Who We Are
At UNC Asheville’s Music Department, the classical co-exists with the contemporary. We explore the many connections and interactions between music and all facets of human life through instruction and performance. Students learn in cutting-edge classrooms at the only university where music pioneer Bob Moog – inventor of the Moog Synthesizer – ever taught. In addition to being dedicated teachers, our faculty are active musicians who enrich Asheville’s thriving music scene and the cultural life of our campus.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in Jazz and Contemporary Music is intended for students wishing to pursue careers as singers, instrumentalists, composers and arrangers. These students also make up the various jazz, funk, blues, rock, R&B, fusion, and world ensembles as well as a wide range of vocal groups.
What You’ll Learn
All students must pass an instrumental or vocal audition to be accepted into a music degree program. Our highly selective music technology program combines music, engineering, math, computer science, music business, and electronics to teach students how to professionally mix and record music, while our jazz and contemporary music performance program is ideal for those pursuing careers as singers, instrumentalists, composers, and arrangers. Our Bachelor of Arts degree merges music analytical training with history, anthropology, natural sciences, and philosophy to prepare students for a range of careers or graduate studies. The University Singers, one of several student ensembles, have performed at the White House, while many graduates have found dream jobs working with top artists like R.E.M. and Alison Krauss.
Auditions for Prospective Music Majors
All prospective music majors are required to audition. Please visit our Auditions page for upcoming auditions and more information.
Who We Are
At UNC Asheville’s Music Department, the classical co-exists with the contemporary. We explore the many connections and interactions between music and all facets of human life through instruction and performance. Students learn in cutting-edge classrooms at the only university where music pioneer Bob Moog – inventor of the Moog Synthesizer – ever taught. In addition to being dedicated teachers, our faculty are active musicians who enrich Asheville’s thriving music scene and the cultural life of our campus.
What You’ll Learn
Students wishing admittance to the B.F.A. in Jazz and Contemporary Music or B.S. in Music Technology degree programs must pass an instrumental or vocal audition. An audition is not required for admission to the B.A. in Music degree.
Our highly selective music technology program combines music, engineering, math, computer science, music business, and electronics to teach students how to professionally mix and record music, while our jazz and contemporary music performance program is ideal for those pursuing careers as singers, instrumentalists, composers, and arrangers. Our Bachelor of Arts degree merges music analytical training with history, anthropology, natural sciences, and philosophy to prepare students for a range of careers or graduate studies.
The University Singers, one of several student ensembles, have performed at the White House, while many graduates have found dream jobs working with top artists like R.E.M. and Alison Krauss.
Auditions for Prospective Music Majors
All prospective music majors are required to audition. Please visit our Auditions page for upcoming auditions and more information.
Art & Art History – Who We Are
With a 16-member faculty of acclaimed artists and scholars and a location in the thriving arts scene of Asheville, our small, supportive department of Art and Art History encourages imagination, experimentation, and freedom of thought.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll start by building a foundation of writing skills in art history. Through critiques, you’ll receive valuable feedback on your work from faculty and classmates, and in your senior year, you’ll produce a major research paper. Internships at local museums and galleries allow you to explore career options and acquire professional experience.
Learn More
Visit art.unca.edu for departmental news and updates.
Who We Are
Our world is more connected now than it’s ever been, and UNC Asheville’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program seeks to understand and explain the challenging issues and questions confronting us today in our globalized world. To understand the complex mix of cultural, economic, and political forces that shape our worldwide community, interdisciplinary studies majors can design their own curriculum with courses from political science, economics, mass communication, philosophy, and more.
What You’ll Learn
Through each major and minor concentration, interdisciplinary studies students learn how to solve problems facing contemporary societies on local and global levels, preparing them for careers in government, business, law, humanitarian organizations, journalism, the arts, teaching, and more. Hands-on learning is a highlight of our program, and students can delve into a topic they’re passionate about through undergraduate research and study abroad.
Interdisciplinary Studies has debuted a NEW 3-Year Degree Program
Earn your degree faster to save on tuition, expenses, and gain early access to the jobs marketplace, having set yourself apart as a specialist in International Studies with a focus on Asian Studies.
For those interested in pursuing an International Studies major with an Asian Studies minor, on an accelerated timeline: Click here to learn more, or contact us with your questions about our NEW 3-Year Degree Program.
U.S. ethnic studies at UNC Asheville investigates the role of community, history, and politics on racial identity and the experience of race and ethnicity in the historical and contemporary United States, often connecting local and domestic issues with their larger global contexts.
The interdisciplinary nature of the minor is consistent with the nature of the field of ethnic studies and facilitates a holistic approach to the study of race and ethnicity. Courses focus on issues around race in three thematic categories: Arts and Culture, History and Politics, and Power and Institutions.
