Education: Music Education K-12 (BME)

Degree: Bachelor of Music Education
Major: Music Education K-12
Program Code: 3282

The Music Education K-12 degree provides students with the knowledge, skills, and musicianship needed to become successful music educators. After completion of core coursework, students will specialize in either an instrumental and vocal/choral track. 

Specialized Coursework for Music Education Majors

Students choose one of the following options based on their area of music specialization: 

1. Instrumental and Keyboard Focus:
   Students with an instrumental or keyboard specialization take technique courses for woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings, as well as symphonic literature, advanced conducting for instrumentalists, and a course for special instrumental ensembles. 
2. Vocal Focus:
   Students with a vocal specialization take two courses in diction, a course in vocal pedagogy, advanced conducting for choral ensembles, and a course for special vocal ensembles. 

Professional Education 

• Professional Education Coursework: Along with demonstrating a strong musical foundation, students progress to the Center for Teacher Education, where they delve into the fundamentals of the teaching profession. This phase covers educational theories, as well as the social, historical, and legal contexts of education, with a focus on diversity in student development. Through school visits and fieldwork, students gain hands-on experience, exploring essential topics such as curriculum design, accountability, learning environments, and professionalism in education.
• Field Experience: As a recognition of the importance of observation and modeling, two hundred hours of classroom experience are spiraled in the music education curriculum before pre-service teachers begin student teaching. This practical experience, gained through partnerships with school districts across western Colorado, affords CMU pre-service teachers ample opportunity to work with children of all ages and diverse backgrounds in various educational settings.
• Student Teaching Internship: As a culmination of their preparation, pre-service teachers apply the skills gained during their coursework through the student teaching internship. During this semester, students immerse themselves in both elementary and secondary classrooms, gaining hands-on experience as they transition into their roles to in-service music educators.

Admission Requirements for the Center for Teacher Education: 

To apply for admission to the Center for Teacher Education licensure program:

• Complete a minimum of 75 credit hours of Essential Learning and content area coursework.
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.80.
• For more information, refer to the Teacher Education Admission Packet for specific admissions criteria.

All CMU baccalaureate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, personal and social responsibility, and information literacy. In addition to these campus-wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:

1. Demonstrate pedagogical techniques associated with teaching music curricula (specialized knowledge/applied learning)
2. Develop musical interpretations using musical analysis (quantitative fluency)
3. Explain knowledge of music history in presentations (communication fluency)
4. Develop musical interpretations through solo performances (critical thinking)
5. Demonstrate musical professionalism through ethical conduct, reflection, and leadership (personal and social responsibility)
6. Find relevant sources of information, evaluate information critically, and apply the information appropriately and effectively to musical purposes (information literacy)
7. Teacher Education Outcome 1: Demonstrate mastery of major area’s content knowledge and pedagogical strategies through fieldwork with learners in professional settings.(Specialized Knowledge/Applied Learning)
8. Teacher Education Outcome 2: Design and establish a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students.(Specialized Knowledge/Applied Learning)
9. Teacher Education Outcome 3: Plan and deliver effective instruction to students, based on research-based pedagogical practices.(Communication Literacy/Information Literacy)
10. Teacher Education Outcome 4: Collect and analyze student assessment data and use results to inform planning and instruction.(Quantitative Fluency)
11. Teacher Education Outcome 5: Demonstrate professionalism through ethical conduct, reflection, and leadership.(Personal and Social Responsibility)

Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements. 

To print or save an overview of this program's information, including the program description, learning outcomes, requirements, suggested course sequencing (if applicable), and advising and graduation information, scroll to the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu and select "Print Options." This will give you the options to either "Send Page to Printer" or "Download PDF of This Page." The "Download PDF of This Page" option prepares a much more concise presentation of all program information. The PDF is also printable and may be preferable due to its brevity. 

Institutional Degree Requirements

The following institutional degree requirements apply to all CMU baccalaureate degrees. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.

