Music Education

The Music Education Program consists of courses in five areas:

1. General Education: General courses cover various disciplines (English, Math and Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and Social Sciences) that are required by all university students. 
2. Musicology and Performance: These courses emphasize musicianship skills and include courses in the areas of music theory, aural skills, music history, and orchestration or arranging. Applied Music: Music majors receive private lessons in voice or on their major instrument. During the senior year, music education majors give a senior recital. Every music major also receives piano instruction to gain a standard level of proficiency. Ensembles: Each music major participates in vocal or instrumental ensembles to gain music performance experience.
3. Music Education: Each music education major completes courses in vocal or instrumental music methods. Courses emphasize the specific skills needed for successful music teaching in grades K-12. Special music education majors receive additional coursework in working with children with disabilities. The final semester is the student teaching experience.
4. Teacher Education: Each music education major wanting state teaching licensure completes a series of courses on development, assessment, lesson planning, teaching strategies, evaluation, and professional conduct including legal and ethical issues. There are entry and exit requirements for this block of courses that follow state licensure requirements.
5. Practical Field experience: Because of our special location, each music education major has numerous opportunities for hands-on learning through course field experiences and varied practicum experiences in metropolitan, suburban, and rural settings in public or private schools. In addition, the majority of our majors participate in cooperative education, private teaching through the College of Fine Arts Institute, and other experiences through salaried church and community music performance and accompanying jobs.

Prospective WSU students:

1. Check out our Future Students page
2.  Sign up for an audition to the School of Music
3. Apply to Wichita State
4. Once students have met the Teacher Education Admission Requirements below, they must complete the Teacher Education Application Packet prior to beginning the Teacher Education program. Students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor every semester, in order to ensure that they are on track to apply for the Teacher Education program. To schedule an advising appointment, please contact the College of Applied Studies Advising Center at (316) 978-3300, option 2.

Current WSU students:

1. WSU students with a 2.50 GPA can change their major to PreK-12 Music Education through the myWSU portal (Home tab > Student Tools > Change My Major /Minor).
2. Once students have met the Teacher Education Admission Requirements below, they must complete the Teacher Education Application Packet prior to beginning the Teacher Education program. Students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor every semester, in order to ensure that they are on track to apply for the Teacher Education program. To schedule an advising appointment, please contact the College of Applied Studies Advising Center at (316) 978-3300, option 2. 

Students completing this program will be eligible to apply for an initial teacher license.

Please know that these are sample degree plans. If you would like to talk to an academic advisor, please contact the College of Fine Arts Advising at (316) 978-6634 or cfa.advisor@wichita.edu.   

Bachelor of Music Education - Instrumental

• Degree Sheet
• Plan of Study (Wind/Brass/Percussion), Plan of Study (Strings)

Bachelor of Music Education - Keyboard

• Degree Sheet
• Plan of Study (Performance), Plan of Study (Pedagogy)

Bachelor of Music Education - Special Music Education

• Degree Sheet
• Plan of Study (Instrumental), Plan of Study (Keyboard), and Plan of Study (Vocal)

Bachelor of Music Education - Vocal

• Degree Sheet
• Plan of Study

Advising:

Initial advising for incoming first-year students is done through WSU OneStop. Music Education students should contact Alysa Janner for information on initial class recommendations.

Upperclass students, beginning in their sophomore year, will have an assigned faculty advisor in Music Education. The role of the faculty advisor is to assist you in completing your degree in a timely manner. The ultimate responsibility for your graduation is up to you. You can access DegreeWorks through myWSU to monitor your progress.

Be sure to review course prerequisites as you do long-term planning.

Admission into the teacher education program is required prior to enrolling in upper level music education courses. Teacher Education Application Packet

Transition Points

Students must successfully complete the following competencies in order to student teach:

1. Complete three semesters at the 400 level private studio
2. Meet minimum standard in Piano Proficiency
3. Pass Instructional Strategies and Management (ISAM) courses with a minimum of B- (MUSE 271, 303, 305, 323/324)
4. Application to student teaching

In order to gain licensure, students must also pass the Praxis and PLT.

Tuition and Fees

Learn more about tuition and fees at Wichita State. 

Tuition Discount Programs

WSU offers tuition discounts for out-of-state students paying nonresident tuition. Find out more about tuition discounts at WSU.

