About

Are you called to share your love of music with others? Are you interested in learning the skills and acquiring the tools that will guide children into a lifelong appreciation of the universal language of mankind?

Graduates with a degree in music education are both great performers and great educators. Students complete professional education requirements, such as classes on classroom management and teaching techniques, in the School of Education. In the School of Music, you will find yourself among a close-knit family of performers and educators, as you study core classes, perform in ensembles and become a monster on your instrument of choice.

A bachelor's degree in music education leads to initial licensure in North Carolina with options for licensure in many other states.

ECU Advantage

Music education graduates of ECU need no introduction at schools in North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. East Carolina's School of Music and School of Education are two of the finest programs of their kind on the East Coast. There is an excellent chance that your elementary school music teacher, your high school band director, or your piano teacher studied at East Carolina.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Cynthia Wagoner (211 AJ Fletcher Music Center; 252-328-5721; wagonerc@ecu.edu).

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

I. General education requirements including those listed below - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

  • PSYC 1000 - Introductory Psychology

  • PSYC 2777 - Ethnocultural Psychology OR
  • SOCI 1010 - Race, Gender, Class

  • MUSC 1406 - Music History and Literature I
  • MUSC 2248 - Introduction to World Music Cultures
    • Notes:
    • Five semester hours (5 s.h.) of large ensemble (1 s.h. per semester) may count toward the general education fine arts (GE: FA) requirement. See 2. Common core, Performance groups.
    •  counts 3 s.h. toward the general education social sciences requirement. 
    •  counts toward the general education elective.
    II. Common core - 58-63 s.h.
      A. MUSC courses - 24 s.h.
      • MUSC 1156 - Basic Musicianship I
      • MUSC 1166 - Basic Musicianship II
      • MUSC 1176 - Basic Musicianship I Laboratory
      • MUSC 1186 - Basic Musicianship II Laboratory
      • MUSC 2406 - Music History and Literature II
      • MUSC 2416 - Music History and Literature III
      • MUSC 2156 - Basic Musicianship III
      • MUSC 2166 - Basic Musicianship IV
      • MUSC 2176 - Basic Musicianship III Laboratory
      • MUSC 2186 - Basic Musicianship IV Laboratory
      • MUSC 3156 - Conducting I
      • MUSC 3166 - Conducting II
      B. MUSC elective - 1 s.h.
        C. Performance groups - 2-7 s.h.

        The performance groups total requirement is seven semester hours (7 s.h.). Five semester hours (5 s.h.) of large ensemble (1 s.h. per semester) may count toward the general education fine arts (GE:FA) requirement, resulting in this section only counting for 2 s.h. of the total 120 s.h. minimum degree requirement. Music education majors whose primary instrument is wind/percussion take large ensemble courses that are not designated as fine arts and will be required to earn 5 s.h. of large ensemble courses to satisfy the performance groups requirement. See below notes.

          1. A minimum of 5 semester hours (5 s.h.) of large ensemble is required.

          Choose from the following:

          • MUSC 1615 - Varsity Choir
          • MUSC 1635 - University Chorale
          • MUSC 1665 - Women's Glee Club
          • MUSC 1675 - Chamber Singers
          • MUSC 1705 - Marching Band
          • MUSC 1715 - Concert Band
          • MUSC 1735 - Wind Ensemble
          • MUSC 1745 - Symphony Orchestra
          • MUSC 1765 - Symphonic Band
          • MUSC 1775 - Jazz Ensemble
            • Notes:
            • Approval of student's major applied instructor and ensemble directors is required for ensemble registration.
            • Music education majors whose primary instrument is wind/percussion must include either two semesters of  or one semester of  and one semester of . These courses are not designated as fine arts and cannot be counted towards the general education 40 s.h. requirement.
            • Music majors may count only two semester hours of  (1 s.h.) for large ensemble credit.  (2 s.h.) may not count toward large ensemble credit for music majors. Music majors taking more than 2 s.h. of MUSC 1706 or MUSC 1705 must sign a release form. The form is available in the music office and clarifies that hours above the required 2 s.h. of MUSC 1706 will not count as part of the music education degree plan at ECU, and that these extra hours may lead to additional hours on a student's transcript before graduation.
            2. A minimum of 2 semester hours (2 s.h.) of small ensemble is required.