• 120 semester hours minimum.
• Students must complete a minimum of 30 of the last 60 hours of credit at CMU, with at least 15 semester hours in major discipline courses numbered 300 or higher.
• 40 upper-division credits (an alternative credit limit applies to the Bachelor of Applied Science degree).
• 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.
• A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
• No more than six semester hours of independent study courses can be used toward the degree.
• Non-traditional credit, such as advanced placement, credit by examination, credit for prior learning, cooperative education and internships, cannot exceed 30 semester credit hours for a baccalaureate degree. A maximum of 15 of the 30 credits may be for cooperative education, internships, and practica.
• Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
• Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Degree Requirements.
• The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and degree requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
• See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.

Specific to this program:

• 126 semester hours required for the BME in Music Education K-12.
• 2.80 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.

Essential Learning Requirements

(31 semester hours)

See the current catalog for a list of courses that fulfill the requirements below.  If a course is an Essential Learning option and a requirement for your major, you must use it to fulfill the major requirement and make a different selection for the Essential Learning requirement.

For this program, some Essential Learning credits will have to be completed in the junior year. See suggested course sequencing for more details.

¹

Must receive a grade of “B” or better and must be completed by the time the student has 60 semester hours.

²

Must receive a grade of “C” or better, must be completed by the time the student has 60 semester hours.

³

Must receive a grade of “B” or better.

⁴

One course must include a lab.

Other Lower Division Requirements

(6 semester hours) 

¹

MUSP 147 satisfies this requirement. 

²

Essential Learning Capstone must be taken after completion of the Essential Learning English and Mathematics requirements, and when a student has earned between 45 and 75 hours.

Foundation Courses

(26 semester hours, must pass all courses with a “C” or better)

Program Specific Degree Requirements

(63 semester hours, must pass all courses with a “C” or better and maintain a 2.80 cumulative GPA or higher in coursework in this area.)

• Students are assessed for piano proficiency upon admission to the Department of Music. Students who need additional preparation to be successful in piano will be required to enroll in MUSA 125: Foundations of Piano (1) during their first semester. 

Professional Education Coursework

The Department of Music faculty are committed to developing independent, well-prepared educators ready to succeed on day one. To this end, students must demonstrate competency in their content area by successfully completing the PRAXIS II exam and all degree coursework prior to beginning their student teaching internship. Each student teaching placement includes both elementary (K-5) and secondary (6-8 or 9-12) experiences, equipping future music teachers with the skills and adaptability needed for success in diverse educational settings.

All EDUC prefix courses listed below must be completed with a grade of "B" or better to progress through the program sequence. 

¹

Students must select the option that aligns with their area of focus.

²

Must be completed with a grade of “B” or better.

³

Program Requirements:  ENGL 111, ENGL 112, PSYC 233, EDUC 115 and EDUC 215 (all with a grade of “B” or better) and formal acceptance to the Teacher Education Program

Suggested 8-semester Course Sequencing

Students are strongly encouraged to use the 9-semester sequence unless they have incoming credits or plan to take some Essential Learning courses during the summer or J-term.

While the total semester hours below reads 125-127, students in this program (both vocal and keyboard/instrumental) actually complete 126 hours for degree requirements. This variation in the total hours is due to differences in rotation courses that appear multiple times.

Bachelor of Music Education: Instrumental and Keyboard Focus

Bachelor of Music Education: Vocal Focus

Suggested 9-semester Course Sequencing

A 9-semester course sequence is a standard option for most music education students, as it allows students the necessary time to achieve the competencies required for certification and career readiness while maintaining a manageable course load.

While the total semester hours below reads 125-127, students in this program (both vocal and keyboard/instrumental) actually complete 126 hours for degree requirements. This variation in the total hours is due to differences in rotation courses that appear multiple times.

Bachelor of Music Education: Instrumental or Keyboard Focus

Bachelor of Music Education: Vocal Focus

Advising Process and DegreeWorks

Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a degree. The suggested course sequencing outlines how students could finish degree requirements. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters, while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and altering the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended degree(s).

DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a degree and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduation Process

Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their degree requirements:

• Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
• Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
• Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
• Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.

Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/registrar/graduation.html.

If a student’s petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to consult the Registrar’s Office regarding next steps.