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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Lovers of Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk rejoice.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City will begin offering an undergraduate music degree in jazz studies this fall. It's the first time a professional degree in jazz has been offered at one of the four campuses that make up the University of Missouri system.

The system's Board of Curators approved the new degree last month.

The program will be directed by Bobby Watson, whose latest release, "From the Heart," topped the jazz radio charts. Students pursuing the degree at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance will get the opportunity to perform, travel, and work with important working artists. Those modern jazz greats include Mel Martin, Donal Fox, Benny Golson, Roy Hargrove and the Mason Brothers.