Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz & Contemplative Studies
Application Deadline for Fall 2026 - December 1, 2025
Designed for students who want to combine a solid grounding in jazz and improvised music with courses involving meditative practices and other areas related to creative development. Applicants should have an extensive background on an instrument and demonstrated improvisational skills.
Curriculum
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz & Contemplative Studies requires a minimum of 120 credits: coursework is 75% within SMTD and 25% within the liberal arts.
SMTD coursework to include:
- Private lessons
- Jazz studies
- Music Theory
- Musicology
- Ensemble participation
- Piano
Silent Advisor
Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.
Faculty
Andrew Bishop
Marion Hayden
Robert Hurst
Kris Johnson
Marcus Elliot Miller
Andy Milne
Brad Phillips
Daniel Pinilla
Edward W. Sarath
Martha Travers
Dennis Wilson
Nate Winn
Performance Opportunities
From large ensembles in celebrated concert halls to chamber groups in intimate recital spaces, performance opportunities across all disciplines abound, with nearly 900 student performances each academic year. Whether your focus is on early, classical, or contemporary music, whether your passion is for jazz, electronic, or world music, there is an ensemble—or in many cases, multiple ensembles—to suit your interests, including specific opportunities for percussion, piano, and organ & carillon. For students in theatre & drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera, opportunities abound in both professionally produced and student-run presentations.
Jazz Ensemble
Ellen Rowe, director
The University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble is the most competitive of the University’s jazz ensembles. Open by audition only, most seats are filled by majors within the Department of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation. The ensemble meets twice a week for two hours, performs several times a semester on campus and off.
