Music Education – BS

Program Overview:

The Saint Rose Music Education program is comprehensive K-12 and enables graduates to teach in all areas of music: general, instrumental, and vocal. Instrumental music majors focus on Instrumental Music Education, which prepares them to be band or orchestra directors as well as general music teachers. Vocal, Piano, and Guitar majors focus on Vocal Music Education, which prepares them to be choral directors and/or general music teachers.

If a piano or guitar major has a designated proficiency on a band or orchestra instrument and desires to change tracks, they must pass an audition on an additional instrument. The track may then change to instrumental but they must continue major lessons on piano or guitar with five additional semesters of successful secondary applied lessons on their minor instruments. It is recommended that this audition take place during regular audition dates, however, this change must be declared and approved by the end of their freshmen year to ensure all instrumental techniques courses are completed.

Upon fulfilling the academic requirements of the Music Education program and passing examinations required by the New York State Education Department, students qualify for initial certification to teach music in New York State. Certification to teach in other states is available through each state’s Department of Education.

Program Contacts:

Dr. Michael Lister

Music Department Chair

Email: listerm@mail.strose.edu

Dr. Jennifer Campbell

Music Education Program Coordinator

Email: campbelj@mail.strose.edu

Program Webpage:

Music Education, BS

Program Requirements:

Auditions

An audition with members of the Music Department faculty is required for everyone who wishes to major in Music at The College of Saint Rose. For audition information and examples of appropriate audition repertoire, please consult the College of Saint Rose Music Webpage: www.strose.edu/music. 

Transfer Credit and Advanced Placement Theory Credit

Entering students with an advanced placement grade of 4 or 5 in the written and/or aural section of the AP Music Theory Exam will be advanced to MUS 201 Music Theory III and/or MUS 203 Advanced Ear Training and Sight Singing, respectively.

Acceptance of transfer credit will be evaluated at the time of entry by way of course placement tests in the appropriate areas at the time of audition and through a review of student transcripts. Based upon skill and work, music faculty may approve up to 4 semesters of applied lessons.

Music Talent Awards

Music talent awards and academic scholarships are available to qualified entering students on the basis of their musical and academic abilities. Music talent scholarship recipients are required maintain a minimum average of 3.0 in their music courses and a minimum cumulative average of 2.0. Those who perform at an acceptable level on a secondary instrument or voice that may serve the needs of Department ensembles are also eligible for awards. 

As part of the responsibility for accepting this award, students will be required to perform in 1 to 2 ensembles in addition to the required performing ensemble, as determined by the Talent Award Committee. This responsibility is required for seven semesters for Music Education majors. Students seeking scholarship beyond the standard 8-semester sequence may submit their request to the Talent Award Committee for consideration (contact the Music Department for more information).

Applied Music

Applied music instruction on their principal instrument or voice is required of all Music majors. All Music Education majors are required to complete seven semesters of applied study on their major instrument. Repertoire Class and Music Convocation are required for each semester registered for applied lessons. Students are required to successfully complete an Upper Divisional Jury at before advancing to their fifth semester of applied lessons. Semester and annual juries are part of the assessment tools used in applied study.  Please consult specific syllabi for detailed requirements.

Major Ensembles

Music Education majors are required to participate in the major performing group appropriate to their applied concentration for a minimum of seven semesters. All Music majors are required to earn a minimum of four college credits of major ensemble participation. All transfer students are required to take a minimum of four semesters of their major performing ensemble at The College of Saint Rose.

MUS 289 Symphony Orchestra: Participation in this ensemble is required of all music majors whose applied area is violin, viola, cello, double bass or harp.

MUS 291 Masterworks Chorale: Participation in this ensemble is required of all vocal, piano, and guitar Music Education majors.

MUS 292 Wind Ensemble: Participation in this ensemble is required of all Music Education, brass, woodwind and percussion majors. MUS 290 Symphonic Band may be substituted in this area for proper placement after an approved successful audition each semester.

