Master of Music in Jazz Studies

About

The Jazz Studies Program at Eastern Washington University provides you with an intense musical experience. You’ll take courses that allow development in performance, arranging, and teaching. We prepare you for a successful career as an arranger, performer, or teacher.

You’ll cultivate knowledge of and appreciation for the jazz tradition and the broader musical traditions from which it has grown. We encourage creative efforts and the sharing of results on university, local, regional, national and international levels in performances and recordings. We help you enter the professional world through outstanding opportunities to work with world-renowned jazz musicians and learning about music industry entrepreneurship.

The EWU Jazz Studies Program provides outstanding opportunities to work with world-renowned jazz musicians. Each year we hold a jazz festival and several residency concerts. Past guests have included the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Mike Stern, Robin Eubanks, Richard Smith, Steve Owen, Fred Sturm, Bob Curnow, James Miley, Kurt Elling, Woody Herman Jazz Orchestra, Clay Jenkins, Vern Sielert, Dan Miller, Steve Broach, George Stone, and many, many others!

Contact Jenny Kellogg at jkellogg1@ewu.edu to inquire about the graduate jazz program.

Curriculum & Requirements

Curriculum & Requirements

Jazz Studies, Master of Music (MM)

This is a professional degree, with a Jazz Studies specialty focus. This program is designed to prepare students for a professional career in the jazz field as performers, arrangers, teachers, directors and composers.  Students participate and/or lead in a variety of ensembles, such as Concert Jazz Orchestra, jazz combos and small jazz groups, along with their applied studies.  The curriculum offers a wide range of courses covering everything from jazz history to jazz arranging. Prospective students must provide a performance audition, either live or in digital form to be accepted into an applied studio.

Notes:

  •  all master’s degrees in music require a final oral comprehensive exam;
  • students in the MM Jazz Studies degree must take MUSC 557 as one of their Music History courses;
  • students in the MM Jazz Studies degree must take MUSC 520 in their first quarter of enrollment.
Required Program Courses
Music Research
MUSC 520RESEARCH TECHNIQUES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY IN MUSIC3
Music History–choose from the following6
TOPICS IN MUSIC HISTORY
MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE PERIOD
MUSIC OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
MUSIC OF THE ROMANTIC PERIOD
MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY
JAZZ STYLES AND ANALYSIS (required for Jazz Studies Emphasis students.)
Music Theory/Composition
MUSC 560HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF MUSICAL STRUCTURE3
MUSC 561COUNTERPOINT2
Three Quarters of Graduate Ensemble Participation3
CONCERT JAZZ ORCHESTRA
MARCHING BAND
WIND ENSEMBLE
SYMPHONIC BAND
ORCHESTRA
SYMPHONIC CHOIR
CONCERT CHOIR
Required Jazz Studies Emphasis Core
MUSC 529APPLIED LESSON (must be repeated)6
or MUSC 530 APPLIED INSTRUCTION
MUSC 571JAZZ ENSEMBLE DIRECT/CONDUCT3
MUSC 574GRADUATE JAZZ ARRANGING3
MUSC 695GRADUATE JAZZ INTERNSHIP (1-5)5
Required Electives–choose from the following as directed by area advisor15
GRADUATE IMPROVISATION-TRANSCRIPTION
JAZZ COMBOS
PEDAGOGY OF COLLEGIATE TEACHING
HISTORY OF JAZZ-PEDAGOGY
GRADUATE IMPROVISATION-PEDAGOGY
STRING PEDAGOGY-BASS
JAZZ PIANO PEDAGOGY
DRUM SET PEDAGOGY
SAXOPHONE PEDAGOGY
BRASS PEDAGOGY
Music Thesis/Recital5
THESIS
GRADUATE RECITAL
FINAL MASTER'S PROJECT
Total Credits54

Catalog Listing

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully earn a Master in Music with Jazz Studies Emphasis from EWU should be able to do the following:

  • demonstrate graduate level musicianship in the understanding, knowledge and performance of music;
  • demonstrate critical and creative thinking, particularly in the chosen area of emphasis.