Bachelor of Music Education at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Students who want to teach music in K-12 schools should pursue a bachelor of music education degree. This degree leads to certification in both vocal and instrumental music.

A performance audition is required for acceptance as a music education major. Auditions are usually held in January and February. The Glenn Korff School of Music should be contacted for audition dates and other details.

Admission to the Music Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite for a music education major to enroll in any 300- or 400-level music education course. Admission is competitive and enrollment is limited. Admission requires meeting all of the following criteria:

1. Completion of at least 42 credit hours with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
2. Completion of MUED 201 Introduction to Music Education and MUED 244 Music Learning and Development with a minimum grade of C and MUED 297 Professional Practicum Experiences with a Pass.
3. Documentation of proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics through successful completion of a basic skills examination that meets the Nebraska Department of Education competency requirement.
4. Completion of all 100-level applied music courses required by the BME degree.
5. Completion of MUSC 266 Music Theory IV, MUSC 266A Aural Skills IV, and MUAP 232 Keyboard Skills IV (or piano proficiency).
6. Completion of a personal and professional fitness self-disclosure form and formal criminal history background check (fee required). (Undertaken during MUED 201 and MUED 297.)
7. Successful completion of a screening interview and digital portfolio review with music education faculty. (Undertaken during MUED 244.)

Interview and Portfolio Review Process

Through coursework taken during the freshman and sophomore years, each student will compile a digital portfolio to give evidence of his or her potential as a music teacher. This portfolio will include an autobiographical essay, an educational philosophy statement, a professional resume, and sample lesson plans. The music education faculty will review the digital portfolio prior to conducting a screening interview. During the interview, students will demonstrate their suitability to a career in music education by responding to questions posed by the faculty. Feedback will be provided to each student detailing the results of the faculty's assessment.

Students will be admitted into the Music Teacher Education Program during the spring semester. If a student fails to meet any of the above criteria, they will meet with the music education faculty to determine a course of remediation if applicable. If a student wishes to contest the decision of the music education faculty, they may appeal to the director of the Glenn Korff School of Music.

Student teaching is required for all students who are candidates for an appropriately endorsed Nebraska Teacher's Certificate. Students who plan to student teach during the fall semester must apply to the coordinator of Music Field Experiences by the preceding March 1. Students who plan to student teach during the spring semester must apply by the preceding October 1.

During their student teaching semester, students are to be enrolled exclusively in courses that comprise the student teaching experience (MUED 403 Student Teaching Seminar and MUED 497D Student Teaching - Elementary Music or MUED 497T Student Teaching - Secondary Music). Students wishing to enroll in a degree requirement course while student teaching (in order to graduate at the end of the semester) may do so only with the permission of the director of the Glenn Korff School of Music. Students cannot enroll in classes that are not required for their degree.

The removal of an incomplete in student recitals (MUSR 90 Recital in Applied Music) during student teaching must have prior approval from the director of the Glenn Korff School of Music.
 

The basic requirements for admission to student teaching are:

1. Matriculation in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, the Graduate College, or dual matriculation in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and another college.
2. Admission to the Music Teacher Education Program.
3. Senior standing (89 hours or more) with a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA.
4. Completion of all 300- and 400-level MUED courses: MUED 343 Music Composition Methods, MUED 344 General Music Methods, MUED 345 Instrumental Music Methods, MUED 346 Choral Music Methods, MUED 374 Advanced Conducting, and MUED 470 Music and Special Education, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and no grade below C+ (2.33).
5. Completion of all 300- and 400-level practica: MUED 397A Professional Practicum Experiences - General Music, MUED 397B Professional Practicum Experiences - Instrumental Music/MUED 397D Professional Practicum Experiences - Choral Music, and MUED 497D Student Teaching - Elementary Music/MUED 497T Student Teaching - Secondary Music, each with a grade of Pass.
6. Completion of a criminal history check that will be conducted by an independent party (fee required).

The basic program for student teaching in music provides for a full-day experience on a semester basis.

Student Teaching Placement

All student teachers will have a student teacher placement within a 90-mile radius of the UNL City Campus. Although efforts will be made to place students in their location of choice, no placement is guaranteed and is subject to the discretion of the district's HR representative, building principal, cooperating teacher, and the GKSOM Coordinator of Music Field Experiences (COMFE). All placements outside of Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) must be confirmed by the time of the LPS student teacher placement meeting; otherwise, an LPS placement will be requested for the student.

Students must be formally observed a minimum of five times during the semester by a designated UNL supervisor. The supervisor will also be responsible for completing a midterm and final evaluation of the student teacher. Students are not to contact potential cooperating teachers directly to set up their own placement, since each district must follow its specific placement process. The student may only contact the cooperating teacher directly once notified by the COMFE that the placement has been confirmed and approved. Students may not student teach at the high school from which they graduated. Cooperating teachers must have completed at least three years of teaching experience. State rule also requires that student teachers are placed in a building that is approved or accredited. Student teachers must complete a OneSource criminal background check within 90 days prior to the start of student teaching. Students will be responsible for attending MUED 403 Student Teaching Seminar, which meets approximately once a month during the semester. Students must attend the seminar in person; remote attendance will not be permitted.

