The Music Education Department at Berklee offers innovative undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students for careers as music teachers.
Students who study music education experience instruction on campus and in the field with numerous opportunities to observe and teach classes. They learn how to teach the students of today and tomorrow using best educational practices, contemporary and traditional methodologies, a variety of repertoire, and the latest technology.
Our undergraduate music education program is an approved educator licensure program in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It prepares students to teach music in grades pre-K to 12.
We offer three graduate programs in music education. They are designed for working teachers, with classes in the summers and evenings so that students can keep their teaching jobs during their graduate studies.
- Our Master of Music in music education provides students with the opportunity to explore contemporary issues and topics in music education, including culturally sustaining music education, cutting-edge music technology, urban music education, and much more.
- Our unique Master of Music in music education (autism concentration) includes intensive study of cutting-edge pedagogies and evidence-based practices for teaching music to students with autism and other disabilities. This program and the graduate certificate below are part of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.
- Our Graduate Certificate in music education and autism offers individuals who already possess a Master's degree to take our five Autism-based core courses and earn a credential for their studies.
Our music education faculty are all experienced teachers with years of professional engagement in the classroom and beyond. They are active clinicians, conductors, adjudicators, researchers, authors, and more who, in addition to teaching, serve as resources, advisors, and mentors to students.
The Berklee Music Education Department is highly active on campus and in the community. Every year we host symposia, recitals, summer and community music programs, and off-campus performances. In addition, we have a strong collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Education that offers a variety of workshops and other events.
Our impressive music education alumni are teaching music in classrooms and studios all over the world. They provide a valuable resource to the department and change the lives of students every day with their creative and innovative teaching.
The Music Education Department at Berklee strives to provide a supportive environment for all students, regardless of color, race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender expression/identity, sexual orientation, health, social class, ability, religion, nationality, or personal background. Our strength is in our differences, and a diverse community promotes equity through the support of and respect for people with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We welcome the opportunities to work with and learn from each other.
Learn more about studying music education at Berklee: