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Studies & Degrees in Music Education

Music education is the study of how music is taught and learned. It trains teachers for schools, music schools and community settings, and it combines three things: musicianship (an instrument or voice, theory, ear training, conducting), pedagogy (how children and adults learn, teaching methods, curriculum and assessment) and supervised teaching practice in real classrooms. The Pennsylvania State University describes the field as one that continues the art of music through the development of new musicians and new audiences.

It is not the same as a performance degree. A music education student still plays and sings to a high standard, but a large part of the programme is spent learning to lead a class, a choir or a band, and the degree is usually tied to the teaching qualification of the country where it is taught.

Qualifications and levels

  • United States. The usual route is a bachelor's degree in music education that leads to a state teaching licence. At Penn State the Bachelor of Music Education prepares students for teaching in elementary and secondary schools and requires a minimum of 129.5 credits. At the University of Colorado Boulder, undergraduates complete a semester of student teaching and graduate with a K-12 teaching licence in one of four tracks: choral, instrumental, choral-general or instrumental-general.
  • Canada. The University of British Columbia offers a dual Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education that can be completed within five years, as well as the traditional route of a four-year music degree followed by one year of teacher education.
  • Spain: primary school. Music teachers in primary schools take the bachelor's degree in primary education (Grado en Educación Primaria), an official degree of 240 ECTS credits that gives access to the regulated profession of primary teacher, with a specialisation (mención) in music. At the Universidad de Jaén, for example, the Mención en Educación Musical requires at least four optional subjects from that pathway.
  • Spain: secondary school. Teaching in secondary education requires an official master's degree in teacher training of 60 ECTS credits after a first degree; applicants must also prove level B1 in a foreign language.
  • Spain: conservatoires. Higher music studies have seven specialities, one of which is Pedagogía. The plan lasts four academic years and 240 credits, and the qualification is official and valid throughout Spain. Admission is by a specific entrance test: at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid it includes musical analysis, performance of at least two works, sight-singing and an aural test.
  • Master's degrees and doctorates. Graduate study is aimed at working teachers and future researchers. The Summer Master of Music Education at Colorado Boulder is built for K-12 teachers and prefers applicants with two to three years of school teaching experience. The University of Washington offers a Master of Arts and a PhD in music education.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 22 active schools for music education. Ten are in the United States and six in Spain; Canada has two, and Australia, Denmark, Slovenia and the United Kingdom one each.

In the United States the list includes the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northwestern University, the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Maryland, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Florida State University. In Spain it includes the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Jaén, the Universidad de Huelva, the Universitat Jaume I in Castellón de la Plana and the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid. In Canada the list includes the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto.

Programmes are taught in the language of the school system they prepare for: English in the United States and Canada, Spanish (and in some regions a co-official language) in Spain. Most music programmes also ask for an audition or entrance test, so check the repertoire and dates well before applying.

Careers

Most graduates teach: general music in primary schools, music as a subject in secondary schools, or choirs, bands and orchestras. Others work in music schools and conservatoires, in early-childhood music, in community and cultural programmes, or continue to research and university teaching.

A teaching qualification is tied to a country or a state. In the United States, public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or licence, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau projects little or no change in the employment of school teachers from 2025 to 2035, but about 99,400 openings a year for kindergarten and elementary school teachers, mostly to replace teachers who leave the occupation. Students who plan to teach in another country should ask the education authority there how a foreign teaching qualification is recognised.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to play an instrument to study music education?

Yes, in practice. Programmes expect a solid level on an instrument or voice and usually test it at entry. The conservatoire in Madrid, for example, asks applicants to the Pedagogía speciality to perform at least two works of different styles.

How long does a degree in music education take?

A bachelor's degree in the United States takes four years; Penn State requires at least 129.5 credits. In Spain both the primary education degree and the conservatoire's Pedagogía speciality have 240 credits over four years. The dual degree at the University of British Columbia takes five years.

How do I become a music teacher in a Spanish school?

For primary school, take the Grado en Educación Primaria with the music specialisation. For secondary school, take a first degree and then the official 60-credit master's degree in teacher training. Posts in public schools are then filled through competitive examinations.