Curriculum
The M.A. M&ME is a cohort-based program, meaning students who begin the Summer Residency together learn together in online and on-campus courses for the duration of the program. This model enhances learning, fosters creativity, builds life skills, and creates a sense of community. Students form bonds that often lead to lifelong friendships, as well as professional opportunities.
To view Music and Music Education program courses, visit the Course Description page on our website.
Curriculum Features
The M.A. M&ME curriculum, developed, taught, and continually updated by our internationally acclaimed faculty, engages you in a full range of intellectually robust and creatively rich learning experiences. At Teachers College (TC), your music and music education coursework encompasses pedagogy, music literacies, research, performance and, with courses outside the Teachers College Music Education program, breadth.
This degree is EVERYTHING! The teachers, class options, fellow students, and hybrid format are great; and the in-person summer residency is something to look forward to!
Jeanel LeBlanc, Hybrid Summer M.A. M&ME, Teachers College, Columbia University
The program equips you with the analytical and critical thinking skills needed to integrate theory and practice. You graduate prepared to lead in a diverse range of educational settings and be an effective champion of music education in schools and communities around the world. Program coursework also strongly supports the development of your musical identity and growth as a performer.
Highlights of the M.A. M&ME curriculum include:
- Coursework that interrogates traditional music education practices, explores new paradigms of teaching and learning, and places you at the heart of contemporary pedagogical theory and practice
- Fieldwork experiences that give you the opportunity to immediately apply what you learn in the program to your classroom or studio and receive valuable feedback and support from faculty and peers
- Boundary-expanding ensemble experiences, one in your primary instrument and another in a secondary instrument and alternate music genre
- A student-centered approach to learning, giving you numerous opportunities to tailor assignments to align with your personal interests and goals, and also take Teachers College courses outside the Music Education program (e.g., digital games development, organizational psychology, and education administration)
- Best-in-class Summer Residency
Read more about our Summer Residency
Fieldwork Experiences
The fieldwork course is optional but strongly recommended. It provides you with the opportunity to put theory into practice and apply new knowledge and skills to your own students and classrooms. Most students take two semesters of Reflective Practice in Music Teaching (A&HM 4201) in the Fall semester following Summer A and in the Spring semester following Summer B. The Reflective Practice in Music Teaching Level I and Level II courses may not be taken simultaneously, and we strongly recommend that students take Assessment Strategies for the Arts (A&H 5002) prior to taking Reflective Practice in Music Teaching Level II.
The online fieldwork courses are taken with your cohort, offering community, shared experiences, and an exceptionally dynamic learning atmosphere. You engage in a broad range of assignments, and interact closely with your peers. Activities include sharing video of your teaching, reflections on both your teaching and your students’ learning, and meeting in live sessions.
In each of the fieldwork courses, you research, design, implement, and assess a project. The topics of these projects are School/Class Curriculum and Understanding Your Individual Students.
Coursework Basics: Online and On Campus
Students can complete as many as eight credits/points during each of the two Summer Residencies and complete the remaining 18 credits/points during the academic year.
Most of the courses offered in the program combine teaching with research, writing, and performance, and include an even mix of group and individual projects. We suggest that students devote 10 to 12 hours per week of study for each three-credit/point course. Students are expected to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA throughout the program.
Course Descriptions
Ensembles
During each Summer Residency, most Hybrid Summer M.A. students take an Ensemble Performance course for one credit/point. We recommend that students select one Ensemble course in their primary instrument and the other in a secondary instrument and alternate music genre. A student who is an orchestra violinist, for instance, might play violin in a string quartet one year and play bass guitar in a rock band the second year. As one of our students expressed it, this experience takes you out of your comfort zone and helps you relate to young students who are learning new instruments.
Applied Lessons
Most students take two semesters of voice or instrumental applied lessons and may take additional lessons as electives. These two-credit/point courses require 10 hours of one-on-one instruction. Hybrid Summer students typically take these lessons during the academic year from a teacher in their area, but may be permitted to take lessons on campus if they choose to take a third Summer Residency.
Applied Lessons Requirements
Graduation Portfolio
At the end of the program, each student compiles their own Graduation Portfolio composed primarily of completed projects from their courses. Using the portfolio as a measure, faculty assess students on Content Knowledge, Pedagogy, Student and Self Assessment, and Professionalism.
Graduation Portfolio Requirements
Coursework Requirements and Course Descriptions
Coursework Requirements
Students are required to complete 32 credits/points to graduate from the M.A. M&ME program. Music and Music Education courses fall into these four categories: Pedagogy, Research, Music Literacies, and Music Performance.
Students are required to take:
- Two courses in Pedagogy
- One course in Research: A&H 5002 Assessment Strategies for the Arts
- One course in Music Literacies
- Four credits/points in Music Performance
- Six credits/points in Teachers College courses outside of the Music and Music Education program
Electives
Elective music courses may be selected from any of the four areas of study in consultation with your academic advisor.
Courses Outside the Music and Music Education Program
Outside Music program courses follow the Teachers College academic calendar, which does not align with the four-week Summer Residency. The College’s Summer A and Summer B semesters each span six weeks. Hybrid Summer M.A. students can take outside Music program courses online during any semester. To take these courses in person, some students extend their time on campus during the Summer Residency.
Visit the Course Schedule page for more information about current and upcoming Teachers College’s courses or view the full Academic Catalogue to explore all of the College’s offerings.
Advisement
We strongly recommend that admitted students connect with their academic advisor soon after admission and stay connected throughout the program. This helps students plan their coursework and ensures they get the most out of their Hybrid Summer M.A. education.