Music Education

Mission Statement: The Division of Music Education is dedicated to empowering
students through learning opportunities that are contextual and relevant to a
career in teaching. To become an effective music educator, each student
must commit to excellence in both teaching and musicianship.

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Master's Program
Coordinator: Dr. Nathan Kruse
(940) 565-3713 or Nathan.Kruse@unt.edu

The Master’s of Music Education (MME) degree is designed to focus on teaching skills, school administrative and leadership skills, and current trends in the field of music education. Students in the program can be summer students, full-time students, or a combination of both. The MME requires 34 hours of coursework, and students can select between two tracks: the Teaching Emphasis or the Research Emphasis. Detailed information can be found in the MME Handbook:

Handbook: Masters' Degree in Music Education

MUED Application Procedures

I. Prerequisites for Application

The following prerequisites apply for application to the MME program:

    1. An earned Bachelor's degree in Music Education.
    2. A record of at least one (1) year of full-time, successful teaching experience in group instructional settings. It is highly recommended that this experience be gained at the public school level of instruction. Private studio teaching alone may not suffice as a substitution for group instructional activities. The appropriateness of a candidate’s teaching experiences will be evaluated by the Music Education Graduate Faculty.

II.  Applying

Application to the MUED graduate program is a two-step process, including (1) applying to the Toulouse Graduate School (or to International Admissions and Programs for international students), and (2) applying to the College of Music and the Division of Music Education.

Step 1: Apply to the University and the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies

Current guidelines regarding application to the University may be obtained as follows:

  1. U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens should refer to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies website: www.tsgs.unt.edu/newindex.htm
  2. International students should refer to the International Admissions and Programs website: www.international.unt.edu
  3. If you are a new student to UNT, you will be sent a login to access your MyUNT account. Otherwise, you will be able to use your former EUID to log in. If you need to reset your password, you can go here. This allows applicants to proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Apply to the College of Music and the Division of Music Education

Applicants to the MME graduate program must submit a completed College of Music online application form and must upload supporting materials to the online application, except for DVDs and video tapes. Supporting materials must include: 

  1. A current résumé or vitae
  2. A writing sample (e.g., an undergraduate paper, project, etc.)
  3. A personal philosophy statement that addresses teaching, music, and long-range professional goals
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from three (3) persons qualified to evaluate the applicant's accomplishments and merits. These will be submitted using the online form included on the College of Music application.
  5. *A teaching DVD or video tape that highlights classroom instructional episodes, such as rehearsals, warm-ups, or other activities. These are especially important for students who are applying for TA/TF positions. 

As a reminder, these materials will be uploaded to the College of Music online application, which can be found at: http://music.unt.edu/admissions/graduate. (Deadlines differ according to varying fields in the College of Music. Applications to the MME program are accepted throughout the year. Individuals applying beyond regular deadlines may contact Becky Hughes by e-mail (Becky.Hughes@unt.edu) or telephone (940-369-7771) to request an application.

*DVDs and video tapes can be mailed directly to:

Cory Ando
UNT College of Music
Office of Graduate Studies
1155 Union Circle #311367
Denton, TX   76203-5017

General Application Information

  1. No performance audition is required in order to apply to the MME program.
  2. Please note that application to the Toulouse Graduate School is separate from application to the College of Music, and that admission to the Graduate School does not imply acceptance to the Music Education program.
  3. Applicants are expected to submit GRE scores (verbal and written analytical portions only) at the time of application in order to be considered for graduate studies in music education. This is especially important for applicants who wish to be considered for full-time status. When registering for the GRE, applicants will need to provide UNT’s school code: 6481.
    1. In exceptional cases, students may be admitted provisionally pending successful completion of the GRE exam by the end of the first semester of enrollment.
    2. The Graduate Preparation Course (GPC), provided for international students by the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), will not be accepted as a substitute for the GRE requirement. The GRE must be taken prior to moving to the United States.
    3. International applicants in music education must be provisionally accepted to the program prior to beginning studies at the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI). Acceptance to and/or studies in IELI in no way ensures acceptance to the Music Education program.
  4. In order for the Coordinator of the Master’s Program to give full consideration to applicants’ files, all supporting materials and Toulouse Graduate School requirements must be fulfilled. Application files will not be submitted to the Coordinator for review until such time as they are complete.  
  5. Once completed files have been reviewed, notifications of acceptance or denial will be sent to applicants from the College of Music Office of Graduate Studies, typically within a two-week time frame.

III.  Acceptance

Acceptance Procedures, Deficiencies, and Permission to Enroll in Coursework

After arriving on campus for the first semester's work:

    1. Take the Graduate Placement Examinations (GPE) given by the College of Music during the student orientation sessions in the Fall and Spring semesters. These examinations cover music theory and music history. Deficiencies in either or both of these areas will result in additional coursework to remove deficiencies. Additionally, deficiency courses do not count toward the 34 hours necessary to finish MME coursework, so students may go beyond 34 hours of total coursework when removing deficiencies.
    2. Attend all orientation sessions scheduled by the Director of Graduate Studies in Music.
    3. Meet with the Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Music Education to discuss advising procedures and the facets of the degree program.
    4. Make final adjustments to class enrollment for the upcoming semester.


Time Limitation and Student Status
All work to be credited toward the master’s degree must be completed within a period of 6 years from the date master’s credit is first earned. Students in the MME program can be full-time students (during long semesters), part-time students (during summers and evenings), or a combination of both. A graduate student is officially full-time when carrying at least nine (9) hours of coursework in each of two consecutive long semesters. Part-time students can complete the degree throughout several consecutive summers of coursework.

Scholarships, Teaching Assistantships (TAs), and Teaching Fellowships (TFs)
Music education scholarships, Master’s-Doctoral Fellowships, and TA/TF awards are available for students who qualify and when funds are available. Only full-time students are eligible for TA/TF awards. Additionally, full-time students cannot be considered for TF assistantships until 18 hours of coursework have been successfully completed. More information on these awards may be found at: http://music.unt.edu/musiced/graduateAssistanships.php

For more information, contact:
Dr. Nathan Kruse, Master’s Coordinator
Nathan.Kruse@unt.edu
(940) 565-3713