Music and Worship

Total Credit Hours

130-140

Program Length

4 years (traditional path)

Mode

Face-to-face, main campus

Minors

Students may choose a specific area of career focus with minor programs. These include (but are not limited to): 

• Jazz studies
• Composition
• Songwriting
• Recording technology
• Musical theatre
• Social work
• Youth ministry
• Children’s ministry
• Marketing
• Business
• Leadership
• Entrepreneurial studies
• Religion (of special interest to those seeking to complete ordination in the Church of the Nazarene)

A great need for worship leaders in American churches and the broader evangelical community exists today with more than 5,000 job openings nationwide. With the Bachelor of Science in music and worship degree from Trevecca, students who feel called to music and worship ministry will graduate with the strong foundation needed to work in any kind of worship pastor or worship leader position.

Graduates of the program will have the opportunity to develop a professional portfolio. Students are taught how to craft and present a professional resumé, enter into a job interview with confidence and design and lead worship in multiple settings.

With this degree, graduates are prepared to work as a: 

• Worship leader and administrative pastor
• Worship pastor
• Associate worship pastor (in a large, megachurch worship program)
• Minister of music
• Student worship pastor
• Children’s worship pastor 
• Leadership mentor or coach for a large school of music or school of worship
• Leadership coach with a corporation while serving as part-time worship pastor (lay-worship pastoral role)

What are my options for financial aid?

At Trevecca, we strive to keep our tuition and fees below the national average for private Christian colleges to make this education affordable for families. And best of all, almost 100 percent of our students receive financial aid in the form of generous scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities—bringing costs much lower.

Financial aid for students typically falls into one of four broad categories

1. Scholarships are merit based awards that you don’t pay back. Incoming freshmen and transfer students may apply for a Music and Worship scholarship. Find out more and apply.  
2. Grants are need-based awards that you don’t pay back. These are typically given in addition to scholarships and are reviewed annually.
3. Loans are borrowed funds that you repay after you leave college. They feature very low interest rates and long terms. 
4. Work-Study programs allow you to work and earn money to pay for your education as you go through the college process.
5. Service Commitments such as Army ROTC (Reserve Officer's Training Corps). Get more information.  

For a detailed explanation of all financial aid options, please visit the Financial Aid pages.

Financial Aid

High school seniors and graduates who have never before attended college full-time should apply for freshman admission to Trevecca. Deadlines for applying are August 1 for fall semester and December 1 for spring semester. Application is free.

Find out more about the application process

Prospective students in the Bachelor of Science in music and worship program are required to demonstrate competence and skill in one or more areas of music performance. 

Find out more and get all the details about audition and entrance requirements for all music degree-seeking students. Contact the School of Music and Worship Arts offices for details at 615.248.1288, or ask your admissions counselor for more information. 

Is there an application fee?

No. It’s free to apply!

What are the requirements to be admitted into the program? 

Prospective students in the Bachelor of Science in music and worship program are required to demonstrate competence and skill in one or more areas of music performance. 

Find out more about audition and entrance requirements for all music degree-seeking students. Contact the School of Music and Worship Arts offices for details at 615.248.1288, or ask your admissions counselor for more information. 

Are there different areas of focus students can choose from?

Yes! Students may choose a specific area of career focus with minor programs that are designed as 15 to 18-hour programs. 

They include but are not limited to: Jazz studies, composition, songwriting,  recording technology, musical theatre, social work, youth ministry, children’s ministry, marketing, business, leadership, entrepreneurial studies and more. Of special interest to those seeking to complete ordination in the Church of the Nazarene is the minor in religion.

Do I really need a degree in music and worship to get a full-time job as a worship leader or worship pastor?

Worship leading and/or the role of a worship artist is a dynamic, ever-changing career. While a talented musician might secure a job in a local ministry as a worship leader, preparation for long-term employment in a large ministry will require significant credentials as a worship professional. That means that the worship leader or worship pastor in today’s evangelical culture must be equally equipped and skilled as both a musician and a worship theologian.

Additionally, those with credentials in music and worship often secure employment with a significantly higher compensation package. During the past 12 to 15 years, more pastors, church personnel search committees and other hiring decision-makers have sought worship leaders with undergraduate and graduate degrees in music and worship.

Does this bachelor’s degree in music and worship prepare me for graduate studies?

Yes. Students graduating with Trevecca’s Bachelor of Science in music and worship are fully qualified to pursue graduate degrees, including but not limited to: master’s in worship studies, music and worship, worship and leadership and in worship arts. 

Is the Bachelor of Science in music and worship also considered as a music degree?

Yes. This program of study is approved and accredited as a music degree with the National Association of Schools of Music.

May I transfer into this program after finishing a two-year program at a community or junior college music program?

Yes. Trevecca will accept general education and music courses from an accredited community or junior college program. Trevecca will also accept music courses completed at any college or university holding membership with the National Association of Schools of Music. 

Does Trevecca have scholarships available for students pursuing this degree?

Yes. Incoming freshmen and transfer students may apply for a Music and Worship scholarship. Find out more and apply.

What is the job outlook for students graduating with a degree in music and worship?

There are great job opportunities available for students who have a degree in music and worship. Currently, there are more than 5,000 job openings for worship pastors, worship leaders and worship technology specialists in churches and the broader evangelical community. These include positions in a variety of denominational and nondenominational church and parachurch settings. The growing job demand outpaces the availability of trained, credentialed, and skilled personnel to lead worship, so students holding this degree will enter the job search with an advantage.

"In my time as a student, the Trevecca community challenged me, encouraged me, picked me up when I fell, and encouraged me again. I learned how to plan and lead worship from a platform, of course; but even more valuable to me is that I learned how to lead people with the heart of a servant when I wasn’t on the platform. You don’t learn that everywhere, but that principle is in every fiber of every class you take. ​"
-Jordan Guthrie '14

"Trevecca’s Worship Program taught me how to be a worship leader within the local church. When I finished the program, I was not simply a good 'Sunday morning musician.' Instead, I was equipped to serve the local church in ministry in many ways."
-Caitlin Porter '11

If the Bachelor of Science in music and worship isn’t quite right for you, Trevecca offers several different options of study in those disciplines. 

You may consider an Associate of Arts degree in worship studies, or major in another area of music and minor in worship. 

Or, explore the different bachelor’s degrees Trevecca offers in music: 

• Commercial music
• Music performance
• Music education
• Worship and church ministry 
• Theory and composition

Your admissions counselor is ready to help you evaluate your options for study until you decide upon the one that’s perfect for you.

Our faculty members have impressive backgrounds, credentials and real-world experience in music, worship and ministry. Nashville is home to some of the most outstanding professional songwriters, artists, worship leaders, teachers of leadership, worship leader mentors, and professional life coaches in the world.

Students will learn from full-time and adjunct faculty members, including Grammy- and Dove-Award winning songwriters and music producers, former executives for Christian music record labels, former worship directors for some of the nation’s largest megachurches and parachurch ministries, former deans of schools of music across the country and best selling authors of multiple books on worship. 

Because of our location in Music City, Trevecca has great relationships with many talented and experienced worship and music industry professionals in Nashville and the surrounding areas. Students will be able to learn from these accomplished individuals as they deliver guest lectures in classes throughout the program.