The Department of Music offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Music with concentrations in Performance, Musical Theatre and Black American Music.

The MFA in Music with concentration in Black American Music prepares aspiring music-makers with the skills, knowledge, and artistry to thrive as professional artists, while acquiring an understanding of the music’s historical and social context. Black American Music is primarily focused on music-making, with grounding in music theory and history. This Black American Music concentration, offers students an opportunity to study Black music of the Americas, while being rooted in the musical cultures of New Orleans and the Gulf South. 

Candidates for the M.F.A. degree in Music with the Black American Music concentration must complete 30 hours of course work for the general M.F.A. in Music and 9 of these credit hours will be in the Black American Music concentration. 

Course List

Course ID	Title	Credits
Select 18 hours in music literature, theory, history, performance, or other appropriate areas		18
Select 12 semester hours of lessons in voice or in the specialized instrument		12
Total Credit Hours		30

The candidate will perform a concert or presentation of the thesis work, and will formally defend their thesis work to area faculty.

Course List

Course ID	Title	Credits
Black American Music Concentration
Students completing this concentration must take a minimum of 9 credits in Black American Music coursework		9
MUSC 6340	Seminar In Jazz
MUSC 6700	Creative Process
Select additional courses in consultation with Black American Music Concentration advisor

^{Program String and Field of Study: LAMFA_GR, MUSC  Concentration Code: MBAM}

^{Catalog Addendum Note: This program was added to the catalog in July 2025.} 

For more information, contact the School of Liberal Arts.