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College of Creative Arts and Media School of Music

Music Education, MM

The MM in Music Education is designed to cultivate continued development of professional competence beyond the baccalaureate degree. High levels of musicianship and pedagogical expertise are integrated into a comprehensive program of study.

Unique to the degree in music education are 4 degree options that enable you to pursue your interests and talents. At the core of each of the 30-hour degree option is coursework that immerses you in the foundations and research of music education, performance studies, music history, and music theory.

To complete the degree, you can select from the following 4 options of coursework and culminating projects: Field Study Option, Recital Option, Thesis Option, or Certification Option.

Your Degree Plan

We offer 4 degree options so you can pursue your interests and talents. All include coursework in foundations and research, performance studies, music history, and music theory.

As a Music Education master’s degree student, you’ll choose 1 of these options:

  • Field Study Option: Emphasizes teaching and includes opportunities to integrate performance studies and research with a school-based field study that demonstrates application of knowledge and skills from graduate study as a culminating project.
  • Recital Option: Emphasizes performance studies and includes opportunities to integrate research and teaching with a representative public recital that demonstrates advanced performance competence as a culminating project.
  • Thesis Option: Emphasizes research and includes opportunities to integrate performance and teaching with an original thesis that demonstrates advanced research and writing competence as a culminating project.
  • Certification Option: Designed for students who have an undergraduate degree in music other than music education. Coursework includes core requirements for a master’s degree in music education and a series of undergraduate courses that are necessary for certification. This block of undergraduate courses ranges from 0 to 20 credits, depending on the student’s previous coursework. Completion of this coursework along with successful completion of PRAXIS content exam, edTPA (Educative Teacher Performance Assessment), and student teaching leads to eligibility for a professional teaching certification (birth-adult music, West Virginia).

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View of Creative Arts Center from a distance on a spring day

Canady Creative Arts Center

The Loulie, Valerie, and William Canady Creative Arts center boasts 4 exhibition spaces, 5 performance spaces, 33 individual practice rooms, and 50 classrooms and studios with plenty of space to create. The loading dock at the rear of the building is a wonderful open-air space with stunning acoustics.
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Requirements

To be eligible for admission into a graduate program at WVU an applicant must submit official, bachelor's degree transcripts from a regionally accredited institution and hold a GPA of at least 2.75. WVU operates decentralized admissions. Decentralized admissions allows each graduate program to set its own application requirements in addition to the University requirements.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the University application, submit the following to Jason Gossett at jason.gossett@mail.wvu.edu:

1) Current resume or CV

2) Educational philosophy statement

3) Write a response to the prompt that matches your desired degree emphasis (no more than 2 pages):
-Thesis, Recital, or Field Study Option: Please describe how you envision your growth as a teacher through the experiences in this degree.
-Certification Option: Please describe how your life experiences have prepared you to be a music teacher. Include your goals in music education (what you envision yourself teaching).

4) Video
-For Thesis, Recital, or Field Study Option: Submit a link to a recent recording of teaching (group instruction only).
-For Recital option: An audition will be required for the prospective student’s applied area and the music education faculty. Reach out to both to schedule an audition.
-For certification applicants: Submit a link to a recent recording of you performing on your instrument OR a video of you teaching (group or individual instruction).

5) Interview
You will be contacted once we have received your materials for an interview (in-person or via Zoom).

Applications that are incomplete or are submitted after the deadline may be reviewed if openings remain.

International applicants must also submit required documents for international applicants.

Application Deadlines

Each graduate program sets their own terms for admission and application deadlines. Applicants can only apply for admission for the terms displayed below. Any questions regarding the application deadline should be directed to the graduate program representative.

  • Fall: March 1
  • Spring: January 1

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