Music, Jazz Performance

The Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance degree is appropriate for students who wish to prepare for a career in music performance and related fields. The Bachelor of Music degree with an Emphasis in Jazz Performance is intended to prepare students with the skills needed to perform, compose and arrange within the jazz idiom. Among the goals of the degree are to prepare students to be skilled in the art of jazz improvisation, be well versed in a variety of performance techniques, be able to compose and arrange within the jazz idiom, and to have an understanding and appreciation of the jazz tradition through the study of and performance with jazz masters. Among the particular career emphases for which the BM in Jazz Performance is an appropriate preparation are professional performer, music arranger or composer, or teacher. Since it is unlikely that graduates of the program will have developed all the requisite skills to enter the professional ranks of performers or university teachers, most graduates will continue to develop their skills through additional study.

The University of Louisville subscribes to a selective admission policy. Admission for freshman applicants is based on:

1. High school grades,
2. ACT or SAT scores, and
3. Successful completion of the required pre-college curriculum.

Enrollment in the freshman class is limited. Within the limits of space availability, the University will endeavor to accommodate all eligible applicants. However, the number of freshman applications exceeds the number of spaces available in the entering class. For this reason, the selective and competitive admission requirements may exceed the minimum eligibility requirement.

The University of Louisville’s minimum eligibility admission policy requires any applicant to have graduated from an accredited high school or received a high school equivalency certificate, have completed the pre-college curriculum, possess a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5, and have achieved at least one of the following:

• The applicant has earned a composite ACT score of not less than 20 or an SAT-I score of not or less than 940 (CR+M); or
• The applicant has completed the UofL enhanced pre-college curriculum (PCC) with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. The enhanced PCC consists of an additional two pre-college courses in mathematics, social studies, or science. These two courses may be taken in any combination within the three disciplines. The courses must be at or above the level of prescribed PCC; or
• The applicant ranks in the top 15% of the applicant’s high school graduating class upon completing seven or eight semesters in high school.

Freshman applicants who do not meet the selection requirements may have their admission decisions deferred. Admission will be offered first to those applicants with the strongest records and offers will continue until the class is filled. Some factors that are considered during this review are: number and scope of college preparatory, honors and AP classes; strength of senior year schedule; and evidence of marked improvement over time in applicant’s academic career. The overriding concern will always be for the student’s potential to be successful in meeting the academic expectations at the University.

Students should refer to the individual academic unit admission policies, included in this catalog, for additional admission requirements. Students should be cautioned about the distinction between undergraduate and graduate classifications when applying for admission to the University. For fee purposes, determination of “undergraduate” or “graduate” is based on the school or enrollment unit to which a student is admitted, and not on the level of courses taken.