The Department of Music at William Paterson University is a community of musician-educators committed to professionalism in teaching, performance and creative activity, scholarship, and community service. The department provides the resources, guidance, and diverse environment that motivate students to seek excellence as they build and maintain careers in music.
The Department of Music offers BA, BM and MM degrees. BM programs provide professional training with a performance focus, with degrees in Jazz Studies, Music Education, Music and Entertainment Industries, Performance, and Sound Engineering Arts. The two BA degrees, Music Studies and Music Studies with Popular Music Emphasis, are liberal arts degrees, with less emphasis on performance. At the graduate level three concentrations within the Master of Music are offered: Jazz Studies (available with an emphasis on either performance or arranging), Music Education, and Music and Entertainment Industries. The music department partners with WP’s Cotsakos College of Business in an MBA with a Music and Entertainment Industries concentration. Regular performances include large and small ensembles of students and faculty in the Midday Recital Series, the New Music Series, the Jazz Room Series, and individual special concerts.
The Music & Entertainment Industries Master of Music (MM) program provides advanced education in the areas of music business, music management, entrepreneurship and entertainment law as they pertain to the recording industry. Through extensive and ongoing contact with industry representatives from the New York area, students develop a clear understanding of the field.
For more information about the Music Department, please visit https://www.wpunj.edu/coac/departments/music/