Overview

Key Features

The Jazz Studies program at Columbia University in this new field guides students in developing a firm grounding in the traditions and aesthetic motives of jazz music, viewed through the perspectives of music history and ethnomusicology as well as literary theory and cultural studies.

The program also explores in depth the development of jazz-oriented art works in the music’s sister arts—literature, dance, painting, photography, and film. While a U.S. focus is highly appropriate, considering the many ways in which jazz is a definitive music of this nation, students also explore jazz’s geographical history beyond these shorelines, including complex, ongoing interactions with Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

The special concentration in jazz studies is designed for music majors as well as for those majoring in other fields. The main difference between music majors and non-music majors is that while music majors take advanced courses in arranging, composition, and transcription, non-music majors are required to take an introduction to music fundamentals.

While there are some fields where the fit with jazz studies is very obvious—music, American studies, African-American studies, English, comparative literature, and history—special concentrators can major in any field whatsoever. Is there a jazz or improvisatory philosophy? What might be its relation to studies of aesthetics or American pragmatism? And what are jazz’s implications for the student of law? How does one protect the intellectual property rights of an improvised jazz solo? What about business? What economic and political forces have shaped jazz? Who buys jazz? What is its audience? What is a jazz painting? A jazz novel? What is jazz poetry? What is jazz dance? What is a jazz film? What are the sources and meanings of art? What work does the music do for the whole community?

Along with problems of musical history, form, and definition, our special courses explore jazz as a culture. Students not only study individual jazz artists but also explore the immeasurably variegated worlds through which such artists moved, and which they helped to shape. As cultural historians-in-training—focused on questions of nationality, race, sexuality, gender, economics, and politics—students explore the extraordinarily complicated terrains of the New Orleans of Bunk Johnson, for example, or the Baltimore of Billie Holiday (born in Philadelphia, reared in Baltimore). They explore such artists’ other geographical travels. What did their images, including mistaken conceptions of who they were, tell us about the cultures that mythologized them?

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Jazz Music

Music Studies

Music Performance

Theory

Research

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-08 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-01 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

135

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TOEFL^® IBT

105

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Manhattan, United States

Disciplines

Music View 2679 other Bachelors in Music in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

135

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

105

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Autobiographical information

Lists and descriptions of a student’s achievements, activities, employment and summer activities

Personal essay

An official high school transcript from all high schools attended

One high school counselor’s recommendation and school profile

The completed Mid-Year Report

SAT or ACT

Applicants may self-report their scores

English proficiency examination score (if necessary)

These recommendations must come from teachers who taught you in academic disciplines

For engineering applicants, one must come from a math or science teacher

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

70170 USD / year

≈ 70170 USD / year
Out-of-State

70170 USD / year

≈ 70170 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

70170 USD / year

≈ 70170 USD / year

Living costs

Manhattan

United States

2638 - 5751 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Jazz Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Key Features

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Manhattan

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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