The Peabody Undergraduate Music Education program is designed for the gifted performer who also has a special interest in sharing his or her musical expertise through teaching music in the 21st Century. The aim of the progressive preparation program is to impart to prospective teachers in the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary to the effective teaching of music. Graduates of the program will be certified to teach music K-12 in Maryland and in all other states with which Maryland shares reciprocity.
Music Education students receive the same attention to their musical development (applied study, theory, history) as do students in the performance programs at Peabody and are held to the same standard of excellence. The Music Education program distinguishes itself from other programs at the Conservatory in the following ways:
The Music Education faculty members at Peabody are themselves former successful elementary and secondary school music teachers with years of experience teaching in a variety of situations. In addition, Peabody draws upon the abundant resources of practicing public and private school teachers in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area through observations, presentations and field training. Since 1984, every Peabody Music Education graduate who has sought a teaching position has obtained one.
All students accepted into the Music Education program must fulfill specific liberal arts requirements(30 credits) as mandated by state and national accrediting agencies. After the required Liberal Arts courses (which are taught at Peabody) are completed, students may elect courses in Communications, Sociology, History, Literature, American History, Cultural Anthropology, Foreign Language, Math or Science.
Students who enroll in liberal arts courses at institutions other than Peabody must receive prior approval from the Music Education Division. All AP credits, which may be used toward fulfilling the Liberal Arts Requirement for Music Education students, must have a score of 4 or 5. The Music Education division will make determination of which credits may be accepted as transfer or AP credit and will be responsible for all advising of Music Education Students regarding Liberal Arts requirements.
Prerequisite course work and standards for student teacher placement include: