Music Education - BME

This program prepares students to teach music at PreK-12 levels, with an emphasis on instrumental, choral-vocal, or general music. Students complete coursework approved by the state as well as professional knowledge and methods courses prior to the student teaching field experience.

Prospective teachers learn to be sensitive and compassionate to the unique needs, challenges and learning styles of a diverse adolescent student population. They develop critical thinking skills through an analysis of educational history, philosophy and psychology; measurement and evaluation of learning; and classroom management. They gain awareness of cultural diversity and the social and political contexts of education. Graduates of the secondary education licensure program are prepared to serve in a variety of school settings, both public and private.

This program is based on state, regional, and national licensure criteria and testing competencies. Specific subject-matter courses, developed in collaboration with lead faculty in the discipline, build connections between theory and practice. Preparations in the subject major along with education courses, including field experiences, assist in leading to licensure.

The Ottawa University teacher education program is state approved in Kansas and is also accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education/Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (NCATE/CAEP). The requirements outlined here meet licensure standards for the state of Kansas. Completion of this program does not guarantee licensure or certification in other states.

For students acquiring their first bachelor degree in Secondary and PreK-12 programs, they will need to complete or have the equivalent of the following coursework associated with the licensure area they are seeking in addition to the education coursework for the program. In addition, they will need one mathematics course, one psychology course, and one science course with a lab.

Upper Level Applied Lessons Proficiency Jury Exam:

Degree-seeking music majors (Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Bachelor of Music Education) must pass an upper level proficiency exam at the conclusion of their fourth semester of applied lessons, in order to continue into upper level applied lessons on their major instrument.

Music majors who do not pass the fourth semester applied lesson jury will be allowed to re-attempt in the fifth semester of study.  They will be allowed to enroll in upper division lessons in the fifth semester under the knowledge that if the jury is not passed on the second attempt, they will no longer be able to major in music, although a minor in music would still be an option for such a student.