Small Ensembles

All Music Education students are required to register and successfully participate in Chamber Ensembles for a minimum of 4 semesters.  These ensembles include: Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Brass Choir, Flute Choir, Woodwind Quintet, Double Reed Ensemble, Brass Quintet, Trombone Choir, Chamber Winds, Madrigal Singers, Opera Workshop, Women’s Chorale, Baroque Flute Ensemble, Men's Glee Club, Clarinet Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Mixed Vocal/Instrumental Ensemble, Vocal/String/Piano Chamber Music Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Strings.

All music majors may participate in non-required major and small ensembles as well. 

Overall Music Student Requirements

Music majors are required to earn a minimum grade of C in all required music courses. Any and all of these courses in which a student receives a grade below C, are required to be repeated at Saint Rose until a grade of C or higher is attained.  

Music Department Listening List: Music students will be assessed on their knowledge of and familiarity with a body of music literature selected by the music faculty in MUS 302.

Music Theory Placement Exam: All entering music students, major and/or minor, will be required to take a Music Theory/Ear training placement test. Those students who do not achieve a passing score will be placed into MUS 110 (Fundamentals of Music) as a prerequisite to MUS 101 (Music Theory I) and MUS 103 Ear Training I).

Concert Attendance Requirements

Students enrolled in music degree programs are required to attend ten live performances per semester as a member of the audience. Performances that will fulfill the concert attendance requirement are those presented by college and university ensembles, college student recitals, college faculty recitals, professional orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists, student playbacks and selected commercial music performances which are approved by the music faculty of the individual Repertoire classes (MUS 100).

Students are required to arrive before the beginning of the concert and stay until the end. For performances at The College of Saint Rose, students are required to submit programs signed by a member of the Saint Rose music faculty as evidence of attendance. For performances not at The College of Saint Rose, a program signed at the concert by a concert participant, or someone related to the performance, is required. The programs are to be submitted to their Repertoire Class Instructor (MUS 100) in accordance with the class syllabus.

Piano Proficiency (MUS 484)

All Music Education students are required to pass the piano proficiency prior to student teaching. It is administered during final exam week and may be taken during subsequent semesters until passed. Prerequisites: MUS 281 and MUS 282.

Professional Qualities Assessment for Music Education Majors

Students at The College of Saint Rose who are candidates to become professional music educators are required to demonstrate high standards in communication skills, in the ability to take responsibility and accept personal accountability, and in ethical thought and practice. As candidates progress toward completion of their professional education programs, they are required to demonstrate evidence to professors that, through course work, field and clinical experiences and interpersonal interactions, they are developing professionally. Faculty consider these professional qualities to be as important as academic performance since they are so clearly related to one’s success as a professional. The Music department faculty will rate candidates in each of these three categories:

• Communication Skills
• Professional Responsibility/Accountability
• Ethics

Core Curriculum

Music Theory and History (18 credits)

Ear Training and Solfege (8 credits)

Keyboard Harmony (4 credits)

Applied Music (7 credits)

Major Performing Ensembles (7 semesters/4 credits)

Students must take Ensemble for 4 semesters at 1 credit and 3 semesters for 0-1 credit. Ensemble is based on applied area.

Small Ensembles (4 semesters)

Students must take Small Ensemble for 4 semesters at either 0 or 1 credit.

Instrumental Concentration

Professional Studies (39 credits)

Education Coursework (9-10 credits)

Vocal Concentration (Voice/Guitar/Piano)

Professional Studies (37-38 credits)

Education Coursework (9-10 credits)

Music Education Major Summary (Total Credits)

Suggested 4 Year Course Plan:

Instrumental

This suggested plan is designed to give students an idea of how to balance their coursework over 8 semesters and to graduate within 4 years. Most students will need to take a minimum of 30 credits each year in order to meet the graduation requirement of a minimum of 122 overall credits.  It should be used along with your Degree Works worksheet and in consultation with your faculty advisor. It is meant as a guide, not a definitive list of courses that must be taken as written. Your faculty advisor will help you make any necessary adjustments during advisement.

