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Worship Degree FAQ

1. Is there an audition for the worship major?

Yes, an audition is required for all students desiring admission to the worship major.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application process consists of four components: essay, personal interview, musical audition, recommendations. All four components must be completed before your admission is approved.

  • Essay:
  • The essay is to be 2-3 typed double-spaced pages (approximately 500-750 words) that will help us get to know you and let us see a sample of your writing. The topics that you should address are: Why are you interested in studying worship? Why Cedarville? What are your career goals at this point in your life? What ministry experiences have you had? Your essay (and completed application) must be returned to campus two weeks prior to your music audition.
  • Personal interview:
  • The personal interview is designed to help us get to know you better and to be able to interact with you personally. The interview can be part of your on-campus music audition. You should be nicely dressed and be ready to interact with faculty regarding your essay.
  • Music Audition:
  • All worship students will ultimately need to be proficient in voice and either piano or guitar. To help evaluate your strengths and abilities, you will sing and play either piano or guitar as part of your program admission. You should prepare two selections on your strongest performance area and one short selection on the other. You will also be asked to sight-read vocally and instrumentally. Additional guidelines can be found on the  worship auditions page. All students are strongly encouraged to audition in person and on the departmental audition dates. If you are unable to come to campus to audition, a video tape or DVD may be submitted.
  • Recommendations:
  • You are required to be recommended by two individuals that are able to assess you based on your musical abilities, ministry experience, and spiritual maturity. Suggested references include pastor, worship leader, youth pastor, or music teacher. Applications can be downloaded from the  worship auditions page and mailed to us, or submitted online via our webpage.

2. When are the auditions?

Auditions are held at specific dates throughout the year, and students are encouraged to come on campus at those times. If students are not available to make those specific dates, auditions are available with sufficient notice. If travel to campus is a barrier, students may audition via video tape. Please see the  worship auditions page for further details.

3. Is there scholarship money available for the major?

Yes, there are scholarships that are funded on a competitive basis for incoming students. The money is awarded based upon the audition scores.

4. What are other ways to help pay for college as a worship student?

There are several other ways to pay for college. There is a high demand for student worship leaders to assist local churches. Many of these positions are paid, and can be valuable experience for building resume and ministry experience. Students can audition for  Heartsong, one of the Christian Ministry touring teams, which is a paid touring position.

5. What classes are necessary for the worship degree?

The worship degree is designed to be interdisciplinary and consists of three major fields of study: music, worship and theology. In addition, students are required to take elective courses in worship related fields such as theatre, electronic ministry, missions or youth ministry to broaden their ministry skill set. Detailed course of study and class descriptions can be found in the  undergraduate academic catalog.

6. What does this degree prepare me for?

This degree was designed by full-time worship pastors to prepare students for ministry jobs in church and para-church organizations. We started with a blank sheet of paper and discussed the skills and training needed to educate them for worship ministry today. The result is a degree that is flexible, resulting in an individualized course of study based upon the interests and skills of the student. The degree places high value on practical experience, resulting in students that are well-prepared for worship leadership or support positions.

7. What about jobs after I graduate?

Currently the job market is very good for worship leaders. Cedarville grads are sought after, and we have excellent graduate placement rates for our graduates. Prospective students are encouraged to explore websites such as  Church Staffing and  Church Job Finder to see some examples of jobs that could be available for graduates.