School of Music
Majors, Minors & Programs
Music Education (B.M.)
The Music Education major, which results in a Bachelor of Music, prepares students to teach music in the public schools (K-12). In this program, you will receive one hour of private lessons per week with your tuition and gain extensive preparation in pedagogy (two courses in woodwind pedagogy and two in string pedagogy).
Westminster has a 95% job placement rate for music teachers - graduates are employed by schools across the country: as close as Pennsylvania and Maryland, and as far away as North Carolina, Arizona, and Alaska.
Music Performance (B.M.)
The Performance major leads to a Bachelor of Music and is designed for students planning to continue specialized study in preparation for careers as professional performers. Students receive two hours of private lessons per week, included in the cost of tuition and they have the opportunity to perform at on- and off-campus venues.
The academic and extracurricular experience at Westminster College is the perfect preparation for students who want to go on to graduate school--in recent years, 100% of our students who applied to graduate school in performance were accepted.
Instrumental Major Requirements & Courses
Organ Performance Major Requirements & Courses
Music
If you have a strong interest in music but also desire a broad liberal arts education, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Music is the perfect option for you.
In addition to taking courses in music theory and music history, you will develop individual technical proficiency and musical sensitivity through private lessons and the performing of solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble music, in your primary area of performance.
Music, Business Track
The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Track in Business is to prepare students for careers in music that cross over into the business world.
Music, Composition Track
Students interested in pursuing composition, either as a career or as an interest in addition to a career in music, are welcome at Westminster. The music of our full-time composition teacher, Dr. Daniel Perttu, has been performed by professional orchestras and musicians in Europe, Asia, South America, and throughout the United States.
For more information, contact Dr. Daniel Perttu.
Music, Recording Technology Track
This liberal-arts degree in music has a special emphasis on the technology supporing music recording. This degree enables students to gain a broad background in music and also to concentrate specifically on technologies that music professionals use to record, edit, and produce recordings of musical performances.
Potential career outcomes from this track include running a music recording studio, recording musical performances at significant venues, and other related occupations. Students with an interest in electronic music composition can take coursework within this Track.
Music as a Second Major
This major is designed for students who have a strong interest in music, but who choose another discipline as their primary major.
Through courses in music theory and history and private lessons, you will develop basic and advanced musicianship skills, and acquire a broad knowledge of historical musical styles. You will also develop individual and group performance skills, through the performing of solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble music, in your primary area of performance.
Pre-Music Therapy (Professional Program)
Westminster’s School of Music offers a pre-professional curriculum to prepare students for post-undergraduate studies in Music Therapy. Students major in music and also take courses in psychology, biology, and other fields that prepare them for post-undergraduate music therapy studies. Through the program, you will develop skills such as reading lead sheets, harmonizing with the left hand of the piano while playing melody in the right hand, and leading group singing in several different rhythmic styles (country, pop, sacred, etc.).
Upon graduation, students in this program are well prepared for post-baccalaureate certification and/or a master’s programs in Music Therapy, which enables them to become licensed music therapists.
For more information, contact the Chair of the School of Music, Dr. Timothy Winfield.
