| In order to learn to be an orchestra conductor in the United States of America, students often begins their formal education by seeking to earn a master's degree in orchestral conducting. This project compiled a listing of American universities which offer a master's degree in orchestral conducting and categorized the component parts of their curricula. To date no study had previously compiled the necessary data to create and present such a list.;This study used three methods in order to amass the data regarding master's degree programs in orchestral conducting programs in the United States: (1) Internet searches, including of university websites and their course catalogs; (2) direct contact with directors of orchestra programs via e-mail; and, (3) direct contact with administrators of university programs via e-mail.;After the data was obtained it was organized and presented as follows: (1) based upon the total number of institutions included in the study; (2) according to the average credit hours required to complete degrees; (3) by individual courses as offered by the institutions; and, (4) as related to the percentage of coursework needed in the context of representative sample areas.;The findings section discusses the focus of programs of study, commonalities and unusual courses, with special consideration given to standards set forth by the National Association of Schools of Music. |
