Music Education M.A.T.

Dr. Tina Holmes-Davis, Coordinator
E-mail: tina.holmes-davis@gcsu.edu

Mission

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education is a professional degree program leading to comprehensive initial certification in music in the Georgia Public School System. It is designed to make its graduates highly competitive in the search for teaching careers in the state of Georgia. The music education program at Georgia College anchors itself in several strong foundations: the conceptual framework of the John H. Lounsbury College of Education; full accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP); and the liberal arts mission of the university. Students who successfully complete the program will be eligible for initial certification in teaching by the state of Georgia and are fully prepared to enter the profession as competent and caring music educators.

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education program is a full-time fifth-year program which allows traditional undergraduates enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Music at Georgia College to prepare within the content area and complete an undergraduate degree in four years, then transition into the MAT program. The shortened path is a total of five years of education to complete the combined degrees rather than the typical six years. The program is also designed for candidates who hold a bachelor degree in music (or the credit-hour equivalent) but who do not hold teaching certification. A transcript evaluation will be done upon receiving the application to determine if prerequisites are required. After successfully completing all program requirements, passing the GACE in Music at the Induction or Professional level, earning a passing score on the edTPA certification portfolio, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education candidates will become eligible for initial T-5 certification in Music Education.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education consists of 34 graduate credit hours and offers concentrations in choral, elementary, or instrumental music education. The one-year, full-time program features Field Placement and Student Teaching during which MAT students will work collaboratively with certified, experienced master teachers and be supported by university supervisors. Candidates will be provided with the understanding, approaches, and real-world experiences that prepare them to teach in 21st century schools. The combined curriculum is designed to produce music educators with outstanding content knowledge and pedagogical proficiency who will engage, motivate, and educate P-12 students. This program prepares students to document and evaluate student learning outcomes and to be familiar with innovative and standard practices within the field.

The goal of the MAT program is to fully prepare, musically as well as pedagogically, individuals who will be effective, influential leaders in their classrooms, their institutions, and their profession.

Program Delivery

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education will feature a combination of on-campus, off-campus, and online courses that will utilize the best Georgia College has to offer in terms of technology. MAT students will benefit from interaction with MME students in courses that overlap both programs and will collaborate in discipline and age level specific courses such as Elementary, Choral, and Instrumental Techniques, as well as Elementary Musical Performance, Choral Literature and History, and Wind Band Literature and History. In such classes as Field Placement and Seminar and Student Teaching and Seminar, students will engage with in-service music educators and music programs in varying P-12 settings. In the elective course, Community and Philosophical Music Perspectives, MAT students will have the opportunity to participate in and design community engagement music programs in the local and regional area.

Regular Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission to the program leading to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education degree must comply with the general requirements of the University System and the University as listed in the Georgia College graduate catalog. Consideration for admission will be given to applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree in music from an accredited institution. Those not earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music according to the music education guidelines at Georgia College, must meet all pre-requisite course requirements and pass a piano proficiency exam. In addition, applicants must present a GPA of 3.0 for all undergraduate work, complete a professional interview, and submit three professional letters of recommendation. Other application procedures for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Music Education program are listed below.

• GC Graduate Application http://www.gcsu.edu/admissions/graduate
• Transcript(s):
  1. One official copy of all transcripts from undergraduate and graduate institutions should be submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office at the time of application or at least eight weeks prior to the admission deadline.
  2. Transcripts must show a baccalaureate degree in music from an accredited institution.  
  3. Any application with lower than a 2.5 GPA may gain provisional admission and once they earn at least a 3.0 GPA their first semester (nor more than 12 hours), they will be moved to regular admission status.
• Resume/Curriculum Vita: A brief account of your education, experience (administrative, teaching, teaching-related, include any experience working with children), other work experience, activities/skills, etc.
• Philosophy of Music Education (no more than 500 words)
  1. Why should music education be a part of the school curriculum?
  2. What course content will you teach in your music classes?
  3. Cite relevant theories and authorities as to the importance of music education in today’s schools.
• Test Scores
  1. Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Basic Skills Test results or exemption through SAT/ACT
  2. GACE Music Test results (passing at the Induction or Professional level)
  3. GACE Ethics Entry Assessment
• Professional interview with the Graduate Coordinator (for external applicants only)
• Recommendations (for external applicants only): Three recommendations are required from persons outside the university who have knowledge of the candidate's ability to work with children and adolescents and/or potential as a graduate student

All application items should be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to the Graduate Admissions Office:
Campus Box 107
Milledgeville, GA 31061
grad-admit@gcsu.edu
Toll Free: 800-342-0471 (in GA)
Phone: (478) 445-6289
Fax: (478) 445-1336

Conditional Admission

Applicants who apply too late for full consideration for admission or who have not submitted all required documents for evaluation may be assigned conditional admission status. While in this status, a student may register for one semester only by completing a Georgia College Conditional Registration Agreement for Graduate Students; this form requires the signatures of both the student and the graduate coordinator. Any student who registers under this agreement must be admitted either to regular or to provisional status by the end of the first semester of enrollment in order to continue taking courses in the degree program. Students may take no more than 12 semester hours of graduate course work in conditional admission.

Academic Dismissal

If a student’s institutional grade point average remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, the student will fail to meet the requirements for progression and will be dismissed from the program.

Advising

The general advisor of all students in the Master of Arts in Teaching program is the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music Education.

Further Information

Inquiries concerning the nature of the program, the availability of given courses, and the availability of graduate assistantships should be directed to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music Education, CBX 066, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA 31061. Telephone: 478-445-4839 or 478-445-4966. Fax: (478) 445-1633. The coordinator's e-mail address is tina.holmes-davis@gcsu.edu. Other information can be viewed at http://www.gcsu.edu/artsandsciences/music