Bachelor of Arts in Church Music

at Concordia University, St. Paul USA

This program is designed to prepare students for service in a ministry setting (with an option for certification as a Director of Christian Education or Outreach for LCMS students). Students will gain an understanding of Christian and Lutheran doctrine, beliefs, teachings, history, practices, ethics, church organization and strategy, vocation, and outreach. Upon completion of this program, students will recognize their personal identity in Christ, the broader ministry of the Gospel, and their philosophy of ministry.

Students in the Music major expand their creativity, analytical, research and writing skills while studying music performance, programming, analysis, composition, history, literature, education and worship music. The music program is led by accomplished and caring faculty who give one-on-one attention to students in a nurturing community.  With the support of CSP's deeply networked music faculty, students in this major are provided opportunities to ply their craft in music positions at churches, internships with local music organizations, and professional workshops.  The culmination of the major is a senior year public presentation of the student's work, in which the student plans, prepares, promotes, and presents a recital of their work.  The major prepares students for graduate work in music or other fields and employment as entry level music performers, composers, and private teachers.  The program also provides students with the communication skills, collaborative aptitude, creativity, organizational ability, and work ethic to succeed in a broad range of fields beyond music, while providing them with a lifelong outlet for joyful aesthetic expression.

The Music Business major is a joint offering of the Music and Business Departments. The major is designed for students who wish to work as promoters, marketers, assistants, or managers of musical organizations and individual artists in either the commercial or non-profit realms.  The degree provides students a foundational knowledge base in music and business, culminating in an internship with a professional musical organization in the Twin Cities.  The skills obtained in this degree prepare graduates for entry level positions in a variety of music and arts organizations.

Biology majors develop a strong foundation in biology by exploring cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, chemistry, evolutionary theory, scientific methodology, and laboratory techniques in our core curriculum.  Students then have the opportunity to tailor their degree with various electives including immunology, microbiology, human anatomy and physiology, and human gross anatomy, in which students have access to a human cadaver lab. The coursework pushes students to sharpen their critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and laboratory skills. 

Biology majors develop a strong foundation in biology by exploring cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, chemistry, evolutionary theory, scientific methodology, and laboratory techniques in our core curriculum.  Students then have the opportunity to tailor their degree with various electives including immunology, microbiology, human anatomy and physiology, and human gross anatomy, in which students have access to a human cadaver lab. The coursework pushes students to sharpen their critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and laboratory skills.

Child Learning and Development majors focus on the fundamental processes of child and adolescent development within the contexts of families, schools, peer groups and larger cultural contexts. The major prepares students for a wide range of careers in education, psychology, social work, family medicine, public health, family law and public policy. This major does not lead to a Minnesota teaching license.

The Community Arts program fosters students’ involvement, engagement, and service within the local arts community. In this interdisciplinary program, students learn both traditional and new media techniques, grounding them in practical applications. In the classroom, they gain a foundation in western and global art history and are introduced to community arts history and concepts. The program emphasizes social justice through arts applications. The 45-credit major starts with core studio requirements that familiarize students with various materials and concepts used to understand the nature of visual language. Students then take studio courses to enable a general and versatile art skill base. Students are also encouraged to add electives in theatre, graphic design, or specialize within studio arts. All community arts majors at Concordia take the foundational community arts class and during their final year, complete 8 credits of an internship. Students will be prepared to pursue a variety of career options upon graduation, from advanced degree in the arts to a variety of art-centered careers within community development and engagement. As a community arts major, you will be taught by an experienced faculty of active professionals with close ties to the vibrant Twin Cities art community. You will have complete facilities for ceramics, photography, digital art, printmaking, sculpture, as well as painting and drawing.

In the business program, students will learn to think about the overall picture of a business’s operations and how it interacts with larger market forces. A business management major at Concordia St. Paul will develop business skills in leadership, team-building, and project management. They will explore core business principles in marketing, finance, management, law, economics, and accounting with an emphasis on international perspectives and ethics.

Students studying business management develop crucial business skills in project management, team-building, HR management, and negotiations to enter the broad field of management. Using core business principles in marketing, finance, management, economics and entrepreneurship, develop a personal management style, learn motivation tactics, and utilize strategic planning skills with an emphasis on ethics. Investigate various dimensions of business decisions by delving into case studies and working as a consultant with area businesses to develop strategies for competitive advantage and growth.

The Public Policy major will equip students with sufficient intellectual tools to prepare them for professional work in the public sector. Students will be trained to seek positions in organizations which deal with public policy issues such as government agencies, trade associations, lobbying organizations, nonprofit groups, regulatory agencies, and NGOs. This major will provide students with the factual, analytical, practical, and theoretical skills necessary for contemporary policy design, implementation, and evaluation.

This program is designed to prepare students for creative professions like graphic design and other communications-related fields that rely on visual imagery. Students will gain an understanding of design theories and practices related to production in all areas of graphic design for traditional and emerging digital media. Upon completion of the program, students will have advanced craft, theory, process, and technical skills, and the ability to produce thoughtful and informed work in such areas as institutional branding and identity, new media, web development and interactivity, package design, publication design, advertising, illustration, signage and exhibition design, sustainability, spirituality, or social change.