The music technology program at Northwestern brings together a broad range of computer applications within music, and emphasizes interdisciplinary study. Faculty backgrounds include composition, music education, and music theory.

At many schools "music technology" is identified primarily with "recording engineering." While recording and mixing is taught at Northwestern (and there are many opportunities for working in Chicago studios), students also learn to be authors of multimedia/web-based projects, technological composers, and developers of software tools for industry and education. Graduates can be found in the music and audio industries, in education and research, and in the multimedia and games industries.

It is difficult to predict which skills will provide a competitive advantage in the future job market. Believing that students are best served by acquiring a diverse set of skills, Northwestern offers a curriculum that is practical and project-oriented.