Jazz Studies

Master’s Degree Program

The Jazz Studies program at the University of North Texas provides students with an intensely musical experience. It’s large enough to constitute a scene of its own while still enabling you to receive individual attention from faculty members.

In lessons, small and large ensembles, classes, concerts, recitals and countless independent projects, our students develop as performers, composers and teachers. They participate in the musical life of the Dallas-Ft. Worth region while at UNT and upon graduation join a large community of jazz alumni who are successful in every part of the music profession.

Setting the standard

The Division of Jazz Studies enjoys a long tradition of excellence. Established in 1946, our undergraduate program was the first of its kind in the nation. The master’s degree was created in 1983 and expanded in 2006.

We honor this tradition by seeking new directions in order to keep our program connected to the most vital currents of today’s music scene in jazz and every branch of the music profession that our graduates enter.

Interest in our program is strong. We currently have between 60 and 70 master’s students and graduate approximately 17 students each year. You can pursue a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies in one of three tracks: performance, composition and pedagogy. We also offer course work leading to a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance with a concentration in Jazz Studies.

Our motivation

The primary purposes of the master’s degree are:

• To prepare you for a successful career as a jazz performer, composer/arranger or educator
• To cultivate your knowledge of and appreciation for the jazz tradition and the broader musical traditions from which it has grown
• To encourage your creative efforts and share the results of your efforts on university, local, regional, national and international levels in performances and recordings

Performance and research opportunities

You have many performance opportunities to choose from:

• The six-time Grammy nominated One O’Clock Lab Band directed by Steve Wiest
• Two O’Clock Lab Band directed by Jay Saunders
• Three O’Clock Lab Band directed by Brad Leali
• Six other lab bands (Four O’Clock through the Nine O’Clock) directed by graduate teaching fellows mentored by Steve Wiest
• Jazz Singers directed by Jennifer Barnes
• Jazz Singers II and III directed by graduate teaching fellows mentored by Jennifer Barnes
• L-5 and Super 400 Electric Guitar Ensembles directed by Fred Hamilton and graduate teaching fellows he mentors
• Latin Jazz Lab directed by José Aponte
• Jazz Chamber Music (approximately 25 small groups) mentored by Stefan Karlsson
• Jazz Repertory Ensemble directed by Rodney Booth
• Zebras, a contemporary music ensemble, directed by a graduate teaching assistant and mentored by Stefan Karlsson
• U-Tubes Jazz Trombone Ensemble directed by a graduate teaching assistant and mentored by Steve Wiest

The UNT Music Library is one of the nation’s best for jazz research. You have access to an extensive collection of books, periodicals, scores and special collections, and a recorded sound collection of more than 1 million items.

Guest artists

Each semester, we welcome guest artists for master classes, concerts and multi-day residencies. Our Jazz Lecture Series and the Gomez Artist Residency have brought distinguished artists to campus. Recent guest artists have included Ravi Coltrane, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Darcy James Argue, Nasheet Waits and Roberta Gambarini. Complete lists of guest artists are available at jazz.unt.edu/gomez-endowment and jazz.unt.edu/jazz-lecture-series.

College of Music

The College of Music is one of the nation’s most comprehensive music schools and recognized internationally for its artistic and academic excellence. The college is a vital component to the region’s arts community, presenting more than 1,000 formal and informal concerts annually. Its facilities include more than 300 practice rooms, seven performance halls, numerous class and rehearsal rooms, computer labs, and a distributive learning center.

Attending UNT

Admission requirements

You will need to meet the admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School as well as the specific requirements of the College of Music and the Division of Jazz Studies. Graduate school requirements are outlined at gradschool.unt.edu/. More information about the college and division requirements is at music.unt.edu and jazz.unt.edu.

In order to meet the graduate school’s GRE requirement, you may take either the Analytical Writing portion of the GRE or the Jazz Studies in-house writing exam. The in-house writing exam is given during new graduate student orientation.

An undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies or another field of music is not required. All applicants must participate in an in-person audition or submit a recording. Applicants to the composition track are also expected to submit a portfolio of compositions and arrangements.

After your transcript is evaluated and you take proficiency exams, you may have to take some undergraduate course work as preparation for the master’s program. You can also demonstrate your competence by an audition or exam. Students who are required to take few or no deficiency courses typically graduate in two years, while those who take more deficiency courses usually graduate in three.

Degree requirements

The 32-credit-hour curriculum includes a 17-credit- hour core of large ensemble performance, research methods in jazz studies, jazz analysis and conducting college jazz ensembles, and 6 credit hours of electives in music and outside of Jazz Studies.

Beyond the core, you will focus on one of three 15-credit-hour tracks. The course work for these tracks includes:

Performance track

• Advanced improvisation
• Applied study
• Jazz chamber music
• Recital

Composition track

• Advanced arranging
• Applied study in composition
• Composition for the media
• Jazz chamber music
• Recital (performance of your compositions and arrangements)

Pedagogy track

• Applied study
• An advanced arranging or a music education course
• Jazz chamber music
• Jazz pedagogy
• Recital (lecture-demonstration based on research on a pedagogical topic)

All students must pass a comprehensive exam that covers all graduate course work in Jazz Studies.

Financial assistance

Applicants are eligible for consideration of competitive scholarships, including a small number of full tuition and fees scholarships, and for approximately 18 teaching assistantships and fellowships. Nonresident students who receive a competitive UNT scholarship of $1,000 or more are eligible to pay in-state rates.

Graduate assistantships and fellowships

Teaching assistants work with a professor in classes on jazz records, improvisation and aural skills. Teaching fellows, with responsibility for grading, direct large ensembles and teach lessons. For some assignments, more than one student is appointed. Some students combine two roles in their position. Assignments are available in:

• Four through Nine O’Clock Lab Bands
• Jazz Singers II and III
• U-Tubes Jazz Trombone Ensemble
• Electric Guitar Ensemble
• Zebras contemporary music ensemble
• Jazz Chamber Music
• Improvisation
• Applied jazz saxophone
• Applied electric guitar
• Jazz piano fundamentals
• Introduction to Jazz Recordings
• Jazz Aural Fundamentals
• Jazz Keyboard Fundamentals
• Arranging