Worship and Music (MA) [Online]
An online graduate program in Worship and Music is designed for individuals seeking to deepen their theological understanding and enhance their musical leadership in church settings. This program offering provides a rich blend of practical and academic training. The flexibility of the online format allows students to complete coursework while remaining active in their ministry or professional roles, providing a balance between academic growth and practical application in real-world settings. Upon graduation, students are equipped to take on leadership roles within churches or pursue further academic work, blending their passion for worship with advanced musical expertise.
Program Highlights
- Opportunities to collaborate with experienced worship leaders and musicians through virtual classes, live sessions, and online discussions.
- Access to a network of peers and professors, the program fosters a community of learning and spiritual development.
- The online platform allows students from diverse geographical and denominational backgrounds to share ideas and perspectives on worship practices.
- Take courses fully online in 7-week sessions.
- Study at a University that has taught Bible and theology for over 100 years and has been NASM-accredited since 1972.
- Study under faculty who are both highly credentialed musicians and experienced worship leaders.
- Create a self-produced six-track recording of three original songs and three arranged songs for congregational singing in a culminating final project.
more Details
Get an inside look at our Worship and Music M.A. Program
There are over 70 unique programs at Cairn to choose from! Not sure if this is the best program for you? Here are some more details to help you decide.
Required Credits: 36
Curriculum Highlights:
- MUS 651 Biblical Foundations of Worship
- MUS 606 African American Worship
- MUS 691 Worship and Ministry Project
- MUS 607 Plan Worship Theologically
Worship Leader
Artist
Program Director
The School of Music has also received programmatic accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music.
Cairn Online has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which regionally oversees postsecondary online education.
Connect With Us
Featured Faculty
Scott Watson
Faculty, School of Music
Dr. Scott Watson, before coming to Cairn, was a band director and music teacher in the Parkland School District (Allentown, PA) and taught music theory at Temple University. His award-winning music has been performed at the Philadelphia Academy of Music, the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and the White House. His book, Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity, is published by Oxford University Press.
Scott and his wife, Kim, have two adult children, Benjamin and Abigail, who are both music teachers themselves. The Watsons attend Cedar Crest Bible Fellowship Church, where Scott plays keyboard in the worship team. Whenever he can get away, you can find Scott with his family “down the shore” visiting his parents in Cape May, reading a good non-fiction book.
Deion Payton
Director, Gospel Choir
Deion Payton began singing at the age of four and continued to study at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts as a Vocal Major. While attending CAPA, he performed at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Academy of Music and other prestigious organizations. He has shared the stage with artists such as Paul Simon, Mali Music, Nick Jonas, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Jabari Johnson, Myron Butler and performed in the presence of former President, Barack Obama.
He studied at Cairn University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in voice. While at Cairn, Deion restored and led the Cairn Gospel Choir. Now an accredited course, Deion serves on the Faculty as Director for the Gospel Choir.
What Our Students Have To Say
Eme Eskaros
One of my favorite parts about being a Worship & Music major at Cairn was how holistic and comprehensive my education was. Not only did I receive incredible technical training as a musician, my philosophy and theology as it pertains to the arts and worship was challenged and grown immensely. I also loved that this program equipped and encouraged me to use jazz, which is my ‘heart music’ as my offering of worship.
Cairn Online Frequently Asked Questions
The tuition for post-secondary education has become expensive in general. However, Cairn Online programs rank amongst the most affordable online bachelor’s and master’s programs. While the tuition costs vary by program level, the rate is typically $425 per credit or 12K per year for A.A. and B.S. programs and $300-$725 per credit for graduate programs.
The current tuition rates are available from this page. Scholarships and financial aid are also available.
Currently there are over 6 million online learners in the United States, and those numbers are growing every day. Online degrees that have regional accreditation are held to the same standards as traditional universities, ensuring that students earn a valuable degree that will prepare them with the skills and credentials for their career. Do research to find an online degree that is accredited and reputable, such as those offered at Cairn University.
Cairn Online courses based on Cairn’s 100+ years tradition of excellence in biblical education. Our on faculty has carefully designed them taking into consideration what works best for the online learner. The modular design and asynchronous delivery enable you to complete your studies while you pursue your career, ministry and spend time with your family.
Courses typically contain seven units and are delivered in 7-week terms*. Each unit contains 5-7 modular activities. Each learning activity includes instructional videos accompanied by reflections, quizzes, discussion forums and other assessments. Courses also utilize adaptive learning technologies such as Cerego for long-term retention of concepts and VoiceThread for enhanced collaboration.
The asynchronous delivery provides flexibility around your daily busy schedule. In most courses, interactive activities are typically due by Wednesday while the rest of the unit’s work is due by Sunday night. The MBA, M.A. in Music and Criminal Justice programs use the 7RD2 process and require the completion of certain activities daily to optimize learning.
Our own Cairn faculty intentionally participate in the course throughout the week to provide you with an incarnational experience.
*Few capstone courses are intentionally offered in 14 weeks to optimize student learning.
A.A. programs usually take 2 years and B.S. and B.A. programs typically take 3-4 years to complete.
Graduate programs vary in length by program. As an example, Cairn’s traditional MBA typically takes 20 months to complete but then there is also the accelerated One-Year MBA that you can complete in 12 months.
If you are looking to complete your program sooner, you can consider taking more 7-week courses at a time.
All courses are developed by one or more course developers and taught by our own faculty. The instructors are also intentionally involved in the course throughout the week by providing direction in the course activities, participating in the forum discussions, grading the student work and providing substantive feedback. Most courses also offer optional office hours weekly via Zoom or similar video conferencing tools.
Our instructional design team works very closely with the course developers and carefully plans the courses to balance the technology requirements. Most courses use the eLearning platform for hosting the course materials, Panopto for video capture and storage, VoiceThread for enhanced discussion forums, and Cerego for adaptive learning. Zoom is used at times for virtual office hours. These sessions are optional.
Except for the Hebrew and Greek language courses for the B.S. in Biblical Studies program, typically there are no required meeting times for the completing the course activities.
The course transfer depends on where you are transferring from, and what program you are transferring to. If you are coming to Cairn Online from another institution, it is very likely you will have some credits that will transfer. Because there are so many options, we encourage you to talk to an enrollment counselor. If you are transferring out, Cairn is a regionally accredited school and some credits should transfer with relative ease. Each college sets their own transfer criteria, so be sure to check their policies for specifics.
Cairn Online offers a variety of options for prior learning and experience. You can receive up to 6 credits for prior learning for graduate programs. At the discretion of the program advisor, three to six credits for prior learning (CPL) can be awarded for students with extensive background in areas addressed by specific courses. Additionally, advance standing may be granted for Bible or theology credits earned at an accredited Bible college, Christian liberal arts college or university, or seminary. Credits will be granted on a course by course basis.
Cairn is approved to offer financial aid because of its regional accreditation. There are many options available and typically students qualify for at least one type of federal aid. Many students receive scholarships and grants that make earning their degree even more affordable. Cairn offers a variety of scholarships and discounts in addition to options for loans and grants. Please refer to this page for details.
The requirements depend on the program you are considering. Please refer to this page for details.