The U.S. ethnic studies minor entails least 18 hours including the Introduction to Ethnic Studies course (ETHN 100) and additional elective courses, to include at least one course each from the Arts and Culture list (which includes courses in art history, literature and music); the History and Politics list (including anthropology, history, philosophy, political science and sociology), and the Power and Institutions list (which includes courses from the classics, economics, health & wellness promotion, history, religious studies and sociology departments).
Courses must be chosen from at least three disciplines, and no more than two courses used to fulfill the requirements of other majors, minors, or concentrations may be used for this minor.
Neuroscience is an academic discipline which seeks to understand how neural systems give rise to thought and behavior.
Study of neuroscience at UNC Asheville embodies the liberal arts experience since it draws on techniques and findings from several academic fields including biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and psychology.
The neuroscience minor at UNC Asheville exposes students to this breadth by requiring a certain number of upper-level courses for the minor to be completed in departments outside of the student’s home major. Many students find a neuroscience minor relevant preparation for medical or graduate programs.
The minor entails at least 21 hours, including Biology 136, Chemistry 111 and 132, Neuroscience 216 (cross-listed as Psychology 216), and one hour from Neuroscience 480. Of the nine elective hours, at least six must be from the 300 level and above, and be outside of the student’s major.
UNC Asheville’s legal studies minor helps students to understand the nature of law and its role and functions from different disciplinary perspectives.
As part of the minor, students take courses that look at law through the lenses of philosophy, psychology and sociology, while also examining the nature of case law through courses in Constitutional Law or Individual Rights and Civil Liberties.
A minimum of 18 hours are required for the legal studies minor. Courses must be selected from at least three different disciplines with no more than nine hours coming from any one discipline. While students interested in a legal career will naturally be interested in this minor, students should understand that the minor is not intended as a pre-law program or as a preparation for law school.
If you are interested in a pre-law course of study instead of the Legal Studies minor, please contact the Pre-Law Program Coordinator.
UNC Asheville’s minor in Latin American and transatlantic studies employs the lens of multiple disciplines to bring a more holistic understanding of Latin America and interactions across the Atlantic.
Touching on issues such as structures of power, representation, appropriation and adaptation, syncretism, identity, gender, ecology, and religion, students will develop an increased awareness and a more global perspective on cultural and biological differences.
Studies focus on the diverse regions of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean as well as Latinos in the United States. Fluency in French, Portuguese, or Spanish, as well as experiential learning (study abroad in Latin America and related transatlantic connections) is encouraged.
Students must complete at least 18 hours including at least one course in French, Portuguese or Spanish at or beyond the 200 level, and additional courses chosen from at least three disciplines.
UNC Asheville’s astronomy minor opens this exciting field of study to both physics students and those majoring in other disciplines.
In addition to their astronomy classroom study, students make use of the university’s Lookout Observatory for research and observation. Some astronomy students become employed as Lookout Observatory docents, lead tours and observation sessions.
Students also can become involved in astronomical research by Physics Department faculty who have ongoing observational and archival programs using the Hubble Space Telescope.
The astronomy minor entails 18 semester hours of astronomy courses including Astronomy Lab, Observational Astronomy, and elective courses like Indigenous Perspectives on the Sky, Astrophysics, and Black Holes and Cosmology.
Think Globally
UNC Asheville’s International Studies Program provides students with a deeper knowledge of and appreciation for the diverse cultures, economies and politics of the world. International studies attracts students seeking careers in a number of fields, such as government, business, environmental studies, law, journalism and teaching. It provides an excellent background for those interested in working for government agencies, non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations, and private voluntary and humanitarian organizations.
What You’ll Learn
International studies at UNC Asheville emphasizes global awareness and global citizenship as essential aspects of a liberal arts education. Students select from many courses and disciplines and engage in undergraduate research and scholarship, as well as in service learning both locally and internationally.
This interdisciplinary approach is designed to provide students with a broad range of ideas and intellectual skills to analyze and respond to the diverse and complex mix of cultural, economic, and political forces that shape the global community. The International Studies Program provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of changing dynamics and forces that transcend national and regional boundaries.
Concentration
Students can seek a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in International Studies. Requirements include introductory courses such as Intro to Africana Studies or Principles of International Relations, and related coursework chosen from classes such as Intermediate Chinese I, International Law, Environmental Ethics, and Gender and Development in South Asia.
Minor
The minor in International Studies allows students to pursue a self-designed interdisciplinary and comparative study of world affairs. Requirements include courses in a modern foreign language, introductory courses in cultural anthropology, economic globalization, world civilizations and principles of international relations.
