Music

Music, B.M.

Concentration in Music Education

Virginia Licensure (Certification) to Teach

The music education concentration is approved by the Virginia State Department of Education and administered through the Graduate School of Education, which is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Minimum scores on the Praxis I & II tests must be achieved before state licensure can be granted.

To complete the concentration in music education, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

• Be formally accepted into the music education concentration by the departmental Music Teacher Education Committee when
  1. 45 to 60 credits have been earned
  2. Sight Singing and Ear Training II, Keyboard Skills III, and Theory III have been completed with a grade of C or better and
  3. scores have been submitted for the Praxis I (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) tests to the Music Teacher Education Committee. It is strongly recommended that students take the Praxis I tests as soon as ENGL 302 and a course in literature and mathematics have been completed
• Maintain an overall GPA of 2.800 in all course work done at George Mason University and in course work done at all institutions of higher learning combined
  
  
• Earn no grade lower than a C in music and in professional education courses needed for graduation
  
  
• Successfully pass sight singing, ear training, keyboard, and conducting proficiency examinations during the first music methods course (MUSI 461, 463, 464, or 466). Students in the voice emphasis must also pass a voice proficiency examination, and students in the instrumental emphasis must pass a musical instrument fingering proficiency examination during the first music methods course
  
• Complete all course work in the program sequence
  
  
• Upon completion of the above, do 15 weeks of a full-time internship (student teaching). Applications for placement, subject to approval of the Music Teacher Education Committee, are submitted to the Office of Teacher Education at the beginning of the previous semester
  
  
• Pass the Praxis II (Music: Content Knowledge) test during the internship semester (student teaching)

¹ Certain general education requirements may be satisfied with courses in the major which would reduce the total number of credits.

⁶ Students whose major instrument is a keyboard instrument must substitute Techniques of Accompanying I and II for Keyboard Skills I and II. They must take Keyboard Skills III or earn credit-by-examination by successfully passing the competency placement examination.

⁸ All students who enroll as freshmen must take MUSI 300 for 5 semesters. Transfer students must take MUSI 300 each semester they are enrolled (excluding the Internship in Music Education semester) up to a maximum of 5 semesters. A grade of "S" (satisfactory) must be earned each semester.

⁹ Students who wish to concentrate in music education must successfully pass sight singing, ear training, keyboard, and conducting proficiency examinations during their first music methods course (MUSI 461, 463, 464, or 466). Students in the voice emphasis must also pass a voice proficiency examination during their first music methods course, and students in the instrumental emphasis must pass a musical instrument fingering proficiency examination during the first music methods course.

¹⁰ Students in the instrumental emphasis whose major instrument is something other than a band or orchestral instrument must earn a minimum of 6 additional credits of undergraduate private music instruction (or the equivalent) on such an instrument, the actual number to be determined by an audition committee. Students in the vocal/choral emphasis whose major instrument is a band or orchestral instrument must earn a minimum of 6 additional credits of undergraduate private music instruction (or the equivalent) in either voice, piano, organ, harpsichord, or guitar, the actual number to be determined by an audition committee.

¹¹ Students whose major instrument is voice, piano, harpsichord, organ, or guitar must earn 6 credits in University Chorale, Symphonic Chorus, and/or Chamber Singers. Students whose major instrument is an orchestral string instrument must earn 6 credits in Symphony Orchestra, and students whose major instrument is a wind or percussion instrument must earn 6 credits in Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and/or Wind Ensemble. For students in the instrumental emphasis whose major instrument is something other than a band or orchestral instrument, 4 of the 6 required ensemble credits must be earned in Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and/or Wind Ensemble. For students in the vocal/choral emphasis whose major instrument is a band or orchestral instrument, 4 of the 6 required ensemble credits must be earned in University Chorale, Symphonic Chorus, and/or Chamber Singers. Transfer students must earn at least two ensemble credits at George Mason University.