3.14 Graduate Improvisation Course Placement

After acceptance as a Graduate Jazz Major, major professor(s)- in consultation with the improvisation coordinator and relevant improvisation faculty- will place all grad students in improvisation courses based on their College of Music audition.

The following are some general ways that we might assign leveling requirements to incoming graduate students. Please consult your own degree plan for your own personalized leveling requirements.

For VOCAL EMPHASIS graduate students, the leveling requirements (if needed) are generally MUJS 2370 Improv II and/or MUJS 5130 Vocal Jazz Styles. You would then enroll in the vocal section of MUJS 5490 (graduate level improvisation).

For INSTRUMENTAL EMPHASIS NON-LEAD players, we may require MUJS 3360 Improv III, MUJS 3370 Improv IV, or both, depending on the needs of the student. You may then enroll in the instrumental section of MUJS 5490 (graduate level improvisation).

For INSTRUMENTAL EMPHASIS LEAD players (you must be admitted primarily as a lead player), the leveling requirements (if needed) are generally MUJS 2360 Improv I and MUJS 2370 Improv II. You may then choose to enroll in the non-lead instrumental section of MUJS 5490 (graduate level improvisation), or you can enroll in a more specialized lead section of MUJS 5490 that will be offered irregularly according to the number of lead players needing the course. We recommend that most lead players enroll in the lead section of 5490, unless you are a very comfortable improviser and feel that you can "hang" in the non-lead instrumental section.

Due to the low number of graduate lead players in this program, we ask that you stay in touch with the Jazz Studies division chair (as found at this link: https://jazz.unt.edu/faculty) about your anticipated graduation date, so that we can ensure that the lead section is offered at the appropriate time for your degree. We will aim to offer this section of MUJS 5490 at least once every two years, so that all lead players will have an opportunity to take it.

For ARRANGING EMPHASIS graduate students, graduate level improvisation is not part of your degree, so no leveling courses are required for improvisation. You may still opt to take any of the undergraduate or graduate leveling courses if you wish (although you would be held to the same grading standards as the performance emphasis students).