The Master of Sacred Music program offers students specialized training in choral conducting, vocal performance, and organ performance. The MSM program not only trains professional musicians for work in churches, but also provides students with the foundation to pursue doctoral studies and careers in performance. The MSM degree is a two-year, 48-credit-hour degree, consisting of courses in applied music, sacred music history and analysis, and liturgical studies. Students are admitted into one of three concentrations: (1) Choral Conducting, (2) Organ Performance, or (3) Vocal Performance. Students are encouraged to gain expertise in secondary areas such as voice, organ, piano, continuo, and conducting. Each graduate is expected to be a well-rounded musician, possessing the requisite skills in playing, conducting, and singing to shape music programs in churches, schools, and the community-at-large. A unique strength of the program is the emphasis on work with children's choirs and organ training through assistantships with the Notre Dame Children's Choir and Children's Organ Training Program. The MSM program also includes a bi-annual study and performance trip to Europe, funding for degree recitals, and free language instruction during the summer.