Advance Your Craft Without Putting Your Career on Hold: Georgia State’s Low-Residency MM in Conducting

For conductors already shaping ensembles and musical communities, Georgia State's Master of Music in Conducting (Low-Residency) offers a rare opportunity: the chance to earn a graduate degree without pausing your career. Designed specifically for full-time educators and working musicians, the program blends the convenience of online learning during the academic year with immersive, in-person training each summer in the heart of Atlanta.

Students can pursue either a choral or instrumental conducting track, working closely with Georgia State’s nationally respected faculty. During the fall and spring semesters, coursework is completed entirely online, allowing students to continue leading their own ensembles while advancing their education. Each June, students travel to campus for the Summer I Session, where they participate in a six-credit conducting seminar that includes auditing the Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute—a renowned professional development workshop that has served as a cornerstone of conducting training in the Southeast for more than 12 years.

Throughout the summer seminar, students rotate through three focused modules—one each in orchestral, choral and wind band conducting—learning from faculty who bring unique artistic voices and pedagogical approaches to the podium. For Bowen Hoadley, returning to Georgia State for the program felt “a little surreal,” as he reflected on how the experience had helped him shift from thinking like a technician to thinking like an artist. “It’s not just about getting the rhythms right; it’s about what you want to say as a person through music,” he said. Working with Dr. Dworetz, Dr. Joseph and Dr. Ambrose in quick succession gave students a breadth of perspective: some using batons, some not and each with their own interpretation of leadership and tone. Bowen shared that “each of us could develop our technique more personally and individually,” rather than being confined to a single conducting style.

That same variety resonated with Jacob Mercer, a high school band director from Gwinnett County. He appreciated how each week’s shift in focus—from orchestra to choir to band—exposed him to repertoire and rehearsal techniques he wouldn’t typically encounter. “I love that each week is a different concentration,” he said, noting that the experience opened him up to “a whole different scope of repertoire” that helped him grow beyond his role as a band educator. While his primary aim was to strengthen his conducting, Jacob said the biggest takeaway was how the program encouraged a deeper connection to the music. “It’s so much more about the study and your relationship with the music you’re about to teach and how you can get the musicianship out of your young kiddos.”

The program requires 36 credit hours completed across six semesters, including the summer seminar and online conducting courses during the academic year. One elective course is also offered each summer to help students round out their degree plan with topics tailored to their interests. Students may begin in the fall, spring, or summer and many complete the program in just two years.

What sets this degree apart is its immediate impact. “We’re not just learning theory—we’re applying what we learn to our own programs right away,” Bowen noted. Even though he teaches elementary school, he’s already been incorporating conducting techniques, rehearsal strategies and artistic concepts from the program into his daily teaching. “That’s the biggest benefit of this program,” he added. “This will directly apply to your program now, not just after graduation.”

For anyone who’s already in the field and loves their job, Jacob said the program is a perfect fit. “I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to get better at being a music educator,” he said. “It’s not just about conducting—it’s about growing as a musician, a teacher and a leader.”

With application deadlines in March, June and November depending on your preferred start term, the low-residency MM in Conducting at Georgia State is as accessible as it is transformative. Whether you’re in a rural district or a major metropolitan school system, this program gives you the tools, flexibility and inspiration to take the next step in your professional journey—without stepping away from the podium.

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