Dear Prospective Student,

Hello, and welcome to the University of Kansas School of Music. I want to thank you for your interest in our programs and in KU.

Please use the links on the left for further information regarding these topic areas, and contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Rita Riley
Director of Student Services
School of Music
1530 Naismith Dr Room 450
Lawrence, KS 66045

What Majors are offered in the School of Music at KU?

In the School of Music, the following Bachelor of Music degrees are offered: Bassoon, Clarinet, Double Bass, Euphonium, Flute, French Horn, Music Composition, Musicology, Music Theory, Oboe, Organ, Organ in Church Music, Percussion, Piano, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Viola, Violin and Violoncello. There are also Bachelor of Music Education degrees available in Music Education and Music Therapy. The department also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Voice, as well as a variety of Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) consists of only 40% music classes while about 60% are liberal arts classes. The BA is available in Music with one of the following concentrations: Jazz Studies, Musicology, Music Theory, Piano/Organ/Orchestral Instruments, Voice, or Music with an outside concentration/minor. This last choice has built in hours for completing an already approved minor that exists in the College or another professional school.

The Bachelor of Music (BM) consists of just over 70% music classes while just less than 30% are liberal arts classes.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre and Voice consists of 85% music classes while only 15% are liberal arts classes.

For more information, please see our online brochure.

Historical background of the School of Music at KU

The University of Kansas was one of the first public universities in the United States to have formalized professional degree programs in the Arts. Very early in the University’s history Music and Art faculty were appointed, the first musician hired in 1869 and the first painter/art historian in 1870. The School of Fine Arts was founded in 1891 by merging these two departments, and in 2009 the School of Fine ARts became the School of Music.

The Department of Music was established in 1884. It originally included five year long courses in piano, five in voice, one in harmony, one in theory, and special courses in orchestral and band instruments, sight-singing, public school music and a choral ensemble. The Music Graduate (M.G.) degree was established shortly thereafter in 1887.

Small school within the big school

The School of Music has audition requirements to obtain admission to its divisions. The School operates in much the same manner as a music conservatory within the confines of the larger university. This format is an advantage to our students because they develop relationships with their student peers and individual relationships with faculty members. They also have opportunities within the overall University to obtain a broad knowledge base.