Justification for merging the two emphases in Jazz Performance and the  Jazz Composition into a new general emphasis in Jazz Studies within the existing B.Mus. degree

1. Educational Rationale

Performance and composition share a common foundation in jazz theory, improvisation, arranging, and ensemble practice. NASM’s Standards for Accreditation state that when an institution “is adequately staffed and equipped to offer specialized courses to prepare students for careers requiring combinations of jazz performance, composition, and arranging skills, the Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies is justified,” and that “The Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies… is intended to produce a comprehensive professional competence in jazz” (arts-accredit.org). Consolidating the two degrees formalizes what is already pedagogically intertwined, giving every student a holistic command of the art form. In the professional world, all successful jazz artists must master jazz composition and performance to succeed, therefore combining these two emphases into a single Jazz Studies track will better reflect music industry realities. The two degrees have substantial overlap and it creates unnecessary pedagogical and advising complexities to have two separate degree tracks within the Jazz Area.

2. Greater Student Flexibility and Individualization

The new Jazz Studies emphasis is designed around a robust jazz studies core (theory, improvisation, history, technology, and ensembles) in addition to the already accredited B.Mus. core. One of the main improvements for this new emphasis is the ability for students who have passed their fourth semester jazz lessons jury (usually at the end of year 2) to take lessons in jazz composition or improvisation lessons with an instructor who plays a different instrument than the student’s primary instrument (which could include on a student’s secondary instrument, if applicable). This will be determined in consultation with the Director of Jazz Studies and other faculty members depending on the skills and career goals of the individual student. This structure particularly allows for more flexibility with applied jazz lessons, allowing students to have a greater freedom to emphasize both performance and composition. Thus format also:

Introduces more curricular flexibility within the Jazz Area while still accomplishing all that is necessary to maintain accreditation and
simplifies advising and better serves students who want to double major in the current jazz composition and jazz performance emphases.

3. Addition of a Jazz Pedagogy Course

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of working musicians supplement their income with teaching, and “about 20,400 openings for musicians and singers are projected each year,” despite modest overall growth bls.gov. A dedicated Jazz Pedagogy course equips graduates to teach in K‑12, collegiate, community‑music, and private‑lesson settings—skills our current curricula treat only informally. Peer and aspirational programs such as the University of Arkansas’s concentration in Jazz Studies, CU Boulder’s Jazz Studies degree, and UCLA’s cross‑disciplinary Global Jazz Studies degree already embed pedagogy components to address this market reality.

4. Alignment with National Trends and Competitor Programs/Peer Institutions

Leading schools already have or are moving toward broad‑based jazz studies degrees that integrate performance, composition, production, and scholarship under one umbrella (e.g., UCLA, CU Boulder, CSU, Northridge). Students increasingly seek programs that mirror the portfolio careers they will pursue—touring, writing, producing, and teaching rather than a single narrow track. Establishing an integrated degree keeps us competitive in recruiting top talent regionally and nationally.

5. Resource Optimization and Curricular Efficiency

Combining the majors simplifies and streamlines faculty workload, creating greater flexibility for students and faculty while more efficiently utilizing faculty resources. Ensemble staffing also benefits: instead of capping combos by major, directors can place students purely by artistic needs, raising ensemble quality and reducing under‑enrolled sections. Because there is already immense overlap between the existing jazz performance and jazz composition emphases, combining these degrees under a single emphasis will simplify jazz curriculum and student advisement.

6. Clearer Branding for Recruiting

A single Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies simplifies catalog language, marketing materials, and advising checklists. Prospective students and parents readily understand a “Jazz Studies” degree; differentiating between “performance” and “composition” early in a student’s life cycle is often artificial and confusing, and does not align with the realities of a career as a jazz musician in which composition and performance are built-in requirements for professional success. The streamlined title signals breadth, adaptability, and modern relevance.

7. Accreditation and Assessment Advantages

With one degree, outcomes assessment becomes more coherent. We can map program‑level outcomes (improvisational fluency, creative output, pedagogical competency, technological literacy) directly to NASM standards, the university’s goals, and our Strategic Plan. Fewer siloed degree plans mean cleaner data, clearer rubrics, and stronger continuous‑improvement cycles.

8. Credits Impact

The merger is mostly credit‑neutral for currently enrolled students, who will be able to migrate to the new emphasis plan without delaying graduation or finish their current emphasis plan on-time, since no existing courses are being eliminated.

Conclusion

Creating a single, flexible Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies—with a required Jazz Pedagogy course—aligns the curriculum with national standards/peer institutions, reflects industry realities, improves advising clarity, and uses faculty resources more strategically. It positions our program to cultivate versatile artist‑scholars who can perform, compose, teach, and lead—exactly the multifaceted professionals today’s jazz ecosystem demands.

Additional Documents:

· BM Jazz Studies Emphasis requirements

· NASM Percentages

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