“Life at Belmont is all about music,” says one student. “Many people here want to make a career out of their musical abilities, and many people want to make careers out of other people’s musical abilities.” Belmont’s famous music business program lets students tap into the musical lifeblood of surrounding Nashville. “You can get an internship or learn how to manage an artist.” Other School of Music undergraduate majors include church music, commercial music, and musical theater performance. Belmont “has one of the best nursing programs in the state,” and the popular social work program boasts “excellent” faculty. The school’s academic atmosphere emphasizes faith: “Teachers pray in class before tests and some invite the class as a group to attend their church. Some send you verses with your lessons.” Belmont doesn’t “even hire” non-Christian professors, a policy that, although common to Christian colleges, stirred controversy when a Jewish candidate advanced through the faculty hiring process only to be considered ineligible for the post. Students say, however, that “religion is not forced on anyone.” Most professors are very attentive, closely monitoring student progress; one student says, “I had a professor call me because I was late to a class once.” In general, faculty members “know your name and face and remember you after you have finished their class.” One student warns, however, that the best teachers are not always the most involved: “So far this semester, the professors who do not know my name have taught me more than the professors who know my name and can’t communicate the time of day effectively.”