Overview

Graduate Opportunities

You can pursue a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies at University of North Texas in one of three tracks: performance, composition and pedagogy. At the doctoral level, we offer a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance with a concentration in Jazz Studies.

In lessons, small and large ensembles, classes, concerts, recitals and independent projects, our students develop as performers, composers and teachers. They’ve earned a wide range of recognitions over the years, including 10 DownBeat Student Music Awards in 2014.

Students participate in the region’s musical life while at UNT and later join a large community of successful jazz alumni.

The Division of Jazz Studies enjoys a long tradition of excellence, establishing the nation’s first undergraduate Jazz Studies program in 1946. We always seek new musical directions to remain connected to today’s jazz music scene and other music professions that our graduates enter.

Interest in our program is strong. We currently have 60 to 70 master’s students and nine doctoral students and graduate about 17 graduate students each year. Our primary goals are to:

Prepare you for a successful career as a jazz performer, composer, arranger or educator

Cultivate your knowledge of and appreciation for the jazz tradition and the broader musical traditions from which it’s grown

Encourage your creative efforts and share your results on university, local, regional, national and international levels in performances and recordings

Help you enter the profession through interactions with guest artists and learning about music industry entrepreneurship

Accreditation

The College of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. This accreditation means the college meets or exceeds strict academic standards for excellence in education.

Programme Structure

You'll have many performance opportunities to choose from, including:

Nine jazz lab bands, among them the six-time Grammy nominated One O'Clock Lab Band®, directed by Jay Saunders
Three Jazz Singers groups guided by Jennifer Barnes
L-5 and Super 400 Electric Guitar Ensembles directed by Fred Hamilton and the graduate teaching fellows he mentors
Latin Jazz Lab directed by José Aponte
Jazz Chamber Music (approximately 25 small groups)
Jazz Repertory Ensemble
Zebras (a contemporary music ensemble)
U-Tubes Jazz Trombone Ensemble

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-19 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-15 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-01-13 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-15 00:00:00
Starting 2027-08-19 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-04-01 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

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Credits

32 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Denton, United States

Disciplines

Music View 1011 other Masters in Music in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

100

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

We prefer master's applicants who have an undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies, but applicants can be admitted with undergraduate degrees in other music fields or in another field. We prefer doctoral applicants who have a master's degree in Jazz Studies, but applicants can be admitted with master's degrees in other music fields.
All applicants must participate in an in-person audition or submit a video recording. Applicants to the composition track are also expected to submit a portfolio of compositions and arrangements.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

16404 USD / year

≈ 16404 USD / year
Out-of-State

16404 USD / year

≈ 16404 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

8700 USD / year

≈ 8700 USD / year

Living costs

Denton

United States

1036 - 1920 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

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Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Jazz Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Graduate Opportunities

Accreditation

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Denton

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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