MUMBAI: Today UNCG announced the launch of four new online graduate courses in music taught by nationally known leaders in the field – including former deans, researchers, musical directors and authors. The subjects range from music administration and choral practice to the relationship between music, creative thinking and the brain.

Each online course is open to anyone with a Bachelor’s degree in any area of music from a recognized, accredited college or university. Admission to the University’s graduate program is not required. Course credits earned can be transferred to virtually any post-graduate degree program in music.

“Since the classes are taught online, even those living in remote reaches of the globe have the opportunity to learn from four master scholars,” says David Teachout, PhD, UNCG department head of music education. “We offer students the opportunity to study when and where they want, without having to travel to campus.”

The four courses and their instructors are:

• Creative Thinking in Music, Peter R Webster, PhD.

Scheduled for the 2013 fall semester, “Creative Thinking in Music” will explore how creative thinking relates to composition, improvisation, technology, listening, performance and more. Instructor Peter Webster is the John Beattie Professor Emeritus of Music Education at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He also is Scholar in Residence at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. A music education and technology specialist, he is author of “Measures of Creative Thinking in Music” and coauthor of “Experiencing Music Technology.” He is coeditor of the new “MENC Handbook of Research on Music Learning.”

• Music Administration, John J Deal, PhD.

Also scheduled for a fall 2013 launch is John Deal’s course on the administrative skills needed to lead a music department. Among the many topics addressed are hiring, firing, promotion, tenure, faculty evaluation, workloads, conflict resolution, budgets, accreditation and curricula. Deal brings significant experience to the topic of administration. He is former dean of the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance and previous assistant dean for academic affairs at Florida State University. He previously served as chair of the Department of Music at the University North Dakota (UDA) and as former associate dean of the UDA College of Fine Arts and Communication. He also is former music director for the Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra.

• Choral Practice around the World, Mary Goetze, PhD.

Scheduled for launch in spring 2014, Mary Goetze’s course will explore choral traditions and music cultures from around the globe. Students will be introduced to materials and techniques for teaching both trained and untrained singers, whether in the classroom or in an ensemble setting. Goetze is Professor Emerita at Indiana University, where she helped launch the Music in General Studies program at the Jacobs School of Music. She is founder of both the International Vocal Ensemble and the Indiana University Children’s Choir.

• Music and the Brain, Donald Hodges, PhD.

Also scheduled for the spring 2014 semester is a course analyzing the latest research on how music is processed in the brain. The course will be taught by Donald Hodges, PhD, UNCG professor of music education and director of the UNCG Music Research Institute. Hodges’ recent research includes brain imaging studies of pianists, conductors and singers. He has authored more than 140 book chapters, papers and multimedia programs in music education and music psychology and is coauthor of “Music in the Human Experience: An Introduction to Music Psychology.” He is a former contributing editor to the Handbook of Music Psychology.

The enrollment deadline for the two fall 2013 courses is 1 August. The enrollment deadline for the two spring 2014 courses is 1 January.