Undergraduate Division
Bachelor of Music Degrees
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies
This degree is offered for the following majors: bass (O411), guitar (O412), percussion (O413), piano (O414), saxophone (O421), trumpet (O431), trombone (O432), and voice (O441).
Admission Requirements
See "Admission Requirements" in the Undergraduate Division section of this bulletin.
Major Ensemble
X40 University Instrumental Ensembles (2 cr.) (instrumentalists) or X70 University Choral Ensembles (2 cr.) (vocalists) each fall and spring semester. A minimum of four semesters of jazz ensemble is required for instrumentalists.
Chamber Ensemble
O450 Jazz Chamber Ensemble (1-1-1-1 cr.)
Performance Study
Minimum of 3 credit hours each semester until senior recital is passed (students who have completed 24 credit hours and the senior recital and who wish to continue performance study may reduce credit to 2 credit hours). Entrance audition; juries each semester, with the upper-division examination serving as one of the juries in the sophomore year; senior recital. I300 Studio Masterclass (0 cr.) and/or I301 Departmental Masterclass (0 cr.) may be required in connection with performance study (varies by studio).
Secondary Piano and Keyboard Proficiency
The sequence of piano courses required for all jazz majors who are not jazz piano majors is:
- P111 Piano Class 1, Music Majors (2 cr.)
- P121 Piano Class 2, Music Majors (2 cr.)
- P201 Jazz Piano Class 1 (2 cr.)
- P202 Jazz Piano Class 2 (2 cr.)
Entering students take an examination placing them into the appropriate course in the sequence. All non-piano jazz majors are required to complete P202 with a grade of B or higher. A keyboard proficiency examination is required of jazz piano majors.
Core Music Courses
11 credit hours
- Music Fundamentals Online or equivalent
- One course from the following, based on an examination to determine the appropriate course in the sequence:
- T132 Musical Skills I (1 cr.)
- T231 Musical Skills II (1 cr.)
- T232 Musical Skills III (1 cr.)
- T331 Musical Skills IV (1 cr.)
- T251 Music Theory and Literature III (3 cr.)
- T252 Music Theory and Literature IV (3 cr.)
- M402 History and Literature of Music II (4 cr.)
- Or equivalent honors courses
A grade of C or higher is required in T132 Musical Skills I, T231 Musical Skills II, T232 Musical Skills III, and T331 Musical Skills IV.
Jazz Major Courses
31 credit hours
- E470 Pedagogy of Jazz (2 cr.) (instrumentalists) or E482 Methods and Materials for Teaching Vocal Jazz (2 cr.) (vocalists)
- F325 Rhythm Section Methods (2 cr.)
- M390 Jazz History 1: Origins to 1959 (3 cr.)
- M391 Jazz History 2: 1959 to the present (3 cr.)
- O101 Fundamentals of Jazz Theory (1 cr.)
- O213 Jazz Listening and Ear Training (3 cr.)
- O214 Jazz Harmony (3 cr.)
- O215 Fundamentals of Jazz Composition (2 cr.)
- O316 Jazz Arranging 1 (2 cr.)
- O317 Jazz Arranging 2 (2 cr.)
- O321 Jazz Improvisation 1 (2 cr.)
- O322 Jazz Improvisation 2 (2 cr.)
- O323 Jazz Improvisation 3 (3 cr.)
- O460 Undergraduate Jazz Capstone and Portfolio (1 cr.)
General Education
See "General Education Requirements" under Curricula for Bachelor's Degrees in Music in this bulletin.
Natural & Mathematical Sciences
- A100 Foundations of Audio Technology (3 cr.)
Required Electives
12 credits selected from:
- A330 Modern Recording Studio Techniques (3 cr.)
- G370 Techniques for Conducting (2 cr.)
- K361 MIDI and Computer Music (3 cr.)
- K362 Computer Music: Design/Perform (3 cr.)
- K455 Topics in Scoring for Visual Media (1-3 cr.)
- M395 Contemporary Jazz and Soul (3 cr.)
- M401 History and Literature of Music I (4 cr.)
- M410 Composer or Topic (3 cr.)
- M413 Topics in Latin American Music (3 cr.)
- T151 Music Theory and Literature I (3 cr.)
- T152 Music Theory and Literature II (3 cr.)
- T231 Musical Skills II (1 cr.)
- T232 Musical Skills III (1 cr.)
- T331 Musical Skills IV (1 cr.)
- T351/T361 Music Theory and Literature V (3 cr.)
- T410 Topics in Music Theory (3 cr.)
- U250 Music Career Development (1-2 cr.)
- U261 Music and Community Engagement I (3 cr.)
- U262 Music and Community Engagement II (3 cr.)
- U300 Introduction to Music Entrepreneurship (3 cr.)
- U313 Legal Aspects of the Music Industry (3 cr.)
- U315 Performing Arts Education and Outreach (0-3 cr.)
- U340 Practicum in Music Entrepreneurship (3 cr.)
- Z120 Music in Multimedia (3 cr.)
- SPEA A236 Music Industry 1 (3 cr.)
- SPEA A336 Music Industry 2 (3 cr.)
Additional music or non-music electives as needed to bring the total credit hours to 120, excluding I400 and major ensemble.