Conducting programs often involve score study, music history, technique and theory courses. Whether students choose to focus on an instrumental or choral repertoire, their coursework teaches them how to form and lead ensembles.

Master-level studies involve specialized study in a field of research or an area of professional practice. Earning a master’s degree demonstrates a higher level of mastery of the subject.
Earning a master’s degree can take anywhere from a year to three or four years. Before you can graduate, you usually must write and defend a thesis, a long paper that is the culmination of your specialized research.