Music Education

The Bachelor of Music Education degree is designed to prepare students for careers in music education and leads to a K-12 teaching license. Because of the varying demands and opportunities in teaching, students will have experience working with choral and instrumental ensembles and teaching general music. Ultimately, students choose one of four specialized degree tracks: choral, instrumental, choral-general, or instrumental-general. The course of study for music education majors includes music theory and aural skills, music history, conducting, liberal arts, education, and music education coursework. Music education majors study with applied faculty on their major instrument and have opportunities to perform in solo recitals and with a variety of ensembles.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Music Education program begin to observe and work with music teachers during their sophomore year. During the junior year, students participate in methods courses that investigate appropriate teaching strategies and materials.
The culminating experience of the degree program is the student teaching semester. Students work in partnership with public school teachers as they assume the role and responsibilities of a full-time music educator.
Graduate programs in music education offer flexible degree structures designed to meet a variety of student interests and areas of expertise. Because many graduate students work full-time in the schools, the college offers plans of study that may be completed after school hours or during the summers in combination with after-hour classes (master’s degree only). Optional thesis projects and the doctoral dissertation provide qualified students with culminating experiences.
Faculty:
James Austin
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Professor of Music Education (winds & percussion)
Margaret Berg
Associate Professor of Music Education (strings)
Dana Biggs
Instructor and Assistant Director of Bands
Leila Heil
Assistant Professor of Music Education (choral)
Martina Miranda
Department Chair
Associate Professor of Music Education (general music)
David RickelsÂ
Assistant Professor of Music Education (winds & percussion)
Matthew Roeder
Assistant Professor of Music Education
Associate Director of Bands
Director of Marching Band
Contact Information (Department Chair):