The graduate jazz studies program provides students a comprehensive education in jazz, allowing students to specialize in either performance or composition. Drawing upon the resources of the Chicago jazz scene, faculty members are highly celebrated performers, teachers, composers, and arrangers. In addition to applied jazz lessons, jazz ensembles, and jazz combos, Master of Music students enroll in courses such as jazz theory, history, pedagogy, improvisation, composing, and/or arranging. Throughout the program, jazz students have multiple opportunities to record performances and compositions in professional recording studios. The Master of Music degree is a two-year program.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Degree Requirements | 48 |
| Total hours required | 48 |
Learning Outcomes
Core Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate basic music research techniques and apply knowledge of standard reference tools and bibliographic sources to the writing of a variety of professional and academic music texts.
- Develop an expanded global, historical, and cultural understanding of music through the in-depth study of musical elements, compositional processes, and aesthetic properties.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
A minimum of 48 quarter hours of graduate credit is required for the Master of Music degree. This total is divided between the basic studies required of all master’s degree students, and courses in the specialization. Prior to the conclusion of each degree program, graduate students must pass a written comprehensive examination, administered by each department/program.
Music Core Requirements (16 credits)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| JZZ 406 | JAZZ STYLE AND ANALYSIS | 4 |
| MUS 400 | MUSIC RESEARCH | 4 |
| Music History: | ||
| JZZ 405 | JAZZ HISTORY | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| HISTORY OF THE ORATORIO | ||
| 18th & 19th WIND HISTORY AND LITERATURE | ||
| 20th CENTURY WIND HISTORY AND LITERATURE | ||
| MEDIEVAL MUSIC | ||
| RENAISSANCE MUSIC | ||
| BAROQUE MUSIC | ||
| HISTORY OF OPERA | ||
| WORLD MUSIC CULTURES | ||
| CLASSICAL MUSIC | ||
| ROMANTIC MUSIC | ||
| MUSIC SINCE WORLD WAR II | ||
| 20TH CENTURY MUSIC BEFORE WWII | ||
Specializations
Students must choose one of the following specializations:
Performance Specialization
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 15 credits of Applied Jazz Lessons: | 15 | |
| JZZ 402 | ADVANCED JAZZ COMPOSITION I | 2 |
| JZZ 404 | ADVANCED JAZZ COMPOSITION II | 2 |
| JZZ 411 | JAZZ PEDAGOGY | 2 |
| JZZ 430 | ADVANCED JAZZ IMPROVISATION I | 2 |
| JZZ 431 | ADVANCED JAZZ IMPROVISATION II | 2 |
| 6 quarters of Ensembles: 3 quarters at 1 credit; 3 quarters at 0 credits | 3 | |
| 4 credits of Electives | 4 | |
| Graduate Recitals: two are required at 0 credits each | 0 | |
| JAZZ GRADUATE RECITAL | ||
Composition Specialization
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 9 credits of Applied Jazz Composition Lessons: | 9 | |
| JZZ 402 | ADVANCED JAZZ COMPOSITION I | 2 |
| JZZ 404 | ADVANCED JAZZ COMPOSITION II | 2 |
| JZZ 411 | JAZZ PEDAGOGY | 2 |
| JZZ 403 | ADVANCED JAZZ ARRANGING AND ORCHESTRATION | 4 |
| JZZ 425 | JAZZ RHYTHM SECTION TECHNIQUES | 2 |
| 6 quarters of Ensembles: 3 quarters at 1 credit; 3 quarters at 0 credits | 3 | |
| 8 credits of Electives | 8 | |
| JZZ 410 | JAZZ COMPOSITION FINAL PROJECT | 0 |
Terminal Requirements
Two terminal requirements are required of all students:
- A written comprehensive examination, in which the students must demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of their major field of study. The comprehensive examination may be taken at any time after 32 quarter hours of graduate credit have been earned.
- Performance track, the presentation of a public recital; composition track, the completion of a final writing project.
While preparation of the terminal requirement in the major may take place within some course or activity for which a student is registered for credit, additional academic credit is not granted for the project itself.
Residency Requirements
All courses for the master’s degree must be taken at DePaul University. Graduate credit for courses completed at other institutions may not be applied toward the degree.
A full-time graduate student must be registered for a minimum of six quarter hours in any term. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six calendar years from the time a student is first enrolled. For students removing deficiencies, this period will begin when all deficiencies are removed and admission to the master’s degree program has been granted.