The Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies degree prepares students for careers as jazz professionals. Drawing upon the resources of the Chicago jazz scene, faculty members are highly celebrated performers, teachers, composers, and arrangers. The program is comprised of applied jazz lessons, jazz ensembles and combos, jazz improvisation, jazz theory and history, arranging and composition, and pedagogy.
CURRENT Credit hour distribution (scroll down for newly-proposed distribution)
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Music Core Requirements | 82 |
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 52 |
| Specialization Requirements | 42 |
| Electives | 16 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
Core Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a growing competence in technical aspects of performance, such as tone quality, pitch consistency, dynamic control, technical agility, accurate rhythmic concepts, and other skills particular to the area of specialization.
- Identify and analyze the elements of music in a given piece, including an understanding of its compositional processes, aesthetic properties, and artistic, social, and historical contexts for works in the Western music tradition, Contemporary periods, Jazz, and World Music Cultures.
- Demonstrate an appropriate level of aural, keyboard, and conducting skills.
Program Specific Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of the pedagogical processes and theories that are foundational to performance practices and instruction on one’s primary instrument.
- Demonstrate a growing maturity in musical concepts using tools of performance to create artistic products.
- Demonstrate increasing knowledge of repertoire and growing musical competence through participation in solo, chamber and large ensemble performances.
Music Core Requirements
Course Requirements
All students in the School of Music are required to enroll in the following music courses:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Core | ||
| MUS 110A | MUSIC THEORY I | 2 |
| MUS 120A | MUSIC THEORY II | 2 |
| MUS 130A | MUSIC THEORY III | 2 |
| MUS 111 | AURAL TRAINING I | 1 |
| MUS 121 | AURAL TRAINING II | 1 |
| MUS 131 | AURAL TRAINING III | 1 |
| MUS 113 | GROUP PIANO I | 1 |
| MUS 123 | GROUP PIANO II | 1 |
| MUS 133 | GROUP PIANO III | 1 |
| Second Year Core | ||
| MUS 212A | MUSIC THEORY IV 1 | 2 |
| MUS 222-A | MUSIC THEORY V - A 2 | 2 |
| or MUS 222-B | MUSIC THEORY V - B | |
| or MUS 222-C | MUSIC THEORY V - C | |
| MUS 232A | MUSIC THEORY VI-A: CONCEPTS AND MATERIALS IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC 3 | 2 |
| or MUS 232B | MUSIC THEORY VI-B: ANALYSIS OF MUSICAL FORM | |
| MUS 211 | AURAL TRAINING IV 4 | 1 |
| MUS 221 | AURAL TRAINING V 4 | 1 |
| MUS 231 | AURAL TRAINING VI 4 | 1 |
| MUS 213 | GROUP PIANO IV 5 | 1 |
| MUS 223 | GROUP PIANO V 5 | 1 |
| MUS 233 | GROUP PIANO VI 5 | 1 |
| Choose three of the following musicology courses: 6 | 12 | |
| MUS 224 | MUSIC, HISTORY, AND CULTURE I | |
| MUS 225 | MUSIC, HISTORY, AND CULTURE II | |
| MUS 226 | GLOBAL MUSIC CULTURES | |
| MUS 310 | INTRODUCTION TO ETHNOMUSICOLOGY | |
| Upper Level Core | ||
| MUS 303 | BASIC CONDUCTING PRACTICUM | 0 |
| MUS 304 | BASIC CONDUCTING | 4 |
| MUS 323 | MUSICOLOGY SEMINAR | 2 |
- 1
Jazz Studies majors take JZZ 300 in place of MUS 212A.
- 2
Jazz Studies majors take JZZ 301 in place of MUS 222A/B/C.
- 3
Jazz Studies majors take JZZ 302 in place of MUS 232A/B.
- 4
Jazz Studies majors take JZZ 205, 206 and 207 in place of MUS 211, MUS 221 and MUS 231.
- 5
Jazz Studies majors take JZZ 202, 203 and 204 in place of MUST 213, MUS 223 and MUS 233.
- 6
Jazz Studies majors take one fewer musicology course. They supplement this missing credit in their major coursework.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| Not Required | ||
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Not Required | ||
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Not Required | ||
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam, or by credit earned for advanced math coursework at DePaul (MAT 135, MAT 136, MAT 147, MAT 148, MAT 149, MAT 150, MAT 151, MAT 152, MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 162, MAT 170, MAT 171, MAT 172, or equivalent) or any transfer, CLEP, IB, or AP Calculus credit. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfil any of the three QR/MCD requirements.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 2 Courses Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
-
Not Required
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 1 Course Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 1 Course Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 1 SWK or 1 Lab Course Required
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 1 Course Required
Notes
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Requirements
Program Checkpoints
Undergraduate Jazz Studies majors will perform a checkpoint audition at the end of their freshman year. The student's applied instructor and/or area coordinator or director will give students specific information on content and required music. Successful completion of the checkpoint audition is required for continuation in the performance degree.
Course Requirements
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Ear Training Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 205 | JAZZ EAR TRAINING I | 1 |
| JZZ 206 | JAZZ EAR TRAINING II | 1 |
| JZZ 207 | JAZZ EAR TRAINING III | 1 |
| Group Piano Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 202 | GROUP JAZZ PIANO I | 1 |
| JZZ 203 | GROUP JAZZ PIANO II | 1 |
| JZZ 204 | GROUP JAZZ PIANO III | 1 |
| Essentials Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 300 | ESSENTIALS OF JAZZ I | 2 |
| JZZ 301 | ESSENTIALS OF JAZZ II | 2 |
| JZZ 302 | ESSENTIALS OF JAZZ III | 2 |
| Improvisation Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 308 | JAZZ IMPROVISATION I | 2 |
| JZZ 309 | JAZZ IMPROVISATION II | 2 |
| JZZ 310 | JAZZ IMPROVISATION III | 2 |
| Advanced Improvisation Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 330 | ADVANCED JAZZ IMPROVISATION I | 2 |
| JZZ 331 | ADVANCED JAZZ IMPROVISATION II | 2 |
| History Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 335 | JAZZ HISTORY I | 2 |
| JZZ 336 | JAZZ HISTORY II | 2 |
| Jazz Arranging Sequence: | ||
| JZZ 304 | JAZZ ARRANGING AND COMPOSITION I | 2 |
| JZZ 305 | JAZZ ARRANGING AND COMPOSITION II | 2 |
| JZZ 306 | JAZZ ARRANGING AND COMPOSITION III | 2 |
| Additional Required Courses: | ||
| JZZ 325 | JAZZ RHYTHM SECTION TECHNIQUES | 2 |
| JZZ 314 | JAZZ PEDAGOGY | 2 |
| PAM 309 | MUSIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 2 |
| Recital Requirements: | ||
| JZZ 215 | JAZZ JUNIOR RECITAL | 2 |
| JZZ 315 | JAZZ SENIOR RECITAL | 2 |
| Ensembles | 24 | |
| Music Electives | 8 | |
| Free Electives | 8 | |
Applied Music
Students are required to complete 32 credit hours.