Bachelor of Sacred Music (B.S.M.)

Southeast Asia Program

Description 

The Graduate Theological Foundation offers the degree-completion Bachelor of Sacred Music (B.S.M.) especially for experienced music directors and musicians engaged in regular music worship ministry in their faith community.
 
All students interested in obtaining their Bachelor of Sacred Music from the Graduate Theological Foundation while studying under Rev. Francis Leong in Singapore must receive final approval to commence their studies from Dr. Leong before they will be accepted into the GTF. 
 
NOTE: Foreign students must hold the Cambridge School Certificate or its equivalent.
Rev. Leong is the director for all courses for the B.S.M. (Southeast Asia Program) and has created a complete curriculum. Students are required to choose and obtain 30 credits from the following courses. Verification must be submitted by the student to the GTF upon completion of each course.    
 
The Bachelor of Sacred Music takes a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 36 months for completion. 

Admission Requirements

  1. Completion of the Undergraduate Portfolio* to provide evidence of five or more years of post-high school, professional-level paid, or volunteer work experience in a social service ministry or faith community.
  2. High school diploma or G.E.D. Foreign students must hold the equivalent.
  3. Completion of the Application Procedure.

*See the Undergraduate Portfolio section for an explanation. 

 

Program Requirements

  1. Students are expected to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook of the year of their acceptance with a particular focus on their degree program.  Students are bound by the academic and financial requirements of the Handbook in use at the time of their acceptance.  The current Student Handbook, as well as past years’ Handbooks, can be viewed here. 
  2. Completion of 30 credit hours from the B.S. M. curriculum. *See below
  3. Completion and submission of senior paper 
Graduation
 
When all academic and financial requirements have been met, the student is eligible to attend graduation. 
 

Program Curriculum

  1. History of Music (6 credits each)
    Church Music in the Middle Ages (476-1450)
    Church Music in the Renaissance (1450-1600)
    Church Music in the Baroque Period (1600-1700)
    Church Music in the Classical Period (1700-1800)
    Church Music in the Romantic Period (1800-1900)
    Church Music in the Modern Period (1900-present)
  2. The Instruments of the Orchestra (including keyboard and organ) (3 credits)
  3. Form in Church Music (6 credits)
    The Motet
    Cantata
    Mass
    Ave Maria
    Chorale
    Hymn
    Magnificat
    Te Deum
    Oratorio
    Requiem
    Stabat Mater
  4. Composers and their Specific Works (6 credits each)
    Bach’s Christmas/Easter Oratorio
    Handel’s Messiah
    Britten’s Hymn to St.Cecilia
    Cesar Franck’s Les Beatitudes- Oratorio
    Berkeley’s Salve Regina
    Dvorak’s/ Rossini’s Te Deum
    Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony
    Monteverde’s 1610 Vespers
    Rossinin’s/Dvorak’s Stabat Mater
    Schubert’s /Gounod’s Ave Maria
    Vaughan Williams’ Magnificat
  5. Theory of Music (6 credits)
    • Time Signatures, the composition of a four-bar rhythm or composition of a rhythm to given words
    • Alto (C clef centered on 3rd line) Double #s and double flats
    • Scales and key signatures of all major and minor keys
    • Construction of chromatic scale
    • Identification and writing of triads on tonic, subdominant and dominant notes
    • Terms and signs, recognition of trills, turn, ornaments, acciaccatura, appoggiatura lower mordant
    • Five/Six Theory Exams conducted by Trinity/Guildhall London and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)
  6. Practical – Voice, Instruments (6 credits)
    • Equivalent of the First Concert Certificate, or Grade
    • Five/Six Practical Exams conducted by Trinity/Guildhall London and Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)
  7. Sight Reading/Sight Singing, Keys, Time Signatures, Note
    Values, Dynamics, Tempi, Articulation (3 credits)
  8. Aural Training (3 credits)
    To listen to a short piece in duple, triple, or compound duple,
    triple time played twice and to state:
    • The time signature
    • If it begins in a major or minor key
    • If the tonality changes as the piece progresses, and if so, how
    • After further playing of the closing section of the piece, to state whether the cadence at the end is perfect, imperfect, plagal or interrupted.

    To sing or play from memory a short melody played twice by the examiner. The key chord and starting note will first besounded and named, and the pulse indicated. A second attempt
    will be allowed if necessary.

When all academic and financial requirements have been met, the student is eligible to receive his/her diploma. Students of the GTF have the option of attending graduation (held each year in May) or receiving the diploma by mail.
Tuition and Fees
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