Jazz and Rock 
Summer and Winter Courses
Night Classes
Part-Time and Length of Stay

Jazz and Rock at Hunter College

Hunter College offers various classes in jazz, including Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Vocal Workshop.  A number of our alumni are successful jazz performers and recording artists. Typically, students who regard themselves as jazz musicians apply for our Teacher Education Program, or else they apply for the M.A. in Music with a concentration in Music History, Composition, Ethnomusicology, or a combination of these. As of yet, we do not have a Jazz Performance concentration devoted to students interested in dedicating themselves solely to jazz performance.

Hunter College does not offer a Performance Degree for those who want to specialize in rock or popular music. A number of our students and alumni, nevertheless, are successful popular music performers and recording artists. Typically, students who regard themselves as rock musicians apply for our Teacher Education Program, or else they apply for the M.A. in Music with a concentration in Music History, Composition, Ethnomusicology, or a combination of these. Also, one of our music theory faculty members, Prof. Mark Spicer, is an expert on rock music (he is a performing rock musician and a specialist on British pop-rock music since the 1960s) and regularly teaches a graduate seminar on the analysis of popular music, as well as undergraduate courses on the Beatles and other rock topics. Furthermore, many our Music History and Ethnomusicology students choose to do their Master's Theses projects in the study of popular music.

In each case, however, our students are also proficient in the study of the classical Western repertoire: all of our students must successfully complete advanced courses and examinations in the study of Western classical music. Students who do not wish to devote themselves to such advanced study or who want to devote themselves exclusively to jazz or rock performance should consider attending another school.

Summer and Winter Courses

On occasion, we offer a graduate course during the summer and winter sessions, but we cannot promise that there will be regular offerings during these sessions.

Night Classes

All required graduate classes in the Music Department are offered at night (usually between 6-9).  For Music TEP students, the required courses in the School of Education are also all offered at night, though education field work (which consists of observing public school classes) and student teaching obviously must be done during daytime hours.

Part-time and Length of Matriculation

It is quite possible to complete an MA in Music at Hunter while going part-time (11 credits or under) within two years, and to complete the Music Teacher Education Program (TEP) in 2 1/2 or 3 years, though some students do choose to take longer to complete their degree. Typically, a student will take 9 credits a semester, though students may take more or less credits per semester should they wish to do so.

All degrees except TEP must be completed within four years of the date that a student matriculates in the program; the TEP degree allows five years. Students who do not register during a given semester must submit a Leave of Absence form specifying the time period (up to a maximum of one year) that they plan to be away. Leaves of absence for non-TEP students do not extend the total time allowed for the degree; TEP degrees are extended by leaves of absence.