Voice/Piano/Guitar

This suggested plan is designed to give students an idea of how to balance their coursework over 8 semesters and to graduate within 4 years. Most students will need to take a minimum of 30 credits each year in order to meet the graduation requirement of a minimum of 122 overall credits.  It should be used along with your Degree Works worksheet and in consultation with your faculty advisor. It is meant as a guide, not a definitive list of courses that must be taken as written. Your faculty advisor will help you make any necessary adjustments during advisement.

Internship/Field Experiences/Service:

Student Teaching

Music Education majors practice teaching in methods courses and must complete a minimum of 100 hours of classroom observations in area schools before student teaching. Music student teachers spend one entire semester in their student teaching placements. They are placed in schools with individual consideration to strengths, personalities and areas that will be strengthened by the placement.

While student teaching, Saint Rose Music Education students are observed and supervised by full-time Saint Rose Music Education faculty. Since 2005, The College of Saint Rose Music Department has placed student teachers in the following school districts:

Gloversville, Guilderland, Waterford-Halfmoon, Mohonasen, Shenendehowa, Fonda-Fultonville, East Greenbush, Catskill, Niskayuna, Cairo-Durham, Chatham, Albany, Glens Falls, Johnsburg, Schalmont, Northville, North Colonie, South Colonie, Schuylerville, Onteora, Troy, Johnstown, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Schodack, Saratoga Springs, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Schenectady, Ichabod Crane, Coxsackie-Athens, Rhinebeck and Taconic Hills.

Culminating Academic Experiences:

Final Projects

A culminating music project is required of all students fulfilling a degree program in Music Education.

Music Education majors are required to prepare and present a senior recital of at least thirty minutes but no longer than sixty minutes in length. The appropriate format for each student is determined at the applied music jury preceding the semester in which he/she presents the recital. The student is required to register for Music 450 Senior Performance (0 credit) and be enrolled in applied music during the semester in which he/she presents the recital. Senior recitals may only be presented during the fall or spring semesters. They may not be presented before the tenth week of the seventh semester of applied studies. Senior Recitals may not take place while student teaching.

Required Courses

Professional Accreditation:

The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.

The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.msche.org

The Department of Music at The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the U. S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/

Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.ncate.org/

Career Opportunities and Graduate Studies:

Careers and Graduate Study

Music education graduates may find employment in public and private schools, as well as other employment opportunities within education. Public school music teachers must earn a master’s degree within five years of their first teaching position to retain New York state certification. Our music graduates have gone on to pursue advanced study in some of the most prestigious music schools in the country, including:

The College of Saint Rose

The Boston Conservatory

The Eastman School of Music

The Hartt School

Indiana University

The New England Conservatory

Admissions and Financial Aid Information:

The Undergraduate Admissions Office begins review of Freshman applications each fall in late September for the following Fall. Students are encouraged to submit a complete an application as early as November. The Admissions Team will return a decision on complete applications within just three weeks. The College awards academic scholarships at the same time.

What Makes an Application Complete

• Online or Paper application (fee waived for online applicants!)
• Official High School Transcripts
• Official Transcripts for any College Level Courses
• SAT or ACT scores  (See Test Optional FAQ's)
• Letter of Recommendation from a Counselor or Teacher
• Essay or Graded Paper
• Applicants may also apply via the Common Application Online.
• Art applicants are required to complete a portfolio review.

Admissions contact information (telephone number, admissions web pages)

Scholarships and Financial Aid

See Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section for more information.

The Bottom Line

The total cost of The College of Saint Rose (including tuition, fees, room and board) is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast, and we still award more than $25 million in Saint Rose scholarships, grants and financial aid.

Take a look at our bottom line, and view a cost comparison with a four-year public institution.

More about Financial Aid

Financial Aid is defined as any grant, scholarship, loan, or employment opportunity given with the express purpose of assisting you with education-related expenses to make you education affordable. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of student need and the availability of funds.

The Admission and Financial Aid teams have designed a Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid to help prospective students and families get to the bottom line and find that The College of Saint Rose is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast--while maintaining powerful academic opportunities.

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