            Small ensemble credits do not count toward the general education fine arts requirement.

            Choose from the following:

            • MUSC 1605 - Opera Theatre
            • MUSC 1805 - String Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1815 - Woodwind Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1825 - Percussion Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1835 - Saxophone Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1845 - Collegium Musicum
            • MUSC 1855 - Jazz Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1865 - Brass Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1875 - Keyboard Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1885 - Contemporary Chamber Music
            • MUSC 1895 - Vocal Chamber Music
            • MUSC 2455 - Accompanying
            • MUSC 3455 - Accompanying I
            • MUSC 3465 - Accompanying II
            • MUSC 4455 - Accompanying III
          D. Music education - 14 s.h.

          Students must earn at least a C in each course with an asterisk and in MUSC 2123 to be admitted to the internship (MUSC 4324).

          • MUSC 1123 - Introduction to Music Education
          • MUSC 2123 - Early Experiences for the Prospective Teacher *
          • MUSC 2345 - Music in Adolescence *
          • MUSC 3147 - Music in Childhood *
          • MUSC 3218 - Introduction to Ensemble Teaching *
          • Choose one of the following courses:
          • MUSC 3347 - Advanced Choral Rehearsal Techniques *
          • MUSC 3447 - Advanced Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques *
          • Choose one of the following courses:
          • MUSC 4323 - Materials and Methods of Instrumental Music Teaching *
          • MUSC 4333 - Materials and Methods of Vocal-General Music Teaching *
          E. Professional studies - 17 s.h.
          • EDUC 4400 - Foundations of School Learning, Motivation, and Assessment OR
          • PSYC 4305 - Educational Psychology

          • MUSC 4324 - Internship in Music Education
          • MUSC 4325 - Internship Seminar: Issues in Music Education
          • READ 3990 - Teaching Reading in the Content Areas in the Secondary School
          • SPED 4010 - Effective Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms
        III. Applied music - 22 s.h.

        (keyboard, string, voice, wind or percussion)

          A. Applied major - 14 s.h.
          • No more than 6 semesters of 1000 level applied courses and 3 semesters of 3000 level applied courses can be counted toward this requirement.
          • Students must present a half senior recital.
            B. Applied minor - 8 s.h.

            A student who is exempt from any applied minor courses specified must take other applied minor courses to complete the total required hours. Keyboard students have one additional elective in music studies. 

              Applied minor for non-keyboard majors (8 s.h.)
              • MUSC 1105 - Beginning Group Piano
              • MUSC 1115 - Beginning Group Piano
              • Choose an additional 6 s.h. from the following:
              • MUSC 1205 - Beginning Voice Group I
              • MUSC 1215 - Beginning Voice Group II
              • MUSC 1415 - Woodwind Group
              • MUSC 1435 - Brass Group
              • MUSC 1445 - Percussion Group
              • MUSC 2105 - Intermediate Group Piano
              • MUSC 2115 - Intermediate Group Piano
              • MUSC 2315 - String Class
              • MUSC 3105 - Functional Guitar Class I
              Applied minor for keyboard majors (8 s.h.)
              • Choose 7 s.h. from the following courses:
              • MUSC 1205 - Beginning Voice Group I
              • MUSC 1215 - Beginning Voice Group II
              • MUSC 1415 - Woodwind Group
              • MUSC 1435 - Brass Group
              • MUSC 1445 - Percussion Group
              • MUSC 2315 - String Class
              • MUSC 3105 - Functional Guitar Class I
                • MUSC elective - 1 s.h.
            For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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