Program Overview
Ball State has one of the nation’s leading music education programs. Our music education faculty are national leaders in the profession, and all have extensive experience teaching in K-12 schools.
As a major in our music education program, you will pursue a degree in a fully accredited curriculum, leading to an Indiana K-12 teaching license in instrumental and general music or vocal and general music.
Our Faculty
You will learn and work directly with our welcoming community of faculty. Get to know them.
Classes You Will Take
Our contemporary curriculum develops musical knowledge and skills by immersing students in field-based observations and teaching opportunities.
These experiences begin in the first semester of the freshman year and extend throughout the entire four-year program, allowing for consistent growth, authentic assessment and reflection, and a continuous transition into the profession. As a result, you will be better prepared for the complexities of the K-12 music classroom.
Ball State graduates are hired by Indiana schools at nearly twice the rate of any other institution and regularly accept positions throughout the nation.
Curriculum Guides
We have four distinct sets of courses for a four-year music education degree:
Graduate Programs
The graduate programs in music education are open to those students who present evidence of their ability to sustain a program of study at an advanced level. Both the master of music in music education and the doctor of arts with primary emphasis in music education degrees are offered. Assistantships and fellowships are available for qualified students.
With our online option, you can earn your master's with a music education concentration while still teaching full-time. Enjoy the same rigor of on-campus study in a 100% online format. Learn more.
The master of music with a concentration in music education is especially designed for the public school music educator. The master of music offers flexibility to allow students to structure their program in a manner that best suits their own particular interests and needs. Applicants for the Master of Music in Music Education program must have at least two years of K-12 music teaching experience.
The music education concentration requires the completion of a 12-credit-hour core in music education, 10 credit hours in music outside of music education (academic and applied/ensemble courses as selected by the candidate), and selected elective courses (2-5 hours).
The final project (3-6 hours) may be a research paper, a creative project, or a cognate area (6 hours of study in a specific concentration and a scholarly document synthesizing this study). All music education course requirements, including the MUSE core, i.e. 600, 610, 620, and 668, and selected music education electives, may be completed online. Candidates can schedule other courses to minimize travel to campus.
For more complete information about the master of music program, including information on graduate assistantships, please consult the School of Music Graduate Student Handbook (PDF). Students may also contact the coordinator of graduate programs in music.
The doctor of arts with primary emphasis in music education degree is designed to prepare superior musicians for careers that combine teaching, performance, and scholarship. Applicants must have at least three years of successful K-12 teaching experience. The program integrates depth of preparation in one of the traditional disciplines of music with a School of Music core, an area of secondary emphasis, several supervised college teaching experiences, and the dissertation. The graduate with a doctor of arts with primary emphasis in music education degree will be prepared to be a productive artist/scholar with special expertise as a music teacher educator and additional qualifications to take on more diverse responsibilities characteristic of many higher education faculty positions. The program requires a minimum of 90 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the bachelor's degree. Upon the recommendation of the student's committee, credits from the master's degree may be applied. Candidates pursuing a primary emphasis in an area other than music education may apply to pursue a secondary emphasis in music education.
For more complete information about the graduate music education program, including information on graduate assistantships, please consult the School of Music Graduate Student Handbook (PDF). Students may also contact the coordinator of graduate programs in music.
Paying for Your Education
About 80 percent of Ball State students receive some form of financial aid, and you have hundreds of options at your disposal, including several scholarships just for School of Music students. Find scholarships.
Ready to Apply?
Are you interested in our program? Admission to the School of Music is competitive. As such, we require an audition on voice or a traditional instrument for all prospective students, on top of the University-wide application.
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