Music Education: General Music Major

The music education major is administered jointly by the School of Education and the Petrie School of Music. Students should apply to the Teacher Education Admissions Committee for admission into an education degree immediately upon the completion of the General Music in Elementary School course, which includes the Clinical I experience. The application must be approved by the Teacher Education Admissions Committee no later than six months prior to student teaching.

The following requirements must be satisfied in order to be officially admitted to a music education program:

1. Completion of at least 45 hours of coursework;
2. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75;
3. A passing score on all parts of the Core Praxis Examination prior to entering MUE311
4. Any person having attained the SAT or ACT score set by the State Board of Education shall be exempt from the Praxis I requirement. (ACT = 24, 2-part SAT=1100, or 3 part SAT=1650.);
5. Successful completion of EDU 360;
6. Successful completion of Clinical I Experience;
7. A passing mark on the sophomore performance jury;
8. Following the sophomore performance jury, a successful professional skills and dispositions review with music education faculty.

After admission to the Teacher Education Program, students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA during the senior year to be eligible for placement in student teaching. Students planning to student teach in the Fall Term of their senior year must submit their application by February 15 of the junior year. Students planning to student teach in the Spring Term of their senior year must submit their student teaching application by June 15 immediately following their junior year. Only those students currently accepted in a degree program can be eligible for student teaching.

Other requirements prior to student teaching include an application for certification to the South Carolina State Department of Education and a FBI background check. Details about this application and other requirements are available on the Education Department webpage at converse. edu and from departmental staff. Generally, the applications for certification are due by February 15, a year in advance of fall term student teaching, and by June 15, a year in advance of Spring Term student teaching.

The PRAXIS II Specialty Area Test entitled Music: Content and Instruction (0114) is required for graduation from Converse University with a degree in music education. This test score, in addition to a score on the PRAXIS II Principles of Learning and Teaching Test, must be submitted to the Director of the Professional Education Unit no later than the spring of the academic year in which student teaching is completed.

Beginning in Fall 2020, in order to be placed for student teaching, teacher candidates must pass the state required PRAXIS II exams in the area of student teaching.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate thorough competency in the technical fundamentals of a principal instrument.
2. Students will use the piano and or guitar as a tool to play accompaniments and demonstrate music skills and concepts effectively with their voice.
3. Students will apply knowledge of content, methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development in the creation of lesson plans.
4. Students will effectively lead performance-based instruction in K-12 classrooms.