Program Overview

Music Degree

Overview

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.

Program Details

• Program Type: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 4 years
• Credit Hours: 120

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.)

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.

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.

Notable Alumni

• 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.