Curriculum Requirements
The Jazzschool Institute awards the Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz studies to instrumental students who successfully complete 130 – 132 credits of study divided among: a) core courses 85 (pianists) / 87 (non-pianists); b) elective courses (15 units) and c) general education courses (30 units). (See Curriculum Requirements Template — instrumentalists / vocalists.)
The Jazzschool Institute awards the Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies to vocal students who successfully complete 133 credits of study divided among: a) the core courses (88 units); b) elective courses (15 units) and c) general education courses (30 units). (See Curriculum Requirements Template — instrumentalists / vocalists.)
Students must pass juries each year and complete a senior project comprised of a performance of original compositions and /or arrangements in a full-length concert open to the public.
The Instrumental and Vocal Performance Ensemble
The Jazz Studies undergraduate degree program has at its center the small performance ensemble.
Instrumentalists are required to take a total of 20 units of performance ensembles including: jazz; big band; Afro-Caribbean; Brazilian; world and two ensembles of their choice. 4 additional Ensemble units may be taken as Electives. (See Instrumental and Vocal Curricula.)
Vocalists are required to take a total of 28 units of performance courses in both solo and ensemble formats. Repertoire covers a wide range of styles from the Great American Songbook to contemporary jazz, world and popular music. 4 additional performance units may be taken as Electives. (See Instrumental and Vocal Curricula.)
Live Performance Opportunities
Performance is an integral component of students’ tenure at the Jazzschool Institute. Students perform for the public a minimum of twice per year. Performances include concerts at the Jazzschool, dates at clubs throughout the Bay Area including Yoshi’s, and appearances at specially scheduled events.
Additionally, students may attend over one hundred concerts scheduled at the Jazzschool throughout the year, many of which feature a range of national and international artists. Visiting artists of note have included the Heath Bros., Theo Bleckmann, Kenny Werner, Taylor Eigsti, Peter Erskine, Quartet San Francisco, Pete Escovedo, Paula West, John Zorn, Geoffrey Keezer, Ambrose Akinmusire and many others!
Workshops and Master Classes
Students have the opportunity to attend a broad range of specialized short-term workshops taught by local and visiting artists throughout the year. Previous workshops by visiting faculty include Bobby McFerrin, Geoffrey Keezer, Christian McBride, Kurt Elling, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Nancy King, Ron Carter, Dave Weckl, Nnenna Freelon, Matt Wilson, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dafnis Prieto, Winard Harper, Taylor Eigsti, Donald Harrison, Uri Caine, and others. In addition to attending master classes, students often have the opportunity to schedule private lessons with visiting artists. The cost of private lessons with visiting artists varies and is on a to-be-arranged basis between the student and artist.
Keyboard Proficiency
All students must demonstrate a basic level of keyboard proficiency to graduate, either by completing Beginning Piano for Non- Pianists and Jazz Piano for Non-Pianists, or by passing an equivalent keyboard proficiency exam. Keyboard proficiency exams are given twice a year. For those students with no prior keyboard experience, classes in Beginning Piano may be taken through the Jazzschool Community Music School.
General Education Courses
A range of General Education courses are offered at the Jazzschool Institute. The Jazzschool Institute also accepts General Education requirements from any fully accredited institution. Recommended colleges in close proximity to the Jazzschool include: Berkeley City College in Berkeley, just one block from the Jazzschool Institute; and Laney College in Oakland, just a few BART stops away.
Tuition for general education courses at other institutions is additional. Tuition is $26/unit at Berkeley City College and Laney College in Oakland.
Tuition and Supplemental Fees
Tuition for the Jazzschool Institute is $475/unit for 12 units or more. Tuition per unit for less than 12 units is $500/unit. Students must pay a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $100 plus a registration fee of $50 per semester. Students registering after the deadline will be charged a late registration fee of $50. The fee for testing out of a course is $275 per course. Please note: tuition at the Jazzschool Institute is subject to increase by approximately 4% per year.
Students should expect to pay approximately $300 for texts and supporting course materials per semester. California residents are entitled to a Berkeley Public Library card. There is a $100 annual fee for a library card for the Jean Gray Hargrove Library at UC Berkeley. The Jazzschool Institute typically accepts full-time students. Full-time students must be enrolled in 12 units or more each semester. The Jazzschool Institute admits part-time students on a case-by-case basis.
