The graduate sacred music program provides advanced training for church musicians from a wide variety of educational, professional, and denominational backgrounds. It is expected that applicants for this program will bring a thorough grounding of musical knowledge and significant experience in full- or part-time music ministry. The curriculum includes general as well as specialized courses in sacred music studies, theology, history, musicology, and applied skills.

Notes

1. Students selecting Option A must present a half-recital in the applied area. Departmental approval is required for all recitals. For composition primary students, the recital consists of original works composed while the student was enrolled as a graduate student at Westminster Choir College. For composition primary students, TH625: Composition Class, may be required if it is felt that class work in composition is needed prior to private study. Composition primary students must complete TH626: Analysis as the core theory/music history elective.
2. Students may not register for concurrently for SM525 and SM630. SM630: Conducting Coaching culminates in a public conducting performance.
3. The core elective must be a single, 3-credit graduate-level course outside the student’s major area, area of emphasis, and/or area of applied study.
4. Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of French or German equivalent to two years of college study.