A Degree in Composition

The Music Composition program at Florida International University’s Wertheim School of Music prepares students to become versatile, innovative composers equipped for careers in contemporary music, media, and related creative industries. Designed for aspiring composers seeking advanced study or professional opportunities, the program provides comprehensive training in composition techniques, music theory, orchestration, and emerging technologies.

Students gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools in computer music, film scoring, video game and interactive media composition, digital audio production, and music notation software. Through a forward-thinking curriculum that blends traditional composition practices with modern technology, FIU’s Music Composition program develops the creative, technical, and collaborative skills needed to succeed as professional composers in today’s evolving music landscape.

B.M. in Composition

The Music Composition Program at the Wertheim School of Music at Florida International University prepares students for advanced graduate study in composition and careers in today’s evolving music industry, including concert music, film scoring, multimedia production, and music technology. Through a dynamic and innovative curriculum, students gain hands-on experience with computer music, interactive media, video, film scoring, audio production, and professional notation software. The program emphasizes creativity, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and contemporary artistic practices, preparing emerging composers for success in both traditional and interdisciplinary musical environments.

The Wertheim School of Music’s Undergraduate Composition Program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive foundation in music composition, contemporary classical music, music theory, orchestration, and creative musical practices ranging from common-practice traditions to the most innovative experimental and contemporary approaches. Combining composition, analysis, music technology, and performance, the program prepares emerging composers to work fluently across diverse musical styles while developing an individual artistic voice and personal compositional language.

The Bachelor of Music in Music Composition at the Wertheim School of Music emphasizes advanced musicianship, score study, conducting, and live performance opportunities, allowing students to hear, rehearse, and conduct their own works with accomplished performers and ensembles. Students gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge music technology, including computer music, electroacoustic composition, digital audio production, film scoring, multimedia composition, video, interactive media, notation software, and recording techniques as integral parts of the curriculum.

Located in Miami, one of the most culturally diverse artistic centers in the United States, the Wertheim School of Music’s Composition Program offers numerous concerts, collaborations, workshops, and professional development opportunities featuring new music, interdisciplinary arts, and contemporary performance practices. Student composers regularly work with distinguished faculty, guest artists, chamber ensembles, orchestras, and electronic music resources in a highly creative and supportive environment.

Graduates of the Music Composition Program at the Wertheim School of Music have continued advanced study at prestigious universities and conservatories throughout the United States and abroad and have received recognition through ASCAP Student Composition Awards, BMI Student Composer Awards, and other important national and international honors. The four-year undergraduate music composition degree prepares students for graduate study in composition, careers in concert music, film and media scoring, music production, arts entrepreneurship, music technology, and related creative professions in today’s evolving musical landscape.

Audition Requirements

Submit a portfolio of 3 or 4 of your works consisting of sound files and/or videos. Works can be for acoustic, electronic, mixed, and with/without videos.

Demonstrate your craft and depth of compositional knowledge exhibiting an awareness of contemporary aesthetics and techniques.

Prospective undergraduate students must also successfully complete an audition on their instrument or voice to be accepted.

Include works for a variety of instruments/voices and sizes of ensembles (solo, chamber, etc.).

Make clear your interest in composition as a major and what the student expects to gain from their studies at FIU in this area.

Outline your interest and future goals as a composer.

Audition Dates

Qualified candidates will be invited to audition in person at FIU. Organized auditions are held three times per year, but can be scheduled at other times throughout the year upon request. Applicants who wish to be considered for University merit-based scholarships should attend the November audition date. Theory and history placement tests will be given during organized audition days.

Organized auditions are held: October 24, 2026, November 14, 2026, February 6, 2027, and March 13, 2027

Apply Today!

Get Started! Learn how to apply.

 

For more information, contact:

(305) 919-5633
garciao@fiu.edu
Biscayne Bay Campus, AC II 234A, 3000 NE 151st Street
North Miami, Florida 33181

 

M.M. in Composition

The Music Composition Program at Florida International University prepares students for advanced graduate study in composition and careers in today’s evolving music industry, including concert music, film scoring, multimedia production, and music technology. Through a dynamic and innovative curriculum, students gain hands-on experience with computer music, interactive media, video, film scoring, audio production, and professional notation software. The program emphasizes creativity, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and contemporary artistic practices, preparing emerging composers for success in both traditional and interdisciplinary musical environments.

The M.M. in Music Composition at Florida International University is a nationally recognized graduate degree program designed to help emerging composers develop their unique artistic voices while advancing their compositional craft and professional skills. Located in Miami, one of the most culturally diverse artistic centers in the United States, the FIU Master of Music in Composition offers advanced training in contemporary classical music composition, computer music, film scoring, multimedia composition, orchestration, and music technology.

Students in the FIU graduate composition program work closely with internationally acclaimed faculty composers while benefiting from numerous performances and recordings of original student works by outstanding performers, chamber ensembles, orchestras, and new music groups. The curriculum combines traditional compositional techniques with cutting-edge creative practices, including electronic music composition, interactive media, digital audio production, notation software, video integration, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Graduate students gain extensive hands-on experience with music production software, DAWs, computer-assisted composition tools, film and media scoring, interactive technologies, and contemporary music performance practices. The FIU School of Music provides a dynamic environment for composers interested in concert music, electroacoustic music, experimental music, multimedia performance, interdisciplinary arts, and creative technologies.

Many FIU composition graduates have continued doctoral studies at prestigious universities and conservatories and have received major honors, including ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, BMI Student Composer Awards, commissions, residencies, and national and international performances. The two-year Master of Music in Composition degree prepares students for doctoral study, university teaching, professional composition careers, film and media scoring, music production, arts entrepreneurship, and a wide range of creative careers in the contemporary music industry.

Audition Requirements

Submit a portfolio of 3 or 4 of your works consisting of sound files and/or videos. Works can be for acoustic, electronic, mixed, and with/without videos.

Demonstrate your craft and depth of compositional knowledge exhibiting an awareness of contemporary aesthetics and techniques.

Include works for a variety of instruments/voices and sizes of ensembles (solo, chamber, etc.).

Make clear your interest in composition as a major and what the student expects to gain from their studies at FIU in this area.

Outline your interest and future goals as a composer.

Audition Dates

Qualified candidates will be invited to audition in person at FIU. Organized auditions are held three times per year, but can be scheduled at other times throughout the year upon request. Applicants who wish to be considered for University merit-based scholarships should attend the November audition date. Theory and history placement tests will be given during organized audition days.

Organized auditions are held: October 24, 2026, November 14, 2026, February 6, 2027, and March 13, 2027

Apply Today!

Get Started! Learn how to apply.

For more information, contact:

(305) 919-5633
garciao@fiu.edu
Biscayne Bay Campus, AC II 234A, 3000 NE 151st Street
North Miami, Florida 33181

 

M.M. in Composition

4 + 1 Combined B.M. & M.M. in Music Composition

The 4+1 Combined Degree program is designed for serious composers who wish to complete both their B.M. and M.M. from FIU.

To be considered for admission to the combined bachelor’s/master’s degree program, majors must be in good standing. Eligibility will be determined during the Composition I and II classes which are taken during the sophomore year.

Admission Requirements

  • Current overall GPA of 3.2 or better
  • Completed at least 75 credit hours
  • In good standing as a Music Composition Major at FIU
  • Submission of request in writing for admission into the graduate program with justification and future plans.
  • Approval from the Music Composition Program Director (Undergraduate and Graduate)

Senior Year
  • In the combined degree pathway students will count up to 12 credits of graduate level courses in both the B.M. and M.M degrees.
  • Students must complete the final oral exit requirement, and Senior Composition Recital (MUS 4910)
  • Students must apply for graduation so that they will receive the B.M. at the end of their senior year

Graduate Program Requirements

All combined degree pathway student graduate credits completed as part of the B.M. will be transferred into the graduate program and counted for completion for the M.M. (total 36 credits). No more than 12 credits can be applied to both degrees.

Apply Today!

Get Started! Apply Today!

For more information, contact:

(305) 919-5633
garciao@fiu.edu
Biscayne Bay Campus, AC II 234A, 3000 NE 151st Street
North Miami, Florida 33181

 

Minor in Music Composition

A Minor in Music Composition is available for students accepted into and working on the B.M. degree in areas of studies other than Composition (e.g. Jazz, Applied, Music Education, and Music Technology). Admittance into the Music Composition Minor is based on the results of an interview with the Music Composition Program Coordinator and pending availability within the program.

Required Courses

Required Courses

Music Theory

  • MUT 4311 Orchestration (3)

Composition (beyond Freshmen Basic Music Composition which may be waived (4)

  • MUC 2221 Composition I (2)
  • MUC 2222 Composition II (2)

Electronic Music (2)

  • MUC 2301 Electronic Music I (2)

Composition Forum (1)

  • MUC 4932 Composition Forum (1 Semester) (1)

Ensemble (1)

  • MUN 2490 New Music Ensemble (1 Semester) (1)

Interdisciplinary Courses (3) from the following:

  • MUS 4650 Experimental Music and Arts
  • MUC 4610 Film Scoring Fundamentals
  • MUC 4611 Documentary Film Scoring Fundamentals

Totaling 14 Credits

Submit your Application!

Submit your application! No fees.

Minor in Music with a Concentration in Music Composition

A Minor in Music with a Concentration in Music Composition is available for students accepted into the minor in music. Acceptance into the Music Minor is based on a successful audition on the student’s instrument. After successful admittance into the School of Music, admittance into the Music Minor with an emphasis in Music Composition is based on the results of an interview with the music composition program coordinator and pending availability within the program.

Required Courses

Required Courses (6)

Music Theory

  • MUT 1111 Musi Theory I (3)
  • MUT 1112 Music Theory II (3)

Composition (5)

  • MUC 1001 Basic Music Comp I (2)
  • MUC 2221 Composition I (2)
  • MUC 2222 Composition II (2)

Electronic Music (2)

  • MUC 1342 MIDI Technology or MUC 2301 Electronic Music I (depending on placement) (2)

Music Appreciation (3)

  • MUL 1010 Music Appreciation (3)

Music History Elective (3)

  • MUH 3214 Music History IV (3)

Final Project (1)

  • MUH 4910 Research I (1)

Music Electives (4)

  • (To be decided with Composition Program Coordinator) (4)

Totaling 24 Credits

Submit your Application!

Submit your application! No fees.

For more information, contact:

(305) 919-5633
garciao@fiu.edu
Biscayne Bay Campus, AC II 234A, 3000 NE 151st Street
North Miami, Florida 33181

 

Handbooks & Forms

New Music Miami ISCM Festival: An International Festival of Contemporary Classical Music

The New Music Miami ISCM Festival (NMMF) is South Florida’s leading contemporary classical music festival and one of the longest-running new music festivals in the United States. Presented by Florida International University (FIU), the festival showcases innovative music by internationally acclaimed, emerging, and student composers through concerts, world premieres, U.S. premieres, lectures, masterclasses, and educational programs.

Founded in 1993 as the May in Miami Music Festival, the event began as an annual week-long celebration featuring nightly performances by members of the New World Symphony and FIU faculty. In 1997, the festival expanded into a year-round concert series and adopted its current name, reflecting its growing international reach and commitment to presenting contemporary music throughout the academic year.

In 2002, Florida International University became an Associated Chapter of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to the promotion of contemporary music. Through this affiliation, the New Music Miami ISCM Festival became part of a global network of more than 60 organizations in over 50 countries, fostering international artistic exchange and bringing distinguished composers and performers from around the world to Miami.

Today, the New Music Miami ISCM Festival presents an exceptional range of contemporary repertoire, from landmark works of the late twentieth century to the newest compositions by today’s most innovative composers. The festival regularly features internationally recognized guest artists, interdisciplinary collaborations, and performances by the NODUS Ensemble, FIU’s award-winning contemporary music ensemble, making it a vital destination for audiences interested in new music, composition, and musical innovation.

The festival was founded by Dr. Orlando Jacinto Garcia, an internationally recognized composer, Professor of Music, and Director of the Composition Program at Florida International University. He also serves as Artistic Director of the NODUS Ensemble. Garcia’s music has been described as “time-suspended, haunting sonic explorations,” an aesthetic shaped in part through his studies with Morton Feldman and other influential composers. Under his artistic leadership, the New Music Miami ISCM Festival has earned an international reputation for artistic excellence, innovative programming, and its commitment to advancing the creation and performance of contemporary classical music.

NMMF.FIU.EDU