Music Education, M.A.T. (P-12 Certification)
Learning Outcomes
- The profession of school music teacher now encompasses a wide range of traditional, emerging, and experimental purposes, approaches, content, and methods. Each institution makes choices about what, among many possibilities, it will offer prospective specialist music teachers. Institutions may offer a comprehensive curriculum involving two or more specializations and/or focus on one or more particular specializations. The following standards provide a framework for developing and evaluating a wide variety of teacher preparation program goals and achievements.
- Conducting and Musical Leadership. (Advanced Conducting) The prospective music teacher must be a competent conductor, able to create accurate and musically expressive performances with various types of performing groups and in general classroom situations. Instruction in conducting includes score reading and the integration of analysis, style, performance practices, instrumentation, and conducting techniques. Laboratory experiences that give the student opportunities to apply rehearsal techniques and procedures are essential. Prospective teachers in programs with less focus on the preparation of ensemble conductors must acquire conducting and musical leadership skills sufficient to teach effectively in their area(s) of specialization.
- Arranging. (Music Theory) The prospective music teacher must be able to arrange and adapt music from a variety of sources to meet the needs and ability levels of individuals, school performing groups, and in classroom situations.
- Functional Performance. (Secondary Instruments; Piano) In addition to the skills required for all musicians, functional performance abilities in keyboard and the voice are essential. Functional performance abilities in instruments appropriate to the student’s teaching specialization are also essential.
- Analysis/History/Literature. (Music History) The prospective music teacher should be able to apply analytical and historical knowledge to curriculum development, lesson planning, and daily classroom and performance activities. Teachers should be prepared to relate their understanding of music with respect to styles, literature, multiple cultural sources, and historical development, both in general and as related to their area(s) of specialization.
- Institutions and other educational authorities make decisions about the extent to which music teachers will be prepared in one or more specializations. The following competencies apply singly or in combination consistent with the specialization objectives of each teacher preparation program in music.
- Vocal/Choral Music. Listed below are essential competencies and experiences for the vocal/choral teaching specialization:
- Vocal and pedagogical skill sufficient to teach effective use of the voice. (Vocal Pedagogy)
- Knowledge of content, methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development for vocal/choral music. (Choral methods/materials; Specialized Elementary Methods)
- Experiences in solo vocal performance, as well as in both large and small choral ensembles. (Chorus)
- Performance ability sufficient to use at least one instrument as a teaching tool and to provide, transpose, and improvise accompaniments. (Assessed via entrance audition)
- Laboratory experience in teaching beginning vocal techniques individually, in small groups, and in larger classes. (Choral Methods and Materials)
- Instrumental Music. Listed below are essential competencies and experiences for the instrumental music teaching specialization:
- Knowledge of and performance ability on wind, string, and percussion instruments sufficient to teach beginning students effectively in groups. (Secondary instruments)
- Knowledge of content, methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development for instrumental music. (Methods of String Instruction; String Pedagogy; Winds; Administration of Music Programs)
- Experiences in solo instrumental performance, as well as in both small and large instrumental ensembles. (Orchestra; Band; solo experiences will have been addressed during the undergraduate curriculum of the previous degree).
- Laboratory experience in teaching beginning instrumental students individually, in small groups, and in larger classes. (Practica associated with courses listed in 2b).
- The musician-teacher must be able to lead students to competency, apply music knowledge and skills in teaching situations, and integrate music instruction into the process of P—12 education. Essential competencies are:
- Ability to teach music at various levels to different age groups and in a variety of classroom and ensemble settings in ways that develop knowledge of how music works syntactically as a communication medium and developmentally as an agent of civilization. This set of abilities includes effective classroom and rehearsal management. (MUED 731)
- An understanding of child growth and development and an understanding of principles of learning as they relate to music. (EDPY 705 Human Growth and Development)
- The ability to assess aptitudes, experiential backgrounds, orientations of individuals and groups of students, and the nature of subject matter, and to plan educational programs to meet assessed needs. (EDRM 723 Classroom Assessment)
- Knowledge of current methods, materials, and repertories available in various fields and levels of music education appropriate to the teaching specialization. (Instrumental Development and Related Materials, Choral Methods and Related Materials)
- The ability to accept, amend, or reject methods and materials based on personal assessment of specific teaching situations. (Instrumental Development and Related Materials, Choral Methods and Related Materials)
- An understanding of evaluative techniques and ability to apply them in assessing both the musical progress of students and the objectives and procedures of the curriculum. (Instrumental Development and Related Materials, Choral Methods and Related Materials)
Admissions Requirements
The general requirements for admission include the completion of an undergraduate degree in music education with a grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) on relevant courses; valid teacher certificate; an interview; and fulfillment of the general requirements for admission to The Graduate School, including the submission of three recommendations. A list of additional admission materials specific to this program is available on the School of Music website.
Unless they have completed an undergraduate degree at an English-speaking institution, applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL, IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam, or Duolingo exam. Normally, the minimum acceptable score on the TOFEL is 80 (internet-based score) or 570 (paper-based). The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5. The minimum acceptable score on the Duolingo exam is 120. Applicants for the Master of Music Education degree whose TOFEL/IELTS/Duolingo score is below the normal minimum standard will be considered on an individual basis for conditional admission. Such applicants must demonstrate exceptional abilities in the major area and evidence through past academic or professional activities strong promise for future professional success. Admission decisions are based upon the applicant’s total portfolio with particular weight being given to knowledge of and experience in elementary or secondary music teaching, the audition (for those desiring to present a recital), or research/writing abilities (for those desiring to write a thesis).
