- 1. What is the difference between the Conservatory and the Arts and Sciences division of Wheaton College?
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The Conservatory offers professional music degrees: Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education. The College liberal arts degrees are Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. In order to distribute professional music degrees and be certified by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), a school must have at least 55% of the coursework in music. Wheaton Conservatory has about 65%. So, in a degree that has a total of 120 hours to complete, about 80 hours will be music and 40 hours will be general requirements like Art, History, Bible, Philosophy, Literature, etc.
In the liberal arts side of the College, it's just the opposite. About 80 hours is a core of general education requirements. It is much broader based including natural and social sciences, foreign language, math, etc. There are about 35 majors to choose from including the liberal arts music degree. A major requires about 40 hours of courses in your degree subject. The actual music classes would be the same, there are just fewer of them in a Liberal Arts degree. A minor is 20 hours.
- 2. What does the word Conservatory mean? How is it different from a Department of Music or a School of Music?
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The word Conservatory means to conserve or preserve. Here at Wheaton, it means to preserve the finest traditions of high level music training and performance. Not all conservatories use the word in their name. For example, Curtis Institute, The Juilliard School, and Eastman School of Music are all fine conservatories, but none of them use the word Conservatory in their name. So what is the difference? At Wheaton, we are providing students with a unique combination - exceptional music training, academic excellence, a national reputation, and a Christian community.
- 3. Can I reserve my audition date now, even though I don't have my application finished?
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Yes. Sign up online or contact our Admissions Counselor, Debbie Rodgers. music@wheaton.edu 800/222-2419 x 3.
- 4. What are the extra costs for a music student?
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Conservatory of Music fees vary from semester to semester depending on how many music courses a student takes. They include the following:
| General Music Fee, per credit hour |
$40 |
| Private Lessons |
$600 for 1 hour, $400 for 30 minutes
|
| Class Piano I-V |
$305 |
| Large Ensemble & Chamber Music |
$150 |
A complete listing of undergraduate costs is in the catalog.
- 5. How can I combine my love for music with another academic area? Do you have a double degree?
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One of our degree options is called Bachelor of Music with Elective Studies in an Outside Field. It is still a professional music degree from the Conservatory, but built into the program is a 24-hour track of non-music coursework. There are thirteen options with coursework in these fields:
- Arts Ministries
- Biblical and Theological Studies
- Business
- Christian Education and Ministry
- English
- Math/Computer Science
- Media
- Modern Languages (French, German or Spanish)
- Pre-Law Studies
- Psychology
- Sociocultural Studies
- Theater
- Third World Studies (including HNGR internship)
- Alternate Field - design your own.
- 6. Is it better to come in person for my audition?
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Yes. On campus auditions are strongly recommended. In fact, they are required if you live within 350 miles of campus. Here are the dates for the upcoming audition season.
- 7. Do I need to audition if I want to be a liberal arts music major or minor?
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No. The only students required to audition are those applying to the Conservatory of Music.
- 8. Do you have music scholarships? Can I apply for one even if I'm not going to be a Conservatory student?
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The Conservatory has merit-based awards (about 20 per year). All applicants to the Conservatory are considered based on outstanding musical and academic achievement. The audition performed for admission to the Conservatory is used for award consideration. At this time only Conservatory students are eligible for merit-based awards.
- 9. Can I be in an ensemble if I'm not a Music Major?
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Yes. We have about 200 music majors here in the Conservatory, but we need many additional liberal arts students to fill all our ensembles. Auditions for these ensembles are held the Fall. For incoming freshmen or transfer instrumentalists, audition music is posted online: Symphony Orchestra or Symphonic Band. You can sign up for an audition slot at the Orientation Welcome Center. More detail about all the ensembles is available on our website. We hope you will join us!