The purpose of this study was to describe novice band directors' perceptions of (a) the importance of skills/knowledge competencies, (b) the difficulty of acquiring skills/knowledge competencies, (c) differences between teaching competency importance and acquisition ratings, (d) benefits of university coursework, and (e) potential improvements to coursework. Survey participants (N = 85) rated competency importance, competency acquisition difficulty, and answered two opened-ended questions regarding the role of university coursework in skills/knowledge acquisition. Participants rated the personal competency category as the most important, followed by the teaching and musical categories. Furthermore, participants rated the personal competency category as the easiest to acquire, followed by musical and teaching categories. There was a statistically significant difference between teaching importance and ease of acquisition, with the teaching importance category rated higher. Participants perceived secondary instrument instruction, teaching experiences, core music curriculum, and instruction regarding practical competencies as positive aspects of university coursework. Secondary instrument instruction, field experiences, non-instructional aspects of teaching, and music pedagogy were discussed as areas for improvement. Discussions about curricular content adjustment and future research are included.