Music Education
Training to teach music in schools, K-12.
Music education prepares you to teach music, band, choir, orchestra, general music, in K-12 schools, combining musical performance training with education coursework and teaching certification requirements. It's a dual-focus degree: strong musicianship plus pedagogy.
Student teaching is a required, extended placement in an actual school near the end of the program, applying both musical and classroom management skills under the supervision of a licensed teacher.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Applied Music Lessons
- ✓Music Theory & Ear Training
- ✓Conducting
- ✓Instrumental or Vocal Pedagogy
- ✓Educational Psychology
- ✓Classroom Management
- ✓Curriculum & Assessment in Music
- ✓Student Teaching Placement
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Applied Music Lessons
- +General education requirement
- ✓Music Theory & Ear Training
- +General education requirement
- ✓Conducting
- +General education requirement
- ✓Instrumental or Vocal Pedagogy
- +Free elective
- ✓Educational Psychology
- +Free elective
- ✓Classroom Management
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Curriculum & Assessment in Music
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Student Teaching Placement
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Strong musician who also enjoys teaching and mentoring
- ★Patient and comfortable managing a classroom or ensemble
- ★Interested in shaping how young people experience music
- ★Willing to complete certification and student-teaching requirements
Common minors & double-major pairings
Elementary Education · Educational Psychology · Music Performance
Frequently asked questions
What is a Music Education major?
Training to teach music in schools, K-12.
What courses do Music Education majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Applied Music Lessons, Music Theory & Ear Training, Conducting, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Music Education program?
Music Education coursework typically builds skills like Musical performance and conducting, Lesson planning and curriculum design, Classroom management, Teaching musical concepts to varied age groups.
Is Music Education a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Strong musician who also enjoys teaching and mentoring" or "Patient and comfortable managing a classroom or ensemble" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What other majors pair well with Music Education?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Elementary Education, Educational Psychology, Music Performance.
How is Music Education different from Music Performance?
They're related but distinct. Music Education: Training to teach music in schools, K-12. Music Performance: Developing advanced technical and expressive skill on an instrument or voice. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Music Education degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/music-education