Bachelor of Music in Worship Studies
Texas Baptist College
Bachelor of Music in Worship Studies
Prepare to lead the church in worship ministry.
Structured to develop musicians who will utilize their talent to serve and lead in church or mission settings.
Degree Highlights
- 127 hours
- All courses can be completed online through either synchronous (real-time) or asynchronous (recorded) attendance.
- Includes worship ministry internship
- Emphasizes professional excellence with practical ministry preparation
The Bachelor of Music in Worship Studies (BMWS) prepares and equips musicians to serve the church and glorify God through a comprehensive music degree that is supported by a program of worship, theological, and general studies. The 21st century church and the culture at large stand in need of highly skilled musicians who have an extensive musical vocabulary that is grounded in biblical truth to navigate the ever-expanding worship languages and musical cultures surrounding the local church.
All students in the School of Church Music and Worship are required to minister in the music program of a local church or organization during the time they are enrolled in their degree programs. Students who successfully complete this specialized degree may choose to continue their preparation at the graduate level in church music or worship studies.
Scholarship Auditions
Bachelor of Music students must complete an audition process with the School of Church Music & Worship. The SCMW hosts both in-person and virtual auditions year-round for scholarships and placement in our ministry-based ensembles.
Every new music student will audition and take placement examinations prior to registering for the first semester. Normally, students are not excluded because of these auditions and examinations, and appropriate leveling work will be assigned as needed.
Degree Requirements
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Theory and Musicianship I | THY 1104 | 4 |
| Theory and Musicianship II | THY 1204 | 4 |
| Theory and Musicianship III | THY 2104 | 4 |
| Theory and Musicianship IV | THY 2204 | 4 |
| Musics of the World | MHS 2002 | 2 |
| Music History I: Antiquity-Renaissance | MHS 2102 | 2 |
| Music History II: Baroque-Classical | MHS 2202 | 2 |
| Music History III: Nineteenth Century to Present | MHS 2302 | 2 |
| Conducting I | CON 3622 | 2 |
| Conducting II: Choral and Instrumental | CON 3652 | 2 |
| Voice Pedagogy | VOI 1902 | 2 |
| Rehearsal Techniques for Vocal Ensembles | WOR 3112 | 2 |
| Texas Baptist College Choir (four semesters) | ENS 1008 | 2 |
| Worship Band (two semesters) | ENS 1xx8 | 1 |
| Ensemble (two semesters) | ENS 1xx8 | 1 |
| Piano Proficiency (students may need to complete Piano Foundations I-IV in preparation for PIA 1500) | PIA 1500 | 0 |
| Voice Proficiency (students who do not pass the Voice Proficiency audition will take VOI 2402 and 2502 to satisfy the Voice Proficiency) | VOI 1500 | 0 |
| Performance Lab (eight semesters) | PFL 1100 | 0 |
| Applied Study (must enroll concurrently in Master Class) | ||
| Voice must be Applied or Secondary Applied | ||
| Applied I (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 1105 | 1.5 |
| Applied II (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 1205 | 1.5 |
| Applied III (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 2105 | 1.5 |
| Applied III (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 2105 | 1.5 |
| Applied IV (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 2205 | 1.5 |
| Sophomore Upper Level Examination | VOI/PIA/GTR 2000 | 0 |
| Applied V (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 3105 | 1.5 |
| Applied VI and Junior Recital (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 3202 | 2 |
| Applied VII (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 4105 | 1.5 |
| Applied VIII and Senior worship Project (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 4202 | 2 |
| Secondary Applied Study (after completion of appropriate proficiency) | ||
| Voice must be Applied or Secondary Applied | ||
| Secondary Applied I (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 1111 | 1 |
| Secondary Applied II (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 2111 | 1 |
| Secondary Applied III (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 2111 | 1 |
| Secondary Applied IV (Voice, Piano, or Guitar) | VOI/PIA/GTR 2211 | 1 |
Total Hours
127
Recommended Degree Sequence
Calculated for students taking two semesters of classes per yer
| Year 1 – 31 hours | |
|---|---|
| Spiritual Formation | Natural Science |
| English 1 – Academic Writing | English 2 - Advanced Academic Writing |
| Biblical Foundations of Worship | Biblical Theology |
| Culture, Philosophy, and Worship | |
| Theory and Musicianship 1 | Theory and Musicianship 2 |
| Applied 1 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) | Applied 2 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) |
| Master Class | Master Class |
| Performance Lab | Performance Lab |
| Texas Baptist College Choir | Texas Baptist College Choir |
| (Piano Foundations 1) | (Piano Foundations 2) |
| Chapel 1 | Chapel 2 |
| Year 2 – 30.5 hours | |
|---|---|
| Great Books Course | Evangelism |
| Introduction to Congregational Worship Music | Old Testament 1 |
| Music of the World | Music History 1 |
| Techniques in Acoustic Guitar 1 or 2 | Techniques in Bass Guitar 1 or 2 |
| Worship Internship 1 | Worship Internship 2 |
| Worship Leading Lab 1 | Worship Leading Lab 2 |
| Theory and Musicianship 3 | Theory and Musicianship 4 |
| Applied 3 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) | Applied 4 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) |
| Master Class | Master Class |
| Performance Lab | Performance Lab |
| Texas Baptist College Choir | Texas Baptist College Choir |
| (Piano Foundations 3) | (Piano Foundations 4) |
| Voice Proficiency | Sophomore Upper-Level Examination |
| Chapel 3 | Chapel 4 |
| SUMMER - 3 HOURS | |
|---|---|
| Songwriting for Corporate Worship | Summer Internship |
| Year 3 – 33.5 hours | |
|---|---|
| Systematic Theology 1 | New Testament 1 |
| Old Testament 2 | Arranging and Orchestration |
| Music History 2 | Music History 3 |
| Techniques in Drum Set 1 or 2 | Techniques in Keyboard 1 or 2 |
| Voice Pedagogy | Leading a Comprehensive Music & Worship Ministry |
| Rehearsal Techniques for Worship Bands | Rehearsal Techniques for Vocal Ensembles |
| The Ministry of Planning and Leading Worship | |
| Worship Internship 3 | Worship Internship 4 |
| Applied 5 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) | Applied 6 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) & Jr. Recital |
| Secondary Applied 1 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) | Secondary Applied 2 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) |
| Master Class | Master Class |
| Performance Lab | Performance Lab |
| Worship Band or Ensemble | Worship Band or Ensemble |
| Chapel 5 | Chapel 6 |
| Year 4 – 29.5 hours | |
|---|---|
| Systematic Theology 2 | Baptist History and Heritage |
| New Testament 2 | Introduction to Christian Ethics |
| Critical Thinking | |
| Technology for Worship 1 | Technology for Worship 2 |
| Conducting 1 | Conducting 2: Choral and Instrumental |
| Applied 7 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) | Applied 8 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) & Senior Worship Project |
| Secondary Applied 3 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) | Secondary Applied 4 (Piano, Voice, Guitar) |
| Master Class | Master Class |
| Performance Lab | Performance Lab |
| Worship Band or Ensemble | Worship Band or Ensemble |
Potential career paths for this degree
Worship Leader | Music Director | Choir Director
Song Writer | Church Planter | Private Music Instructor
Worship Technology | Ministry in Creative Arts
Performance Opportunities
In addition to solo performing opportunities in recitals and master classes, TBC offers a variety of ensembles for students to gain experience in their performing areas and to acquaint themselves with a wide range of repertoire, from the masterpieces of oratorio literature to the latest in worship music for the church.
Got Questions? We’re here to answer them.
Reach out to our Admissions Team and we’ll be in touch by phone, text, or email.