<p>There is a five year AB/MM joint program with New England Conservatory. You must be independently accepted at both institutions. The arts at Harvard are getting better. President Faust has commented that she took serious note of the 2012 “Senior Class Survey” which showed that a MAJORITY (not a plurality) of graduating seniors, if they could would go into “the arts” if they had their druthers. She has lamented that there is a very strong disconnect with what the seniors wanted to do and what they ended up doing (finance/consulting were the top two job categories) and recognized that Harvard has an obligation to better prepare students in the arts if that is what they would have wanted to pursue. Toward that end Harvard has hired Jill Johnson as the Director of Dance (an amazing hire) and is working to augment the rest of its arts offerings.</p>
<p>The music department is not as academic as Yale’s (but Yale has a professional School of Music–which Harvard does not have)-- Harvard’s department now has a composer’s track within its concentration (a composition can be submitted for a honors thesis) and has one full time composer as a full professor and is looking to increase its facility in this area. That being said-- NO Harvard credit for performance or lessons. But there is a very thriving co-curricular program from HRO to a cappella groups and everything in between. An international competition winner in the violin is a rising sophomore as is a newly named Yamaha artist (composition). Matt AuCoin, who just graduated, is the conducting fellow at the Met next year–so lots of good musicians around.</p>
<p>Rumor is that there will be a MFA offered at Harvard within the next decade (discussions are happening now) – probably in theatre, however.</p>