The University of Central Arkansas’s Department of Music is a creative community of over 220 graduate and undergraduate music majors. It is well-known for ensembles like its Bear Marching Band and Wind Ensemble, and it is a regional leader in music performance, education, theory, and composition. The curriculum offers more than 25 ensembles, giving student harpists many opportunities to perform and collaborate. The Department hosts over 200 performances and events each year, including invited Artists-in-Residence who give workshops, master classes, and performances for additional student enrichment

Music students perform in several spaces on campus, including the brand new, state-of-the-art concert hall in the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. Beyond the UCA campus, the Department has connections with partners around the world, including East China Normal University and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santa Cruz de La Sierra in Bolivia.

UCA offers generous financial aid and scholarship options to make earning a music degree more accessible. A prominent example is the UCA Commitment, a program launched in Fall 2024 that helps eligible first-year students from Arkansas attend college completely debt-free.

The University of Central Arkansas is located in Conway, a growing city just a 30-minute drive from Little Rock, the state capital. Musicians in Conway are close to major performance venues in Little Rock and have access to mentorship opportunities with professional groups like the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.