Students should have a strong background in music, with performance experience on a band or orchestral instrument.
Auditions
All students must pass an audition and a music fundamentals exam to declare a music education major. To schedule an audition, students must contact the School of Music for a separate application. Visit music.ua.edu/apply-audition for an application or more information.
Auditions typically take place between January and the first week of March prior to fall enrollment. With the assistance of a Music Education advisor, students, including transfer students, will formally declare the major the first semester of enrollment after formal acceptance into the School of Music.
General Education Requirements
Students must meet General Education requirements.
Courses that are common to the teaching field and the General Education requirements may be applied to both. At least 120 hours are required for the degree.
Students in this program should select the following courses in the Foundational Core:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Compass Courses | ||
| UA 101 | Legends | 1 |
or UA 201 (for transfer students) | ||
| EDU 200 | Orient to Teacher Education (included in Professional Studies) | 1 |
| History and Social and Behavioral Sciences | ||
| PY 101 or HD 101 | ||
| Humanities, Literature, Fine Arts, and World Language | ||
| MUS 250 | Music In World Cultures | 3 |
When selecting courses to meet General Education and program requirements, students should refer to the following specific requirements:
- Courses should be selected to meet teaching field or prerequisite requirements.
- For the Upper-Division Core, in this program, MUE 350 meets the Writing requirement.
- Students must also complete a course approved for the U.S. and Global Citizenship designation (3 credit hours).
- Students must meet the World Language Proficiency requirement.
Instrumental Music Teaching Field
A minimum grade point average of 2.50 is required in each of the following areas: (1) overall, (2) teaching field, and (3) professional studies. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all professional studies coursework.
Music Academics
(A C- or above is required for MUS 100, MUS 115, MUS 117, MUS 215, MUS 217.)
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 115 | Theory I: Voice Leading 2 | 4 |
| MUS 117 | Theory II: Diatonic Harmony | 4 |
| MUS 215 | Theory III: Chromatic Harmony | 4 |
| MUS 217 Theory IV: Advanced Harmony or MUS 100 Music Fundamentals 1, 2 | 3-4 | |
| MUS 250 | Music In World Cultures | 3 |
| MUS 251 | Music History I | 3 |
| MUS 252 | Music History II | 3 |
| MUS 323 | Music History III | 3 |
| MUS 351 | Fund Of Conducting | 2 |
| MUS 494 | Band Conducting | 2 |
| Total Hours | 31-32 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | A music fundamentals exam determines the four class music theory sequence music education majors complete. (Sequence 1: MUS 100, MUS 115, MUS 117, MUS 215; Sequence 2: MUS 115, MUS 117, MUS 215, MUS 217). |
| 2 | During the freshman year, Sequence 1 students register for MUS 100 in the fall and then MUS 115 in the spring. Sequence 2 students register for MUS 115 in the fall and then MUS 117 in the spring. |
Applied and Ensemble
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Applied: | ||
| MUA 170-MUA 190 1 | 4 | |
| MUA 270-MUA 290 1 | 4 | |
| MUA 370-MUA 390 1, 2 | 4 | |
| MUA 470-MUA 490 1, 2 | 1 | |
| MUA 499 | Senior Recital | 1 |
| Instrumental Ensemble courses (minimum one per term, advisor approved): | 7 | |
100-level large ensemble (2 hrs, one per semester) | ||
200-level large ensemble (2 hrs, one per semester) | ||
300-level large ensemble (2 hrs, one per semester) | ||
400-level large ensemble (1 hr, one semester) | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Course numbers MUA 170–MUA 190, MUA 270–MUA 290, MUA 370–MUA 390, and MUA 490 denote private study of the principal instrument or voice for music majors; each course carries one to four hours of credit and may be repeated for credit.
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Music majors should register for the principal applied instrument at the 100-level during the first two semesters and at the 200-level during the following two semesters at the University. Department permission is required for upper division applied lessons and admission to TEP. All principal applied credits (14 hours) must be for the same instrument. |
| 2 | An upper-level applied lesson evaluation is required by the School of Music. |
Class Instruments
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Class Piano (0-4 hours)--Pass the following piano classes with no grade less than B: | 0-4 | |
| Class Piano I | ||
| Class Piano II | ||
| Class Piano III | ||
| Class Piano IV | ||
or MUA 231/MUA 331/MUA 121-124, or combination * | ||
| MUE 252 | Teach String/Percu Instr | 2 |
| MUE 351 | Tchg Flute Single Reeds | 3 |
| MUE 352 | Teaching Double Reeds | 1 |
| MUE 353 | Teach Brass Instruments | 2 |
| MUE 354 | Teaching Percussion II | 1 |
| MUE 381 | Vocal Methods Lab | 1 |
| Total Hours | 10-14 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| * | Students must show evidence of passing the Piano Proficiency Examination. Students completing the Class Piano series will take the Piano Proficiency Examination concurrently with MUA 124 Class Piano IV. Students are required to take piano until evidence of passing the piano proficiency is provided. |
Professional Studies
Students must earn grades of C- or higher in each of the following professional studies courses. The University of Alabama GPA — and, if transfer work, the cumulative GPA — must be at least 2.50 in these courses:
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| EDU 200 | Orient to Teacher Education | 1 |
| SPE 300 | Survey Spe Accomd Stratg | 3 |
| BEP 305 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| BEF 362 | School, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| MUE 200 | Intro to Music Education | 2 |
| MUE 350 | Evaluatn Teaching Learning Mus | 3 |
| MUE 387 | Elem School Music Program | 3 |
| MUE 389 | Clinical Experience In Mue 1 | 3 |
| MUS 448 | Tchng Instrumental Music Pub S 2 | 3 |
| Internship | ||
| MUE 497 | Internship Music Educ 3, 4 | 12 |
| EDU 400 | Internship Seminar | 1 |
| Total Hours | 37 | |
| Footnotes | |
|---|---|
| 1 | This is a prerequisite for admission to the teacher education program. |
| 2 | An attempt on the appropriate Praxis subject assessment is required for enrollment. |
| 3 | A passing score on the appropriate Praxis subject assessment for the teaching field is required for internship. |
| 4 | Internship placements are outside the Tuscaloosa area (Greater Birmingham or Huntsville communities). Students need reliable transportation and should anticipate relocating. |
Students completing this degree program are fully prepared to teach instrumental (band or orchestra) and general music in a K-12 setting in a public school environment.
Types of Jobs Accepted
Students completing this program are routinely employed at the high school, middle school and elementary levels. Students in this program are regularly accepted into graduate music and music education programs.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center