 Advanced Audio Production 3
MPATC-GE 2135 Mixing in the Digital Audio Workstation 3
MPATE-GE 2047 Advanced Computer Music 3

Foundations

These courses could be used as electives, or as a replacement of the Seminar in Composition requirement.
Foundations MPATC-GE 2025 African-American Music: Its Origins and Influence on Songwriting 3
MPATC-GE 202X Seminar in Composition 3
MPATC-GE 220X Seminar in Music Theory 3
MPATC-GE 2021 Music Reference and Research Materials 3
MPATC-GE 2039 Contemporary Music 3
MPATC-GE 2046 Music Criticism 3
MPATC-GE 2127 Compositional Processes in the Symphony 3
MPATC-GE 2042 Psychology of Music 3
MPATC-GE 2069 Opera in the 20th Century 3
MPATC-GE 2095 Songwriting History and Criticism 3
MPATC-GE 2096 Songwriting History and Criticism II 3
MPATC-GE 2109 Narrative Writing for Music Analysis 3

Semester by Semester Sample Schedule

Full time is between 9 and 12 points

Semester 1 12 points
MPATC-GE 2321 Private Composition 3
MPATC-GE 2424 Composers Forum 2
MPATC-GE 2049 Contemporary Scoring (or another guided elective) 3
  Screen Music: History, Analysis, and Aesthetics 3
  Guided Elective 1
  ** New International Student Seminar 0
Semester 2 12 points
MPATC-GE 2321 Private Composition 3
MPATC-GE 2424 Music Editing for Sceen Music 3
MPATC-GE 2xxx Orchestration Class (by placement) 3
  Guided Elective 3
     
Semester 3 12 points
MPATC-GE 2321 Private Composition 3
MPATC-GE 204x Scoring Techniques 3
  Core Requirements 3
  Guided Elective 3
Semester 4 3 points
MPATC-GE 2026 Colloquy in Music 3