Master of Arts in Secondary Education
MUSIC EDUCATION OPTION
Graduate work in Music Education is an option through the
Department of Secondary Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning.
Degree Requirements for Certification.
Minimum requirements for the M.A. in Secondary Education
(Music Education Option) leading to an A level Teaching
Certificate* are 30 graduate hours of study and are
summarized in part below.
Degree Requirements for Non-Certification.
The requirements for an M.A. that is not tied to the
Teaching Certificate are considerably more flexible and can
be uniquely tailored to each individual. You can find
additional information regarding all masters’
programs in the Graduate Catalog currently in force.
Lessons and Functional Instrument. Private
lessons on your principal instrument, functional skills on
secondary instrument, and conducting can be taken as part
of this degree program. Indeed, they are encouraged, but
not required.
General Requirements. Before 12 hours of
graduate study are completed in any graduate degree
program, all music education graduate students (including
past graduates of The University of Alabama) are required
to take diagnostic examinations in music theory and
history. A placement audition on the major instrument is
also required of M.A. students. The specific examinations
required and the dates of their administration can be
obtained from the music education office located in 175
Moody Music..
The content of all graduate programs in music education is
determined, in part, by the background and goals of the
individual student. Each program will include graduate
courses in music education (choral, instrumental, or
general) and professional education, and may include studio
courses and other graduate study as indicated by the
student's background and interests in consultation with his
or her adviser. It is recommended that each student contact
his or her adviser during the first term of graduate study
in order to plan the program.
General Testing
If you have not completed a Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) in the last five years
you will need to take one. All tests require that
application be made to take the test in advance. Contact
the University Testing
Service(205-348-6760) or any four-year college or
university near you for further information. In all
cases it is wise to obtain a manual for the test
several weeks in advance from a college or university
bookstore and use it to guide your preparation.
Music Testing
Upon initial enrollment in a graduate Music Education
program, all students must take diagnostic tests of music
history and theory background. The tests will cover
stylistic periods normally studied in undergraduate music
history programs, harmonization of a chorale, form and
harmonic analysis, and a choice of a counterpoint or
transcription task. The test results will be used to advise
you on coursework that will allow you to compensate for
deficiencies, if any, in your educational background.
Testing is normally scheduled on the day before
registration for the Fall, Spring and Summer terms. It
takes a full day to complete the tests. Register for the
test in the School of Music at least two weeks before the
term in which you plan to take it.
Transfer Credits
Courses of full graduate-level credit earned
in a regionally-accredited institution where a student was
enrolled in the graduate school may be submitted for review
for inclusion in a degree program. Evaluation of credit for
transfer will not be made until the student has enrolled in
the Graduate School of The University of Alabama.
Acceptance of credit requires the approval of the student's
advisory committee and the dean of the Graduate School.
Credit will not be accepted for transfer from any
institution at which the student failed to achieve a "B"
average on all graduate work attempted.
A student initiates in the Office of the Graduate School
the request for evaluation of graduate credit obtained at
another institution. It is also the student's
responsibility to assure that an official transcript of the
credit concerned is received by the Graduate School.
With the approval of the student's department and the dean
of the Graduate School, the greater of 12 hours or 25% of
the required coursework for a graduate degree may be
transferred from another institution. All credit toward the
master's degree, including transfer credit, must have been
earned during the six years (18 fall, spring, and summer
semesters) immediately preceding the date on which the
degree is to be awarded.
In some cases, foreign educational credentials may not meet
the Graduate School's criteria for transfer of credit. It
may be necessary for students in this situation to secure
an evaluation of their credentials from World Education
Services Inc., an external foreign credential evaluation
service. Additional information on their services can be
found at their Web site http://www.wes.org.
Personal Interview
Before applying for admission to Master’s study, we
recommend that you schedule an interview with the Music
Education faculty. Call (205) 348-6554 or email cdaniels@bamaed.ua.edu
Looking for opportunities to experience
academic & musical excellence ... pride & tradition ... service & leadership?
academic & musical excellence ... pride & tradition ... service & leadership?
