About Us

The Music Department is one of the largest departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.  Its mission is to provide students with a superior music education that will prepare them for meaningful careers in the profession.

As undergraduates, students may specialize in one of four options including performance, music business, sound recording technology and music studies.  Music studies leads to preparation for a teaching degree.  Graduate students may pursue a master of music degree in either music education or sound recording technology and may obtain a certification in teaching.

The department's largest program is sound recording technology, a program that has become nationally recognized for the quality of its faculty and graduates and that is one of the University's six "signature" programs. It was one of the first undergraduate sound recording technology programs in the United States and the first to offer a master of music degree in the field.

Music Studies is the department's second largest program. The University was the first public institution in the United States to offer a music education degree. As the regional leader in the discipline, we continue a long history of preparing excellent music teachers.

The Music Business program at the University has been in existence since the early 1980s and was one of the first established in the U.S.

As Lowell is located within easy reach of the culturally rich Greater Boston area, the Performance program benefits greatly from world-class musicians teaching applied music and directing ensembles. The Music Department also sponsors numerous concerts, recitals and other musical events for both the UML campus and community at large. There are many opportunities to perform through one of the department's many bands and ensembles. 

The department has 12 full-time faculty members and 46 adjunct faculty members. Many of our faculty members are active musical performers and/or are involved in many different types of outside music organizations.

Typical enrollment is approximately 325 undergraduate students and 30 graduate students. Durgin Hall, home to the department, contains a 1,000-seat concert hall, a 225-seat recital hall, six sound recording studios of various types, a music technology laboratory containing 21 Apple G5 computer workstations with MIDI keyboards, an ensemble rehearsal room, 30 practice rooms and numerous classroom spaces. Click here for more information about the department's facilities.