Criminal History/Background Check

All students will be required to have a criminal history/background check completed no earlier than 90 days prior to the first day of their student teaching experience. This will be at the expense of the student. The applications for acceptance into the music teacher education program and into student teaching also require completion of a self-disclosure form.

Removal from Student Teaching

Students participating in practicum or student teaching assignments may be removed from their assigned schools if their conduct suggests a lack of professional commitment and presents a negative influence on the well-being or learning of the students in the schools. If such a problem occurs, the student in question will be removed by the coordinator of Music Field Experiences at the request of the cooperating teacher, building principal, and the university supervisor. In such cases, a written report stating the problem and efforts to correct the situation will be forwarded to the Certification Officer for the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Any student removed from a practicum or student teaching assignment may appeal that decision by submitting a written request to the director of the School of Music within 30 days of the removal. The director will schedule a meeting, request pertinent information from the coordinator of Music Field Experiences, and notify the student several days in advance of the scheduled appeal meeting. Students are advised of their right to seek legal advice and may personally attend the appeals meeting. The decision will be forwarded in writing to the student, the coordinator of Music Field Experiences, the director of Field Experiences for the College of Education and Human Sciences, and the dean of the College.

Moral Character and Safety Concerns

Teaching is a profession that requires its potential candidates to be individuals of integrity. Prospective teachers must be able to demonstrate that they are individuals of strong moral character who can make mature decisions for themselves and for their students. Teachers are responsible for the education, safety and well-being for anyone in their charge. Therefore, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts is interested in training future teachers who show a high degree of moral character and the ability to act responsibly. These individuals must be able to serve as representatives of our College and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

With this in mind, should the College discover behavior which in its reasonable judgment establishes on the part of the candidate a lack of integrity or questionable moral/ethical character or otherwise indicates a potential of risk to young persons and others in the educational community, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts reserves the right to deny entry to or dismiss anyone from any program which leads to certification. More specifically, these kinds of behavior shall be adequate foundation to deny any candidate or potential candidate from participation in any practicum, pre-practicum, student teaching, or similar field experience, since the interests and safety of the children and young people present in the classroom, schools, and other venues where these practicum experiences take place are paramount.

Problematic behaviors, which the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts reasonably determines renders the candidate a risk to the educational community or demonstrates a likelihood of illegal activity, may be established by any credible means, including the facts surrounding a record of arrests and/or convictions.

Similarly, behaviors which result in a finding by a court or other governmental body that the individual is:
 

• A mentally ill and dangerous person.
• Mentally incompetent to stand trial.
• Acquitted of criminal charges because of insanity.
• An incapacitated person.
• A person in need of a guardian or conservator.
• A person unable to manage his or her property due to mental illness, mental deficiency, or chronic use of drugs or chronic intoxication are the kind of behaviors which are likely to disqualify a candidate from participation in practicum experiences and other Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts programs.

Nebraska State Department of Education Policy Pertaining to Students with Felony or Misdemeanor Convictions

The Nebraska Department of Education policy requires that a person with felony convictions or misdemeanor convictions involving abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct shall not be allowed to participate in pre-student teaching laboratory and classroom experiences or student teach without approval by the Board of Education. To comply with this policy, the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts will require each student to affirm under oath that he or she does not have any convictions in the above named areas prior to each field placement. If a student does have any felony or misdemeanor convictions, he/she is required to meet with Sara Skretta, Certification Officer, Student Services Center, 104 Henzlik Hall, 402-472-8626, as soon as possible. Students with questions pertaining to convictions should contact Dr. Skretta.

Application for a Nebraska Teaching Certificate

To actively engage in the teaching profession, a candidate must fulfill both the College degree requirements and the professional certification requirements of the State of Nebraska. Undergraduate students apply for the teaching certificate at the same time they apply for the baccalaureate degree. Post-baccalaureate students completing teacher certification apply to the Advisor for Music Education, Westbrook Music Building.

Graduation Without Certification

In rare cases, permission may be granted for a student to graduate without a recommendation for certification. This provision is for the student who does not qualify for or is removed from student teaching. However, there are times when, because of illness or other extreme situations, a student will decide not to complete all professional requirements. In this situation, the student should contact his or her advisor, then complete a formal request to the coordinator of Music Field Experiences to be allowed to graduate without completing all certification requirements. If permission is granted, the student is expected to complete all professional requirements except student teaching. This includes a passing grade in all methods courses. If a student fails to complete at least one half of the student teaching assignment, the individual will be required to complete a culminating project not to exceed 6 credit hours.

Any student who graduates without a recommendation for certification will not be recommended for teacher certification in any state. In addition, the student will not be eligible for graduation with honors. If, at some future time, the student wishes to complete certification requirements, he or she must first appeal for readmission to the music teacher education program. At least one semester must pass after graduation before the appeal can be made. If the appeal is granted, the student will be treated as a readmitted student and will complete all requirements in effect at the time of reentry, including passing grades in all methods courses.

