Master's Program

This program is designed to allow working teachers to complete a graduate degree in three summers while maintaining their full-time teaching position. It's designed to focus on practical, contextual experiences that can be immediately implemented in the classroom while also providing a space to explore critical issues in music education. 
 
Program Coordinator: Jessica Nápoles
 
For information regarding the MMEd program, please send an email to: Jessica.Napoles@unt.edu
 
The Master’s of Music Education (MMEd) degree is designed to focus on teaching skills, school administrative and leadership skills, and current trends in the field of music education. Students in the program can be Summer students, full-time students, or a combination of both. The MMEd requires 34 hours of coursework, and students can select between two tracks: the Teaching Emphasis or the Research Emphasis. Students in the Summers-Only program will follow the Teaching Emphasis track. Detailed information can be found in the MMEd Handbooks:
 
 

 
Summers-Only MMEd Application Procedures
 
**These application procedures apply to the summers program only. For admission procedures related to the full-time, academic year (fall and spring) MMEd program, see below.**
 

I. Prerequisites for Application

The following prerequisites apply for application to the MMEd program:

  1. An earned Bachelor's degree in Music Education.
  2. A record of at least one (1) year of full-time, successful teaching experience in group instructional settings is recommended prior to admission. It is also recommended that this experience be completed at the institution level of a public or private school. Exceptional applicants who will be beginning their teaching career in the semester following the first summer of study will be considered. Private studio teaching alone may not suffice as a substitution for group instructional activities. The appropriateness of a candidate¹s teaching experiences will be evaluated by the Music Education Graduate Faculty.

 II.  Applying

Application to the MUED graduate program is a two-step process, including (1) applying to the Toulouse Graduate School, and (2) applying to the College of Music.

Step 1: Apply to the University and the Toulouse Graduate School

Current guidelines regarding application to the University may be obtained here: http://tgs.unt.edu/future-students/graduate-admissions.

Step 2: Apply to the College of Music Division of Music Education

https://app.getacceptd.com/untmusic

**IMPORTANT: Please select the MMEd: Summers-Only option from the pull-down menu when applying online**

Applicants to the MMEd graduate program must submit a completed College of Music online application form and must upload supporting materials to the online application. Supporting materials must include: 

  1. A current résumé or vitae
  2. written response to the following prompt: Describe what you perceive to be the most important benefits to students from participating in school music.  Your response should include supporting evidence in the form of references to appropriate sources, including citations and/or quotations. While this is not a research paper, the Music Education Graduate Faculty does want to see evidence of appropriate writing style and the ability to form a logical, coherent argument.
  3. A personal philosophy statement that addresses teaching, music, and long-range professional goals
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from three (3) persons qualified to evaluate the applicant's accomplishments and merits. These will be submitted using the online form included on the College of Music application.
  5. *A teaching video that highlights classroom instructional episodes, such as rehearsals, warm-ups, or other activities.

*The teaching video should be a typical class and last around 30 minutes. Please do not submit a performance or an edited collection of video clips. Simply record a regular day of class instruction and submit 30 minutes of continuous teaching.

As a reminder, these materials will be uploaded to the College of Music online application, which can be found at: http://music.unt.edu/admissions/graduate. While applications to the MMEd program are accepted throughout the year with no hard deadline, preference will be given to candidates who apply prior to March 1.

General Application Information

  1. No performance audition is required in order to apply to the MMEd program.
  2. Please note that application to the Toulouse Graduate School is separate from application to the College of Music, and that admission to the Graduate School does not imply acceptance to the Music Education program.
  3. The GRE is not required for admission to the Summers-Only MMEd program.
    1. International applicants in music education must be accepted to the program prior to beginning studies at the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI). Acceptance to and/or studies in IELI in no way ensures acceptance to the Music Education program.
  4. In order for the Coordinator of the Master’s Program to give full consideration to applicants’ files, all supporting materials and Toulouse Graduate School requirements must be fulfilled. Application files will not be submitted to the Coordinator for review until such time as they are complete.
  5. Once completed files have been reviewed, notifications of acceptance or denial will be sent to applicants from the College of Music Office of Graduate Studies, typically within a two-week time frame.

If recording a classroom teaching video is deemed to be problematic given COVID-19 restrictions, applicants should plan to upload a video of themselves teaching, in some capacity and context that is feasible.  Please find below a few examples (note this list is not comprehensive):

  • A mini private lesson to a family member
  • Teaching a student/students virtually with speaker view only
  • Teaching a lesson in such a way that the mock student is not in view
  • Talking through a planned lesson without executing it, or
  • Teaching a lesson on something other than music to a friend, acquaintance, or family member

III.  Acceptance

Acceptance Procedures and Permission to Enroll in Coursework

  1. Communicate with the Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Music Education to discuss advising procedures, class enrollment, and other facets of the program.
  2. Attend the orientation session on the first day of the summer term (the MMEd Coordinator will provide time and location).
  3. The Graduate Placement Exams (GPE) are not required of students accepted into the Summers-Only MMEd program.

