B.M. in Music Education with Minor in Education

Overview

The Bachelor of Music in Music Education with Minor in Education degree program prepares undergraduate music students to become outstanding music educators who are certified by the Florida Department of Education (FL-DOE) to teach music in the schools of Florida and, through reciprocity agreements with other state DOEs, throughout the United States. A basic premise of the Bachelor of Music Education degree program is that music teachers must be both strong musicians and skilled educators; thus, competency as a performing and creating musician is as important as having strong foundations in pedagogy (both theory and practice).

We believe our series of music education techniques and methods courses provide students with a broad foundation in teaching music through the lifespan (childhood through adulthood), as well as across a wide array of educational settings and musical contexts. This sequence incorporates ideas drawn from theory, research, and the practical experiences of the faculty and other successful practitioners. We also believe that students must be able to build themselves to meet their professional goals by developing a specialization in an area of music teaching through music education emphasis area electives.

Program Goals

• Help students develop the musical and teaching competencies necessary to enable them to demonstrate the generic and subject area competencies and the Florida Educational Accomplished Practices (FEAP) for becoming successful music teachers.
• Enable students to apply the musical and instructional skills developed in the program (and reinforced during field experience and student teaching) to teach music in a wide array of contexts.
• Help students to develop the skills and desire to continue music-making as a lifetime endeavor both personally and professionally.
• Help students develop skills in integrating information from the diverse professional literature into their teaching.

Educational Objectives

• Students must demonstrate generic competencies required by the university in general education courses.
• Students must demonstrate competencies related to the core Professional Education courses required by the State of Florida in Teaching and Learning (TAL) courses.
• Students must demonstrate musical competencies related to the requirements of the Bachelor of Music degree.
• Students must demonstrate teaching competencies related to the core courses in the music education.

The Music Education curriculum is designed to prepare students to teach music in a wide array of contexts, including (K-12) public & private schools. All Music Education majors must perform at a high level either vocally or on an instrument. Students must successfully complete the Florida General Knowledge Examination (FGKE) to be admitted to teacher candidacy and to graduate.

All students must develop knowledge of and performance ability on wind, string, and percussion instruments as well as, vocal skills to assure effective use of the voice in teaching.

Admission to and/or retention in the music education curriculum leading to Florida Teacher Certification requires that students be formally screened with respect to specific criteria. Following are the Requirements for Admission to Teacher Candidacy and for Admission to Associate Teaching:

Admission to Teacher Candidacy

1. Acceptance as a major in the music education program.
2. Satisfactory performance on the Florida General Knowledge Exam (FGKE).
3. Completion of 45 credit hours. (Transfer students must have at least 12 credit hours earned at the University of Miami.)
4. Successful completion of TAL 305 and TAL 404 (C or higher).
5. No grade less than a C in TAL & MED courses.
6. 2.5 minimum GPA in music courses.
7. Required Background Check completed through Miami-Dade Public Schools Office.
8. Completion of a successful Field Experience Requirement.

Admission to Student Teaching

1. Approval of MED faculty members.
2. Completion of 90 credit hours.
3. Completion of at least three-fourths of the courses in the teaching major, verified by advisor.
4. Admission to Teacher Candidacy through the Undergraduate Associate Dean's Office in the School of Education & Human Development.
5. Completion of a C or better in all MED & TAL courses
6. 2.5 minimum GPA in TAL and music courses.
7. Completion of pre-internship field experiences with above-average evaluations.

Curriculum Requirements 

¹

MED, TAL and EMC courses require a grade of “C” or higher. Lessons require a grade of "B-" or higher.

²

 MED 475 Internship in Music Education (12 credits) can be substituted for MED 471 & MED 473

Advanced Writing and Communication Skills

Courses

All students are required to successfully complete 3 Advanced Writing and Communication Skills (AWC) courses. Student degree requirements will include courses that meet the desired communication outcomes in evaluated and revised writing, speaking, stage presence, and audience engagement.

All Music Education students will successfully complete:

1. MCY 341 Music of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Periods, which will include substantial evaluated and revised writing components.
2. MED 471 & MED 473 Internship in Music Education (Elementary & Secondary) or MED 475 Internship in Music Education, which will include evaluated communication skills in attracting an audience, engaging an audience during performance, and preparing program notes or similar media as appropriate to the medium/venue.
3. MED 542 Teaching General Music, one required course in their major which will include discipline specific communication skills.

Assessment

There will be at least 2 specific assessments in each Advanced Communications Skills course for communications or writing equivalent to 4000 words, evaluated and revised.

Suggested Plan of Study

¹

 Two semesters of Marching Band (MIP 170) required for all brass, percussion, & woodwind principals.

²

Voice Majors

Mission

The mission of the Bachelor of Music degree program in Music Education at the Frost School of Music is to:

• Help students develop the musical and teaching competencies necessary to enable them to demonstrate the generic and subject area competencies and the Florida Educational Accomplished Practices (FEAP) for becoming successful music teachers.
• Enable students to apply the musical and instructional skills developed in the program (and reinforced during field experience and student teaching) to teach music in a wide array of contexts.
• Help students to develop the skills and desire to continue music-making as a lifetime endeavor both personally and professionally.
• Help students develop skills in integrating information from the diverse professional literature into their teaching.

Goals

• Students must demonstrate generic competencies required by the university in general education courses.
• Students must demonstrate competencies related to the core Professional Education courses required by the State of Florida in Teaching and Learning (TAL) courses.
• Students must demonstrate musical competencies related to the requirements of the Bachelor of Music degree.
• Students must demonstrate teaching competencies related to the core courses in the music education.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students in the Bachelor of Music Education program will demonstrate the ability to plan effective instruction.
• Students in the Bachelor of Music Education program will demonstrate the ability to deliver effective instruction.
• Students in the Bachelor of Music Education program will demonstrate effective communication and writing skills.