Music Education: Pre-K-12 – MA

Education Adviser Carla Asher; (212) 772-4621; 1000 West Building; carla.asher@hunter.cuny.edu

Music Department Adviser Victor Bobetsky; (212) 650-3574; 400A North Building; victor.bobetsky@hunter.cuny.edu

The MA program in the teaching of Music is designed for students who have majored in music on the undergraduate level and want to pursue a teaching career in K-12 education. This program is not for individuals with initial, professional, or permanent certification in Music. The Teacher Education Program in Music does not offer an advanced certificate.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must be admitted by both the School of Education and the Music Department.

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution acceptable to Hunter College with an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.

2. A major in music (with a minimum of 24 credits) or the equivalent. See http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/music/grad-students/admissions/music-ed for specifics.

3. A general education core in the liberal arts and sciences to include the following (in addition to music): 6 credits in English, 6 credits in a language other than English (3 years of high school study in the same foreign language with grades of C or better documented by high school transcript will meet this requirement), 6 credits in social studies (with at least one course in U.S. history or U.S. geography), and 12 credits in math/science/technology (a college course in calculus meets 6 credits of this requirement).

4. Two professional references to be included with the application for admission.

5. A personal statement to be completed as part of the application for admission.

6. An audition and interview.

See http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/music/grad-students/admissions/music-ed for more details on admissions and registering for an audition.

Progress Standards

A. 12-Credit Progress Standards for Matriculated Students

1. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.

2. Students with more than one course grade below B in the first 12 credits of SEDC or SEDF course work will not be allowed to continue in the program.

3. Students who receive a grade of F in any course, including arts and sciences courses, in the first 12 credits will not be allowed to continue in the program.

4. Students with one grade of IN (Incomplete) within the first 12 credits are restricted from registering for more than one additional course. Those with two or more INs will not be allowed to register for any courses.

Note: It is recommended that students with two or more INs take an official leave of absence.

5. All students must take the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and submit their scores to the Office of Educational Services before they complete 12 credits of course work. Any student who does not receive a passing score on the LAST must enroll in the school’s reading/writing workshop before being permitted to register for any courses.

B. Fieldwork Benchmarks

All field experiences and student teaching will take place in New York City public schools.

Any student who receives a grade of B-, C+ or C in a supervised field experience or student teaching or practicum course must apply to the chairperson of the department for permission to repeat that course, which may be repeated only once. Any student who receives a grade of F or WU may not reregister and will not be allowed to continue in the program.

Music Education Course of Study

Education Courses

Music Department Courses

MUS 64100 - Strings *
MUS 64300 - Woodwinds *
MUS 64500 - Brass *
MUS 64700 - Percussion Skills *
MUS 64900 - Piano Skills for Music Teachers *
MUS 65100 - Conducting *
MUS 72400 - Advanced Studies in Music Theory 1
MUS 75100 - Advanced Studies in Music History 1
MUS 75200 - Advanced Studies in Music History 2
MUS 77900 - World Music Education
Music electives: Courses chosen in consultation with graduate adviser
* Students who have studied these subjects at the undergraduate level may be exempted from these requirements.
** Please note that students admitted to the program must take a proficiency examination during the first two semesters of matriculation in order to remain in the program. This examination will test competence in music theory, music history and literature and applied skills. Deficiencies revealed by the proficiency examination must be made up by studying the relevant subject matter and passing a reexamination. The proficiency examination requirement must be fulfilled before a student may proceed beyond 18 credits.

Culminating Experiences

Professional teaching portfolio School of Education

Total credits: 39-46 credits

Exit Standards

1. An overall GPA of 3.0

2. Students will develop a professional teaching portfolio, which is a cumulative effort, integrating course and fieldwork throughout the program. In particular, students will be expected to complete a major research-based project, include artifacts that reflect the theme of that research, and connect all components through critical reflection. Teacher candidates must show progress toward the completion of the portfolio through regular review by their advisers. Students will arrange for a presentation and final review of their work during the last semester in the program. A performance assessment checklist and rating scale will assess the quality of the culminating experiences (portfolio and reflective presentation).

3. A project involving research is required of each student in the teacher education program. On completion of the courses of study and after approval of the project by the Graduate Faculty Committee, a candidate will be examined orally on the topic of the project and related issues. Students may register for 1 credit of independent study (MUS 791) if they wish to receive credit toward the MA degree for work done in fulfilling the TEP Project.

4. Students must pass the School of Education technology assessment.