USC SMPTV program

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>Anybody have any direct or anecdotal information on USC's Scoring for Motion Pictures & Television 1-year graduate certificate program?</p>

<p>Is it legitimately "well-regarded" and "selective" and worth it, or it just a money-making mill? The tuition is $40K on top of LA living expenses, and the website explicitly states that zero scholarships, grants, teaching assistantships, fellowships or work-study are offered, and even strongly discourages students from working during the year they attend the program. There is no job placement service, and even lab time/facilities use hours are limited. I mean, I'm sure the instruction and the opportunities will be fantastic, but how can any student possibly afford this???</p>

<p>I gather that it's pretty clearly a "Professional" program that is affiliated with USC, rather than a Graduate program that is truly integrated into the Thornton School of Music, but in an industry where degrees and credentials matter zip next to contacts and ability, can a program like SMPTY offer enough of the latter things to make it really worth it? At least other professional programs like in Law or Medicine are in fields where the actual degree conferred is a requirement for many jobs.</p>

2

<p>Sorry I don’t know anything about that program, but can tell you that in general, when it comes to the University of Southern California, you said the magic word: CONTACTS</p>

3

<p>Georgia Girl, any internal info re: this?</p>

4

<p>Earl,
The Thornton School of Music is over 125 years old. This is the school of music that has had Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, Eudice Shapiro, Ingolf Dahl, Midori Goto Stephen Hartke, Pepe Romero, Ralph Kirshbaum, Morten Lauridsen and soon Glenn Dicterow on the faculty. Over forty countries have students enrolled. It has conservatory training within a research university. </p>

<p>Thornton’s Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television has some special advantages. Location in the heart of a huge entertainment center, a faculty which includes important working professionals and alumni known worldwide are factors to consider. Also, the unique interaction with SC’s School of Dramatic Arts and the School of Cinematic Arts adds to creative opportunities.</p>

<p>The program includes course work in the following:</p>

<p>History of film music scoring
Film score analysis and preparation
Conducting and animation writing
Composition for films, television and video games
Advanced application of film music technology</p>

<p>The program offers both practical experience and industry connections. Student composers work with student film makers and produce music for many films each year. Program enrollees score a number of projects with union musicians on scoring stages and studios including Capital Records and the Scoring Stage at Warner Bros.</p>

<p>Alumni are: Elmer Bernstein, Buddy Baker, David Raksin, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, James Newton Howard and David Newman, among others.</p>

<p>Some recent graduates include: Timur Bekbosunav who was profiled in LA Weekly “Best of LA People” and performed in Ser Marcantonio in Germany, Steve Fox who is the composer/conductor of the Golden State Pops Orchestra, Steve Vanhauwaert who has performed with the Felici Trio and is a director of the Mammoth Lakes Music Festival, Brian Ralston who scored the feature film “Don’t Fade Away” starring Beau Bridges and Michael Lawrence who composed the music for a film which won the World Vision/Sojournes Filmmaking Competition. </p>

<p>USC has a well regarded placement service. It includes mock interviews, resume writing workshops, mixers with corporate representatives and more. You can access this information on the website: [University</a> of Southern California](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu%5DUniversity”>http://www.usc.edu) </p>

<p>You appear to have some misconceptions about this program. I suggest you call with your personal questions. Here is the number: 800 872 2213 during business hours Pacific Time. The admissions requirements are extensive as this is a graduate program. Call this number for your admissions questions: 213 821 4192 . A FAX number is 213 740 8995.</p>

<p>This is not a “money making mill”. SC had over 46,000 applicants last year, more than any other private university. Thornton could fill this program many times over. </p>

<p>Application deadline for undergraduate Thornton admission is December 1, 2012.</p>

5

<p>Georgia Girl, my senior (UMich) son has for a few years been interested in your program but doesn’t understand why it doesn’t lead to at least an MA, or even (preferably) a MFA, the latter of which would make a good deal of sense for a kid with an undergrad degree in a similar field. (His degree is a multi-disciplinary BFA degree at UMich’s SOM that includes composition, tech, engineering, application of sound to visual medium, etc. so this seems a natural extension of that program.)</p>

<p>Granted, it would require more extended coursework that it presently appears to have.</p>

<p>He has elected not to apply at this point in time because it’s neither terminal nor apparently leading to anything terminal. (And he wants a break to work for a while first anyway…he will, however, be moving to California when his girlfriend graduates the following year, and may be looking again then.)</p>

<p>Can you articulate the rationale for presenting this program in its current format? I mean, it’s certainly USC’s prerogative and I completely understand you have no need for a “money” mill per se…but I too was surprised that it was not offered in either the MA or MFA format.</p>

6

<p>My original phrasing of money making mill was probably not the best choice, as that might’ve perhaps shed an unfair negative shroud of illegitimacy over it. If anything, perhaps “cash cow” (which is just a general, frequent term people use off the cuff when discussing academic graduate programs to describe terminal masters degrees, as they are typically unfunded) would’ve been more appropriate. My apologies if my original description sounded accusatory or suspicious. I’m not a film composer myself and have no vested interest in such programs, but I do have students and acquaintances that might potentially be interested at some point, and I just want to be better informed on the realities to converse or advise better.</p>

<p>Kmcom13, that’s a good point, especially considering that SMPTV’s main rival at UCLA does indeed have a fully accredited MA program in scoring for visual media that is fully integrated into the Alpert School of Music. I’d assume that integration would allow its students to be full-fledged graduate students at the university, being able to be supported through the same funds and be eligible for TAships, stipends, insurance waivers, etc. (Whether or not the program’s students are able to get those consistently, I of course do not know.) </p>

<p>Meanwhile, SMPTV does seem to operate purely on a Professional School model. Even though it is officially offered within the Thornton School, it is not an integrated program. Its students take its internal self curriculum, and no funding comes through the university. I gather that changing this into a degree program (such as an MFA or a terminal MA) would be more complex than simply adjusting the curriculum; rather it would entail a whole shift in its infrastructure from the top down. That said, I do think SMPTV would be more attractive to a wider range of applicants were it a fully integrated graduate degree program.</p>