Certificates

Music Production

Certificate in Music Production

The Certificate in Music Production is intended to meet undergraduate or graduate interest for focused study in music production and technology. 

The Music Production Certificate provides a strong foundation for students interested in audio recording, sound design, and music production, preparing them for careers in the creative and technical aspects of the music and media industries. The program emphasizes hands-on learning, offering students opportunities to work with industry-standard tools such as digital audio workstations, microphones, and mixing consoles. Core courses cover music technology, audio recording techniques, production and mixing, and live sound reinforcement, while elective options allow for exploration of electronic music, sound design, and arts entrepreneurship.

Designed to complement a wide range of degree programs, the certificate is ideal for students in music, theatre, journalism, and related fields, as well as those from other disciplines who want to develop technical and creative audio production skills. Graduates are well-prepared for entry-level roles in music production, live sound, broadcast, and media industries, as well as entrepreneurial opportunities in creative arts. If you have any questions about the Certificate in Music Production, contact Dr. Cory Brodack, Assistant Teaching Professor of Music Production.

Undergraduate Requirements

A certificate consists of at least 12 credits; at least 12 credits must be taken in MU course work. Students must meet the minimum GPA requirements for a certificate, which in no case can be lower than 2.0. In addition, a student cannot receive a grade lower than a C- in any course applied towards a certificate in the College. For more information, please see Requirements for an Optional Certificate.

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

Graduate Requirements

This 12-credit program includes required coursework in music technology, recording techniques, mixing, and live sound, with electives that allow students to explore electronic music, sound design, and arts entrepreneurship. A minimum GPA of 2.0 and no grade lower than C- are required for certificate completion. 

GRADUATE COURSES

Program Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in audio recording techniques and technologies, including the
    use of industry-standard digital audio workstations (DAWS), microphones, and mixing
    consoles in both studio and live sound environments.
  2. Apply fundamental principles of acoustics, signal flow, and sound design to create
    professional quality audio productions for various media, including but not limited to
    music, film, and interactive content.
  3. Develop critical listening skills and the ability to analyze and manipulate audio elements
    such as frequency, dynamics, and spatial characteristics to achieve desired sonic
    outcomes.
  4. Exhibit professional skills and knowledge of industry practices, including project
    management, copyright law, and business aspects of the audio production field,
    preparing students for entry-level positions in the audio industry.
Entrepreneurship

Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship

Enhance your degree with the business, marketing and management skills that will prepare any student for a career in the arts.

This certificate provides an excellent foundation for those who want to become working artists, musicians, actors, designers, and those who want to work in arts management in businesses and non-profit organizations. It provides each student with the unique opportunity to explore their creative process and their ability to collaborate with others.

The Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship is meant to extend the study of an individual arts discipline. Students across the disciplines of Music, Theatre, and Visual Studies (Art, Art History, Design, Digital Storytelling, and Film), benefit from the business, marketing, and organizational skills offered by certificate courses to develop the skills needed to build a thriving career in the many arts industries. Aimed primarily at degree-seeking students in the School of Music, Department of Theatre, and School of Visual Studies, this certificate is also available to students in other departments as an add-on to a degree or as a stand-alone certificate.

Students interested in pursuing the Arts Entrepreneurship certificate should first consult with their academic advisor based on their major. Students from the School of Music should contact Lauren Hynes and Visual Studies students should contact Kay Gregory. If you have any questions about the program itself, feel free to contact Dr. Claire Syler, the faculty coordinator for the Arts Entrepreneurship certificate.

Program Outcomes

  1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of budgeting principles and financial management specific to arts entrepreneurship, including creating and managing budgets for artistic projects.
  2. Demonstrate proficiency in grant writing and fundraising strategies tailored to arts organizations, including researching funding opportunities, developing proposals, and implementing fundraising campaigns.
  3. Create a professional portfolio showcasing artistic work, business plans, marketing strategies, and digital media content, utilizing website design, social media platforms, and multimedia tools effectively.

Undergraduate Courses

Graduate Courses

Jazz band playing

Certificate in Jazz Studies

This program is designed for undergraduate music majors or graduate students who have already completed a degree in music. This certificate is designed to deepen the student’s preparation for a career in jazz performance or further study in jazz.

Undergraduate Prerequisites

  • Must meet prerequisites for the courses taken in the certificate
  • Must audition for the required ensembles (see requirements below)
  • Must audition for the program

Graduate Certificate in Jazz Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Jazz Studies is a one-year program that provides opportunities for continued development of skills in jazz-specific areas, such as improvisation, pedagogy, and arranging. The certificate is available to degree-seeking and non-degree seeking students alike, non-music as well as music majors, and is designed as an intensive introduction to jazz performance. The program will deepen the student’s preparation for a career in jazz performance or prepare the student for further study in jazz.

Entrance into the Graduate Certificate program requires a live audition, although video-recorded auditions will be acceptable in rare cases, by permission of the Director of Jazz Studies. Entrance into the program also requires completion of a Bachelor of Music degree (or demonstrated equivalent), with a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours. In the event that a candidate does not meet the required prerequisites for a specific curriculum, appropriate course(s) may be added as additional requirements.

Graduate Prerequisites

  • Bachelors degree in music (or demonstrated equivalent)
  • GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of the BM
  • Must audition for ensembles (see requirements below)
  • Must audition for the program
  • Must demonstrate basic jazz keyboard proficiency or Jazz Piano Class (MUS_I_VT 1620) will be a required (not for graduate credit)

All students who wish to declare the certificate and audition should contact the Director of Jazz Studies, Sam Griffith.

Program Outcomes

  1. To develop an appreciation and understanding of jazz history through performance, analysis, and historical study.
  2. To develop skills in improvisation through the study of jazz harmony and through the transcription and analysis of significant jazz improvisers.
  3. To develop skills in the performance practice of jazz ensembles that range from solo performances through big band.

Undergraduate Courses

Students must pass the following courses with a C- or higher:

Graduate Courses

Instrumentalists (other than drummers): 

Prepare one jazz standard and one blues in the key of your choice, improvising on each piece. Please provide your own accompaniment (Aebersold or other play-along CD). 

Drummers: 

Perform the following grooves at the prescribed tempos: 

  • Swing at 120 bpm 
  • Double-Time Swing at 240 bpm 
  • Bossa Nova at 100 bpm 
  • Samba (double-time bossa nova) at 100 bpm (half-note) 
  • Funk/Hiphop at 100 bpm 
  • Ballad (with brushes) at 80 bpm 
  • Alternating four (4) measures swing with four (4) measures solo at 120 bpm

Vocalists: 

Prepare one medium up-tempo jazz standard and one ballad, no more than one chorus of each. Please provide your own piano accompaniment (Aebersold or other play-along CD).