WSU Merit Scholarships

Students admitted to WSU are automatically considered for merit scholarships. Merit scholarships are awarded to both incoming freshman and transfer students. Learn more about merit scholarships at WSU.

College of Applied Studies Scholarships

Both prospective and current exercise science majors are eligible for scholarships through the College of Applied Studies. Only one application is necessary to apply for all scholarships available to students in the College of Applied Studies. Complete the College of Applied Studies Scholarship Application.

Thirty-Five (35) Hours of General Education:

•  Basic skills courses (English Comp 1, English Comp 2, Public Speaking and College Algebra) with grades that meet Wichita State University policy. Elementary, Early Childhood Unified, and Middle Level Math majors are required to have a 2.0 or better in College Algebra in order to take Math 501. A grade of C- is not accepted.
• General Psychology
• Elementary Statistics

Prospective candidates must complete an introductory to teaching course (MUSE 271) with an earned grade of B- or better in the course and a “satisfactory” grade in the corresponding field experience component. 

• Piano Proficiency must be demonstrated using a standard test administered by the piano pedagogy faculty. It typically is administered after completing MUSC 116 in the piano curriculum. Students may petition to take the test earlier if they have had prior experience with the keyboard.
• Admission into the teacher education program is required prior to enrolling in upper level music education courses. Students typically complete this application after they take MUSE 271 Introduction to Music Education. Teacher Education Admission Application
• Three semesters of 400 level private studio must be completed before a student can do their senior recital. Students typically apply for the 400 level in the performance jury at the end of their sophomore year or when they transfer into WSU with a minimum of four semesters of studio work on their instrument.
• ISAM Courses (Instructional Strategies And Management) must be completed with a passing grade of B- or better to continue in the music education curriculum. These classes include:
• MUSE 271 Introduction to Music Education
• MUSE 303 Elementary Methods
• MUSE 323 or 324 Secondary Methods
• MUSE 305 Pre-Student Teaching
• Students must complete all transition points, course work, and their senior recital before they student teach.
• Teacher Licensure Capstone (TLC) must be submitted during the student teaching semester.  This test is coordinated and evaluated through the School of Education.

Teaching Licensure Exams

Teaching Licensure Exams are not required for graduation, but they must be passed to receive a teaching license in Kansas. - KSDE Licensure Information

Praxis

Praxis Tests Information

Note: Students must take a content exam for each endorsement area in which they are seeking to earn licensure. This includes teaching endorsement, school specialist and school leadership licenses. This test is required by the Kansas State Department of Education. This test is not required for graduation, but it is a requirement for licensure.

Principals of Learning and Teaching (PLT)

Note: Required of all students by the Kansas State Department of Education. It is recommended that students take this exam the second semester of your junior year. This test is not required for graduation, but it is a requirement for licensure.

A prospective teacher education candidate must meet only one of the following four standardized test requirements. The basic skills test used to fulfill his or her admission requirements must have been taken within ten (10) years from the date of the prospective candidate's application to the teacher education program.

1. ACT composite score 21 or above
2. Praxis test: reading 152 or above, writing 162 or above and math 142 or above
3. SAT combined score 980 or above
4. CAAP: reading 56 or above, writing 55 or above and math 53 or above. This exam was discontinued in December 2017. Scores completed prior to this date will be accepted for the next 10 years. 

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements:

• Overall GPA: 2.5
• GPA in 35 hours of general education coursework: 2.75
• WSU GPA: 2.5 (if applicable)

If you do not meet this requirement, your academic advisor can assist you. Contact (316) 978-3300, option 2 for more information.

Complete the Teacher Education Application Packet which includes:

1. Application
2. Signed Attestation of Eligibility
3. Signed Grounds for Dismissal Regulations
4. Certification of Health for School Personnel: Provide proof of a completed Certification of Health for School Personnel or TB test (K.S.A. 72-5213) or verification that this has been completed per your employer.
5. Background Check: Provide verification of a completed Criminal Background Check.
   •  Option #1: Provide a copy of current Substitute License.
   • Option #2: Provide a copy of recent background clearance with Validity, NATSB, or district requirement.
   •  Option #3: Validity Screening Solutions - Submit the Validity Online Background Request Form with payment within 10 business days from the date of the Teacher Ed. Application.