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Liberty University School of Music receives national accreditation for new degree programs

The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) has recently approved two new degree programs at the Liberty University School of Music. The Bachelor of Science in Commercial Music and the Doctor of Music Education will be offered beginning in Spring 2020 and join the school’s 15 accredited online and residential degree programs.

“To say that the School of Music is excited to launch these new degrees would be an understatement,” said Dr. Stephen Müller, interim dean of the School of Music and associate dean at the Center for Music Education & Performance. “These are cutting-edge and market-driven degrees that will continue to distinguish Liberty University and the School of Music as THE PLACE for undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate equipping.”

The B.S. in Commercial Music offers online and residential students a degree for non-performers pursuing a career in the ever-expanding marketplace of commercial music. The degree will be offered in conjunction with the new Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music.

The Doctor of Music Education (D.M.E.) degree fills a gap between the performance-oriented Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) and research focus of the Ph.D. track by equipping music education practitioners for careers in university teaching, music education administration, and other leadership roles in the music industry and academia.

Dr. Sean Beavers, online dean of the School of Music, says the two new accredited degrees offer additional distinction for Liberty University. “The NASM accreditation of our online D.M.E. makes Liberty one of just a few schools in the country that offer a completely online practice-oriented degree in music education at the doctoral level. With our new B.S. in Commercial Music, Liberty is now THE ONLY institution in the country to have a NASM-accredited liberal arts degree in commercial music. This degree allows students to have a broad overview of commercial music with flexibility to take electives based upon their interest.”

NASM was founded in 1924 and establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees for schools, conservatories, colleges, and universities. NASM currently has approximately 639 accredited institutional members.

The Liberty University School of Music previously received NASM accreditation in 2015 for degrees within the Center for Music & the Performing Arts and the Center for Music & Worship, as well as in 2016 for its Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music.

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