Jazz Studies

Jazz Ensemble playing in Steinbrenner Band Hall.

Undergraduate Jazz Minor

The jazz minor is a 19-credit program open to all undergraduate students at the University of Florida. Students in the program come from a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, astrophysics, biochemistry, economics, architecture, business and music.

To be accepted into the jazz minor, students must either audition or receive approval from Jazz Director Scott Wilson.

To support busy incoming freshmen, the jazz minor begins with Jazz Fundamentals 1, an online course that includes:

An interactive platform
35 instructional videos
Jazz worksheets and flash cards
Practice MP3s and resources
Optional jazz workshops throughout the semester
Weekly office hours with the instructor

Jazz Ensemble auditions are held on the 2nd and 3rd day of each semester. The audition sign-up sheet is posted on the first day of classes on the Jazz Band display case in the School of Music.

Contact Scott Wilson at swilson@arts.ufl.edu for more information.

Master of Music with Concentration in Jazz Studies

Students pursuing the Master of Music with a concentration in jazz studies must be accepted to the University of Florida and successfully audition into the jazz studies private studio.

The jazz curriculum is designed to:

Build professional skill sets for today’s music industry
Guide students in creating multimedia materials and teaching videos
Support the development of an online teaching and performance portfolio
Provide weekly private instruction to strengthen musicianship and professionalism

See Audition Requirements for details.

Graduate Jazz Teaching Assistantships

The jazz studies area offers two graduate teaching assistantships for students pursuing the M.M. in Jazz Studies. Assistantships are awarded based on jazz performance skills, audition strength and instrumental needs of the program.

Assistantships include:

Full tuition coverage
A salaried appointment (10 hours/week)
Duties such as teaching assistance, technical/studio/lab support, online course support and administrative or research tasks

Assistantships last for the full two years of the master’s program.