The Bachelor of Music in Music Education with Teacher Certification prepares undergraduates for teaching careers in early childhood through 12th grade music programs. This program combines conservatory-level music experiences, research-proven teaching methodologies, and a strong liberal arts education with practical experiences in public schools to develop leaders in the field of music education. This degree can be completed in four years.
After the completion of 60 hours of coursework, including the music theory sequence, music education students must successfully undergo an upper-division review before enrolling in upper-division coursework. Prior to student-teaching certification, students must complete 45 clock hours of field experience in early childhood through grade 12 schools.
Students should arrange to take both portions of the state-mandated Texas Higher Education Assessment before their student-teaching term. Registration for the TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Test requires approval of the Department of Teaching and Learning of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Students are not eligible to apply for state certification until successful completion of the TExES examination, all degree requirements and student-teaching hours.
Student teaching, in addition to being subject to the eligibility requirements published by the Department of Teaching and Learning, must be approved by the Music Education Department and must follow successful completion of all methods (MUED) and techniques (MUAS) courses. Student teaching is considered a full-time endeavor, with no daytime coursework or concurrent ensemble assignments.
SMU Degree Requirements
An SMU undergraduate degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and must include completion of the University’s Common Curriculum , one major and a combination of electives and/or other majors or minors. Completion of certain majors requires more than 120 hours to finish the degree. The credit hours within this curriculum are distributed as follows: