Music, MM Concentration
Jazz Studies
Refine your sound, expand your style, and step confidently into the future of jazz.
Program Overview
The MM in Jazz Studies is an immersive, performance-centered degree for advanced jazz musicians ready to refine their artistry, expand their creative voice, and engage deeply with the modern jazz landscape. This program offers a blend of private study, ensemble experience, arranging, improvisation, pedagogy, and research—equipping students with the tools needed for success as professional performers, composers, or educators.
You’ll work closely with nationally recognized jazz faculty, perform with small and large ensembles, and explore jazz from both a historical and forward-looking perspective. Whether your goals are on stage, in the classroom, or in the studio, you’ll find your artistic identity supported here.
Jazz Ensemble Experience
Graduate students in Jazz Studies at UT thrive in a dynamic performance environment designed to mirror the professional world. Through participation in the Jazz Big Band and a variety of small jazz combos, students refine their improvisation, ensemble leadership, and stylistic versatility, key skills for success as performers, composers, and educators.
From classic swing to cutting-edge contemporary works, ensembles explore a wide range of repertoire and often collaborate with guest artists and leading composers. Performances on campus and throughout the region provide valuable real-world experience, helping graduate students build their portfolios, expand their networks, and prepare for careers in performance, recording, and beyond.
Why study Jazz Studies?
- Individualized instruction with professional jazz artists and educators
- Opportunities to perform in combos, big band, and special ensembles
- Focus on developing personal style and versatility as a performer
- Access to performance, recording, and compositional opportunities
- Close mentorship and a supportive, collaborative musical community
What can you do with a Jazz Studies concentration after graduation?
Graduates of the MM in Jazz Studies go on to:
- Perform professionally as solo artists or ensemble members
- Teach at the college or pre-college level
- Work in recording, producing, or music publishing
- Pursue doctoral study in jazz performance or composition
Featured Courses
Specific courses are dependent on the student’s MM concentration. Visit our Graduate Degree Requirements for more information.
MUSC 510 Critical Studies in Research Methods and Music Scholarship
Reinforces key research and writing skills for graduate students in music. Engages critically with how knowledge about music is constructed. Introduces research methods, reviews the formatting requirements of the APA and CMOS style manuals, and explores issues of representation that emerge from scholarly discourse and musical practice.
MUJZ 511 From Jazz to Hip-Hop
Performance practices and stylistic trends of 20th-century African American jazz and jazz-adjacent artists and recordings. Students will engage course content through a variety of mediums, including recorded performances, documentaries, readings, and musical analysis.
Meet the Faculty
The members of the University of Tennessee conducting faculty are in frequent demand as guest conductors both nationally and internationally, clinicians for masterclasses and residencies, and as adjudicators for competitions.
Admissions and Aid
Choosing the right university to pursue an advanced music degree is an important decision and a significant investment. We want to make sure that you have the information you need to both apply and make attending UT affordable.
There is a Jazz Studies Graduate Teaching Assistantship open for 2026-2027. Click the link to learn more.