College Requirements

College Admission

Requirements for admission to the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts are consistent with general University admission requirements. These include:
 

• English (4 units)
• Mathematics (4 units)
• Social studies (3 units)
• Natural sciences (3 units)
• Foreign language (2 units)

NOTE: One unit equals one year of high school credit.

One of the following performance standards must also be met:

New Freshmen: Minimum ACT 20 (composite), minimum SAT 950 (combined), or rank in top half of high school graduating class.

Transfer and Readmit Students: Completed 12 or more semester credits from a post-secondary institution with a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA and 2.0 GPA during the last semester of record at the time of application. (Emerging media arts majors: minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA and 3.0 GPA during the last semester of record at the time of application.)

International Students: Minimum TOEFL 70 (Internet) or 523 (paper).

Individual departments may have higher standards for acceptance into the different degrees and options. Please check with the individual departments for these standards.

Auditions/Portfolio Reviews

Auditions are required for admission to the Glenn Korff School of Music for music, music education, and dance majors. Auditions are also required for admission to the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film for the acting major. A separate application and portfolio review are required for acceptance into all other programs in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.

Admission Deficiencies/Removal of Deficiencies

Students who are admitted through the Admission by Review process with core course deficiencies will have certain conditions attached to their enrollment at Nebraska. These conditions are in this catalog under “Removal of Deficiencies.â€

Students with one deficiency, two deficiencies but not in the same category, or two deficiencies in foreign language who receive a Deferred Admission or Admission by Review, may be considered for admission to the college. Students who are admitted through the Admission by Review process with core course deficiencies will have certain conditions attached to their enrollment at Nebraska. These conditions are explained under Admission to the University, Removal of Deficiencies in this catalog.

College Degree Requirements

College General Education Requirements

Foreign Languages/Language Requirement

The languages requirement serves to help students gain a working familiarity with a language and a culture other than their own.

All students pursuing bachelor of arts or bachelor of music degrees are required to complete the intermediate level in one foreign language. Some or all of these courses may be completed while in high school. Courses approved to satisfy the languages requirement are offered by the Department of Classics and Religious Studies and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in the College of Education and Human Sciences. A student is required to successfully complete 202 to fulfill the languages requirement. (Exceptions: In Japanese, a student must complete JAPN 201 Second-Year Japanese I and one additional course from JAPN 202 Intermediate Grammar and Reading I, JAPN 203 Second-Year Japanese II, and JAPN 204 Intermediate Grammar and Reading II; in Greek, the student must complete two 300-level courses; in Latin, a student must take LATN 301 Latin Prose I and LATN 302 Latin Poetry I.) Instruction is currently available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish, and American Sign Language. View the College page for a full listing of approved courses.

NOTE:

• A student who has completed three years of one foreign language study in high school may fulfill the languages requirement by taking a fourth-semester-level course.
• A student who has completed the fourth-year level of one foreign language in high school is exempt from the languages requirement.
• Any student who achieves a specified scaled score in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject exam in French, German, and Spanish, levels 1 and 2, will be exempt from the languages requirement and will also receive credit for the fourth-semester course in the language.
• A transfer student with 11 or 12 semester hours of accepted credit has two choices: 1) to complete 6 hours in the same language at the 200 level; or 2) with permission of the chair of the department to enroll in a fourth semester course.
• A student from a foreign country who has demonstrated acceptable proficiency in his or her native language (other than English) is exempted from the languages requirement without credit toward the degree. American students who present acceptable evidence that their second language is English are exempted from the languages requirement without credit toward the degree. All such students should see the Dean's Office, 102 Woods Art Building, for this exemption.

Minimum Hours Required for Graduation

A minimum of 120 semester hours of credit is required for graduation from the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. Students in the College are required to maintain a minimum current and cumulative GPA of 2.0. Individual departments may require a higher current and cumulative GPA.

Grade Rules

C- and D Grades

The College will accept no more than 15 semester hours of D grades from schools outside of the University of Nebraska system.

Grades lower than C earned at Nebraska or transferred from other schools cannot be applied toward requirements in a major, but may be applied toward total hours.

Pass/No Pass

University regulations for the Pass/No Pass privilege state: The Pass/No Pass option is designed to be used by a student seeking to expand his/her intellectual horizons by taking courses in areas where he/she may ha

1. Understand the role of music in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children and adolescents.
2. Integrate into instruction a variety of musical styles including classical, jazz, popular, and world music.
3. Acquire effective teacher characteristics in terms of rapport with students, verbal instruction, and nonverbal communication.
4. Detect errors in musical performance and devise effective strategies to correct them.
5. Build a repertoire of classroom management techniques to use in any music teaching situation.
6. Teach with engaging classroom activities and sound rehearsal techniques.
7. Develop curricula and plan for instruction in P-12 settings.
8. Use assessment appropriately in various educational settings.