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Music Education Major

Talented musician? Great with kids? Enjoy inspiring others to create music? Become a music teacher! You’ll graduate with the ability to guide others to musical fulfillment. Grand View's accredited program prepares you for a career as a music teacher in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. If you want to share your love of music and your teaching/performing skills, this is the major for you.

Music Ensembles Music Scholarships Julefest Concert Upcoming Events

Why Grand View?

  • The education department nurtures individual students throughout the program. Faculty get to know the students and hold them accountable to continued growth on their path to becoming a professional educator.
  • We are uniquely positioned in the Des Moines metro which allows our education students to experience urban, suburban, and rural classrooms in practicum and student teaching.
  • We are intentional in developing teachers who become leaders within their schools and profession.
  • Grand View is committed to developing teachers who are empowered to meet the diverse needs of today’s students.
  • Experience a vibrant music scene both on campus and throughout the Des Moines community.
  • The Grand View teacher education program is accredited by the Iowa Department of Education.
Music Scholarships
The music department offers scholarships in voice, piano and instrumental music for qualified students (by audition only). Scholarships are awarded in amounts up to $4,000 and are renewable each year, provided the student continues in good standing in his or her music activities. Pro Musica Scholarships are available for music majors as well as non-majors. To be eligible, students must respond to the scholarship invitation as new students and be accepted for admission. Learn More
Career Options

This program prepares you for a career as a music teacher in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Although most jobs revolve around teaching, you could also use your degree to work as a:

  • Arts administration
  • Church music
  • Conducting
  • Copyright law
  • Event coordinator
  • Instrument repair
  • Music Composition/arranging
  • Music editor
  • Music journalism
  • Music librarian
  • Music performance
  • Music retail
  • Music studio teaching
  • Music teaching (elementary, middle school, and secondary)
  • Music therapist
  • Piano accompanying
  • Vocal coaching

Careers in Music
Course Requirements

Students who are interested in Music Education (K-12) must earn a minimum 3.0 GPA in a prescribed liberal arts pre-education program, have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, and successfully pass all three Core Academic Skills for Educators tests (reading, writing, and mathematics) before they are formally admitted to the teacher education program of the university.

Pre-Education Requirements / Prerequisites

Please note that courses with an * will not be counted in computing the GPA for the major, unless required for the content major or endorsements.
ENGL 101* First-Year Composition 3 credits
A math course* Must meet GV General Ed Core 3 credits
A science course* Must meet GV General Ed Core 3 - 4 credits
PSYC 101* General Psychology 3 credits
EDUC 111 Introduction to Education 3 credits
EDUC 145 Educational Psychology 3 credits
EDUC 243 or 244 Instructional Planning & Assessment or Planning and Assessment for Art, Music, and Physical Education 3 or 2 credits
EDUC 280 Social Issues in Education 3 credits
PSYC 212 Human Development 4 credits

Requirements (81 credits)
MUSC 101 Performance Attendance: All Music Education majors are required to attend a minimum of 10 concert/performances each semester. 0 credits
MUSC 121 or other approved ensemble Grand View Choir or Kantorei or Instrumental Ensemble or Other Approved Ensemble: All Music Education majors are required to be enrolled in ensemble every semester of residency and accumulate a minimum of six semesters. 0 credits
12 Credit Hours in a single applied area
 12 credits
Piano Proficiency (prior to Junior status)
 0 credits
MUSC 131 Music Theory I 4 credits
MUSC 132 Music Theory II 4 credits
MUSC 231 History and Theory of 17th and 18th Century Music 4 credits
MUSC 232 History and Theory of 19th Century Music 4 credits
MUSC 331 History and Theory of Medieval and Renaissance Music 4 credits
MUSC 332 History and Theory of 20th Century Music 4 credits
MUSC 242 Elementary Music Methods 3 credits
MUSC 253 Diction I 1 credit
MUSC 254 Diction II 1 credit
MUSC 311 Instrumental Methods I 3 credits
MUSC 312 Instrumental Methods II 3 credits
MUSC 313 Vocal Methods and Pedagogy 3 credits
MUSC 341 Conducting I 2 credits
MUSC 342 Conducting II 2 credits
MUSC 442 Secondary Methods and Management 4 credits
EDUC 242 Pedagogies of Exceptional Learners 3 credits
EDUC 306 or
EDUC 307		 Education Practicum: Primary Elementary (Grades K-3) or Education Practicum: Intermediate Elementary (Grades 4-6) 2 credits
EDUC 308 or
EDUC 309		 Education Practicum: Middle School (Grades 6-8) or Education Practicum: High School (Grades 9-12) 2 credits
EDUC 421 Content Area Reading 3 credits
EDUC 420 Elementary Student Teaching 6 credits
EDUC 425 Secondary Student Teaching 6 credits
MUSC 450 Senior Recital 1 credit
Download Degree Checklist

GV Degree Combinations

You may also be interested in one or more of the following:

Faculty

Mark Doerffel
Mr. Mark Doerffel

Assistant Professor of Music
Dr. Kathryn Duffy
Dr. Kathryn Duffy

Professor of Music/Director of Choral Activities
Michael Elsbernd
Dr. Michael Elsbernd

Lecturer of Music
Joy Harrison
Ms. Joy Harrison

Lecturer of Music
Megan Hofeldt
Megan Hofeldt

Lecturer of Music
Natalie Landowski
Natalie Landowski

Lecturer of Music
Charles Miranda
Mr. Charles Miranda

Lecturer of Music
Ms. Susan Odem

Lecturer of Music
Aaron Powell
Mr. Aaron Powell

Lecturer of Music
Michelle Schulze
Dr. Michelle Schulze

Assistant Professor of Education (ELL)
Mary Shipley
Ms. Mary Shipley

Administrative Assistant
Kariann Voigts
Mrs. Kariann Voigts

Lecturer of Music
J. Michael Walag
Mr. J. Michael Walag

Accompanist
Colin Young
Colin Young

Lecturer of Music

Cowles Center

The Cowles Center houses the Music Department with rehearsal spaces for band and choir teaching studios, mixed use practice room, and study space for students.

Rasmussen Center

Dedicated in 2008, the 42,851 square-foot $8.5 million building houses the departments of art, education, history, criminal justice, political studies, psychology and sociology, as well as general-purpose classrooms, art studios, computer labs, the ALT Center, faculty offices, and various student amenities.

Virtual Tour

Awards and Accomplishments

Becoming a responsive music educator is among the primary goals for students at Grand View, who are taught to plan, instruct, reflect, and then respond to a given student’s needs. The faculty for music education at GV is very well-regarded.

Alumni of the music education program have become employed in public and private schools as well as in music organizations, colleges, and in community programs worldwide. Employment rate for graduates of this program is exceptionally high.

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum of 130 credits, you are recommended to the State of Iowa Board of Educational Examiners for licensure in music K-12.

Education Department Faculty

Favorable Job Market 

Music education is, without even a close second, the most popular college major that musicians pursue in the United States. The reasoning behind this is very simple – music education students have the highest rate of employment out of all music majors coming out of an undergraduate degree.

Music education graduates are needed at just about every public and private K-12 institution in the U.S. The job market is, unlike with many other college majors and degrees, exceptionally favorable for music education graduates.

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