The Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance is a professional degree that prepares students for careers and performers and educators. Students pursuing this degree are part of the Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program, an elite, highly competitive powerhouse that provides a conservatory-style education within a major university setting. The program immerses Jazz students in music study including private lessons, ensemble performances, and improvisational work.
About The UNCG SChool of Music
- The School of Music at UNC Greensboro was ranked #1 in the U.S. by Best Value Schools in 2025.
- The UNCG School of Music offers the only comprehensive degrees in music education and music performance in the State of North Carolina, from the undergraduate level through doctoral study.
- The school is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
The Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance Program Distinctions
The Miles Davis Jazz Program is nationally recognized and has been invited to top competitions and high profile performances:
- Students have competed and won awards in the prestigious, invitation-only Jack Rudin Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center, as one of the top 10 university jazz programs in the country.
- The UNCG Jazz Ensemble was the first college-level jazz band from North Carolina to perform at Carnegie Hall. They have also performed by invitation at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
- Jazz Educators Journal have recognized commercially released albums by the UNCG Jazz Ensemble as “Top 10 College Jazz Band Recording” by the Jazz Educators Journal.
Faculty are world-class touring and recording jazz musicians who spend significant time mentoring students.
The jazz Student Experience
All jazz majors meet for a weekly Repertory Class. In this space, students perform and receive direct feedback from both faculty and peers.
Even though UNCG boasts one of the largest music schools in the Southeast, the Jazz program remains deliberately small, ensuring an intensive, personalized learning environment.
Students have constant gigging opportunities in Greensboro and surrounding cities and participate in regular jam sessions at Tate Street Coffee House and Oden Brewery, both located adjacent to campus.
UNCG’s Robinson Family Visiting Jazz Artists program brings legendary jazz figures directly to campus for extended residencies and public concerts. Students regularly interact with, learn from, and play with these musicians.
“It’s always been a dream for a Cuban student to have the opportunity to study outside the country. We are lovers of jazz and music in general, but the dream is to go out there and learn from the place where jazz originates.”
–Franco Romero, jazz studies student
After Graduating with a bachelor’s in jazz
Students who complete their Bachelor’s in Jazz go on to careers across multiple areas including:
- Freelance Musician
- Touring Artist
- Cruise Ship Musician
- Studio Session Musician
- Theater Pit Musician
- Private Studio Instructor
- Community Music School Teacher
- Clinician or Workshop Leader
“You get to be very close to the faculty in a program like that. I played gigs with them around town. For a musician, that was really my best schooling. I had so much fun playing the piano that I dropped the bassoon and made the full switch. It’s been a great journey ever since.”
–Thomas Linger ’15, BFA in Piano Performance in Jazz Studies
Apply to The Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program
Students interested in the Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance complete UNCG’s undergraduate admission process and the School of Music application/audition process.
Frequently asked questions about the Bachelor’s in Jazz
Program Details
Degree Type: Bachelor's
College/School: College of Visual and Performing Arts
Program Type: Majors & Concentrations
Class Type: In Person
Catalog Name: Performance, B.M. Jazz Concentration
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Contact Us
School of Music
music.uncg.edu
Sandra Barinowski
Director of Recruitment
336-334-5581
srbarino@uncg.edu