Music Education
Undergraduate Degrees | Graduate Degrees | Graduate Certificates | Frequently Asked Questions
Undergraduate Degree with PK-12 Teacher Certification (B.M.)
The Music Education degree with PK-12 Certification is currently accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP)and approved by the Nebraska State Department of Education.
The Bachelor of Music with PK-12 Certification degree allows UNO to recommend graduates for Nebraska licensure as PK-12 music teachers. In addition, candidates must pass the Praxis® II – Music: Content and Instruction (5114) with a score of 152 or higher to meet state licensure requirements.
Students interested in pursuing the B.M. degree in Music Education must apply for admission to the University of Nebraska at Omaha and audition for acceptance into the School of Music.
How does teacher certification work?
Students who complete the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Music in Music Education are eligible to apply for certification from the State of Nebraska to teach music — vocal, instrumental, strings, and general — from prekindergarten through twelfth grade in Nebraska public schools.
If I am certified to teach music in Nebraska, can I transfer the certification to another state?
Many states allow teachers certified in Nebraska to transfer that certification without imposing additional course requirements. Some states require that persons seeking teacher certification take a state-mandated test or pay a licensure fee. The Department of Education in your state’s capital will be able to answer questions regarding transfer of certification.
Graduate Degree in Music Education (M.M.)
The Music Education concentration is available in both a thirty-credit hour thesis and thirty-six credit hour non-thesis option. Music Education graduate courses emphasize pedagogy and practical application of music skills and research for teachers at all levels. Special courses like Pedagogy of Multicultural Music and Pedagogy of Theory, flexibility in elective options, and the ability to complete the degree exclusively during the summer make this program unique.
Nebraska Kodály Certification Courses
Kodály levels courses at UNO are designed to provide participants with strategies for teaching music based on the philosophies and practices of musician-composer-educator Zoltan Kodály—commonly known as “Kodály” nationally and internationally. The Kodály approach to music teaching and learning is appropriate for pre-school children through students in middle school grades and has applications for high school and adult education, particularly in choral settings. The focus of Kodály is music literacy, achieved through listening, singing, reading, writing, and creating music. Kodály pedagogy emphasizes developing music literacy through the indigenous music of the culture, beginning with folk songs.
The Kodály courses at UNO are approved by the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) – the national association governing Kodály pedagogy in the United States – and meet the hour requirements and content standards required by OAKE as well as university requirements. Classes include instruction in pedagogy, solfége, folk song research, conducting and choral singing. In addition, special topics covered may include, but are not limited to, folk dance, music listening and world music topics in music education.
All Kodály levels courses are offered for graduate credit or non-degree credit.
Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification
Do you have a previous undergraduate degree and have now discovered you want to teach? This program of study combines course work and field experiences to prepare candidates for initial teacher licensure for teaching in PK-12 schools in Nebraska.