Orchestral Conducting Minor

The minor consists of a minimum of 20 credits.

View the catalog page for the conducting and ensembles division.

Conducting enables deep understanding of musical interpretation, leadership, and communication, fostering strong listening skills, critical thinking, and the ability to analyze complex scores. The orchestral conducting minor is specifically designed for Bachelor of Music students intending to pursue a career in orchestral conducting.

As part of the liberal arts elective requirement for their major, students are recommended to take:

at least one year (two full courses, eight credits total) of French, German, or Italian language study; and
four credits of WRCM 110 - Public Communication .

Summary of Requirements

Course Requirements

Note(s) on Requirements

There are no non-course requirements associated with this minor.
To obtain the orchestral conducting minor, guitar, piano, and organ players should have a large ensemble experience.

Declaring the Minor

The minor is open to all students earning a Bachelor of Music degree.
Students may apply for the orchestral conducting minor and/or the choral conducting minor . There is a separate assessment for each minor.
After successful completion of APST 351 , students interested in the orchestral conducting minor should contact the advisor of the minor for an interview/assessment to determine their eligibility. The assessment process will cover all concepts and skills learned during the previous four semesters of conducting. This includes:
- the ability to acquire an aural concept of a full score, including score reading at the piano;
- knowledge of score terminology in French, Italian, and German; and
- the ability to conduct complex scores.

Detailed Minor Requirements

Orchestral Conducting Minor Course Lists

Advisor-Approved Elective Courses

Return to the summary of requirements.

Students select four credits of elective course(s) in consultation with their minor advisor.