ACADEMICS » DEGREES & MAJORS » Music

Music is more than notes on a page; it is a marvelous attestation to the God of order, complexity, and beauty. In Christian ministry, music can serve as a medium for encouragement, worship, and even evangelism.

Our full-time music professors are committed to your development both as a musician and a follower of Jesus Christ. At the heart of an education in music is the private lesson. Our department offers lessons in voice, piano, woodwinds, brass, strings, and composition.

Download a printable Music Ministries PDF here.

BBC offers you three options:
Church Music (five-year)
Music Ministries (four-year)
Minor in Music
Worship Pastor

If you are interested in teaching music, check out our Music Education program.

Core courses
We give you a strong foundation to understand and apply biblical truth through 42 hours of Bible and theology courses. A required set of General Studies courses supplements that foundation and enables you to consider the world in which you will minister.

You will then build on this foundation with over 40 credit hours studying the specific disciplines of your field and determining how you can best apply your unique strengths, gifts, and abilities. The core courses of our music programs include the following:

Applied Music Major
Aural Skills
Choral & Instrumental Methods
Church Drama
Composition & Arranging
Conducting
Ensemble
Foundations & Issues in Worship
Hymnology
Music History
Music Theory

Making the program your own
You’ll have ample opportunity for hands-on experience as you participate in BBC’s One Accord, Chamber Singers, or Concert Chorale, all of which appear off-campus in concert tours. You can also apply your education by becoming involved in local church music ministries.

Many options after graduation
Graduates of the five-year Church Music program earn both a Bachelor of Science with a major in Church Music and a Bachelor of Sacred Music. You may elect to receive a B.S. in Bible instead of a B.S. with a major in Church Music.

Graduates of the four-year Music Ministries program complete coursework equivalent to a double major in Bible and Music Ministries, and are awarded a Bachelor of Science with a major in Music Ministries. You may elect to receive a B.S. in Bible instead.

A Minor in Music can be added to another undergraduate program to give you an introduction to music appreciation, performance, and ministry.

Our Music Ministries program will prepare you for a music pastoral position, or for music ministry on the mission field. Many graduates of BBC’s music programs become private studio teachers, professional conference musicians, conductors, and composers, and have continued their education at graduate schools across the country. A few graduate schools to which our students have been accepted are Westminster Choir College, Temple University, and Eastern Michigan University.

What they say
“This music community is great because of the caliber of its teachers. They molded me into a musician who is equipped to sing, play, and compose. I now know how to educate myself and others within the church and the world so that God can be made known through music .”
- Michael Catania, BBC graduate

Learn more
For details about the Music Ministries program, contact Professor David McGrew.

If you are interested in teaching music, check out our Music Education program.