B.M. in Musical Theatre: Music Direction
Lawrence Township, USA
Bachelor's degree
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for international applicants studying in country | international applicants studying out of country: 15 june 2025
Key Summary
About: The B.M. in Musical Theatre: Music Direction at Rider University combines a liberal arts programme with applied coursework to develop your musical abilities for theatre. Based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Rider welcomes international students, offers campus life, and sits about 60 minutes from New York City and Philadelphia, giving access to performing-arts hubs.
Career Outcomes: You’ll be prepared for professional roles focused on theatrical music and performance. Common careers include professional music director; musician/recording artist; band or choir director; composer; music teacher; private instructor. Graduates may also move into rehearsal work, arranging, pit performance, music coordination, or arts administration.
The musical theatre: musical direction program is focused on providing students with a well-rounded liberal arts education combined with applied coursework to develop and exercise their learned musical abilities.
Overview
The Musical Theatre: Musical Direction major at Rider prepares students for a professional career in musical theatre, working as a music director or in other aspects that focus on the music side of the industry. This program is provided in a nurturing liberal arts environment on Rider's campus, just one hour from New York City.
The following educational plan is provided as a sample only. Rider students who do not declare a major during their freshman year, who are in a Continuing Education Program, who change their major, or who transfer to Rider may follow a different plan to ensure a timely graduation. Each student, with guidance from their academic advisor, will develop a personalized educational plan.
Year 1
Fall Semester
- Intro to Expository Writing or Seminar in Writing and Rhetoric
- Musical Theatre Practicum
- Ballet I
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Music Theory I
- Music Theory I Lab
- Applied Piano
- Acting I: Intro to Acting
- General Education Course
Spring Semester
- Seminar in Writing and Rhetoric or Seminar in Writing and Research
- Musical Theatre Practicum
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Survey of Music History II
- Music Theory II
- Music Theory II Lab
- Applied Piano
- General Education Course
Year 2
Fall Semester
- Fundamentals of Conducting
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Musical Theatre Performance: Song as Text
- Applied Piano
- Music Theory III or Form and Analysis
- Theatre History to 1700
Spring Semester
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Musical Theatre Scene Study I
- Jazz I
- Theatre History Since 1700
- Applied Piano
- Voice Secondary
- General Education or Free Elective Course
Year 3
Fall Semester
- Techniques of Conducting
- Musical Theatre Repertoire I
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Music Theatre Production
- Applied Piano
- Voice Secondary
- Music History Elective
- General Education Course
Spring Semester
- Musical Theatre Lab
- History of American Music Theatre
- Musical Theatre Repertoire II
- Voice Secondary
- Applied Piano
- General Education or Free Elective Courses
Year 4
Fall Semester
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Jazz Keyboard Techniques and Improvisation
- Applied Piano
- Voice Secondary
- General Education or Free Elective Courses
Spring Semester
- Musical Theatre Lab
- Musical Theatre Auditions: Preparation and Technique
- Applied Piano
- General Education or Free Elective Courses
Cultivate your craft
Grow as a musician with the countless opportunities that Rider offers to ensure that our musical direction majors apply what they learn in performance. Hone your talents in our mainstage productions, concerts, and workshops, and have access to our rehearsal, performing, and recording facilities. Learn how to analyze a score and develop an artistic interpretation of a musical. Students will develop working relationships with directors, choreographers, actors, and musicians.
Rider’s financial aid office works with families to ensure an undergraduate education is affordable at every income level. Scholarship and aid award offers are customized to fit your unique financial circumstances.
To get a full picture of the scholarships, grants, and other aid that you may be eligible to receive, apply to Rider and transmit your FAFSA using federal school code 002628. Merit-based scholarships and aid are automatically awarded when you apply, and once we receive your FAFSA, the Office of Financial Aid can help identify additional resources to fund your education.
Scholarships and Awards
The scholarships below are competitive and are typically awarded based on a comprehensive review of the student's academic record, including cumulative high school GPA, rigor of academic course selection, test scores, and auditions (if applicable), and other supporting credentials.
To be considered for a merit-based academic scholarship, you must:
- Apply to Rider:Submit your completed application for admission, including official transcripts, standardized test scores (unless applying test-optional), essay, and one letter of recommendation by January 15. (Note: the final deadline is November 15th for all Musical Theatre and Acting applicants.)
- Rider offers Test-optional Admission, which means SAT/ACT scores are not required for admission and most scholarships at Rider. Test-optional applicants will be given full consideration for most merit-based scholarships.
- Are you a high achiever? Students with a 4.0 GPA and 1300+ SAT/28+ ACT score may be eligible to receive the maximum merit-based scholarship offer of $27,000. You must submit your SAT/ACTs to Rider in order to qualify for this award level.
- Complete an audition, if required (audition results are a factor in scholarship awards).
- Be regularly admissible to the University as a full-time student.
- Have a minimum cumulative academic 2.7 GPA (unweighted) on a 4.0 scale.
For New Jersey residents—the Rider Tuition Guarantee:
Rider guarantees free tuition for qualified in-state students! If you're a New Jersey resident with a GPA of 3.5 or above based on a 4.0 grading scale, an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less, and are receiving both full TAG and Pell grants, you may be eligible to attend Rider University tuition-free when you apply as an undergraduate student for the fall 2025 or spring 2026 start terms. Terms and conditions apply.
Visit our website to learn more about the scholarships and aid opportunities.
With Rider’s B.M. in Musical Theatre: Musical Direction, you’ll be well-equipped to embark on innovative careers as professional music directors or in related careers focused on the music side of the industry.
Common careers:
- Professional music director
- Professional musician or recording artist
- Band/choir director
- Composer
- Music teacher
- Private music instructor
