Education: Music Education Concentration, Master of Education
The Master of Education (MEd) program at CSU Pueblo is designed to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in PK–12 classrooms by preparing master teachers with deep expertise in their content areas, effective teaching practices, and ongoing professional development.
The Music Education concentration includes 18 credit hours of graduate-level coursework focused on music. These courses strengthen both content knowledge and pedagogical skills, and provide the academic foundation necessary to teach in higher education settings—such as concurrent enrollment programs, community colleges, or four-year institutions.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate growth in content knowledge related to concentration area and the application of content knowledge to classroom instruction and assessment.
- Understand scientifically-based practices in teaching and learning, including strategies in literacy education, instructional technology, differentiation of instruction, and apply them to raise student achievement.
- Demonstrate multiple means of assessing and evaluating student learning and use them to change teaching and learning.
- Locate, interpret, synthesize, and apply educational research in best practices in teaching.
- Understand models for professional change, including teacher collaboration, professional learning communities, strategies for mentoring and coaching to facilitate change, and effective professional development.
- Demonstrate understanding of reflective practice that results in improved classroom teaching and learning, including teacher reflection, use of technology in self-assessment, collaboration for change, and self-management of change.
- Demonstrate understanding of system and organizational change in education, including models for school change and current research and trends in school change.
- Demonstrate responsibility for student learning at high levels.
- Demonstrate responsibility for school reform and leadership in school change.
Outcomes Assessment Activities
- During the final capstone course, students submit the portfolio for review by a group of three faculty. In addition to the portfolio materials, graduate students participate in an oral review of portfolio contents.
- At the end of their final course, students will complete their own self-evaluation of their performance across program standards and an evaluation of the quality of the master’s program.
- One year after graduating from the program, teacher education will conduct a survey, requesting feedback from each graduate about his/her teaching and about the quality of preparation at CSU Pueblo. Survey forms will be aligned with the program standards. A similar survey will be sent to each graduate’s supervisor (building principal), requesting information about teaching performance.
Program Overview
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 11 |
| Pedagogy Requirements | 9 |
| Concentration Requirements | 18 |
| Total Credits | 38 |
Specific Program Requirements
The degree is designed with three components:
- Core courses in research and professional change;
- Pedagogy courses in literacy, differentiation of instruction, and technology; and
- Courses in a concentration area chosen by the graduate student.
A unique feature of the degree is its alignment with the standards of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and participants’ opportunity to work towards national board certification as they complete the degree.
Component 1: Core Requirements (11 hours)
Organizational change and school reform, as well as the responsibilities of professional leadership related to educational change, are emphasized in the core. The four courses in Component 1 are to be taken sequentially with the final course completed as the capstone experience in the program. It is like your master's defense course. All courses focus on knowledge and skills related to teacher change and leadership as a change agent in the schools. Concentration in interpreting and conducting research is included.
Students must have a valid teaching credential to take the Core courses.
Course Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ED 502 | Teacher As Change Agent (Core 1) | 3 |
| ED 503 | Teacher as Researcher (Core 2) | 3 |
| ED 504 | Leading Change in America's Schools (Core 3) | 3 |
| ED 593 | Seminar | 2 |
| or SPED 581 | Practicum & Seminar in Education | |
| Total Credits | 11 | |
Component 2: Pedagogy Requirements (choose 3 hours from each category, 9 hours total)
CSU Pueblo recognizes that master teachers demonstrate expertise in understanding and applying current best practices in each of the following areas: literacy education, instructional technology, and differentiation of instruction for all learners. All three were selected because recent research has indicated that application of best practices in these three areas will impact the quality of student achievement in P-12 classrooms. Teachers will select courses with input from their graduate advisor. Courses cannot be double counted in any Component area (Core, Pedagogy, and/or Concentration).
