COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master’s in Music Composition at the University of North Texas is designed to provide students with advanced training in composing, analyzing, and presenting original musical works across a wide range of styles and technologies. The program offers frequent opportunities for students to have their compositions read and performed by major ensembles, including the UNT Symphony Orchestra and the Nova Ensemble, giving them valuable real-world feedback and performance experience. Student creativity and professional development are further supported through the Composers Forum, an organization that helps showcase new works by coordinating performances on and off campus, increasing public exposure for student composers. The program is also connected to a strong professional network through organizations such as the Society of Composers, Inc. and the American Composers Forum, giving students access to national and international communities of composers. A major strength of the program is the Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia, an internationally recognized hub for innovation in electroacoustic and time-based arts, where students can explore cutting-edge approaches to sound and multimedia composition. Interdisciplinary collaboration is further encouraged through the Initiative for Advanced Research in Technology and the Arts (iARTA), which brings together students and faculty from music, engineering, and science to develop new media applications and technologies for artistic expression. Performance opportunities are extensive, including the Spectrum concert series, which features new works by faculty and student composers in instrumental, vocal, and technologically enhanced formats. Graduates of the program have gone on to successful careers as university professors, commercial and media composers, arrangers, and arts administrators at national and international levels. The curriculum includes courses such as World Music Analysis, Music Cultures of the World, Orchestration, Topics in Computer Music, Topics in Contemporary Music, and Analytical Techniques for Popular Music, all designed to develop advanced compositional skills and a broad understanding of global and contemporary music practices.