Program type:

Major
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

4 years
Credit Hours:

120
Fine tune the skills you need for a successful career in music.
The University of North Texas College of Music is one of the finest comprehensive music schools in the nation. Top music students from around the world come to pursue their passion for music here, cultivating their skills in our many outstanding academic programs and performance opportunities.

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Why earn a degree in Music?

The College of Music gives you the opportunity to:

  • Access one of the nation's largest music libraries
  • Discover your potential in classes with an average 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio
  • Meet some of the world's top music scholars and artists through specialized lectures and events hosted by various divisions in the college
  • Take advantage of countless solo, chamber music and ensemble opportunities (Ensembles include six choral ensembles, two orchestras, nine jazz lab bands, a contemporary music ensemble, two early music ensembles and numerous percussion and wind ensembles.)

Our faculty members are dedicated teachers and nationally and internationally known musicians. Some have performed with the New York Metropolitan Opera, Cleveland Orchestra and Minnesota Opera Orchestra, while others have earned gold medals at the Van Cliburn and Chopin international piano competitions.

Marketable Skills
  • Oral and written communication
  • Teamwork
  • Collect, analyze and interpret information
  • Self-management in projects
  • Excellent memory capability

Music Degree Highlights

The College of Music was named one of 10 distinguished colleges and universities by the Yamaha Institution of Excellence program recognizing extraordinary commitment to innovation in the study of music.
Our exceptional facilities include the Murchison Performing Arts Center, which houses the Winspear Performance Hall and the Lyric Theater. The Music Building houses the Recital Hall and the Voertman Concert Hall.
Our college is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. This distinction means we meet or exceed strict academic standards for excellence in education.
All undergraduates take core music classes that provide professional preparation in a broad base of music skills and knowledge. These courses of study include performance, music theory, music history, piano, music in world culture, large ensembles and chamber music.
Instruction in each area is designed to train students for public performance and teaching, to prepare them for passing barrier examinations, to develop them culturally, to develop musicianship and technical proficiency, to strengthen sight-reading and the ability to assimilate music without guidance, and to prepare them for participation in church services, orchestras, ensemble groups or graduate work.
UNT ranks 1st in the nation for best performing arts colleges and universities by CollegeGazette.com.

What Can You Do With A Degree in Music?

Career possibilities for Music majors include working for a performing arts company or in the radio, television or film industries.

Our alumni consist of numerous performers, faculty members at major colleges and universities, and more than 1,600 K-12 music teachers. Alumni include:

  • Chorus director Duain Wolfe — Chicago Symphony Chorus
  • Vocalist Norah Jones — multiple Grammy Award winner
  • Pianist Anthony Molinaro — Naumburg International Piano Competition winner
  • Principal cellist Christopher Adkins — Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • Drummer Keith Carlock — Sting and Steely Dan, among others

Music Degree Courses You Could Take

Aural Skills I (1 hr)
This course is a reinforcement of theoretical concepts presented in Theory I via singing, ear training and conducting experiences.
Music as Communication (3 hrs)
This course is an introduction to issues of music seen as a form of human communication with emphasis on developing listening skills and critical thinking. It includes a discussion of Western and non-Western music based on case studies.
Music Cultures of the World (3 hrs)
This course is a survey of music cultures of Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Music traditions are studied from a perspective that emphasizes music as an integral part of society and culture.
History of Jazz (3 hrs)
This course is a chronological survey of the major styles and artists of jazz, from African acculturation in the New World to the present.
Science and Technology of Musical Sound (3 hrs)
Topics include sound production; nature of vibrations in percussion, string and wind instruments; sound propagation; sound speed; echoes; sound intensity, physical and perceived; sound pitch, physical and perceived; and intervals.
Theory I (2 hrs)
This course is a large-lecture format and an introduction to analysis, part writing, figured bass realization, and harmonization beginning with melody and two-part exercises.

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