Overview

The School of Music of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts prepares students for professional careers. Our goal is twofold: to enable students to attain their highest musical aspirations and to meet the challenge of succeeding in a highly competitive profession. With this in mind, we have designed rigorous programs of study.

In its conservatory setting, UNCSA provides an artistic environment in which each student pursues personal musical development. But the School of Music is also a professional training ground in which the student actively and realistically prepares for the practical aspects of making a living as a musician.

Each student pursues a course of musical study with an outstanding artist-faculty. As professionals in their own areas, faculty members are committed to continuing their own careers while sharing a wealth of experience and knowledge with their students.

The School of Music offers two different programs of study: a four-year curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Music degree and a two-year curriculum leading to the Undergraduate Arts Certificate in Music. Both the degree and the certificate are offered with concentrations in the following areas:

• Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba and euphonium)
• Composition
• Guitar
• Harp
• Organ
• Percussion
• Piano
• Strings (violin, viola, violoncello and double bass)
• Voice
• Woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone)

Bachelor of Music (Four-year program) 
The Bachelor of Music program offers a student a thorough musical foundation coupled with the perspective of a liberal arts education. This mixture of music and liberal arts classes creates a well-rounded musician as well as one prepared for the demands of living in today's world. A student who may eventually choose to pursue graduate work in music should complete this course of study.

Undergraduate Arts Certificate in Music (Two-year program)
The Undergraduate Arts Certificate permits a student to concentrate entirely on musical studies in a rigorous yet flexible curriculum. The core of the certificate curriculum consists of applied work with an artist-faculty in the area of concentration, augmented by participation in ensembles as appropriate. The balance of the curriculum is flexible, reflecting the particular development and interests of the individual student, and draws from the music classroom courses offered in the degree program. These courses are chosen in consultation with the student's arts advisor and with the approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music.

Career Development and Music Entrepreneurship Courses
To provide a student with entrepreneurial knowledge needed by a musician, all degree- seeking undergraduates take two semesters of Career Development Seminar. In addition to this required class, a student may choose from other courses to further enhance entrepreneurial skills and career preparedness, such as Digital Audio and Recording, Instrumental Conducting, Choral Conducting, Public Speaking, Writing for Your Profession, and Foundations of Finance. In addition, a student pursuing the percussion concentration has the opportunity to participate in a variety of internships specifically designed to provide hands-on experiences in areas of potential employment for freelance musicians. These include writing and arranging for college and public school marching bands, dance accompaniment, coordinating percussion activities in the public schools, and hand drumming in education, healthcare, and community settings.