University of North Texas 
The DMA in Performance - Jazz Studies was approved by the UNT Graduate Council in September 2011. It received NASM approval at the November 2011 Commission meeting.
D.M.A. in Performance with local concentration in Jazz Studies
- Degrees
- Admissions & Auditions
- DMA in Jazz Performance
- Jazz Voice Studies
- Scholarships & Assistantships
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admissions Overview and Contacts
Audition/Interview Schedule
Graduate Admissions Process
Graduate Degree-Specific Graduate Admissions Requirements
Graduate Auditions Requirements
Information for International Applicants
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Applicants to this program must choose as their principal instrument one of those instruments for which we have one or more full-time faculty members in the Jazz Studies division: saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, drumset, voice, and jazz strings (violin, viola, cello).
FREQENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- A. The College of Music sets the deadline this way: "To be considered for admission in the Fall semester, preference will be given to applications received by the first Monday in December. Applications received after that date will be reviewed, and auditions will be scheduled on a case by case basis depending on space availability."
- A. Jazz.
- A. We expect that most if not all of the students in the program will be earning the doctoral degree in order to seek academic positions, including teaching positions and academic leadership positions such as Director of Jazz Studies.
- A. Our entrance standard will be measured against a completed Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies at UNT, just as we consider the completed Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies at UNT as the standard for admission to our M.M. in Jazz Studies. A master's degree in Jazz Studies is the most relevant kind of preparation, along with professional experience. A master's degree in a closely-related field, with a substantial amount of work in jazz at the master's level, would be next most relevant kind of preparation.
- Students who lack this level of preparation, but otherwise meet the admission requirements (pass the audition, have high enough GPA and GRE score [remember--GRE Analytical Writing section only, not the entire GRE; or take the jazz studies in-house writing exam after admission]), may be assigned review courses at the master's level. These add time to completion of the degree and don't count towards the degree.
A. Many doctoral students will be offered teaching fellowships or assistantships in
Jazz Studies. For out of state students, this enables the student to pay tuition at
the in-state rate. One of the things that make this an excellent place to earn a doctoral
degree is the fact that our undergraduate and master's programs are large (190 and
70 majors, respectively). That means there will be a variety of opportunities to gain
teaching experience while earning the degree. A small number of doctoral students
will be offered full tuition scholarships along with a teaching fellowship.
A. The current pay rate for a full-time teaching fellowship (20 hours per week of
teaching including some time for preparation) for a student who has earned 18 or more
graduate hours is $1,484.06 per month.
A. Examples of teaching assignments can be found on our faculty page.
A. Visit the UNT Tuition Estimator to explore tuition costs: https://estimatemytuition.unt.edu/
A. Correct. We will study the recordings along with the documents you send as we prepare
to listen to your on-campus audition and have the interview while you are here for
the on-campus audition.
A. You are eligible to apply. The Jazz Studies faculty has expressed a preference
for applicants who have professional experience along with academic training. Some
students may have had professional experience before starting their master's work,
or may have had professional experiences mixed in with their academic work. There
is not a rule that prevents a student from continuing from a master's into our doctoral
program. But if the only experience a student has is academic, that application will
not be as competitive as applications that show extensive professional experiences.
A. We mean performing, teaching, composing/arranging, or other professional experiences,
or some combination.
A. From the UNT Graduate Catalog*: "The minimum residence requirement for jazz studies students consists of two consecutive long terms/semesters (fall and the following spring, or spring and the following fall) with a minimum load of 9 hours each term/semester."
A. It will take longer than two long semesters to complete all of the required course work.
A. Not at present.
A. Few of the jazz classes are offered in summer sessions. Courses for the music theory/music history component and the related field are.
A. The instruments for which we have one or more full-time faculty members in the Jazz Studies division: saxophone, trumpet, trombone, voice, piano, guitar, violin, composition, viola, cello, bass, drumset.
For more information about this major, please contact collegeofmusic@unt.edu.