Students have many reasons to pursue a master’s degree in music education, one of the highest paying master’s degrees. However, not every graduate music education degree program is an equally good fit for every student. There are a lot of factors prospective students should think about when choosing a music school. For music instructors, some of the most important things to look at are the potential for teacher certification, the location of the school, the opportunities for collaboration and connection with respected faculty and alumni and, of course, the coursework that makes up your curriculum.
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Whether or Not a Program Leads to Initial Teaching Certification
One factor in selecting a music school that is unique to music instructors is the need for certification. If you want to work in a public school, you will need to meet your state’s requirements to obtain a teaching license or certification. Many educators, in music and other content areas, complete the requirements for certification by majoring in education as an undergraduate student. However, every state in the U.S. allows for some form of an alternative route to certification, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) reported.
This isn’t to say that music education master’s degree programs that lead to certification are objectively better. For students who don’t yet have their initial teaching certification but want to attain it, a certification program is clearly the ideal choice. If you already earned your teaching certification as an undergraduate, then completing a program or track intended for initial licensure would be redundant. You would be better off choosing a non-licensure program, since you already have your license, and focusing on an area of specialization that fits your interests.
A teaching license is required at public schools, but not necessarily at private schools or music instruction companies. Not having your teaching license could mean missing out on a lot of opportunities, so students should think carefully before opting not to earn a license.
Location
If you already have a teaching career – or a life that doesn’t yet include a teaching career – then moving to a faraway city for school might not be realistic. Many master’s in music education students are working professionals who can’t just quit their jobs or leave behind their family obligations. Students in this position should focus their college search on schools that are reasonably close to their location or that offer online learning opportunities.
For another reason completely unrelated to your current career plans, location matters when choosing a music school. Just because you spend the bulk of your working time teaching music performance, history and theory to others doesn’t mean you’ve given up doing performances of your own. If you’re still an active performer outside of the classroom, you may want to choose a graduate school in a city with an active live music scene.
Teaching licenses are issued by the state, so students should consider going to school in the state where they want to work. Most states have some form of reciprocity agreement that lets teachers more easily transfer their credentials between states, the NAfME reported.
Faculty, Alumni and Networking Opportunities
In a field like music or music education, who is teaching your classes really matters. You would hope that your professors would have plenty of experience and accomplishments in their fields, whether that field is music theory, music history, music performance or music pedagogy. Most graduate degree programs in music and music education provide biographical profiles and other information about their faculty.
You can also judge the quality of a master’s in music education program, and how good a match that program is for you personally, by looking at its alumni. Are former graduates of the program you’re considering doing the kind of work you want to do? Are they still involved with the school, through events, collaborations and performances, even after they have completed their studies?
Generally, the more opportunities you have for collaboration, connection and networking in your degree program, the more you will be able to grow as a performer and an instructor.
A Balanced, Customizable Curriculum
Perhaps the biggest thing to consider when choosing a master’s degree program in music education is the curriculum itself. After all, what you get out of a music education program is, in large part, the sum of the different courses and field experiences you complete. Because the field of music instruction has its feet firmly in both the disciplines of music and education, you want your curriculum to offer a balanced set of coursework that will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in both areas. Your coursework in a music education program should encompass everything from advanced techniques used in musical instrument instruction to the best practices for building your music curriculum and lesson plans.
If you have a special interest in an area of music instruction, such as research or music technology, it may be worth seeking out a program that allows for specialized study in one of these areas of concentration.
Additional Resources
Does Getting a Master’s Degree in Music Education Allow Me to Teach in Most Schools?
Are There Many Jobs Outside of Academia for Someone With a Music Education Degree?
What Benefits Will I Get By Having a Master’s in Music for Music Education?