Music Certificates vs Diplomas vs Degrees

The words certificate, diploma and degree appear on music school pages constantly, and they do not mean the same thing everywhere. This guide gives you a way to read them. It claims no equivalence between awards from different countries, and it cannot tell you whether a particular award will be recognised for a job, a licence, a visa or further study.

Why the words mislead

The same title can sit at different levels:

• In the European credit system, a bachelor's programme is typically 180 or 240 ECTS credits and a master's 90 or 120, according to the European Commission. A short-cycle qualification is typically 90 to 120 credits. Whether a school's "diploma" falls into one of these ranges depends on the programme.
• In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Quality Assurance Agency describes a framework of levels for the qualifications of UK degree-awarding bodies; Scotland has its own framework. Certificates and diplomas can exist at several levels there.
• Some schools, such as Berklee, offer a professional diploma in addition to degrees. Level and length are set by the school.

So never assume. Ask for the credit total, the length, the entry requirement and the awarding body.

Degrees

A degree is awarded by an institution with degree-awarding powers recognised in its country. Bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees are the usual cycles. In music, bachelor's degrees are covered in BM versus BA, master's in MM versus MA and doctorates in DMA versus PhD. Browse programme listings in bachelor's in music, master's in music and music doctorates.

Diplomas

"Diploma" is the most variable word.

• Professional or undergraduate-level diploma. Berklee lists a professional diploma alongside its Bachelor of Music, describing it as music-focused with some liberal arts courses, and says it is not offered for Music Education, Music Therapy or Music Business/Management. Other schools use "diploma" for a shorter or more performance-only course.
• Postgraduate diploma. Some schools use the word for a postgraduate-level award.
• Artist diploma. The Royal Northern College of Music lists an Advanced Artist Diploma among its doctoral-programme links, without describing it on that page. Level, length and entry vary by school, so read the school's own description.
• Other uses of the word. Some organisations use "diploma" for awards that are not study programmes at all. Check whether an award is a taught programme before comparing it with the programmes on this site.

Browse music diplomas and always check whether the award is a degree, a non-degree programme, or an examination.

Certificates

A certificate usually signals a shorter, more focused course. It might be undergraduate-level, a post-baccalaureate or graduate certificate for people who already hold a degree, or a continuing-education course with no academic credit. Some count towards a later degree and some do not; ask whether credits are transferable. See music certificates and online music certificates.

What each is commonly used for

These are common uses, not rules:

• Degree: a broad, credit-bearing course of study that may be required for graduate admission or by some employers and regulators.
• Diploma: intensive performance or professional training, sometimes without general-education courses.
• Certificate: a defined skill set, a pivot into a new area, or an addition to an existing degree.

Whether any of these helps you reach a goal depends on that goal. Teaching and therapy routes, in particular, are set by official bodies; see music education and teaching qualifications and music therapy education pathways.

Questions to ask a school

1. Is this award a degree? Who awards it, and is that body recognised in the country?
2. How many credits and how many years does it take?
3. What previous qualification is required to enter?
4. Can the credits later count towards a degree?
5. Does the award carry a professional or legal status, or is it an institutional award only?
6. For international students, does studying this award affect the visa you would need? Check the official government page; this site cannot promise visas.

Reading listings on this site

Each programme page states the award as the school names it, and we do not rewrite one country's award into another's. We mark what we could verify on the school's page; the methodology explains how. For a wider approach, see choosing a music school.