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Music Education - M.M.

Unlock your potential as a music educator with Kent State's Master of Music degree. Designed for working professionals, our program offers flexible scheduling and online options. The advanced coursework and practical training will take your teaching skills to the next level.

Contact Us

College of the Arts
School of Music
www.kent.edu/music

 
  • Program Coordinator: 
    Jennelizabeth Sepúlveda (Bice), 
    Senior Academic Advisor for the Online Master of Music in Music Education
    Email: jbice@kent.edu
    Phone: 330-672-2418
  • Connect with an Admissions Counselor:
    U.S. Student | International Student

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Master of Music in Music Education

Built with you the active music educator in mind, complete our 100% online Master of Music in Music Education program while doing what you love: teaching. You can immediately bring the concepts and ideas from your coursework to your students to enhance their classroom experience. This model facilitates vivid, real-time feedback and enhanced learning outcomes for you and for your students.

The best part? From picking electives that fit your goals to the individualized capstone project, you’ll have some of the country’s leading voices in music education and student services staff directly supporting you.

Keep Teaching, Keep Learning

  • Study 100 percent online and earn a highly credible degree.
  • Apply easily - No Testing. No GRE. No Auditions. Admission to the program is based on your teaching experience, academic history, letters of recommendation and goal statement.
  • Graduate in as few as 23 months. Apply your knowledge from day one.
  • Broaden your career options and music knowledge by focusing your curriculum in two of these three areas: general, instrumental or choral.We have the only online music education degree that offers a dual-focused curriculum, giving you the ability to customize your coursework in general music, instrumental or choral. When you develop specific skills in a second music specialty, you give yourself more career flexibility and security.

Note: This program is not intended to provide licensure and is constructed for those who have a music education background with the desire to improve the student and teacher experience in music classroom settings.

 

Program Information for Music Education - M.M.

Admissions for Music Education - M.M.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in music education from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Current and valid state teaching license earned from an accredited U.S. university program
  • One year of full-time teaching completed before beginning coursework
  • Résumé
  • Goal Statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.0 IELTS score
    • Minimum 50 PTE score
    • Minimum 100 DET score
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Spring Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Summer Term
    • Rolling admissions
Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Develop and apply knowledge of foundational principles of music education (history, philosophy, sociology, psychology); research methods and practices; music technology; methods of music education in instrumental, choral and general music contexts; western music theory and history; and world music.
  2. Exhibit scholarly writing skills focusing on comprehensive knowledge of research methodology.
  3. Demonstrate reading, research, writing and critical-thinking skills related to contemporary music education contexts.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
MUS 52131MUSIC OF THE UNITED STATES 3
MUS 61170MUSIC ANALYSIS 3
MUS 62171MUSIC FROM WORLD CULTURES 3
MUS 63241INQUIRY IN MUSIC TEACHING I 3
MUS 63242INQUIRY IN MUSIC TEACHING AND LEARNING II 3
MUS 67243TECHNOLOGY FOR MUSIC TEACHING 3
MUS 63274FOUNDATIONS OF MUSIC EDUCATION 3
Pedagogy Specialization Electives, choose from the following:6
MUS 63261
ADVANCED STUDIES IN TEACHING CHORAL MUSIC
MUS 63262
ADVANCED STUDIES IN TEACHING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
MUS 63263
ADVANCED STUDIES IN TEACHING GENERAL MUSIC
Culminating Requirement
MUS 63099CAPSTONE PROJECT 14
Minimum Total Credit Hours:31
1

With the capstone project, students complete a 12-week, individual research investigation comparable to a master's thesis. Under the supervision of a capstone advisor, students synthesize knowledge through the development of a curricular project applicable to the student's specific area of teaching. A prescribed description outlines requirements, goals, objectives, procedures and assessment. Activities include student reading-research-writing, preparation of a project outline and drafts, regular interaction with a research mentor and evaluation of conclusions for the final submission. The project's goal is to support students to critically analyze and improve their own music teaching and learning skills in classroom settings. The project is reviewed and evaluated by a graduate committee of music education faculty.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • Fully online
Accreditation for Music Education - M.M.

National Association of Schools of Music; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

Program Benefits

100% online courses. Kent State Online has its own course and instructional design team, so all of the content is created by faculty and designed for the online platform.

Outstanding faculty. Learn from some of the country’s finest music teacher educators in all areas of specialty. Many of our faculty have published multiple research articles, textbooks, book chapters, and journal articles.

Personal attention. We are dedicated to helping you succeed in your academics! You will have a professional Academic Advisor throughout your collegiate experience as well as be assigned a Faculty Research Supervisor when you enroll in Capstone during your second year.

Opportunity to complete an elective in one week! During the summer, students can choose to take a one-week, 3-credit hour elective focusing on unique music methods. Recent courses include: 

  • Music Learning Theory
  • Orff Levels 1, 2, 3
  • Rock Band Methods
  • Vocal and Instrumental Jazz Pedagogy

Rolling admissions. You can enroll in classes every 15 weeks, with start dates in fall, spring, and summer.

MMME Frequently Asked Questions

Helpful Links

Ready to register?

Log into FlashLine and select Student / Resources / Courses and Registration / Add or Drop a Course. Select the appropriate semester. Enter the course/section CRN (Course Reference Number) for one or both of the courses you will be taking that semester.

MMME Frequently Asked Questions

Helpful Links

Ready to register?

Log into FlashLine and select Student / Resources / Courses and Registration / Add or Drop a Course. Select the appropriate semester. Enter the course/section CRN (Course Reference Number) for one or both of the courses you will be taking that semester.

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Music Education - M.M.

Graduates can pursue roles such as music teachers at the postsecondary or K-12 levels, educational administrators, or music program directors. Salaries for these positions vary. 

Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary

5.6%

faster than the average

116,300

number of jobs

$69,690

potential earnings

Education teachers, postsecondary

4.8%

about as fast as the average

77,300

number of jobs

$65,440

potential earnings

Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education

3.6%

about as fast as the average

627,100

number of jobs

$60,810

potential earnings

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

3.8%

about as fast as the average

1,050,800

number of jobs

$62,870

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
 

Attend an Informational Webinar to Learn More

Why Attend One of Our Webinars?

  • Hear directly from faculty, staff, and alumni of the program.
  • Ask any questions you may have and get answers immediately.
  • Meet other prospective students and colleagues from around the country.

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