The Clive Davis Institute is the first and only program of its kind to provide professional business and artistic training toward a BFA in Recorded Music. We aim to provide students with the necessary skills — business, creative, and intellectual — so that they might emerge as visionary creative entrepreneurs in the evolving global music industry.
We encourage students to develop innovative musical ideas and envision new music business models, work collaboratively, cultivate both intellectual rigor and a willingness to experiment artistically, and to assume leadership roles in the art and commerce of creating and selling recorded music. We are newly located in Brooklyn, at 370 Jay Street - NYU's new home for engineers, research scientists, game designers, media artists, and musicians to interact and collaborate under one roof. We are proud to be contributing to NYU's goal of becoming the world center for technology innovation and creative engineering.
Students who enroll have a wide range of aspirations. Some aspire to become CEOs of record labels or management companies. Some aspire to become music producers who helm successful production companies. And others are performing artists, songwriters, publishers, social entrepreneurs, tech innovators, and music journalists who want to develop their business acumen so that they might build a successful brand.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
The program requires the completion of 128 credits, comprised of the courses below.
See Policies for program-specific policies and for more information about the program requirements.
Professional Development: Pursuing Your Post-Graduate Plan
1
General Education Elective
4
General Education Elective
4
Other Elective
2-4
Credits
11
Total Credits
128
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have:
The ability to realize an artistic vision in popular music from concept to market.
A viable music- or media-related business or career plan that meets the highest professional and rigorous academic standards demonstrating an understanding of the evolving business, market, structure, emergent media and innovative practices of the contemporary music industry.
An understanding of key vocabulary, concepts, issues and debates in global contemporary music history and their place in social, political, and aesthetic context; the ability to think critically about pop music history and business, and to demonstrate that clarity through writing and speaking.
Acquired the skills, technical proficiency, and the tools for specialization in or across one or more of the Institute’s seven areas of academic/professional focus: executive, production, songwriting, performance, technology, social entrepreneurship, and music journalism.
Policies
Program Policies
Digital Audio Workstations
Students must complete a placement test for each Digital Audio Workstation course (ProTools, Logic, Ableton). These courses consist of beginner, intermediate, and advanced sections. Students who score high enough on the placement exam may waive the course entirely and take a 2-credit elective course in its place.
Study Abroad
The Recorded Music major has a study abroad requirement. This requirement does not apply to any of NYU’s domestic sites such as NYU LA, NYU Tulsa, or NYU Washington D.C. In order to fulfill this requirement, students must study abroad for a full-time semester during the fall of their third-year at an NYU global site or participate in an International Exchange program or petition to waive this requirement.
The department has a proprietary program at the NYU Berlin global site called "Future Pop Music Studies." All Recorded Music majors may apply to participate in this program, and there are up to 24 seats available. In this program, students will be able to learn about the fascinating past, present and future of music making in Germany and Europe at large, and they'll be able to practice their craft and learn about the arts and emergent media scene while meeting and working with influential Berlin-based industry professionals.
Expository Writing
Transfer students are required to complete or transfer in one expository writing course from their previous institution.
International Focus
Provides students with the historical and contextual knowledge and skills needed to encourage students to become aware of, and active in, the role they play in both local and global communities as they strive to use their creativity to make the world better and more inclusive.
Humanities and the Social Sciences
Aimed to give students a sense of cultural form in diverse social contexts so as to appreciate the setting for such phenomena as world music, ethnic arts, and folk traditions and to give students a sense of transformation of culture and society over larger spans of time and space. Examples include courses in history, classics, fine arts, philosophy, religion, English, and literature. At least one course (4 credits) must have an international focus.
Natural Sciences
Designed to teach students how to evaluate evidence within a framework of logical reason. Examples include courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental science, geology, math, physics.