The Music Education program works in direct cooperation with the College of Education and Human Services and the State of Texas. Music Education majors will receive significant communication about related policies and procedures in your music education coursework. Near the end of your program, you will work directly with music education faculty to determine your field-based placements, internship, and student-teacher placements.

Music Teacher Field-Based Student Teaching

In the state of Texas music teachers must apply for and receive All-Level Certification (early childhood through secondary). In the semester prior to the internship semester, the music student must apply online for Admission to the Field-Based Student Teaching Program. These requirements include:

• Full admission into the Field-Based Teacher Education Program (interview process and determination completed during SED 300).
• Documented 30 hours of Early Field Experience Observation and Online Reflection (Completed during  SED 300).
• Completion of Basic Skills Requirements:\
  • The Reading component must be met with a score of 250 or higher on Reading THEA or appropriate SAT or ACT score.
  • The Math component may be met with a “C” in college algebra (or appropriate test score).
  • The Writing component may be met with a “C” or higher in English 1301 or 1302 (or appropriate test score).
• Senior Standing (completion of approximately 80 semester hours of college coursework).
• Meet the Overall GPA requirement of 2.75.
• Complete required Interdisciplinary Core, Specialization, and Professional Development courses with a GPA of 2.75 and no grade less than a C.
• Mandatory participation in partnership district interviews. A successful interview resulting in a placement is required to complete student teaching.

At the beginning of the semester preceding the field based program, the student and Department Music faculty (Mrs. Meek, Dr. Hooper, Mr. Clements, and Mr. Goodwin) will meet to confer regarding possible schools for placement. Their recommendations are then sent to the Placement Coordinator who works with the requested school districts to make the placement assignments.

In general, every music student teacher is placed in a secondary school for 8 weeks and an elementary school for 8 weeks. In exceptional cases, a 16-week extended placement at a secondary site may be arranged, contingent on student fulfillment of appropriate Department policies. Any student requesting an extended 16-week placement at a secondary site must:

• Complete a minimum of 15 Field Placement Hours in an elementary placement in SED 300 (The Teaching Profession)
• Complete MUS 465 Music and Movement 2 with a C or better. An exception to this requirement may be granted to students who complete the undergraduate curriculum in 4 years and cannot fit the extra class (MUS 465) into their course rotation.
• Request an extended 16-week secondary placement on the Student Teacher Application and justify the request. This will be reviewed by the music education faculty.

These factors will be considered by a panel of music education faculty who will make the decision to approve or deny requests for 16-week secondary placement.

During the student teaching semester, the prospective music teacher must apply for certification through the Certification Office and pass the TExES exam.

The Department encourages music education students to maximize their time in the field-based program. To that end, the Department strongly suggests that interns in the fall begin attending their assignments when the mentor teacher begins work in the late summer (e.g., band camp) and continue until activities conclude in December (even after university graduation). Similarly, students in the spring should begin in early January when the mentor teacher begins work and continue until activities conclude in May. Thus, they have multiple opportunities to study with strong teachers in a variety of successful music programs.