Prospective undergraduate students

Bachelor of Music Education (BME)

Why earn a degree in Music Education?

Do you want to make a real difference in others’ lives while honing your personal musicianship? Students who graduate from our program and enter the teaching field are responsible for nurturing and developing the next generation of music performers, music teachers and music appreciators/consumers. At the same time, earning a BME degree provides students with numerous career options and graduate school opportunities.

Unique program aspects

• CU Boulder music education alumni are recognized for their high quality teaching and leadership within the profession. Alums have held or continue to hold teaching positions in public and private schools throughout Colorado, in at least twenty other states, and in three foreign countries.
• We are the only music school in the Rocky Mountain region with full-time faculty specialists in all areas of music education: elementary general, choral, instrumental-strings and instrumental-band.
• Students receive personal attention through faculty mentoring and advising in order to meet individual needs and interests.
• BME students demonstrate strong musicianship by performing a junior (and sometimes also a senior) recital. Students seeking additional performance experience can complete a double major in music performance and music education in 5 years.

Program highlights

• 100% job placement rate
• Four-year graduation guarantee
• Faculty specialists in all areas of music education (general, choral, instrumental-strings, instrumental-band)
• K-12 music teaching license with specialization in general, choral or instrumental music
• 150 hours of early field experience in diverse school settings
• Weekly hour lesson with performance faculty member
• Opportunity to perform in a variety of large and small ensembles
• Opportunity to earn a double degree in music education (BME) and performance (BM)

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree program can be completed in four years and requires 126 credit hours, including approximately 62 hours in music, 40 hours in music teacher education, and 24 hours in liberal arts. Upon completion of your degree, you will qualify for a Colorado K-12 music teaching license. Students may apply for teaching licenses in other states; many states have reciprocity agreements with Colorado.

Faculty

Music education faculty members teach undergraduate and graduate courses, supervise student teachers, and advise students within their specialty areas. The University of Colorado Boulder Music Education faculty has over 50 years of combined public school teaching experience in urban, rural, and suburban settings.