Bachelor of Music Education

The Bachelor of Music Education (K-12 Broadfield) degree is designed for students who wish to become licensed to teach music in grades K-12. Upon completion of the degree, students are eligible for licensure in the state of Montana. Obtaining an additional teaching major or minor outside music education will require more than eight semesters. For more information on admission to the Teacher Education Program, Student Teaching, Licensure, Professional Expectations and more, please visit: https://nextcatalog.montana.edu/undergraduate/education-health-human-development/department-education/#teachereducationrequirementstext

Students with limited musical experience may be required to complete MUSI 103RA Fundamentals of Musical Creation with a "B" or better, before beginning the Music Theory, Aural Skills, and Keyboard Skills sequence, as determined by placement examination, in consultation with the Coordinator of Music Education and Music Faculty.

Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree students are required to audition with the appropriate applied instrumental or vocal faculty prior to, or at the latest, during the first semester of study for all music programs.  Placement in MUSI 195 (Applied Music) will be at the sole determination of the applied studio professor.  Students with limited experience on their principal instrument are responsible for obtaining preparatory instruction and basic music-reading skills and may be required to complete MUSI 102 in order to develop the required skills necessary to be accepted for applied study and enroll in MUSI 195.  If accepted for applied lessons, music majors must enroll in Applied Music each semester of residency.  Advancement to the next level will be by performance jury and with the approval of the applied music instructor.  A recital, or an appearance in a recital as a soloist, must be completed before advancement to MUSI 395 (Applied Music III).  Additionally, BME majors must fulfill the chamber music requirement through applied study prior to advancement to MUSI 395.  BME students must successfully complete at least one semester of MUSI 395 before student teaching.  Students are required to adhere to the current concert/lecture attendance policy as stated in the School of Music "Music Major Handbook."

BME degree students are classified as either Instrumental or Choral majors.  All BME majors are required to participate in an ensemble every semester in residence.  Acceptable ensembles are listed in the Music Major Handbook.  As a portion of the required ensemble courses, choral majors are required to enroll in choir (MUSI 112IA, MUSI 212IA, MUSI 312IA, or MUSI 426IA) and complete one term of an instrumental ensemble.  As a portion of the required ensemble courses, string, piano and guitar majors are required to complete one term each of an instrumental and a choral ensemble.  As a portion of the required ensemble courses, wind and percussion majors must enroll in MUSI 155 (Marching Band) for two semesters and a choral ensemble for one semester.

BME students must receive the grade of "C" or better in ALL music content and education classes to be approved for student teaching.  BME students must also demonstrate guitar proficiency by either passing the guitar proficiency examination or completing MUSI 160 with a grade of "C" or better.  Further, a grade of "C-" or better is required in all courses that will be counted toward the 42 upper-division credits required in all degrees.  Courses with a passing grade of D-, D, or D+ may only be counted toward the overall 120 credit requirement.

As with many degree programs at MSU, the music curriculum is sequential in nature, with upper-level courses building upon knowledge acquired in previous course work.  Completion of a course with a "C" or better is required to satisfy all music (MUST/MUSI/MUSE) prerequisites.  Any exceptions will be at the sole discretion of the Director.

Students are allowed a maximum of two enrollments in MUSI 195 to meet the "C or better" requirement of the BME in Music.  There is no limit as to how many times a student can enroll in MUSI 195 after they meet the “C" requirement. Additionally, the following Foundation Courses may be taken a maximum of two times in order to meet the "C" or better requirement of the BME in Music.

  • MUSI 137 Foundations of Aural Perception and MUSI 141 Aural Perception II
  • MUSI 124 Musical Objects: Knowledge and Fluency and MUSI 125 Elements of Large Scale Musical Design
  • MUSI 135 Keyboard Skills I and MUSI 136 Keyboard Skills II
Freshman YearCredits
MUSI 105 - Music Theory I3
MUSI 140 - Aural Perception I1
MUSI 135 - Keyboard Skills I1
MUSI 106 - Music Theory II3
MUSI 141 - Aural Perception II1
MUSI 136 - Keyboard Skills II1
MUSE 134 - Techniques: Percussion1
MUSE 123 - Techniques: Voice1
MUSI 195 - Applied Music I1
MUSI 195 - Applied Music I1
EDU 222IS - Educ Psych & Child Development3
Ensemble2
University Core12
Year Total: 31
Sophomore YearCredits
MUSI 205 - Music Theory III3
MUSI 240 - Aural Perception III1
MUSI 231 - Interm Keyboard: Accompanying1
MUSI 206 - Music Theory IV3
MUSI 241 - Aural Perception IV1
MUSI 232 - Interm Keyboard: Opn Scre Rdng1
MUSE 130 - Techniques: Flute & Clarinet1
MUSE 132 - Techniques: Brass1
MUSE 220 - Intro to Comp App Music Ed2
MUSE 239 - Beginning Conducting1
MUSI 301 - Music History I3
EDU 211D - Multicultural Education3
MUSE 383 - Assessment in Music Education3
MUSI 307IA - World Music3
MUSI 295 - Applied Music II1
MUSI 295 - Applied Music II1
Ensemble2
Year Total: 31
Junior YearCredits
MUSI 302 - Music History II3
MUSI 303 - Music History of 20th and 21st Centuries3
MUSI 335 - Instrumental Conducting2
MUSI 336 - Choral Conducting2
MUSE 131 - Techniques: Sax, Oboe, Bassoon1
MUSE 135 - Techniques: Strings1
MUSE 395 - Tchng Practicum: General Music1
MUSE 397 - Methods: General Music3
MUSE 437 - Instrumental Field Experience1
MUSE 497MI - Methods: Inst Mthds & Lit 5-123
MUSI 442 - Vocal Studio Pedagogy and Lit2
MUSI 440 - Orchestration2
EDSP 306 - Exceptional Learners3
MUSI 395 - Applied Music III1
MUSI 395 - Applied Music III1
Ensemble2
Year Total: 31
Senior YearCredits
MUSE 439 - Choral Field Experience1
MUSE 497MC - Methods: Chrl Mthds & Lit 5-123
MUSI 499R - Senior Capstone Project3
MUSI 395 - Applied Music III1
Ensemble1
EDU 495 - Student Teaching12
University Core6
Year Total: 27
Total Program Credits: 120

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above.