Master of Music, Music Education—Kodaly Emphasis Option

The Master of Music, Music Education Specialization - Kodály Emphasis Option is a graduate program designed for elementary classroom music teachers, independent music instructors, and secondary music teachers interested in developing their teaching, conducting, musicianship, and depth of knowledge about music education. 

One unique aspect of this program is that it enables students to earn national certification in Kodály music teaching through CSU’s Colorado Kodály Institute while earning a master's degree. The Colorado Kodály Institute (CKI) is one of the select programs endorsed by the Organization of American Kodály Educators. CKI faculty are among the top experts in the United States, and the University Center for the Arts location, at the foothills of the Rockies, provides an inspiring setting for personal growth.

The degree is designed to be completed over a time span of three summers with a minimum of 30 total credits (the degree is officially conferred at the end of the fall semester following the term in which all coursework has been completed), with several distance and/or evening courses required to be taken during the school year. Students have the option, therefore, of living remotely during the school year and traveling to Fort Collins for the core summer coursework. The majority of participants in this degree program teach either part or full-time during the school year, gaining relevant experience while pursuing the graduate degree. As a result, they are continually assimilating real-world teaching experiences into their academic coursework. 

Graduate Music Education Degrees: General Learning Objectives

Students will:

1. Develop the ability to think abstractly, analyze complex ideas or phenomena, synthesize or generalize knowledge across disciplines and sub-disciplines, interpret and apply scholarly findings to specialized topic areas, and communicate ideas effectively in oral and written forms. 
2. Develop an awareness of substantive publications in music education and the field of education. 
3. Define national trends in music education that impact K-12 educational settings. 
4. Describe the contemporary role of curriculum and assessment design plays in the teaching-learning process. 
5. Create music curriculum assessment tools designed to measure simple and complex learning in classroom and studio/applied settings. 
6. Engage in informed critical discussion regarding current standards-based frameworks in music and contemporary K-12 American education contexts. 

Kodály Program-Level Learning Objectives

Students will:

1. Develop the skill, intellect, and musicianship necessary among those who wish to become the next generation of leaders in the field of Music Education.
2. Develop a philosophical and pedagogical approach to utilize in all educational settings and competency in techniques that embody the approach.
3. Develop foundational skills in advocacy and leadership for school settings.
4. Develop a method of score analysis that fosters learners' success in all educational settings.
5. Develop a concept-based collection of pedagogical repertoires that is fully analyzed, researched both musically and culturally, and organized into a practical, retrievable curriculum.
6. Develop the skills necessary to lead and conduct ensembles within K-12 schools with best-practice rehearsal strategies and methodology, including repertoire of varying difficulty levels spanning multiple genres and time periods.
7. Integrate best-practice rehearsal strategies with sound conducting technique into school music classrooms and/or community/professional ensembles.

Admission

Applicants are expected to be State-Licensed Music Teachers* and demonstrate excellent musicianship and interpersonal skills.

*Exceptions may be made by the Music Education area on a case-by-case basis. For information about the admissions processes to the Graduate School and School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, as well as information about the summer institute, please visit our website. 

Students interested in graduate work should refer to the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.

Music Program Fee

A music program fee is assessed with Undergraduate and graduate music and musical theatre majors and music minors, per semester. Does not apply to the following students: online degree students and summers-only master's degree students. . Please visit the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for special course fees.