Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU's School of Music and Dance is a recognized leader in the performing arts. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), the school produces some of the finest music teachers, composers, and performers in the world. Our curriculum includes courses in composition, performance, music systems and theory, choreography (for dancers), technology, pedagogy, and improvisation. Student performance organizations include, among others, the Chorales, the Jazz Orchestra, the Opera Theater, The Wind Ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra, and the Spartan Marching Band. Our dance program features a student performing company, UDT, directed by faculty and distinguished guest choreographers. Our music education program produces some of California's leading educators, scholars, and administrators, and our certified music teacher graduates are in particularly high demand.

The Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Performance, is designed for students intending to pursue careers as professional singers or instrumentalists. In addition to the core music courses, the program includes weekly 60-minute private lessons and participation in large ensembles such as choirs, bands, symphony orchestra, and opera theater. Students also perform regularly as soloists and as chamber musicians, both in closed studio classes and in public recitals. In addition to their regular course of study, students are required to present both junior and senior recitals.