 
Full-Time (Fall/Spring) MMEd Application Procedures
 
I. Prerequisites for Application
 
The following prerequisites apply for application to the MMEd program:
  1. An earned Bachelor's degree in Music Education.
  2. A record of at least one (1) year of full-time, successful teaching experience in group instructional settings. It is highly recommended that this experience be gained at the public school level of instruction. Private studio teaching alone may not suffice as a substitution for group instructional activities. The appropriateness of a candidate’s teaching experiences will be evaluated by the Music Education Graduate Faculty.
II.  Applying
 
Application to the MUED graduate program is a two-step process, including (1) applying to the Toulouse Graduate School, and (2) applying to the College of Music.
 
Step 1: Apply to the University and the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies
 
Current guidelines regarding application to the University may be obtained here: http://tgs.unt.edu/future-students/graduate-admissions.
 
Step 2: Apply to the College of Music and the Division of Music Education
 
Applicants to the MMEd graduate program must submit a completed College of Music online application form and must upload supporting materials to the online application. Supporting materials must include: 
  1. A current résumé or vitae
  2. A writing sample (e.g., an undergraduate paper, project, etc.)
  3. A personal philosophy statement that addresses teaching, music, and long-range professional goals
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from three (3) persons qualified to evaluate the applicant's accomplishments and merits. These will be submitted using the online form included on the College of Music application.
  5. *A teaching video that highlights classroom instructional episodes, such as rehearsals, warm-ups, or other activities. These are especially important for students who are applying for TA/TF positions. 
As a reminder, these materials will be uploaded to the College of Music online application, which can be found at: http://music.unt.edu/admissions/graduate. (Deadlines differ according to varying fields in the College of Music. Applications to the MMEd program are accepted throughout the year.
 
General Application Information
  1. No performance audition is required in order to apply to the MMEd program.
  2. Please note that application to the Toulouse Graduate School is separate from application to the College of Music, and that admission to the Graduate School does not imply acceptance to the Music Education program.
  3. Applicants are expected to submit GRE scores (verbal and written analytical portions only) at the time of application in order to be considered for graduate studies in music education. This is especially important for applicants who wish to be considered for full-time status. When registering for the GRE, applicants will need to provide UNT’s school code: 6481.
    1. The Graduate Preparation Course (GPC), provided for international students by the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), will not be accepted as a substitute for the GRE requirement. The GRE must be taken prior to moving to the United States.
    2. International applicants in music education must be accepted to the program prior to beginning studies at the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI). Acceptance to and/or studies in IELI in no way ensures acceptance to the Music Education program.
  4. In order for the Coordinator of the Master’s Program to give full consideration to applicants’ files, all supporting materials and Toulouse Graduate School requirements must be fulfilled. Application files will not be submitted to the Coordinator for review until such time as they are complete.  
  5. Once completed files have been reviewed, notifications of acceptance or denial will be sent to applicants from the College of Music Office of Graduate Studies, typically within a two-week time frame.
III.  Acceptance
 
Acceptance Procedures, Deficiencies, and Permission to Enroll in Coursework
 
After arriving on campus for the first semester's work:
  1. Take the Graduate Placement Examinations (GPE) given by the College of Music during the student orientation sessions in the Fall and Spring semesters. These examinations cover music theory and music history. Deficiencies in either or both of these areas will result in additional coursework to remove deficiencies. Additionally, deficiency courses do not count toward the 34 hours necessary to finish MMEd coursework, so students may go beyond 34 hours of total coursework when removing deficiencies.
  2. Attend all orientation sessions scheduled by the Director of Graduate Studies in Music.
  3. Meet with the Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Music Education to discuss advising procedures and the facets of the degree program.
  4. Make final adjustments to class enrollment for the upcoming semester.
Time Limitation and Student Status
All work to be credited toward the master’s degree must be completed within a period of 5 years from the date master’s credit is first earned. Students in the MMEd program can be full-time students (during long semesters), part-time students (during summers and evenings), or a combination of both. A graduate student is officially full-time when carrying at least nine (9) hours of coursework in each of two consecutive long semesters. Part-time students can complete the degree throughout several consecutive summers of coursework.
 
Scholarships, Teaching Assistantships (TAs), and Teaching Fellowships (TFs)
Music education scholarships, Master’s-Doctoral Fellowships, and TA/TF awards are available for students who qualify and when funds are available. Only full-time students are eligible for TA/TF awards. Additionally, full-time students cannot be considered for TF assistantships until 18 hours of coursework have been successfully completed. More information on these awards may be found here.