INFORMATION FOR
William Paterson University is accredited by National Association of Schools of Music
Our outstanding Department of Music prepares you for careers in classical performance, jazz performance and composition, sound engineering arts, music education, music and entertainment industries, and popular music. Our music students work directly with world-renowned faculty who are also in-demand performers. They benefit from exceptional student performance opportunities with ensembles, both on campus and throughout the New York metropolitan area. They also gain hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art music production and recording studios.
WP Music welcomes students who may have suffered from recent collegiate program closures and we are committed to helping them finish their degrees in music. We are one of the most stylistically diverse programs in the nation, with many options for aspiring performers, composers, educators, sound engineers, and music businesspersons. We are happy to facilitate transferring to WP. Please click Apply/Audition and reach out to our Chairperson Dr. Payton MacDonald and Director of Music Admissions Skyler Hagner.
Alumni in arts, humanities, and social sciences are employed or in graduate school within 6 months after graduation
Average starting salaries in Music (NACE)
Noteworthy Music Jobs and Mid-Career Salaries with 8+ Years of Experience (PayScale)
Billboard Magazine, the top trade magazine for the music industry, has listed William Paterson University in New Jersey as having one of the top music business programs in the country.
View academic program requirements and course descriptions in the University Course Catalog:
Loading...
The music education program is designed to provide future music educators with a solid basis for professional success as a teacher through courses in performance, theory, music history, music education, education, and liberal studies.
This program, for students who possess both exceptional performance abilities and aspirations, demands an intense commitment to both music practice and academics.
The jazz studies program is unique among college programs, offering an emphasis on small-group playing and a genuine commitment to the jazz tradition. One of the nation's five longest-running jazz degree programs, its faculty are all top New York professionals. Students currently come to the jazz program from 23 US states and six foreign countries.
The music major at William Paterson University offers a platform for surveying the professional musical landscape. Students learn about all areas of the music world: performance, business, education and technology while interacting with students and professionals in those respective areas.
This program is for students whose primary instrument is the laptop or computer or other digital and electronic machines. The BA DMC is centered around creativity and composition within the realm of digital music, including EDM, Hip-Hop, and other genres where beats and digital music are the focus. Students will also explore elements of audio production. A minor in music business is an option for students who want more business knowledge and career opportunities.
The bachelor of arts with popular music emphasis examines contemporary popular music from a global perspective and through the study of social media and songwriting.
The William Paterson University Sound Engineering Arts program offers students the essential combination of the technical, theoretical, practical and musical areas of the audio arts. More Info »
This minor is for students interested in recording, producing, arranging, mixing and mastering music; using the laptop as a complete production tool. The two main courses - Digital Music Creation I and II - will step the student through the process of creating a complete and compelling musical production beginning with the very basics of digital audio workstations and ending with a completed album in collaboration with other musical creators.
Led by an experienced faculty, the minor in Music & Entertainment Industries program is structured to provide the background you need to secure a career in the music and entertainment business.
The musical studies minor at William Paterson University offers a platform for surveying the professional musical landscape including performance, business, education and technology.
The music education concentration allows students to enhance teaching skills, bring performance skills to a higher level, and gain greater personal insight into the field of music education. More Info »
The jazz studies concentration offers a comprehensive experience in enhanced small jazz ensemble, solo performance, and arranging/composition and the potential for high-level, primary source research and writing only available in the New York area. More Info »
This 12-credit certificate program for practicing music educators whose specialty is not jazz consists of 3 courses and a semester of applied lessons. It can be completed in one year and can be stacked with other courses to complete a Master of Music. More Info »
This 16-credit certificate program for classical musicians who have completed college and wish to hone their performance skills consists of 2 semesters of applied lessons, ensembles, and electives, and culminates in a certificate recital. It can be completed in one year and can be stacked with other courses to complete a Master of Music. More Info »
This 16-credit certificate program for jazz musicians who have completed college and wish to hone their performance skills consists of 2 semesters of applied lessons, ensembles, and electives, and culminates in a certificate recital. It can be completed in one year and can be stacked with other courses to complete a Master of Music. More Info »
In our music programs, students learn in-demand skills that employers have identified as critical for job candidates, including:
Graduates with the BM degree pursue careers as classical performers and composers; jazz performers, composers, and arrangers; singer/songwriters, sound engineers, music teachers, and music licensing and music marketing professionals, among others. Opportunities for those with the BA in music studies include performer, producer, music booking agent, music editor, music critic, and other positions in the legal areas of the music and entertainment industry. The BA with a popular music emphasis can lead to a career as a professional performer, singer/songwriter, music producer, promotions director, or music composer for social media or video games.
And we're ready to help you grow. At William Paterson, we provide students with the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to forge forward as a powerhouse—both in the classroom and in their careers. Apply today to discover your potential.
Billboard magazine has once again placed William Paterson University on its list of “top music business schools” around the world—recognizing the University’s undergraduate program in music and entertainment industries.
William Paterson is one of only three New Jersey institutions on the list. This is the eighth time William Paterson has landed on the list, which includes schools throughout the United States, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
In Billboard’s 2025 spotlight on colleges and universities educating the next generation of music business leaders, William Paterson’s program in music and entertainment industries was noted for its balance between the classroom and real-world experiences. Internships are the backbone of the program. Students are encouraged to apply for internships beginning the summer after freshman year, and to take advantage of the University’s commuting distance to New York City. Courses include Entrepreneurship in the Music & Entertainment Industry, in which students write a business plan for a new company; other offerings focus on the importance of social media and marketing. The program recently hosted Randall Foster, chief creative officer at Symphonic Distribution, and Joe Riccitelli, principal at Golden Retriever Entertainment and a 1985 graduate of the program.
Billboard chooses its top music business schools based on industry recommendations, alumni information provided by honorees from its multiple power lists, information requested from each school, and more than a decade of reporting on these programs. All programs on the list are campus-based and bestow bachelor’s or associate degrees.
“Every musician and every non-musician interested in being involved in music for a living, must – MUST – understand how the music business works,” says David Kirk Philp, assistant professor of music and coordinator of the music and entertainment industries program. “In an age of the do-it-yourself artist, one needs to understand how everything works, from traditional streaming royalties to the ‘under the hood’ opportunities for revenue that aren’t as obvious. Our program stays up to date on all topics so we can serve our students and give them the tools they need to build careers both on stage and backstage. The Billboard recognition helps to reinforce that message and prove that we’re doing something right.”
William Paterson offers a bachelor of music degree with an emphasis in music and entertainment industries, open to students studying classical or jazz performance, as well as a minor in music and entertainment industries open to students from any major. The program is known for bringing exceptional guest speakers into its Music and Entertainment Industries Seminar Series, which brings industry experts to campus. In addition, the highly popular Music Biz 101 & More radio show and podcast, produced by Philp and Dr. Stephen Marcone, William Paterson professor emeritus of music, is the only free advice talk show in America that focuses on the business side of the music and entertainment worlds, with more than 300 episodes available to stream online. Graduates of the program are represented in all areas of the music and entertainment industry, from independent recording artists to record labels, music publishing, concert promotion and venues, and with top artists such as Khalid and Tyler, the Creator.