Instructional Technology
Graduate students may select instructional technology courses offered by the University, with approval of their faculty advisors. Sample courses include:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 credits. Samples include the following: | 3 | |
| Graduate Topics in Education | 0.5-3 | |
| Educational Media and Technology | 3 | |
| Teaching & Managing Technology | 3 | |
| Literacy & Technology | 3 | |
| Hardware & Networking for Educators | 3 | |
| Instructional Theory & Tech Design | 3 | |
| Multimedia Design | 3 | |
| Technology & Assessment Tools | 3 | |
| Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education | 3 | |
| The Technology Coordinator | 3 | |
| Distance Learning | 3 | |
| Special Topics | 1-3 | |
| Diverse Learners & Technology | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Differentiation of Instruction
Graduate students may select differentiation courses offered by the University, with approval of their faculty advisors. Sample courses include:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 credits from any differentiation course, including the following: | 3 | |
| Teaching English Language Learners | 3 | |
| Content Instruction for EL Learners | 3 | |
| Practices in EC Special Education | 3 | |
| Graduate Topics in Education Only Brain Based Differentiation counts for this Pedagogy area. | 0.5-3 | |
| Teaching Diverse Learners | 3 | |
| Diverse Learners & Technology | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Literacy Education
Graduate students may select literacy courses differentiation courses offered by the University, with approval of their faculty advisors. Sample courses include:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 credits from any literacy course, including the following: | 3 | |
| Literacy for Eng Lang Learners | 3 | |
| Graduate Topics in Education Only Integrated Literacy counts for Pedagogy area. | 0.5-3 | |
| Literacy & Technology | 3 | |
| Graduate Topics in Reading | 0.5-3 | |
| Advanced Teaching of Reading I | 3 | |
| Advanced Teaching of Writing | 2 | |
| Advanced Disciplinary Literacy | 3 | |
| SPED Literacy Assessment & Intervention | 3 | |
| Advanced Linguistics for Educators | 3 | |
| Special Topics | 1-3 | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Component 3: Concentration Area Requirements (18 hours in one area)
The more deeply teachers grasp content, the more they tend to emphasize conceptual, problem solving, and inquiry aspects of their subjects. The less knowledgeable teachers are of the content they are teaching, the more they tend to emphasize facts and procedures. The purpose of Component 3 of the program is the development of teachers’ content expertise related to their area of responsibility, with candidates choosing among a number of different K-12 concentration areas. Some areas require prerequisites, and a concentration area should be chosen with the advice of their graduate advisor.
18 hours of MUS 500-level credit must be earned to complete the Music Education concentration portion of the Master of Education degree. These hours should be chosen with the advice of an advisor from the Music Department. No more than 4 hours of 500-level ensemble credit or applied music credit may be applied toward the Master of Education-Music Education concentration.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 18 credits from the following: | 18 | |
| Special Methods in Music Education | 3 | |
| Concert Choir | .5-1 | |
| Collaborative Music Ensemble | .5-1 | |
| Chamber Choir | .5-1 | |
| Wind Ensemble | .5-1 | |
| Advanced Vocal Pedagogy | 1 | |
| Graduate Music Ensemble | .5-1 | |
| Advanced Percussion Pedagogy | 1 | |
| Marching Band | 0.5,1 | |
| Pep Band | .5-1 | |
| Advanced String Pedagogy | 1 | |
| Kodaly Method for Elementary Music | 3 | |
| Advanced Woodwind Pedagogy | 1 | |
| Orchestra | .5-1 | |
| Current Issues in Music Education | 3 | |
| Instrumental Conducting | 2 | |
| Advanced Brass Pedagogy | 1 | |
| Advanced Music Analysis | 3 | |
| Choral Conducting | 2 | |
| Methods of Research in Music Ed | 3 | |
| Advanced Applied Music, Strings | 2 | |
| Advanced Applied Music, Woodwinds | 2 | |
| Advanced Applied Music, Percussion | 2 | |
| Advanced Applied Music, Brass | 2 | |
| Advanced Applied Music, Voice | 2 | |
| Graduate Recital | 2 | |
| Advanced General Music Methods | 2 | |
| Advanced Choral Methods | 2 | |
| Advanced Instrumental Methods | 2 | |
| Special Topics | 1-3 | |
| Independent Study | 1-4 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Planning Sheet
Disclaimer: The Planning Sheet is designed as a guide for students planning their course selections. The information on this page provides only a suggested schedule. Actual course selections should be made with the advice and consent of an academic advisor. While accurately portraying the information contained in the college catalog, this form is not considered a legal substitute for that document. Students should become familiar with the catalog in effect at the time in which they entered the institution.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| Fall | ||
| IT Pedagogy Elective | 3 | |
| MUS Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| Differentiation Pedagogy Elective | 3 | |
| MUS Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Summer | ||
| Literacy Pedagogy Elective | 3 | |
| MUS Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ED 502 | Teacher As Change Agent | 3 |
| MUS Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| ED 503 | Teacher as Researcher | 3 |
| ED 504 | Leading Change in America's Schools | 3 |
| MUS Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| ED 593 | Seminar | 2 |
| MUS Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Credits | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 38 | |