Music Education
Study Music Education and Make A Difference Through Music.
As a music teacher, you’ll do more than teach – you’ll inspire the heart. Earn your bachelor’s degree in music education to inspire young minds and kindle a love for music that will last forever. Learn to lead with confidence, sharpen your vocal and/or instrumental musical skills, and leave a lasting legacy.
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4 Year Promise
At Roberts, we are committed to giving you a head start in earning income and achieving your personal goals by helping you graduate in four years. In fact, we guarantee it.
Program Highlights
PREPARE FOR YOUR CAREER
You will observe and participate in music classrooms, and student-teach in a local program.
BECOME AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER
Develop your personal musicianship to enrich your teaching skills.
NEW YORK STATE CERTIFIED
Your degree prepares you to earn your music teaching certification for grades K-12 in New York State and most other states.
STORIES LEADING THE WAY
Abbey Greene ‘22 (Music Education) is prepared for a lifelong musical career.
She shares, “Roberts is the greatest place to learn, grow, and achieve. The teachers are all eager to mentor you, and everyone celebrates your successes and encourages you through your failures.”
What Will I Learn
You’ll learn:
- Primary instrument and ensemble performance skills
- Class piano, aural skills, music theory, and music history
- Conducting, arranging, and improvising
- Contemporary instrumental and general/vocal methods for grades K-12
- Secondary instrument methods
- Lesson planning
- Best teaching practices in the classroom
Career Outlook
Student Teaching Placements
- Webster Central School District (CDS)
- Greece CDS
- Rochester CDS
- Churchville-Chili CDS
- Brockport CDS
- Hilton CDS
- Byron-Bergen Central Schools
- Spencerport CDS
- Kendall CDS
- Penfield CDS
- Pittsford CDS
- Private schools and agencies such as Charles Finney, Mary Cariola Children’s Center, Hillside Children’s Center, Cornerstone Christian Academy, McQuaid, and more!
Careers
- K-12 Music Teacher
- Private Studio Teacher
- College Professor
- Music Therapist
- Arts Administrator/Manager
- Clinician/Presenter
- Adjudicator
- Conductor
- Music Theorist
- Musicologist
- Ethnomusicologist
- Arts Director
- Music Librarian
- Composer/Arranger
- Film Scoring
- Video Game Music Composer
- Entrepreneur
Graduate Schools
- Roberts Wesleyan University
- Eastman School of Music
- University of Buffalo
- Syracuse University
- Nazareth College
- University of North Florida
- Bard College
- Michigan State University
- University of Tennessee
Frequently Asked Questions
Music education, when put simply, is a field that focuses on teaching music.
When pursuing a music education degree at Roberts, you’ll take courses in both music and education. While perfecting your craft, you’ll also learn best practices in teaching and apply your newfound skills in a student teaching environment.
To become a music teacher, you should first obtain a bachelor’s degree. You could get your degree in education or music, or you could pursue a more specialized degree, which some schools offer – such as the Music Education degree from Roberts.
After getting your bachelor’s, you’ll likely need to get a certification for the area you’re aiming to teach in. In New York State this involves passing some exams. The B.S. in Music Education from Roberts leads to certification in New York to teach vocal and instrumental music in kindergarten through grade 12 and is accepted in most states.
Some states (including New York) require you to obtain your master’s degree after a certain amount of time, as well.
A music education degree can obviously help you if you aim to become a music teacher, but it can also lead to help you become a:
- Private Music Instructor
- Arts Administrator
- Musicologist
- Music Industry Professional
- Community Music Educator
- Conductor
- Composer/Arranger
According to the US Bureau of Labor, the median annual wage for elementary, middle, and high school teachers was around $61,000 in 2020. Though this is for all teachers, salaries vary due to area, level, field, and employer.
Yes! If you come to campus for an individual visit, you can meet individually with a professor to get an overview of the major and your individual questions answered. Our Discovery Day events typically include a Faculty & Services Expo, where you can meet your future professors.
We are committed to helping students meet the financial obligation to earn a degree and advance a career. Our Office of Student Financial Services works to assist all students in their effort to maximize financial aid. We award financial assistance to 100% of our undergraduate students.