PROGRAMS & DEGREES

i OVERVIEW

Wherever you are in your music journey, we are confident that you will find the right path forward in your career at Musicians Institute. MI and MI Online offer multiple degree and non-degree options, across a multitude of disciplines from instrument performance to production and recording studies.

On this page, you can explore all of our programs and degree offerings to give you a better idea of how a music education at MI can work for you. If you cannot attend MI at our Hollywood campus, MI Online offers our same renowned, immersive curriculum to students from anywhere in the world.

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i Programs

Musicians Institute offers a full range of programs focusing on the skills needed to be a successful modern musician. Starting from musical traditions and into the current trends of contemporary music, students are taught by working music professionals who introduce first-hand experience and knowledge of the industry into the classroom.

MUSIC PERFORMANCE

Musicians Institute’s Music Performance Programs are a unique combination of contemporary music performance and rigorous education in traditional music disciplines. Performance programs in our music college include five major instruments of study:

DEGREES OFFERED: Certificate (Non-Degree), Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

BASS

MI’s Bass Program, led by a world-class staff of professional bassists, combines intensive technical training with performances, equipping you to handle any style from funk to rock, jazz, R&B and more.

DRUM

MI’s Drum program is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of drummers and the workplace, going beyond traditional drumming skills to include electronic drumming, digital recording, loops and sequencing.

GUITAR

MI’s Guitar program introduces players to the basics of guitar playing, including performance, ear training, and melodic soloing. Students gain the tools necessary to be ready to work and perform in all genres, from rock to pop, jazz and beyond.

HORN

MI’s Horns program trains horn players—saxophonists, trombonists, and trumpeters—to work in the contemporary music industry as soloists, section players, readers and improvisers, arrangers and engineers.

KEYBOARD

MI’s Keyboard Program takes an innovative approach to an instrument that is both deeply traditional and constantly evolving. The unique curriculum combines traditional keyboard performance with cutting-edge keyboard-based technology.

SONGWRITING

MI’s Songwriting Program is designed to create versatile songwriters who will have the skills to steadily work in today’s modern music industry. Students will be immersed in the entire process it takes to write a song, from ideation to writing lyrics, to recording and production.

VOCAL

MI’s Vocal program surrounds you with a supportive network of teachers and students who challenge you to explore your stylistic identity and advance your technological knowledge while enhancing your confidence as a professional vocalist.

MUSIC PRODUCTION & RECORDING

Musicians Institute’s production programs provide students with the educational foundation for careers as producers, audio engineers, beat makers, composers for visual media including film, television, animation and games. Our production programs include:

DEGREES OFFERED: Certificate (Non-Degree), Associate of Science, Bachelor of Music

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

ARTIST PRODUCER ENTREPRENEUR

MI’s 4-quarter Artist/Producer/Entrepreneur Certificate program provides the technical knowledge and professional skills you need to survive as an independent recording and performing artist.

AUDIO ENGINEERING
(MI ONLINE: STUDIO RECORDING TECHNOLOGY)

MI’s Audio Engineering (MI Online’s Studio Recording Technology) program prepares graduates for careers in the professional recording industry by providing practical training on state-of-the-art recording equipment.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION

MI’s Electronic Music Production program helps students gain the technical knowledge and professional skills to grow as independent electronic music producers, beat makers, and remix artists in a variety of musical settings in the industry.

INDEPENDENT ARTIST

MI’s Independent Artist Program provides the technical knowledge and professional skills you need to survive as an independent recording and performing artist. Study the diverse skills needed to write, record and promote your original song.

LIVE MUSIC EVENT PRODUCTION

MI’s Live Music Event Production program offers an immersive learning experience in professional live musical and live event productions, with classes in sound reinforcement, audio engineering, tour management, lighting, video, rigging, live broadcast, and staging.

MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR VISUAL MEDIA

MI’s Bachelor of Music Composition program provides students with the educational foundation for careers as composers of musical soundtracks for visual media including film, television, animation and games.

STUDIO RECORDING

MI’s Studio Recording program offers audio recording enthusiasts and engineers an immersive learning experience into the components, techniques, and roles involved in professional audio recording and production.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Musicians Institute’s Industry programs offer students the foundation for a successful career as a music business professional. From marketing, to royalties and the art of luthiery, students will get an extensive education to help them navigate the full industry with ease.

DEGREES OFFERED: Certificate, Associate of Science

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

MUSIC BUSINESS

MI’s Music Business program features in-depth training and interactive learning covering the diverse range of industry areas including Law and Contracts, Music Publishing and Licensing, Artist and Tour Management, A&R and Record Labels, Distribution, Promotion, and Marketing.

