With over 150 online degree and certificate programs available, Georgia State University offers dozens of ways for individuals to enhance their careers and reach their professional goals.
And for teachers whose classrooms are filled with instruments, notes and performers, our newest program might come as music to their ears.
Georgia State University is proud to announce a new online Master of Music Education program. The program trains educators for a variety of outcomes, including the classroom, administration or doctoral degrees.
The program ensures all students leave with additional teaching experience, insights on writing curriculum, student assessment skills, practical classroom knowledge and improved ensemble directing ability. In addition, students complete a research project and supplemental material that allows them to immediately present at conferences or professional events. Research topics are chosen by students, giving them the opportunity to gain insight or find solutions to problems they encounter in their own classrooms.
Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education Patrick K. Freer has overseen master-level programs throughout his time at GSU. He’s seen the flexibility and positive impact that online components bring to the classroom, and he’s excited to expand offerings to include another avenue for students to gain understanding.
“It encourages immediacy of content application,” Freer said about online interactions. “They can happen in your classroom — you can shoot a video and ask a question about it. It is much more easily facilitated in an online environment. Students really made connections to the classrooms more easily when we added an online component (to the in-person curriculum), and now it will be totally online.”
The online component doesn’t just help students master curriculum; it also provides a cost-effective opportunity for teachers. With no need to commute, educators can save gas — and money — while completing coursework from anywhere with a wireless network. A number of graduate assistantships are available to students, some of which are able to be completed remotely.
The program can be completed in two years, totaling 36 credit hours, with two to three courses per semester. Most courses meet once a week for 2.5 hours, and optional summer courses may lighten course loads for busy students.
In addition, students are able to go above and beyond to take courses outside their traditional pathways. This unique option allows students to enhance their skills in certain areas of music.
“Full-time students may additionally be able to enroll in ensembles, lessons, and other types of in-person experiences in some situations,” said Freer, “as long as they meet any course prerequisites and requirements.”
For Peach State educators, graduates are ready to receive an advanced teaching certificate in the state of Georgia, a distinction that typically comes with a several-thousand-dollar pay increase annually. The program’s all-encompassing curriculum addresses all levels of K-12 education, building on a bachelor’s-level understanding of music, choral, orchestral, and band education curriculum.
Georgia State’s School of Music boasts a roster of world-class instructors who are nationally and internationally known for their jobs as instructors and researchers. In addition to a wide array of industry professionals, the program has received applications from prospective students in Africa and across the world, speaking to the various perspectives and music lenses students will be exposed to during the program.
“We’re seeking to enhance what teachers are doing in their own classrooms, so that we enhance the success and achievements of their students today,” Freer said.
Are you a music educator looking for your next degree? Learn more about the program by visiting the Music website or contacting Dr. Freer at [email protected] .