About This Program
Whether your passion lies in choral, instrumental, or classroom music, this program prepares you to become a confident, capable, and creative educator—ready to lead classrooms and ensembles with skill and heart. Our mission is to equip you with the musical, pedagogical, and leadership tools needed to teach, connect, and inspire through music.
You’ll learn to develop a strong foundation in performance, theory, music history, and teaching strategies; demonstrate proficiency in your primary instrument or voice; conduct and lead ensembles with confidence and clarity; apply effective teaching methods for students of varying ages and skill levels; understand and communicate music’s cultural and historical contexts; and create inclusive, engaging, and student-centered learning environments.
As a music education major, you’ll gain extensive hands-on teaching experience, starting early in the program and building up to full student teaching placements in real classrooms. You’ll also continue developing as a performer by participating in high-level ensembles such as Concert Chorale/University Singers/Chamber Singers, Concert Band/Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensembles, or Symphony Orchestra/Chamber Orchestra.
You’ll graduate with professional licensure eligibility, real-world classroom experience, and the confidence to lead students—musically and personally. Music Education majors complete education courses that fulfill Minnesota licensure requirements (K-12).
Program Highlights
- UMD has the variety and quality of musical instruction that you would expect from a place three times larger, with the individualized instruction and care of an institution half the size
- Our exceptional faculty are specialists on their instruments and in their fields and continue to record and to travel internationally to perform on the world’s stages, yet they are also passionate about teaching and about your education and development as musicians and people
- Learn, practice, and perform with students from many different states and multiple continents in beautiful Weber Music Hall, a dedicated Department of Music facility that is recognized across the country for its top-tier acoustics
- The Department of Music at the University of Minnesota Duluth is proud to be a fully accredited member of NASM, the National Association of Schools of Music
Research & Experiential Learning
- Volunteer/community opportunities
- Community concerts in various Twin Ports locations
- Tours to MN cities with ensembles semesterly
- Student teams
- Faculty/student collaboration
- Chamber ensembles and concerts
- Field experiences
- Student teaching (Music Ed)
- Local job opportunities offered often (Glensheen Christmas, church choirs, schools, etc.)
- Research projects
Potential Careers
- Music educators
- Professional performers
- Composers
- Conductors
- Music therapists
- Instrument repair technicians
- Music librarians
- Sound editors
Get Involved
- Music Student Association - UMD Music Student Leadership
- Athletic bands
- American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
- National Association for Music Education (NAfME) - for Music Educators
Jazz ensembles are available to audition for from the first week of courses at UMD! Please make sure to set up a time with one of the Jazz faculty to make this happen and cultivate your passion for Jazz!
Requirements
Refer to the link below for more detailed information about the program, admission requirements, sample plans, and contact information.
Music Education B.Mus. Courses & Requirements