Designed for independent artists, lyric writers, composers, and music producers, the Independent Music Production Certificate prepares students to work on the creative side of the music industry, writing, producing, and recording music in their home studio and marketing it themselves. The program covers the music business, songwriting, and producing, encompassing not only the creative skills needed for projects from inception to finish, but also the marketing skills needed to promote and sell completed works independently.
Application & Candidacy Fee: $200*
Estimated Program Tuition: $6,705
Estimated Cost of Textbook/Materials: $550
Additional Required Materials: Music Production students must have access to a project studio where they can create and record their demos. Computer hardware and software is available at a discount for UCLA Extension certificate students at the UCLA Store.
Duration: 3 quarters (Full-Time pace) to 3 years
Unit Requirement: 36
Minimum GPA Requirement for Certificate Completion: 3.0
*This program is open admission. The Application & Candidacy fee establishes your candidacy in a certificate for a period of time covering normal progress toward completion and allows you access to a variety of program benefits.
This program is open for enrollment in any quarter for both domestic and F-1 Visa students.
To apply for and establish your candidacy in the Independent Music Production certificate click here!
Course scheduling and fees subject to change without notice.
Please note that required courses will only count once toward the overall unit requirement for the certificate program.
Click on a selection from the right navigation menu for complete program requirements and quarter by quarter enrollment recommendations.
Program at a Glance
7 Required Independent Music Production Courses (28 units)
Production & Recording (12 units)
| Course No. | Title | Units | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
| MUSC X 441.3 Audio Recording Theory + | 4 | I | O | O | O |
| MUSC X 448.6 The Record Production Process: Professional Practices | 4 | I | I | ||
| MUSC X 440 Create and Produce Your Own Music Project | 4 | I | I |
Select 1 Production Software Course (4 units)
| MUSC X 479.12 Introduction to Pro Tools + | 4 | O | O | O | O |
| MUSC X 480 Introduction to Logic Pro + | 4 | O | O | O | O |
Required Marketing Courses (8 units)
| MUSC X 448.80 Do-It-Yourself Music Marketing | 4 | H(R) | I | O | |
| MUSC X 451 Entrepreneurship for the Indie Artist | 4 | I | I | H(I) |
Select 1 Songwriting Course (4 units)
| MUSC X 401.5 Elements of Hit Songwriting | 4 | I | I | ||
| MUSC X 404.4 Crafting Great Lyrics: A Songwriting Workshop | 4 | I | |||
| MUSC X 409.8 Professional Songwriting for the Commercial Market: A Weekly Workout | 4 | I |
Select 2 Electives (8 units)
Students must complete 2 electives (8 units) from courses numbered X 400-499 in Music Production, Music Business or Film Scoring. Below is a list of suggested electives. New electives are added regularly.
+ Should be completed within the first 2 quarters of study.
Chart Legend: I = In-Person | R = Remote | O = Online | H (I/R) = Hybrid (In-Person/Remote)