Music Education (Ages 3-21)
Program Details
Cultivate your love for music while acquiring the essential skills and hands-on training to excel as a music educator. Our comprehensive music education program not only prepares you for licensure but also equips you with invaluable practical insights. Throughout your journey, you'll engage in clinical experiences within diverse educational settings, including schools tailored for early childhood, middle school, and adolescent to young adult learners. By the end of the program, you'll be empowered to inspire and educate students aged 3-21 not only in Ohio but also across 43 other states.
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Music in Music Education
Scholarships
Louise Dieterle Nippert Music Education Scholarship and the Mother McAuley Music Scholarship. Visit the Music Department Scholarships page for details.
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Music Education (Ages 3-21) major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 200: Music Theory I............ 3cr.
- MUSC 201: Aural Skills I............ 1cr.
- MUSC 208: Keyboard Skills I............ 1cr.
- EDMS 131: Professional Education............ 3cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
- CORE 100: First-Year Seminar............ 1cr.
- ENGL 101 or ENGL 115............ 3cr.
- CORE 101: GOA Co-Curriculum Program I............ 0cr.
Spring
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 202: Music Theory II............ 3cr.
- MUSC 203: Aural Skills II............ 1cr.
- MUSC 209: Keyboard Skills II............ 1cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
- EDFD 110: Human Development & Learning............ 3cr.
- PHIL 100: Ethics as an Intro to Philosophy............ 3cr.
- CORE 102: GOA Co-Curriculum Program II............ 0cr.
Fall
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 210: Music History I............ 3cr.
- MUSC 300: Music Theory III............ 3cr.
- MUSC 301: Aural Skills III............ 1cr.
- MUSC 308: Keyboard Skills III............ 3cr.
- MUSC 312: Conducting I............ 3cr.
- EDSP 200: Sp Ed: Identification & Issues............ 3cr.
- Private Lesson............ 0cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
- Small Ensemble............ 1cr.
Spring
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 151, 152, or 268............ 3cr.
- MUSC 211: Music History............ 0cr.
- MUSC 302: Music Theory IV............ 3cr.
- MUSC 303: Aural Skills IV............ 1cr.
- MUSC 309: Keyboard Skills II............ 3cr.
- MUSC 313: Conducting II............ 0cr.
- MUSC 351: String Techniques............ 0cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
Fall
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 320: Instrumental Methods............ 3cr.
- MUSC 353: Brass Techniques............ 3cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
- EDSP 380: Classroom Management............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective I............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- ENGL/CLAS/SPAN 205: Literature & the Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
Spring
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 304: Producing Electronic Music I............ 3cr.
- MUSC 352: Woodwind Techniques............ 3cr.
- Private Lesson............ 1cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
- Second Language Elective............ 3cr.
- Scientific Perspectives............ 3cr.
- MUSC 221: Elementary Methods............ 3cr.
- EDMS 350: Technology & Topics for Education............ 3cr.
Fall
- MUSC 199: Recital Attendance............ 0cr.
- MUSC 401: Orchestration & Arranging............ 3cr.
- MUSC 354: Percussion Techniques............ 3cr.
- EDMS 411: Clinical Experiences............ 1cr.
- MUSC 321: Choral Methods............ 3cr.
- MUSC 450: Senior Recital............ 0cr.
- Private Lessons............ 1cr.
- Large Ensemble............ 1cr.
- Natural Science Elective............ 1cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Philosophical Perspectives............ 3cr.
Spring
- EDMS 471: Student Teaching: Multi-Age ............ 9cr.
- EDRE 471: Content Area Literacy............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
Sample courses within the music education curriculum:
- Private Lessons (MUSC 276-299)- The music education curriculum includes 7 hours of private music lessons. Lessons include: bassoon, cello, clarinet, composition, double bass, flute, French horn, guitar, harp, jazz guitar/voice, oboe, organ, percussion, piano, rap, saxophone, songwriting, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin, and voice.
- Keyboard Skills I (MUSC 208) - Skills learned include elementary scales, arpeggios, triads, chord progressions and solo repertoire as well as sight-reading, accompaniment, harmonization, transposition and improvisation.
- Music History I (MUSC 210) - This course traces the path of Western classical music from antiquity to the end of the Baroque era around 1750, situating the music in its historical and cultural context. The main objectives of the survey include acquiring the basic facts of music history, understanding its terminology, and identifying the stylistic traits that characterize the various eras, genres, nations and composers.
- Professional Education (EDMS 131) - This course provides an introduction to the teaching profession through a philosophical, historical and multicultural approach. The student will examine beliefs, motives, values and behaviors as they relate to the teaching profession. Field experiences are required.
- Clinical Experiences (EDMS 411) - This course offers clinical experiences in various educational settings, including schools catering to childhood, middle school and adolescent to young adult learners. It covers learning problem diagnosis, remediation, assessment techniques, and best practices. Additionally, there's a weekly seminar.
- Classroom Management (EDSP 380) - Teacher preparation seminar covering laws, policies, and ethics in behavior management, classroom organization, and communication skills for K-12 educators. Includes strategies for positive classroom management, adapting to diverse populations and problem-solving techniques.
Student Clubs
- National Association for Music Education- The mission of the National Association for Music Education Club is to provide professional development opportunities for music education students that are hands-on and practical to the teaching profession.
- Campus Music Organizations- There are numerous musical clubs and organizations on campus, including the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, the XU Concert Choir, the women and men's choruses and the Edgecliff Vocal Ensemble.
Career Outcomes
99 percent of Xavier students are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation. Explore Xavier's Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.
Xavier music graduates have gone on to such diverse positions and employers as:
- Music educator, public and private schools
- Private music studio instructor
- University professor
- Performer in local bands
- Sales, professional recording equipment
- Member, United States Army Band
- Cincinnati Opera
- Nashville music industry
- Public health administrator
- Teach for America
- Jesuit Volunteer Corps
- Montessori and special education teachers
- Physician, registered nurse or other medical professional
- Procter and Gamble
Xavier music graduates have also been accepted into graduate music programs at:
- Columbia University
- Florida State University
- Indiana University School of Music
- Miami University (OH)
- Northwestern University
- Ohio University
- Peabody Conservatory
- St. Louis University
- University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
- University of Louisville
- University of Massachusetts
- University of Maryland
Find more information on our Music Alumni webpage.
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Broaden Your Musical Horizons and Develop Versatility as a Performer
Musical clubs and organizations on campus include the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, the XU Concert Choir, the women and men's choruses and the Edgecliff Vocal Ensemble.
Gain Expertise in a Curriculum Focused on Real-World Learning
As a student in the music education program, you'll benefit from private music lessons, participate in ensemble opportunities, attend recitals and gain valuable experience through student teaching.
Kickstart Your Music Teaching Career in Cincinnati, Ohio
Students have multiple opportunities to engage with local arts organizations, including the Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, Xavier has long-term partnerships with over 50 regional school districts where students are placed for student teaching.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Music Education (Ages 3-21) Major at Xavier University
All of Xavier's programs in music education have been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Xavier University’s Music Program prepares students to enter the fields of music and music education, pursue graduate-level education, or enter occupations outside of music that requires a solid foundation in the liberal arts. The Music Program is committed to the advancement of knowledge through the study of music as an art and a science. This study encompasses music theory, music history, pedagogy, esthetics, music education, and an extensive list of applied music opportunities.
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."