Bachelor of Music (Music Education)

The Bachelor of Music (Music Education) degree is intended primarily as a professional training course for students wishing to become music teachers in a school environment. The music education degree course meets requirements of professional bodies responsible for the accreditation of school music teachers.

In New South Wales the major employer of school music teachers is the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET), which stipulates specific musical and pedagogical skills and knowledge for a teacher to be certified as employable in departmental schools.

In addition to music teaching methods, music history and analysis, performance and compositional skills and knowledge, students must have attained information and communication technology competencies and have developed an understanding of children with special educational needs.

A significant component (80-100 days) of the course must include practical teaching experience in schools. Graduating teachers also need to meet the Teaching Standards of the New South Wales Institute of Teachers, a professional body responsible for accreditation of all NSW teachers working in schools. Graduating teachers need to demonstrate knowledge of subject content, pedagogy (including learning, teaching and evaluation strategies), NSW curriculum requirements and the needs of socially, culturally, ethnically, physically and intellectually diverse groups of students in schools.

In order to satisfy these requirements, the Music Education degree has a large core of mandated music education and general education units of study. The major focus is on developing teaching skills through studies in education, music education, choral and instrumental pedagogy and music technology.

In the fourth year students undertake extended Professional Experience sessions in schools supported by both high school teachers and experienced music education lecturers from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Shorter periods of Professional Experience are integrated into units of study in the second and third years of the course. Music Education specialists also develop practical, compositional, or research skills by taking a minimum of four semesters of Principal Study in an instrument, voice, composition or musicology. Students also take part in large ensembles (eg, Choir, Wind Symphony, Early Music Ensemble, Gamelan) and other performance units. All students take core studies in aural perception and harmony (or jazz music skills for jazz students), studies in analysis, history and culture, and music technology.

Principal study is available in the following areas:

• Brass: french horn, trombone, trumpet, tuba
• Composition
• Early Music: baroque flute, harpsichord, lute, recorder, viola da gamba, baroque trumpet
• Jazz: bass, drums, electric guitar, piano, saxophone, trombone, trumpet
• Musicology
• Organ
• Percussion
• Piano
• Strings: cello, double bass, guitar, harp, viola, violin
• Vocal Studies: classical
• Woodwind: bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone.

Core requirements for graduation with a Bachelor of Music (Music Education)

Students must successfully complete 192 credit points and reach the minimum levels of achievement in each area as outlined in the degree resolutions.

Typical enrolment patterns

The following tables show typical enrolment patterns for each specialisation within the degree and the appropriate credit points.

Bachelor of Music (Music Education) with Performance Principal Study

Bachelor of Music (Music Education) with Composition Principal Study

Bachelor of Music (Music Education) with Jazz Performance Principal Study

Bachelor of Music (Music Education) with Musicology Principal Study

Bachelor of Music (Music Education) Honours

Bachelor of Music (Music Education) Practice Teaching 2012

Course rules