Private Instruction
Students are required to take fifteen, one-hour private lessons per semester. The Jazzschool Institute has an approved faculty list for private instruction. Hourly rates vary among faculty. Students are required to pay their teacher’s going rate directly. Private instruction is scheduled on a to-be-arranged basis..
International Students
The Jazzschool Institute is not yet SEVIS approved. It cannot issue I-20’s for F-1 visas and therefore cannot accept international students at this time.
Financial Assistance / Scholarships
The Jazzschool Institute grants partial scholarships on occasion to qualified students based on a combination of artistic merit and financial need. Please inquire regarding scholarship availability. The Jazzschool Institute does not offer government-subsidized financial assistance at this time. However, Jazzschool Institute students may apply for student loans through the Jazzschool Institute Student Loan Program. Student loans are approved on a case-by-case basis based on need. For a loan application or to schedule a consultation regarding an application for a student loan, please email the Jazzschool Institute at info@jazzschoolinstitute.org.
The Jazzschool Institute gratefully acknowledges the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Koret Foundation, Wells Fargo, The Bernard Osher Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for their generous support of the Jazzschool Institute program. In addition to their support, the following scholarships are awarded to Jazzschool Institute students who demonstrate a combination of artistic promise, commitment to excellence, and financial need on an as-available basis:
- The Jamey Aebersold Scholarship
Established in honor of Jamey Aebersold, one of the world’s leaders in jazz education and performance, the Jamey Aebersold Scholarship provides financial support for promising Jazzschool Institute students.
- The William E. Robinson Scholarship
The William E. Robinson Scholarship is awarded to a Jazzschool Institute student who demonstrates commitment to excellence in the fields of jazz and related styles of music.
- The Mark Murphy Vocal Jazz Scholarship
In honor of Mark Murphy, one of the world’s most original and musically gifted vocalists, the Mark Murphy Vocal Jazz Scholarship is given to a Jazzschool Institute vocal student who demonstrates creativity and artistic promise.
Student Code of Ethics
Students enrolled in the Jazzschool Institute are held to the highest ethical standards and are obligated to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with forwarding the overall educational purposes of the institution. Students must not engage in any acts of academic dishonesty including plagiarizing, lying or cheating. Students must not engage in verbal, physical or written harassment based on race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, handicap, gender, sexual orientation, or other. Students who fail to comply with the aforementioned conditions are subject to a failing grade, probation, or may face dismissal at the discretion of the academic dean.
Attendance
Students must attend all class meetings, rehearsals and performances on a timely basis barring illness or family emergency. Students accumulating more than two unexcused absences per class, per semester are at risk of being suspended.
Leaves of Absence / Withdrawals
Students may request a leave of absence or withdraw from the Jazzschool Institute for medical or professional reasons for no more than one semester.
Transfer Students
Students who wish to transfer to the Jazzschool Institute must provide an official transcript(s) from their previous institution(s) of higher education. All students must have a satisfactory academic record and have earned a GPA of 2.0 or higher to be admitted to the Jazzschool Institute.
Transfer credit from other colleges and universities will be evaluated and accepted on a case-by-case basis. All students must take the Ear Training and Sight Singing. Jazz Theory and Improvisation, and Harmony placement exams to determine their placement in these courses.
Housing
There are no living accommodations available through the Jazzschool Institute at this time. Students not living at home are responsible for making arrangements for their own housing. The Jazzschool Institute is located within easy
walking distance of a number of student-friendly apartment complexes in Downtown Berkeley.
Refund Policy
Students who have completed up to three weeks of any given semester may receive a partial refund. Students notifying the Business Office of their intention to withdraw after the third week are not eligible to receive a refund.
Add, Drop and Withdraw Schedule
Week 1
Students may drop or add a class. Students receive a 100% refund of their tuition and registration fee.
Week 2
Students may drop or add a class. Students receive a 100% refund of their tuition and registration fee.
Week 3
Students may withdraw from a class with a grade of “W”. Students receive a 50% refund of their tuition only.