Prior to taking any graduate music study, all master's students must take the Graduate Music Diagnostic Examination, and must fulfill all requirements resulting from the exam.
Degree Requirements (45 Hours)
Three curriculum concentrations will be offered to meet the teaching certification standards and educational needs of the students who will enroll in the M.A.T., Music Education.
Those three concentrations are:
- Choral
- Instrumental (Orchestra)
- Instrumental (Band)
The three concentrations of the curriculum will be unified by the following core courses. Students may be required to fulfill undergraduate prerequisites appropriate for their areas of concentration. None of the courses will be shared with M.Ed. students.
Required Core Courses (30 Hours)
Required for Each M.A.T. Concentration.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDPY 705 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| Advisor-approved course chosen from the following: | 3 | |
| Content Area Literacy PK-12 | ||
| Teaching Reading in the Content Area to Adolescents with Reading Disabilities | ||
| Teaching Reading and Writing in the Content Areas | ||
| EDRM 723 | Classroom Assessment Methods | 3 |
| Advisor-approved Music History course chosen from the following: | 3 | |
| Music History for Educators | ||
| Topics in Music History | ||
| Black Sacred Music: Local and Global Perspectives | ||
| World Music | ||
| American Music | ||
| Seminar in Music History | ||
| Topics in Music History | ||
| Music and Culture of Tudor England | ||
| Introduction to Ethnomusicology: History, Theory, Methods, and Education | ||
| Renaissance Music | ||
| Music of the Baroque | ||
| Music of the Classical Period | ||
| Romantic Music | ||
| Music Since 1900 | ||
| Advisor-approved Music Theory course chosen from the following: | 3 | |
| Orchestration | ||
| Form and Analysis | ||
| Post-Tonal Music Theory | ||
| Analytical Studies | ||
| Seminar in Music Theory | ||
| Analysis of Popular Music | ||
| Analysis and Performance | ||
| Public Music Theory | ||
| Survey of Analytical Techniques | ||
| Pedagogy of Music Theory | ||
| Tonality in the Twentieth Century | ||
| Music and Repetition | ||
| Style and Technique Since 1900 | ||
| Topics in Music Theory | ||
| Schenkerian Analysis | ||
| Contrapuntal Techniques | ||
| Contemporary Experimental Music | ||
| Music & Modernism | ||
| Music Cognition | ||
| Transcription and Analysis | ||
| MUED 731 | Teaching Internship in Music | 12 |
| MUED 732 | Music Teaching Internship Seminar | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
M.A.T. Concentrations (15 hours)
Following are the specific courses required to meet the teacher certification standards and educational needs of students in each M.A.T. concentration. Choose one of the following concentrations.
Choral Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUED 565 | Specialized Elementary Music Methods | 2 |
| MUED 756 | Choral Develoment and Related Materials | 3 |
| MUSC 577 | Vocal Pedagogy | 2 |
| Advisor-approved Material and Methods course chosen from the following: | 3 | |
| Workshop in Music Education (either choral or elementary) | ||
| Independent Study in Music Education | ||
| Topics in Music Education | ||
| Advisor-approved Ensemble course chosen from the following: | 2 | |
| Ensemble - Graduate Vocal | ||
| Ensemble - Concert Choir | ||
| Advisor-approved courses chosen from the following; may not include more than one credit of MUSC 734C or MUSC 734T | 3 | |
| Independent Study in Music Education | ||
| Applied Music/ Piano | ||
| Applied Music/ Voice | ||
| Italian and Latin Diction | ||
| German and English Diction | ||
| French Diction | ||
| Graduate Applied Music/ Piano | ||
| Graduate Applied Music/ Voice | ||
| Graduate Applied Music/ Conducting | ||
| Advanced Conducting/ Choral | ||
| Advanced Conducting/ Instrumental | ||
| Ensemble - Graduate Vocal | ||
| Ensemble - Concert Choir | ||
| Music Literature/ Conducting | ||
| Choral Literature | ||
| Major Choral Works | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Note: Students will need to satisfy prerequisite skills in piano, conducting, and elementary and choral materials and methods.
Instrumental (Orchestra) Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUSC 501 | Secondary Applied Music | 1 |
| MUED 533 | Orchestra Methods I | 2 |
| MUED 533P | Practicum in Orchestra Methods I | 1 |
| MUED 534 | Orchestra Methods II | 2 |
| MUED 534P | Practicum in Orchestra Methods II | 1 |
| MUED 753 | Instrumental Development and Related Materials | 3 |
| MUSC 733B | Advanced Conducting/ Instrumental | 3 |
| MUSC 734S | Ensemble - Symphony Orchestra | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Note: Students will need to satisfy prerequisite skills in secondary string instruments, wind pedagogy, conducting, and piano.
Instrumental (Band) Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUED 551 | The Middle School Band | 2 |
| MUED 552 | The High School Band | 2 |
| MUED 568 | Organization and Administration of Music Programs | 2 |
| MUSC 733B | Advanced Conducting/ Instrumental | 3 |
| Advisor-approved Ensemble courses chosen from the following: | 2 | |
| Ensemble - Symphonic Band | ||
| Ensemble - Wind Ensemble | ||
| Advisor-approved courses 500-level and above; may include credits outside MUSC or MUED | 4 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Note: Students will need to satisfy prerequisite skills in wind and percussion pedagogy, secondary instruments, conducting, and piano.
Additional Requirement
- Students must pass an oral comprehensive exam. It can first be taken during the final semester of coursework.