Getting started
Begin your application process through the admissions web page and complete the Common Application for Chapman University. Be sure to note in your application that you intend to major in Bachelor of Music (Pre-Music Education Certification).
All students auditioning for acceptance into the program should visit the conservatory's admission page for a detailed listing of audition requirements. To schedule an in-person audition appointment, please complete your Creative Supplement at go.chapman.edu/apply.
Program highlights
- Comprehensive Music Training: Students engage in an extensive curriculum that includes music theory, history, conducting, and performance. Through personalized instruction, students refine their skills on their chosen instrument or voice.
- Field Experience and Professional Mentorship: Students acquire hands-on teaching experience in local schools under the mentorship of seasoned credentialed music educators.
- Instructional Methodologies: The curriculum is specifically designed to meet the demands of 21st-century music education, integrating a comprehensive range of pedagogical approaches. These include the Orff and Kodály methods, as well as instruction in band, orchestra, choir, general music, early childhood music, world music pedagogy, music technology, and applied lessons, ensuring a well-rounded and modern approach to music education.
- Research-Driven Education Theories: Students acquire a robust foundation in research-based educational theories, such as culturally responsive pedagogy, constructivist approaches, social justice education, as well as socio-cultural and cognitive development theories. This comprehensive training enables students to adapt their instructional strategies to effectively support learners from diverse social, cultural, and experiential backgrounds within a wide array of educational contexts.
- Conferences and Clinics: Students engage in hosting and attending on-campus clinics and workshops facilitated by distinguished scholars, practitioners, educators, conductors and clinicians. In addition, students participate in national and international music education conferences, providing valuable opportunities for professional development and expanding academic and professional networks.
- Elective Opportunities: Students can choose from a selection of electives to deepen their content knowledge and refine their teaching techniques in specialized areas of music education.
- Pathway to Certification: This pre-professional degree prepares graduates to pursue state teaching certification and offers a seamless transition into the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program through Chapman’s Attallah College of Educational Studies. In the MAT program, students earn both a master's degree and a teaching credential in one year. Upon completion, graduates are fully qualified to become licensed music educators for K-12 schools.
Career pathways in Music Education
- Credentialed PreK-12 Music Teacher
- Private Music Instructor
- College/University Music Professor
- Music Curriculum Developer
- Music Education Administrator
- Music Therapist
- Musician/Performer
- Teaching Artist
- Choir, Band, or Orchestra Conductor
- Educational Consultant (Music)
- Early Childhood Music Educator
- Music Instructional Coach
- Community Music Program Director
- Composer or Arranger for Educational Materials
- Music Technology Specialist
- Music Festival or Program Organizer
- Music Librarian (Education-Focused)
- Educational Product Developer (Music)
- Special Education Music Teacher
- International Music Educator
- Researcher in Music Education
