Worship & Music Studies
Major
Bachelor of Science in Biblical & Theological Studies
Program Snapshot
| 129 | Credit Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Years to Complete |
Ministry Faithfulness in Music
The student’s individual calling and passion within music and worship ministry is cultivated and mentored throughout the course of the degree.
In their own words
“Career pathways include: Worship Pastor, Music Minister, Church Musician, Private Music Teacher, Choir Director, Producer, Media Director, Professional Musician, and other areas of music administration and leadership.”
Autumn Kelly
Full-time Teacher, teaching elementary and high school music and choir
In their own words
“Boyce’s worship program has always pushed for musical excellence, but never at the expense of individuals. Care for souls over arranging details has always been emphasized through small things like prayer after rehearsals. Excellent, undistracting music allows for the main instrument, the congregation’s voice, to sing and magnify the truths of Scripture together.”
Allen Church
Worship Ministry Associate at Hurstbourne Baptist Church
In their own words
“During my time at Boyce, I gained the skills I needed to confidently pursue music education as a career. I also had opportunities to observe music teachers in the classroom inside and outside of Boyce, which grew my vision for my own teaching career.”
Zoe Waters
Teacher at Landmark Christian Academy
In their own words
“This program has profoundly shaped my understanding of how worship impacts the church and nurtures discipleship. Through in-depth biblical training and hands-on experience, I have gained both a strong theological and philosophical foundation for worship ministry, as well as the practical skills needed to lead with confidence.”
Will Mason
Associate Worship Leader, Storyline Church
Course Information
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BC 101 | Boyce College 101 | (1) |
| CP 100 | Cooperative Program | (2) |
| Total | (3) | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CN 331 | Marriage and the Family or | 3 |
| CN 101 | Introduction to Biblical Counseling | |
| EN 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| EN 102 | English Composition II | 3 |
| HU 121 | Great Books I | 3 |
| HU 122 | Great Books II | 3 |
| MA — | Math Elective | 3 |
| PH 103 | Introduction to Philosophy | 3 |
| PH 311 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
| PH 321 | Religion in the Public Square | 3 |
| PS 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Total | 30 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MS 101 | Introduction to Christian Missions | 3 |
| MS 105 | Personal Evangelism | 3 |
| SP 105 | Introduction to Public Speaking (Men may substitute PR 205 Preaching I) |
3 |
| Total | 9 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BL 101 | Old Testament Survey I | 3 |
| BL 102 | Old Testament Survey II | 3 |
| BL 111 | Hermeneutics | 3 |
| BL 151 | New Testament Survey I | 3 |
| BL 152 | New Testament Survey II | 3 |
| HS 201 | Church History I | 3 |
| HS 202 | Church History II | 3 |
| TH 211 | Christian Theology I | 3 |
| TH 212 | Christian Theology II | 3 |
| — | BL, TH, or HS Elective | 3 |
| Total | 30 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MU 110 | Music Theory I: Music Analysis | 3 |
| MU 115 | Aural Skills I | 1 |
| MU 120 | Music Theory II: Songwriting | 3 |
| MU 125 | Aural Skills II | 1 |
| MU 210 | Music Theory III: Arranging | 3 |
| MU 215 | Aural Skills III | 1 |
| MU 361 | Choral Techniques | 3 |
| WL 181 | Introduction to Worship | 3 |
| WL 251 | Historical Survey of Worship Music I | 3 |
| WL 252 | Historical Survey of Worship Music II | 3 |
| WL 316 | Biblical Principles of Worship | 3 |
| WL 381 | Worship Ministry in the Church | 3 |
| Total | 30 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| — | Ensembles (Students must participate in (6) semesters of ensembles, (4) of which music be MU 150) |
6 |
| Total | 6 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| — | Primary Applied Studies (Main area of private study: voice, drums, piano, guitar, bass) |
6 |
| Total | 6 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| — | Voice & Piano Proficiency1 | 2 |
| Total | 2 | |
| Course Number | Description | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| — | Ministry Emphasis | 15 |
| Total | 15 | |
Total Worship & Music Studies (BS): 128
1 Students must possess basic proficiency on piano and voice.
Non-piano majors must enroll in at least two consecutive semesters of Class Piano or Secondary Applied Piano and pass a Proficiency Test.
Non-voice majors must enroll in at least two consecutive semesters of Secondary Applied Voice and pass a Proficiency Test.
Instrumental applied students must complete both voice and piano proficiency tests.
Worship & Music Studies faculty include:
Kha Do
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduates will be prepared to serve the church with proper musical and theological training necessary to lead the church in a variety of ecclesiological contexts. Career pathways include: Worship Pastor, Music Minister, Church Musician, Private Music Teacher, Choir Director, Producer, Media Director, Professional Musician, and other areas of music administration and leadership.
Music and Worship students are required to find church sites during their course of study to fulfilled a certain number of hours of on-site ministry experience. They are provided a list of Louisville Partner churches where they can pursue church membership and begin receiving supervised ministry experience within their first academic year. During their Junior and Senior year, they will be required to complete a 300-hour internship course at an approved site.
Ensembles
Students must participate in (6) semesters of ensembles, (4) of which must be MU 150.
- MU 150 Boyce College Choir (1)
- MU 161 Worship Lab Band (1)
- MU 162 Doxology Vocal Ensemble (1)
- MU 350 Boyce Worship Collective (1)
Ministry Emphases
Choose (1) of the following. See the Academic Catalog for more information.
Music Ministry
This emphasis allows students to choose from a variety of worship ministry courses to prepare for lead and associate roles in music ministry in the local church.
Worship & Pastoral Ministry
This emphasis will prepare students for music leadership and pastoral ministry in the local church.
Music Pedagogy
This emphasis will prepare students to develop a teaching pedagogy for classroom that meets ACSI certification.
Worship & Family Ministry
This emphasis will prepare students for youth and family ministry and worship leadership.
Songwriting
This emphasis will prepare students for leadership in worship arts and songwriting.
Digital Media
This emphasis will prepare students for the role of a church media director and digital communication in the church.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge of the Bible, interpret Scripture’s original meaning, and apply Scripture to contemporary situations.
- Students will be able to integrate systematic and historical theology into a larger biblical framework.
- Students will demonstrate basic understanding of the language of music through theoretical analysis and aural skills performance.
- Students will describe the historical practice and philosophy of the role of music in the church.
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in the performance of music as a musician and the application of music to the local church as a music ministry leader.