GUITAR CRAFT NASHVILLE

MI’s Guitar Craft Academy Nashville is dedicated to inspiring excellence in the art of guitar building and design, while preparing students for careers in the music industry. By providing hands-on instruction from top professionals, we give students the skills necessary to achieve their goals.

ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS

Musicians Institute’s alternative programs offer options to study at MI outside of our traditional degrees. These programs can include taking MI classes “a-la-carte” style per quarter, to our weeklong summer programs.

DEGREES OFFERED: Non-Degree

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

MI SELECT

MI Select are non-certificate programs designed to provide students with “a taste of MI” if they want another option to studying full-time. Students can take as little as one class per quarter across our wide variety of programs and concentrations.

SUMMER SHOT

MI’s Summer Shot experience is an interactive summer music program for musicians 12 and older. This immersive week-long program will pair students with award-winning instructors in performance or production-based programs, so they can get a taste of a future career in music and just have fun!

MUSIC PERFORMANCE

Musicians Institute’s Music Performance Programs are a unique combination of contemporary music performance and rigorous education in traditional music disciplines. Performance programs in our music college include five major instruments of study:

DEGREES OFFERED: Certificate (Non-Degree), Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

BASS

MI’s Bass Program, led by a world-class staff of professional bassists, combines intensive technical training with performances, equipping you to handle any style from funk to rock, jazz, R&B and more.

DRUM

MI’s Drum program is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of drummers and the workplace, going beyond traditional drumming skills to include electronic drumming, digital recording, loops and sequencing.

GUITAR

MI’s Guitar program introduces players to the basics of guitar playing, including performance, ear training, and melodic soloing. Students gain the tools necessary to be ready to work and perform in all genres, from rock to pop, jazz and beyond.

HORN

MI’s Horns program trains horn players — saxophonists, trombonists, and trumpeters — to work in the contemporary music industry as soloists, section players, readers and improvisers, arrangers and engineers.

KEYBOARD

MI’s Keyboard Program takes an innovative approach to an instrument that is both deeply traditional and constantly evolving. The unique curriculum combines traditional keyboard performance with cutting-edge keyboard-based technology.

SONGWRITING

MI’s Songwriting Program is designed to create versatile songwriters who will have the skills to steadily work in today’s modern music industry. Students will be immersed in the entire process it takes to write a song, from ideation to writing lyrics, to recording and production.

VOCAL

MI’s Vocal program surrounds you with a supportive network of teachers and students who challenge you to explore your stylistic identity and advance your technological knowledge while enhancing your confidence as a professional vocalist.

MUSIC PRODUCTION & RECORDING

Musicians Institute’s production programs provide students with the educational foundation for careers as producers, audio engineers, beat makers, composers for visual media including film, television, animation and games. Our production programs include:

DEGREES OFFERED: Certificate (Non-Degree), Associate of Science, Bachelor of Music

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

ARTIST PRODUCER ENTREPRENEUR

MI’s 4-quarter Artist/Producer/Entrepreneur Certificate program provides the technical knowledge and professional skills you need to survive as an independent recording and performing artist.

AUDIO ENGINEERING
(MI ONLINE: STUDIO RECORDING TECHNOLOGY)

MI’s Audio Engineering (MI Online’s Studio Recording Technology) program prepares graduates for careers in the professional recording industry by providing practical training on state-of-the-art recording equipment.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION

MI’s Electronic Music Production program helps students gain the technical knowledge and professional skills to grow as independent electronic music producers, beat makers, and remix artists in a variety of musical settings in the industry.

INDEPENDENT ARTIST

MI’s Independent Artist Program provides the technical knowledge and professional skills you need to survive as an independent recording and performing artist. Study the diverse skills needed to write, record and promote your original song.

LIVE MUSIC EVENT PRODUCTION

MI’s Live Music Event Production program offers an immersive learning experience in professional live musical and live event productions, with classes in sound reinforcement, audio engineering, tour management, lighting, video, rigging, live broadcast, and staging.

MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR VISUAL MEDIA

MI’s Bachelor of Music Composition program provides students with the educational foundation for careers as composers of musical soundtracks for visual media including film, television, animation and games.

STUDIO RECORDING

MI’s Studio Recording program offers audio recording enthusiasts and engineers an immersive learning experience into the components, techniques, and roles involved in professional audio recording and production.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Musicians Institute’s Industry programs offer students the foundation for a successful career as a music business professional. From marketing, to royalties and the art of luthiery, students will get an extensive education to help them navigate the full industry with ease.

DEGREES OFFERED: Certificate, Associate of Science

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

MUSIC BUSINESS

MI’s Music Business program features in-depth training and interactive learning covering the diverse range of industry areas including Law and Contracts, Music Publishing and Licensing, Artist and Tour Management, A&R and Record Labels, Distribution, Promotion, and Marketing.

