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Apply hereMaster of music
Music is an impactful medium — one that both empowers creative expression and encourages a dedicated and strategic mindset. In early childhood, K–12 and community environments, music educators like yourself perform two roles: introducing techniques through lessons and exercises and inspiring a lifelong love of the art form.
For refining your pedagogy and delivery, the University of Missouri’s (Mizzou) online master of music with an emphasis in music education program helps you connect with your students. You’ll prepare to foster engaging, inclusive classrooms — whether for introducing sounds and rhythms or directing choir, band or orchestra. At the same time, you learn to base your lesson plans and evaluations around research and start to see yourself as a leader. This foundation equips you to guide your school’s music program, advocate for the arts in your community and improve how you support and assess your students.
Quick facts
Official name
Master of music with emphasis in music educationCampus
Program type
Master's degreeAcademic home
College of Arts & Science | School of MusicDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionCredit hours
32Estimated cost
$16,800.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Understand how to nurture creativity and spark a love of music while preparing to lead your department. Building off existing certification, the online master’s in music education helps instructors in public, private, charter and international schools, as well as community programs, deepen their commitment to serving all students and positions them for roles as directors, administrators or higher education faculty.
This program is ideal for:
- Elementary general music teachers
- Middle and high school band and choral directors
- Music directors
- Private music instructors
About the online master’s in music education
The arts enrich early childhood and K–12 curricula by balancing traditional classroom instruction with a space for self-expression and creative discovery. Especially as some districts pull back on the visual and performing arts, the online master’s in music education invigorates your professional and pedagogical skill set to champion these programs in your school.
Through a fully online asynchronous format ideal for full-time K–12 instructors, you learn from esteemed faculty steering the conversation around music education. In the process, you grow as both a music teacher and an artistic leader, understanding how to incorporate research and pedagogical methodology into your practice.
Throughout the program, you explore:
- Advanced pedagogical theories and their applications
- Data gathering and assessment methodologies for the music classroom
- Techniques for creating culturally responsive, inclusive classrooms
- Psychological factors influencing how students respond to music instruction and perform
- Approaches for supporting your school’s music department
Program structure
Geared toward general music, choral and instrumental music educators with any level of experience, the online MM in music education is a flexible program based around the following structure: music education (15 credits), teaching practicums (four credits), music theory and history (nine credits) and a research-to-practice capstone (four credits).
The program is 100 percent online, and no campus visits are required. Students with full-time jobs typically attend part time, taking one or two classes each semester, including summers, and finish in about three years.
Course work covers
The online master’s in music education covers:
- The history, philosophy and theories of music education
- Research strategies to evaluate mastery and performance
- Psychological and developmental factors influencing music instruction and performance
- Teaching and learning theories for early childhood and general music classrooms
- Current music education issues and their influence on pedagogy
Review all requirements for the online master of music in music education.
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
3 yearsTypical course load
1 or 2 classes per semesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The University is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
Faculty spotlight
Christian M. Noon teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music education, conducts the University Band, assists in the direction of Marching Mizzou, and directs the women’s basketball band. Dr. Noon focuses his research on four areas: social justice in music education, philosophy of music education, preservice music teacher socialization and development and conducting. His research has been published in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and Journal of Music Teacher Education. He has also presented research at the Florida Music Educators Association and the Society for Music Teacher Education conferences. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, College Band Directors National Association and the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society, as well as an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.
Kari Adams is an active clinician and has conducted all-state and regional honor choirs across the U.S. Dr. Adams’ research on topics such as aesthetic response, choral configuration and music teacher identity construction has been featured in several leading journals in the field. Before her appointment at the University of Missouri, Adams taught secondary choir in Missouri, earned her doctorate in music education at the University of North Texas and served on the faculty at Florida State University.
