Master's Program in Jazz History and Research

Founded in 1997, the Graduate Program in Jazz History and Research at the Newark campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, offers students a unique opportunity.  The program prepares students to research, publish and teach jazz, and relies on the renowned Institute of Jazz Studies, the largest public access jazz library in the world. The program is offered by the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.  The required 12 courses focus on historiography and on research, including musical analysis, transcribing solos, archival research, interviewing and field research. At the end of their coursework students take comprehensive exams, while completing their theses. 

The program is unique as it is the only degree program at any level to focus on the history and research of jazz,  As such, many of the courses are offered only at Rutgers.  For example, the yearlong historiography course and the research methods course that focuses specifically on methods for jazz research fill an important need not offered by other institutions.