Students may have an instrumental or vocal performance concentration, or may have an arranging / composition concentration.

Musicians interested in popular musical idioms as performers, managers, promoters, arrangers or composers will have interest in this degree, as will student musicians interested in a career in radio/television/film music, music publishing, contemporary church music, or music business. Many other careers depend on knowledge of music as well as technology, including recording engineers and producers, music supervisors in film and television, and live-sound engineers and managers for touring productions.

Candidates for this program will show aptitude as a performer, arranger or composer. Since there is a major emphasis on music theory in the program, some prior training in music theory and piano will be helpful. Graduates holding his degree will be favorably competitive in seeking employment in the music industry.