B.Mus. Music Education
The music education program at Concordia is intended for those who wish to teach vocal and instrumental music, or vocal music only, in public or private schools. It include skill development in the common core of musicianship as well as studies in music education that will allow you to apply educational principles to your everyday work in the classroom. Two tracks are available: comprehensive (instrumental and vocal) music education and vocal music education.
This degree leads to a PK–12 teaching endorsement in the state of Nebraska. Upon graduation, members of congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who earn the optional Lutheran Teacher Diploma and receive faculty approval will be eligible to receive a divine call from an LCMS-affiliated church or school.
When you major in music education at Concordia, you will:
- Prepare to teach general music in a classroom.
- Gain skills in rehearsing and directing musical ensembles in elementary through high school.
- Perform on a musical instrument (including voice) at a high level.
- Practice creating, performing and responding to music, and helping your students to do the same.
- Come to see your students as children of God with individual needs and abilities.
Pursue your passion for music and for teaching at Concordia University, Nebraska!
Program Highlights
WHY STUDY MUSIC Education AT CONCORDIA?
- Experienced faculty. Eighty percent of the full-time faculty have either taught in an elementary or high school or have a degree in music education.
- Skilled teachers. Every full-time music professor has received at least one teaching award.
- Sterling reputation. Concordia is historically a teachers’ college, and education graduates of this institution have been in high demand for over a century.
- Thorough preparation. Our students perform 100 hours of fieldwork in classrooms even before student teaching, and they student teach in two schools, not just one. As a result, they leave Concordia ready to enter their classroom and take charge.
- Nurturing environment. Our professors don’t just teach students; they mentor them. Our music education students encourage and support one another, and they work together as part of the student chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).
Learn more about Concordia Nebraska's music program
MEET OUR EXPERT FACULTY
As experts in music education, our faculty and instructors bring years of experience to the classroom.
Meet our students
“The music program at Concordia is the place I need to be, but is also the place I want to be. Here, I have been pushed each day to be better than the day before. I have also been loved and met exactly where I am as a child of God. I would not be who I am today without this community. ”
Lydia Hoft
Williamsburg, Iowa
Accreditation
Concordia University, Nebraska is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Concordia University, Nebraska is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
Degree Goals
A music education graduate from Concordia University, Nebraska will be able to:
- Teach music with both competence and confidence.
- Perform at a high level.
- Plan music for school ensembles and rehearse and direct them.
- Compose and/or arrange music for ensembles.
- Understand music in its historical, cultural and religious context.
Music Minors
- Church Music
- Music
Career Outcomes
School Music Teacher
- Direct vocal or instrumental ensembles in an elementary or high school
- Teach general classroom music in a school
PRivate Music Teacher
- Teach instruments or voice to adults and children
- Involve the larger community in making music
Church Musician
- Direct the music program of a church
- Teach the Christian faith through song
FAQs
How do I become a music teacher?
The first thing you need to be a successful music teacher is a love of music. You should have some basic skills in playing instruments, singing and reading music. You’ll also need at least a bachelor’s degree.
At Concordia University, Nebraska, you can choose to earn your bachelor of music degree in music education, which focuses on fundamental music skills as well as teaching skills.
To teach music in a school, you’ll also need to obtain your teacher’s certification, the requirements for which vary from state to state. Concordia will help you through your certification process, making sure you’re fully equipped and prepared to teach after graduation.
What makes a Christian music education degree special?
As a Lutheran institution, Concordia University, Nebraska has a tradition of rigorous, broad-based academics and critical thinking. We encourage the pursuit of ideas, perspectives and answers while affirming Biblical truths and world-views. Our Promises of a Lutheran Education outline how we help our students balance the complexities of life in the kingdom of this world with life in the kingdom of God. At Concordia Nebraska, the passion that drives us is to honor God through our creativity. Study in our music education program and learn from accomplished professors who will mentor and inspire you. Master your skills in our world-class facilities. Experience the preparation you need for your career or graduate school.
What music facilities does Concordia have to offer for music majors?
The innovative Borland Center for Music and Theatre at Concordia University, Nebraska is home to enhanced practice rooms, performance spaces and acoustics to inspire your creativity, refine your musical abilities and prepare you to create music that can transform lives. The Borland Center features:
- A recital hall containing a 3-manual, 38-rank Casavant organ and a Steinway Model D 9-foot concert grand piano
- 3 ensemble rehearsal rooms
- 11 teaching studios
- 22 practice rooms
- A percussion studio
- A piano lab
- A black box theater
- A soundproof recording studio
Organ students also have access to the 3-manual, 47-rank organ by Orgelbau Kuhn of Männedorf (Switzerland) in Weller Chapel and to the 3-manual, 50-rank Schlicker organ at St. John Lutheran Church, across the street from Concordia.
What scholarships are available for music majors?
Each year, in addition to other financial aid such as academic scholarships, grants and loans, Concordia University, Nebraska awards talent-based scholarships in voice, piano, organ, brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings and guitar.
A limited number of full-tuition scholarships are awarded every year to students intending to major in music and who demonstrate outstanding musical skill and potential.There are also scholarships, in variable amounts, awarded every year to music majors and to other students who intend to participate in music. These scholarships are available to music majors as well as non-music majors.
Learn more about the music scholarships available.
Should I choose the comprehensive music education or vocal-only track?
The two tracks require the same number of credit hours, with students in the vocal track substituting music electives for instrumental-specific courses. Most students planning to teach music in a school elect the comprehensive track. It is more marketable and may transfer more easily to a state other than Nebraska.
The vocal music education track is suitable especially for church music majors who wish to be prepared to teach vocal and general classroom music in an elementary school affiliated with a church. The extra hours in the church music program count as music electives in the vocal track, so the program is in effect shorter than a a double major in church music and music education (comprehensive track).
I can’t decide between music education and church music. What should I do?
The first-year courses for church music and music education are nearly identical, so there is no problem waiting until you have been at Concordia for a semester or even a year before you decide on your program. You can also do a double major in both, although that will take an extra semester or year.
How do your students fare on the Praxis subject test in music?
Before new teachers are certified, about 35 U.S. states require a passing score on a Praxis subject test (also called Praxis II) administered by the Educational Testing Service. Since Nebraska began requiring the tests in 2016, about 96 percent of Concordia music education students have passed on their first attempt; the remaining 4 percent passed on their second attempt.
Related Programs
Elementary Education
As an elementary educator, you are certified to teach children in kindergarten through sixth grade. You will typically spend the day with the same group of students, teaching them foundational skills in a wide variety of subjects. The liberal arts education you will receive at Concordia University, Nebraska, along with subject-specific methodology courses in the education department, will prepare you to be an outstanding elementary school teacher.
Secondary Education
With a degree in secondary education from Concordia University, Nebraska, you will be equipped to teach grades 7-12, encouraging intellectual and emotional growth at a critical time in the lives of your students. You’ll engage in rich coursework, collaborate with faculty and gain invaluable experience first shadowing a professional teacher and then teaching in your own high school classroom.
Music
As a music major at Concordia University, Nebraska, you will participate in ensembles, either choral or instrumental or both, as part of the requirements for your major. Since ensemble participation doesn’t necessarily factor into your official course load, you may find that you have more opportunities within your schedule to take additional electives that interest you to help round out your career options.
Church Music
A degree in church music from Concordia University, Nebraska prepares you to direct a comprehensive music program in a church. The degree also leads to rostered status in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as a director of parish music for individuals who are members of an LCMS congregation.
1 Recent graduates attending graduate school or employed within six months of graduation.
2Average Class Size for Representative Subject Most Aligned with Major, Over Last 5 Years.