Nov 23, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Music Education, Specialization in Comprehensive Music Education, M.M.


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E-mail: musicgraduate@bgsu.edu

The Master of Music degree program is designed to prepare musicians to practice their specialization in the changing environment of current American music culture. The program encompasses eleven emphases: music composition, music education, music history, ethnomusicology, music performance, collaborative piano, conducting, jazz studies, piano pedagogy, vocal pedagogy, and music theory.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Masters degree, students in the Music Education program are expected to be able to:

  • Through evaluation of contemporary literature and research, formulate and communicate ideas related to current issues in music education including, but not limited to, assessment, transfer of knowledge and skills, and implementation of standards in music education.
  • Examine the role of music and music education in human life and culture and evaluate their role in the field.
  • Demonstrate an effective process of instructional delivery and formulate curricular development plans appropriate for students at all levels of development and inclusive of students with special needs. 
  • Demonstrate skills in locating, understanding, selecting, and organizing extant literature and will construct cogent interpretations of the knowledge base in a given subject area related to music and music teaching.

Admission Requirements

Application Deadline is August 1 for Fall and December 1 for Spring. Funding deadline is March 1. Since application reviews may begin immediately after the deadline, we recommend submitting your application and providing all required documents before the deadline.

  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Professional Resume
  • Writing Sample - essay of no more than 1,000 words, reflecting on a successful or unsuccessful teaching moment experienced in a recent teaching setting. Include descriptions of the setting, your student(s), the learning goal(s), student performance, and the measure of success. Based on the outcome, outline an appropriate plan for the next lesson.
  • Portfolio - Use the Portfolio tab to the left to upload the following (no links):
    • A 10-minute, video-taped performance on an instrument or voice (online submission).
    • A continuous 15-minute, video-taped teaching or rehearsal segment (online submission).

Audition/Interview required:

  • Domestic applicants must select an audition/Interview date under the Secondary Music Application tab 
  • International applicants must submit either a recorded videos/papers/scores online* OR select an audition/Interview date under the Secondary Music Application tab 

    *under the Portfolio section, if available in this application, or on your Application Status Page after you submit your application

International applicants are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA). Successful completion of ELS 112 will also be accepted for this requirement. 

Additionally, Duolingo test scores will be accepted for applications through Summer 2025. Applicants of the Graduate College who have completed a previous degree (associate, bachelor’s master’s or doctorate) from a U.S. college/university or are from a country (click here for a complete list) in which instruction was delivered in English (and attended the university for at least two years) are exempt from providing these test scores.

Application Requirements

Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements

International Application Information

Degree Requirements

Curriculum Requirements


Required Courses (9-11 credits)


Electives (12-14 credits)


Conducting. Select 1 course from:

Academic courses in music (outside of Music Education). Select 3-6 credits from:

  • MUCT ****
  • MUSP ****

Applied music/ensembles. Select 3-5 credits from:

MUCT 5000E  MUCT 5010E  MUCT 5020E  MUCT 5030E  MUCT 5040E  MUSP 5030E  MUSP 5040E  MUSP 5050E  MUSP 5080E  MUSP 5090E  MUSP 5100E  MUSP 5110E  MUSP 5120E  MUSP 5130E  MUSP 5160E  MUSP 5170E  MUSP 6000E  MUSP 6150E  MUSP 6380E  MUSP 6190E  MUSP 5370E  MUSP 5380E  MUSP 5400E  MUSP 5640E  MUSP 5650E  MUSP 5660E  MUSP 5670E  MUSP 5750E  MUSP 5760E  MUSP 5770E  MUSP 5780E  MUSP 5790E  MUSP 5900E  MUSP 6580E  MUSP 6700  

Free Electives. Select 2-5 credits.

 

Other Requirements


Student must take placement examinations in Music History/Literature and Music Theory as they begin their program. Those who do not pass one or more portions are permitted to retest during the first semester of residence. If the re-test is not passed, student must take the appropriate remedial courses, depending on the exam and the score. NOTE: Remedial courses listed here may not be used to satisfy degree requirements, except in the case of MUCT 6080 and MUCT 6120.

1. Music Theory Placement Exam - Pass 1 Exam or select 1 from the following remedial courses:

2. Music History/Literature Exams - Pass 2 Exams or select 2 from the following remedial courses:

Culminating Experience (7 credits)


Plan I students are expected to submit a thesis on a substantive issue in music education. Music education majors who are excellent performers may, with the approval of the area performance faculty and the chair of music education, fulfill the thesis requirement by means of a recital and document.

Minimum Total Credits (30 credits)


Additional Requirements


  • Minimum of 3 credits of 6990 required for Plan I master’s students.  Maximum of 6 credits may be applied toward degree requirements. 
  • Minimum 3.0 graduate cumulative grade point average
  • Minimum of 18 credits must be at the 6000-level or higher
  • Minimum of  24 credits must be earned at BGSU
  • All requirements must be completed within six years from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill degree requirements.

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