Bachelor of Music in Music Education

Help younger students develop their musicianship.

The music education major is for those who wish to teach music for students in grades P-12. This major combines the liberal arts core curriculum courses with our core music and education-specific courses to prepare students to teach our society’s 21st century students.

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  • accredited by the National Association for Music Education
  • colleges of distinction 2025-2026

Eligibility

To be eligible for an all-grade teaching license, students must complete a combination of music, education, and core curriculum courses, all of which may be completed within four years, which prepares them for the required Indiana state licensure exams. Graduates of the program seeking an instructional license are required to pass the developmental (pedagogy) area assessment that matches the all-grade level which they are planning to teach and the appropriate content area assessment(s). These include: Fine Arts: Instrumental and General Music (P-12), or Fine Arts: Vocal and General Music (P-12).

Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Music Education degree and the associated required area of testing, graduates are eligible to be recommended to apply for and receive the following Indiana license: REPA (Rules for Education Preparation and Accountability), Initial Practitioner (2 year license, with required residency) Content Area: Grades P-12 Music: Instrumental and General Music or Grades P-12 Music: Vocal and General Music.

Advantages

  • UIndy and the Department of Music are accredited by the National Association for Music Education.
  • UIndy's School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
  • UIndy’s Collegiate Chapter of the National Association for Music Education has been recognized five times in the past twelve years as the Collegiate Chapter of the Year Award by the Indiana Music Education Association.
  • UIndy students are frequent recipients of the Outstanding Future Music Educator Award, a testament to the strength of our program.
  • Pre-service music education students complete more than 120 hours of field experience hours during their time in the degree program in many of the schools located in the Indianapolis area. These experiences include a with a variety of school settings which serves to advance their exposure to the vast array of classroom settings, affirm their disposition for the profession, increase their skills, and increase their network in the professional arena. Field experiences begin as early as the second semester.
  • Classroom experiences enable students to take a hands-on approach to the application of content skills learned in the undergraduate classroom, under the supervision of established, practicing music educators.
  • Music Education courses teach enable students you to increase in content knowledge and hands-on experience that serve to advance their confidence in the classroom, from articulating their your own unique approach to pedagogy through well-designed lesson-planning implemented under the direct supervision of University Supervisors and Cooperating Teachers in the field.
  • Students develop important advocacy skills that allow them to communicate the importance of arts in education, including data-driven facts, to their students, faculty colleagues, Administration, community groups, and beyond.
  • Students complete two eight-week teaching internships in music selected from the elementary, middle or high school levels.
  • Students complete a professional EdTpa portfolio in association with one of their student teaching internships.
  • The job placement rate for Music Education graduates is among the highest in the state (collected via alumni survey).
  • Members of UIndy's Music Faculty have been recognized five times in recent years as the Outstanding Collegiate Music Educator of the Year by the Indiana Music Educator Association.

Music Education Might Be For You If:

  • You have the desire to advance music education by promoting the understanding and making of music by all.
  • You  are more interested in becoming more adept at the content knowledge and skills required to deliver instruction to a variety of grade levels and content areas.
  • You want to make a difference in the lives of students and the community  through the music education profession.

Curriculum Guides

These curriculum guides outline the different classes you will need to take as a music education major. The general education guide provides a list of all the classes you need in order to fulfill UIndy's general education requirements. The music education guide lists the classes you'll need to take to fulfill your major's requirements. Be sure to take a look at both guides in order to get a complete picture of what your classes will look like at UIndy.

Giauna Neville headshot
Giauna Neville
Music Education, Class of 2017

My faculty advisor, Dr. Rebecca Sorley, and my private teacher, Paul Berns, changed my life and how I am as a musician. They pushed me at times when I wanted to give up and they are the reason I am where I am today! I thank them both from the bottom of my heart.