Music Education Concentration

Includes options for Traditional (on-ground) and Low-Residency (on-line) course offerings.

This program is designed to meet the needs of teachers in the field of professional music education who possess a valid teaching license. APSU offers a traditional on-campus program and a low-residency program consisting mostly of on-line courses for working professionals. The low-residency program contains a six-hour on-campus residency that is usually fulfilled in a summer term. The low-residency program is not available to students in the Initial Licensure Program. To audition, candidates must submit a video of a current teaching scenario and a recent writing sample. The writing sample is commonly a Philosophy of Music Education statement, but other scholarly documents are acceptable. Contact the department with questions regarding audition requirements.  

Diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory are given to all entering graduate students. Results of this exam assist the faculty in planning appropriate courses in the student’s program of study. Students who earn unsatisfactory scores may be permitted to enroll in up to six hours of graduate course work, but will be blocked from continuing further until deficiencies are fulfilled. For traditional students, deficiencies may be fulfilled by enrolling in the appropriate theory or history courses as prescribed by the graduate committee. For students in the low-residency program, deficiencies may be fulfilled by proof of successful completion of an online theory or history MOOC or other online course. All courses must be preapproved by the graduate committee. Low-residency students may also fulfill deficiencies by repeating the diagnostic exams after a period of 4 weeks from the previous attempt. Students who do not receive satisfactory scores on the diagnostic exams after three attempts may not continue in the graduate program. No graduate credit will be awarded for courses that are taken to fulfill a deficiency in either the traditional or low-residency program.

Note: All deficiencies must be fulfilled by the end of the first semester of graduate study (excluding summer semester) so that the deadline for filing the Program of Study can be met.

Students in the low-residency program may complete oral examinations and Thesis defense on campus or through video conference all. Students in the traditional, on-campus program must complete oral examinations and thesis defense on campus.

More information on required courses can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.