Week 4
Students are not permitted to drop or withdraw from a class. Students who drop or withdraw after week 3 will receive a grade of “F”. Students receive no refund.
Faculty Advisors
After a student is admitted to the Jazzschool Institute, he or she is assigned a faculty advisor to assist with overall academic planning. Faculty advisors are available to assist Jazzschool Institute students Monday – Friday from 10am – 4pm. Please call 510.845.5373 to schedule an appointment.
Grading
Grades are based on a combination of attendance, progress, written assignments, exams and performances. Students must maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher to remain in good academic standing. The Jazzschool Institute adheres to the following grading scale:
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F |
100% – 99% = 4.0
98% – 93% = 4.0
92% – 90% = 3.7
89% – 87% = 3.3
B 86% – 83% = 3.0
B- 82% – 80% = 2.7
C+ 79% – 77% = 2.3
C 76% – 73% = 2.0
C- 72% – 70% = 1.7
D+ 69% – 67% = 1.3
D 66% – 63% = 1.0
D- 62% – 60% = 0.7
F 59% and below = 0.0 |
Note: To advance, a student must receive a letter grade of no less than C. Students withdrawing from a course may repeat the course and erase the “W” from their grade report.
Semester Unit
One semester unit corresponds to one classroom hour per week in a 15-week fall or spring semester. Summer session units are evaluated on the same basis of hours to units as those above, but adapted to a shorter semester.
Facilities
The Jazzschool Institute is housed in a 7,500-square-foot facility including fully equipped classrooms, practice rooms, a bookstore, café and intimate performance space. Students may purchase class texts and resource materials in the Bassment, the Jazzschool’s book and record store. Students also have access to an extensive music collection housed in the Art and Music Department at the Berkeley Public Library and the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library on the University of California, Berkeley campus, both located within walking distance of the Jazzschool Institute. Students will be given assistance with obtaining library cards to both libraries.
Library
The Art and Music Department at the Berkeley Public Library
The scope of the music collection at the Art and Music Department runs from Albinoni to Zouk — on compact disc, vinyl and score. The rich jazz collection ranges from reissues of vintage recordings to contemporary offerings from the next generation of jazz masters. Music from around the globe is available in the audio collection in all formats.
The CD collection, started in September 1985, now includes over 14,000 titles. The Art and Music Department music collection also includes roughly 6,000 vinyl records. Classical, opera, jazz, world, and popular music are represented. You will also find printed music scores, a range of music biographies and books on music theory and performance.
The Art and Music Department subscribes to over forty periodicals covering a variety of musical genres, specific instruments, and recorded sound. Their periodical collection also includes the impressive Greenwood Press jazz periodicals collection, a microfilm archive of the historical jazz periodical, containing reviews and events dating back to the 1920s.
Electronic resources available through the Berkeley Public Library website allow patrons to listen online to recordings of classical and contemporary music from around the world.
The Art and Music Department can be found on the 5th floor of the Berkeley Public Library and is open Mondays, 12 – 8pm; Tuesdays, 10am – 8pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10am – 6pm; and Sundays, 1pm – 5pm. Visit www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org for a complete schedule of holidays.
Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library
Facilities, Access and Collections
Founded in 1947 as a branch of the University Library, the Music Library was located on the second floor of Morrison Hall from 1957 until July 6, 2004, when the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library opened to the public. Its collections today contain some 180,000 volumes of books and printed music, 50,000 sound and video recordings, and 30,000 microforms in addition to extensive special holdings of manuscripts, rare materials, and archives. The collection serves the diverse teaching and research needs of the UC Berkeley Department of Music, which offers a general undergraduate major and graduate programs in musicology, ethnomusicology, and composition, as well as embracing a variety of performance activities.
Use of the Collections
The majority of materials in the Hargrove Music Library — with the notable exception of sound and video recordings, periodicals, microforms, and special collections — circulate for use outside the library. Borrowing materials requires a current UC Berkeley Library card. Borrowers must have a current library card issued by the Privileges Desk at Doe Library. Visitors are welcome to use collections on-site. www.lib.berkeley.edu/MUSI/collections.html