GUITAR CRAFT NASHVILLE

MI’s Guitar Craft Academy Nashville is dedicated to inspiring excellence in the art of guitar building and design, while preparing students for careers in the music industry. By providing hands-on instruction from top professionals, we give students the skills necessary to achieve their goals.

ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS

Musicians Institute’s alternative programs offer options to study at MI outside of our traditional degrees. These programs can include taking MI classes “a-la-carte” style per quarter, to our weeklong summer programs.

DEGREES OFFERED: Non-Degree

ON-CAMPUS or ONLINE

MI SELECT

MI Select are non-certificate programs designed to provide students with “a taste of MI” if they want another option to studying full-time. Students can take as little as one class per quarter across our wide variety of programs and concentrations.

SUMMER SHOT

MI’s Summer Shot experience is an interactive summer music program for musicians 12 and older. This immersive week-long program will pair students with award-winning instructors in performance or production-based programs, so they can get a taste of a future career in music and just have fun!

i Degrees

Musicians Institute offers a full range of degrees and a wide variety of areas of concentration in the field of contemporary music, from Associate of Arts to Master of Music. We also have non-degree opportunities of study, including Certificates to our a-la-carte option, MI Select.

MI students can choose to pursue their degrees either Full-time (15 credits/quarter) or Part-time (7.5 credits/quarter), which we have indicated in the sections below. Please note that some offerings might differ depending on if you’re enrolled at MI Hollywood or MI Online.

CERTIFICATE

MI’s Certificate is our shortest option that provides you with a broad foundation of musical knowledge, technique and practical experience that prepares you for virtually any style of contemporary popular music performance.

FULL-TIME: 6 Months – 1 Year (2–4 Quarters)
PART-TIME: 1 – 2 Years (4–8 Quarters)

BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
HORN
KEYBOARD
SONGWRITING
VOCAL
ARTIST PRODUCER ENTREPRENEUR
AUDIO ENGINEERING
ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION
GUITAR CRAFT NASHVILLE
INDEPENDENT ARTIST
LIVE MUSIC EVENT PRODUCTION
MUSIC BUSINESS
SONGWRITING
STUDIO RECORDING

MI ONLINE
BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
KEYBOARD
SONGWRITING
VOCAL
ARTIST PRODUCER ENTREPRENEUR
ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION
INDEPENDENT ARTIST
MUSIC BUSINESS
SONGWRITING
STUDIO RECORDING TECHNOLOGY

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS / SCIENCE

The Associate of Art/Science degrees provide more in-depth knowledge and training compared to Certificate in areas ranging from studio recording, music business, artist management, to extensive exploration of harmony, theory, songwriting, and performance techniques on a chosen instrument.

FULL-TIME: 1.5 Years (6 Quarters)
PART-TIME: 3 Years (12 Quarters)

BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
HORN
KEYBOARD
VOCAL
MUSIC BUSINESS
STUDIO RECORDING
PERFORMANCE (BASS, DRUM, GUITAR, HORNS, KEYBOARD, VOCAL) W/ COMBINED EMPHASIS IN:
AUDIO ENGINEERING
ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION
INDEPENDENT ARTIST
MUSIC BUSINESS
SONGWRITING

MI ONLINE
BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
KEYBOARD
VOCAL
MUSIC BUSINESS
STUDIO RECORDING TECHNOLOGY

BACHELOR OF MUSIC

The Bachelor of Music degree offers comprehensive coursework in the study of music theory, ear-training, keyboard proficiency, music history, arranging, conducting, audio production and business relations. The B.M. instructs students to demonstrate stylistic depth, creative maturity and professional competence in preparation for careers in today’s music industry.

FULL-TIME: 3 Years (12 Quarters)
FULL-TIME W/ MINOR: 3.5 Years (14 Quarters)

BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
HORN
KEYBOARD
SONGWRITING & PRODUCTION
VOCAL
COMPOSITION
W/ MINOR IN:
AUDIO PRODUCTION (AUDIO ENGINEERING)
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY STUDIES (MUSIC BUSINESS)

MI ONLINE
BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
KEYBOARD
SONGWRITING & PRODUCTION
VOCAL

MASTER OF MUSIC

The Master of Music degree combines the most advanced music performance training with additional study in both traditional and contemporary disciplines such as music history, theory, education, research skills, recording technology, production, business relations and online brand management.

FULL-TIME: 1 Year (4 Quarters)
BASS
DRUM
GUITAR
KEYBOARD
VOCAL

ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS

Our alternative programs offer options to study at MI outside of our traditional degrees. These programs can include taking MI classes “a-la-carte” style per quarter, to our weeklong summer programs.

LENGTH: 1 – 5 WEEKS
MI SELECT
SUMMER SHOT