Where artists learn, create, and thrive
Graduates are set for successful, impactful careers
Graduates are set for successful, impactful careers
The University of Northern Colorado’s (UNC) College of Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) transforms passion and aptitude into the foundation for a meaningful career in the arts and beyond. Home to the School of Art and Design, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre Arts and Dance, this is a vibrant place to learn and grow as an artist.
Experiential and entrepreneurial opportunities ensure you grow into your artistic identity. PVA runs a full schedule of exhibitions, performances, and workshops, all set in state-of-the-art facilities. Graduate programmes offer even deeper opportunities, enabling you to advance your craft and take you further in your careers.
“At UNC, we challenge students to become self-teachers, cultivating a personal approach to music as both performers and educators,” says Professor Steve Kovalcheck, a 2025 Grammy nominee. “This process equips them with practical skills while fostering an artistic voice that carries into real performance settings, not just the practice room.”
in scholarships awarded
US$1.8
million+
students in PVA
1,000+
distinct schools
3
Learn from the best and create without limits
Here, you join a community where experienced faculty and staff are committed to guiding your growth as an artist, teacher, and scholar. You have the chance to learn from Grammy nominees and winners, including Kovalcheck, Professor of Music, Jazz Guitar, and oboist Tim Gocklin, whose Akropolis Reed Quintet won the 2025 Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition with “Strands.” Their mentorship helps you connect classroom knowledge to professional artistry and leadership in the creative fields.
Your creative work is supported by facilities designed to help you practise, experiment, and perform at the highest level. UNC’s recording studio, with Pro Tools HD, offers a hybrid analogue and digital setup that serves as both a professional facility and a classroom for recording courses. At the heart of the campus, the Campus Commons Performance Hall hosts faculty and student performances and welcomes world-renowned visiting artists.
Sergio Castro Medina
Sergio Castro Medina began his musical journey at the age of five in the Orquestas Juveniles de México programme, now called Sistema de Fomento Musical, an initiative by Mexico’s Ministry of Culture to spread music as a tool for social integration. From 1989 to 2003, Medina immersed himself in orchestral and choral music, developing the skills that would guide his future. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music and later a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting, he decided to pursue a doctoral programme to continue growing as a conductor.
That led him to the Doctor of Arts in Music Conducting programme at UNC, which he discovered online years later. The curriculum caught his eye, and meaningful conversations with the faculty confirmed that UNC was the right place for him to continue his journey.
Doctor of Arts, Music Conducting
That growth extended to repertoire. Conducting “Dances of the Estancia” by Ginastera became his UNC debut, a milestone supported by rehearsals in the Campus Commons Performance Hall with its professional acoustics and infrastructure. Alongside these performances, he works as a graduate teaching assistant at UNC, further solidifying his role as both student and educator.
"In just one year, my approach has changed in very positive ways," he says. "I’ve had the opportunity to guest conduct the Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Choir, Coro Polaris, and the Latin Beat Ensemble — unique and invaluable experiences for my development."
JD Jacob made an uncommon transition from corporate consulting and military service to theatre education. Consulting had provided stability, but the constant travel and focus on profit left him searching for mission-driven work. Having coached speech and debate at Fort Collins High School since 2009, he knew that the classroom was where he could combine public service with his love for the arts. That decision led him to pursue a Master of Arts in Theatre Education.
The programme offered exactly what he needed: a flexible schedule, hands-on learning, and strong connections to the local theatre community. Online classes during the fall and spring, paired with in-person learning in the summer, allowed him to continue teaching without interruption. His time at UNC was filled with experiences that shaped his teaching and artistry. Richard Robichaux’s directing class was especially transformative.
JD Jacob
Master's in Theatre Education
"Richard’s no-nonsense approach and Stella Adler’s influence inspired me to completely change my approach to acting and directing," he says. "He told me to stop saying that I am 'just a high school theatre director' and to take my craft seriously. His modelling of high expectations and meaningful feedback gave me the confidence to push my students to grow and believe in themselves as artists."
Seeing theory in action helped him build his own confidence. In the light lab, Professor Brian Hapcic guided him through technical design, and projects like building a scale set model became tools Jacob now uses in his own classes. Today, in his seventh year of teaching, he continues to expand his productions, exploring stage automation with the same curiosity and ambition that sparked his interest at UNC.
"In just one year, my approach has changed in very positive ways," he says. "I’ve had the opportunity to guest conduct the Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Choir, Coro Polaris, and the Latin Beat Ensemble — unique and invaluable experiences for my development."
Sergio Castro Medina
Doctor of Arts, Music Conducting
Richard Robichaux’s directing class was especially transformative. "Richard’s no-nonsense approach and Stella Adler’s influence inspired me to completely change my approach to acting and directing," he says. "He told me to stop saying that I am 'just a high school theatre director' and to take my craft seriously. His modelling of high expectations and meaningful feedback gave me the confidence to push my students to grow and believe in themselves as artists."
JD Jacob
Master's in Theatre Education
Meet the Alumni Driving Change
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