Music Department
The Department of Music at the University of Massachusetts Lowell offers four undergraduate majors (sound recording technology, music studies (pre-education), performance, and music business) and graduate degrees in performance, music education, music teaching, and sound recording technology. All four majors are the Bachelor of Music degree programs and require an audition for admission. The Department also offers a five-year dual degree program combining the Bachelor of Music in Music Studies with the Master of Music in Teaching. This program leads to initial teacher licensure.
The Department has 14 full-time faculty and 48 adjunct faculty. Our typical enrollment is approximately 325 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. Durgin Hall, home to the Department, contains a 1200 seat concert hall, a 225 seat Recital Hall, six sound recording technology studios of various types, a Music technology Laboratory (containing 21 Apple G4 computer workstations with MIDI keyboards), two ensemble rehearsal rooms, 30 practice rooms, and numerous classroom spaces.
The Department’s largest program is sound recording technology; it is one of the University’s six “Signature Programs” and a program that has become nationally recognized for the quality of its graduates and faculty. The University was the first public institution in the United States to offer a music education degree, and continues to be a regional leader in the discipline.
Music education/teaching is the Department’s second largest program. The Music Business program at the University if Massachusetts Lowell has been in existence since the early 1980’s and was one of the first established in the US. Student enrollment in the program is typically around 70 majors. As Lowell is located within easy reach of the culturally-rich Greater Boston area, our Performance program benefits greatly from world class musicians teaching applied music and directing ensembles.
Mission Statement
The Department of Music of the University of Massachusetts Lowell is committed to providing students with a superior education in music and preparing them to excel in the fields of sound recording technology, music education, music business, and music performance, as well as in graduate studies. All major programs are based on a core curriculum stressing traditional music training, and in their specializations embrace new technologies and disciplinary practices as they relate to music in contemporary society. The Department of Music advances the University’s mission of contributing to the regional and national economy by training world-class professionals, while enhancing the cultural life of the region and the campus and providing quality offerings for the institution’s general education program.