Bachelor of Music
Music Education
Equipping students to learn how to learn.
Teaching is more than a profession, it’s a calling. The music education major at Samford provides our graduates with the knowledge, strategies, and dispositions to ensure that all students have access to a quality music education.
Teacher candidates at Samford benefit from comprehensive preparation in music teaching and learning. The curriculum allows teacher candidates to develop content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and professional dispositions, and then apply these competencies in a variety of field placements. By engaging with cooperating educators, guest teachers, and professional development opportunities, teacher candidates graduate with strong peer and mentor relationships that help them succeed in their careers.
Is This Program for Me?
Samford’s music education program offers concentrations in vocal/choral, and instrumental concentrations.
Our graduates use their expertise in musicianship, pedagogy, and learner development in a variety of teaching and learning environments. Upon graduation, teacher candidates are prepared to pursue K-12 licensure, and/or graduate study.
“The School of the Arts and music education program in particular are transforming and opening up new doors every year for its students! ”
“We have so many different career paths, programs, ensembles, and internships available, and they’re growing every year. The levels of involvement are endless, and the family-like quality here is truly unmatched. I have had wonderful and insightful experiences inside of Samford’s classrooms, and in classrooms around the community.”
—Bailey Cornelius, music education major with a concentration in voice
What Will I Learn?
This program prepares graduates to create high-quality, engaging, and responsive music learning environments in K-12 schools.
Key Skills
- Vocal and Instrumental Techniques
- Vocal and Instrumental Pedagogy
- Repertoire and Material Selection
- Music Theory/Aural Skills
- Music History
- Conducting Skills
- Vocal Techniques/Pedagogy
- Instrumental Techniques/Pedagogy
- Music Technology
- Critical Thinking and Metacognition
- Creative Pedagogy
- Learner Development
- Cultural Competency
What Makes Us Different?
Purposeful Engagement
Our teacher candidates have multiple opportunities to learn from cooperating educators, guest teachers, and clinicians at on and off-campus events each year. Our students regularly attend local, regional, and national professional development events that provide experiential learning, and relationship-building opportunities throughout their time at Samford. Our teacher candidates engage in field placements throughout their curriculum and gain more than 100 hours of experience before their final internship semester.
Our Faculty and Community
A great asset of our program is the diverse experience of our faculty, staff, and cooperating educators. By engaging with professionals with different backgrounds, skills, and strengths, our teacher candidates gain valuable learning experiences that help them define their own practice as teachers. Our community is focused on mentorship. We walk beside our students to mentor them as they become more experienced teachers. Our program cultivates relationships in and among students, area professionals, and faculty and staff who nurture our students throughout their careers. We get to know our students as people, as musicians, and as teaching artists.
Our Size
Samford’s music education program is small enough to meet individual student needs and mentor them during and beyond their time at Samford. However, Samford’s School of the Arts is large enough to offer students a variety of opportunities that meet their diverse aspirations. Our students frequently perform in multiple ensembles, musical theatre productions, and operas. Music educators at Samford do not have to choose education over performance.
Career Preparation
Throughout the curriculum, teacher candidates engage with cooperating educators in a variety of field placements. During their final semester, teacher candidates complete their final internship in two settings (K-6 and 6-12), guided by their cooperating educators and their University Supervisor.
Since 2020, our teacher candidates have had 100% pass rates on the edTPA exam. In addition to full-time teaching, graduates have pursued a variety of career paths and/or advanced degrees.
- Band or Choir Director
- Elementary General Music Teacher
- Performer
- Composer/Arranger
- Music Therapist
- Private Lesson Instructor
- Church Musician
- Music Librarian
- Music Historian
- Ethnomusicologist
- Instrument Repair Technician
