University of North Texas 
Who We Are
The University of North Texas College of Music is America's largest public-university music program and one of its most respected. Included among The Hollywood Reporter's "20 Best Music Schools in the World," COM offers fully accredited degrees from the bachelor's to doctoral levels and is home to the world's first jazz studies degree program. Faculty include internationally acclaimed, award-winning artists and scholars in commercial music, composition, conducting, ethnomusicology, jazz studies, music business, music education, and music history, theory, and performance. COM presents more than 700 concerts and recitals annually. UNT music alumni can be found around the globe in impressive, award-winning careers across a wide range of music professions.
The mission of the College of Music is to serve our diverse musical culture with excellence, integrity, and imagination.
Our Strategic Goals (2026–2030)
Enhance our core strengths
Enhance our emerging strengths
Improve our revenue production
Replace our aging facilities
Our Implementation Priorities
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Music events in major state, national, and international markets: COM will produce strategic performances in target cities across Texas, the U.S., Europe, and Asia, including Austin, Houston, New York, and partner cities abroad. These events raise UNT's visibility as a center of musical excellence and deepen relationships with partners in higher education and industry.
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Scaling our virtual music lesson program: Building on its award-winning Dallas ISD partnership, COM will conduct a research study on the efficacy, scalability, and profitability of virtual applied music instruction. Findings will inform a business plan and new partner discussions to expand the program beyond its current reach.
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Advancing both facilities renovations and new construction: COM will pursue approval to demolish the Music Annex and begin planning and construction of a new Phase 1 music facility on that site, including recruiting the architects, acousticians, and contractor needed to replace decades-old buildings that have repeatedly triggered accreditation concerns.
Core Metrics
UNT Baseline (2024/25): 77% | UNT Target (2030): 90%
COM Baseline (2024/25): 88.4% | COM Target (2030): 90%
College contribution to achieving targets:
- COM already exceeds the university's retention floor and will sustain its strong first-year support as it works toward improvements in graduation and time-to-value metrics.
UNT Baseline (2024/25): 42% | UNT Target (2030): 65%
COM Baseline (2024/25): 45.8% | COM Target (2030): 65%
College contribution to achieving targets:
- COM will advance four-year completion through the optimization and consolidation of its bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, identified as one of its best opportunities to improve performance over the next five years.
UNT Baseline (2024/25): 61% | UNT Target (2030): 80%
COM Baseline (2024/25): 68.0% | COM Target (2030): 80%
College contribution to achieving targets:
- Like its four-year graduation goal, COM will pursue six-year completion gains through consolidating its degree programs to make them more efficient, impactful, and aligned with student needs.
UNT Baseline (2024/25): $124M | UNT Target (2030): $250M
COM Baseline (2024/25): $4.8M | COM Target (2030): $6M
College contribution to achieving targets:
- COM will grow research and creative activity funding through new endowments, TRIP-funded initiatives, and the recruitment of faculty in emerging fields such as music recording engineering and music technology.
UNT Baseline (2024/25): 286 | UNT Target (2030): 300
COM Baseline (2024/25): 51 | COM Target (2030): 55
College contribution to achieving targets:
- As one of UNT's most prolific doctoral programs per capita, COM will sustain growth in doctoral completions as it streamlines its degree offerings for greater efficiency and impact.
UNT Baseline (2024/25): 6 years | UNT Target (2030): Decrease time for programs over
median
COM Baseline (2024/25): 13 years (median) | COM Target (2030): 10 years
College contribution to achieving targets:
- COM will reduce time to value for programs above the median by consolidating its current degree structure, helping students reach career readiness more efficiently.
Emergent Metrics
Important Dimensions of Our Success that Require New Approaches
Percentage of graduates placed in high-demand occupations or graduate and professional programs
COM's undergraduate music education graduates are placed in K-12 teaching positions at a rate of nearly 100%, with most others pursuing graduate study immediately after graduation. Outcomes for other music graduates are harder to track, as many work outside Texas or as independent, self-employed performing artists.
Percentage of academic programs that integrate internships, industry-sponsored projects, or other work-integrated learning experiences
All music education and MBA Music Business students complete a one-semester internship as a graduation requirement. COM is exploring how to extend similar career-aligned learning opportunities to its other music curricula.
Prestigious awards, exhibitions, and performances achieved by our students, faculty, staff, and alumni
COM tracks major honors earned by its students, faculty, staff, and alumni each year, including Emmy, Fulbright, Grammy, Guggenheim, and Oscar recognitions, along with National Endowment for the Humanities grants, and shares these achievements through social media and other channels.
New ventures, startups, and public impact projects launched by students, faculty, and alumni
COM is expanding award-winning work in music for media, including film, games, streaming, and television, alongside growth in music and artificial intelligence, commercial music, and its virtual music lesson program.
Perceptions of how well UNT prepares graduates to pursue lives of meaning and purpose
COM is widely recognized, both within UNT and across higher education, as one of the most consequential and purposeful music programs in the country, a perception reflected in its national rankings.
College Level Metrics
- Application, audition, and matriculation metrics: COM tracks how many qualified students from around the world apply, audition for, and enroll in its undergraduate and graduate programs, along with retention of at-risk students, since attracting top talent is essential to the college's mission and financial health.
- Fundraising: COM tracks annual, major, in-kind, and planned gifts, along with endowments and grants, since these resources help the college attract and retain top faculty, staff, and students and sustain innovative programming.
- Social media engagement: COM tracks engagement across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where it now posts original content twice daily, six days a week, year-round, having replaced its print alumni magazine with more current digital outreach.
- Facilities investment: COM tracks progress on facility renovations and replacements, since modern, purpose-built spaces are essential to supporting accreditation, student and faculty success, and the college's long-term competitiveness.