B.S. Music Education
Study your passion alongside passionate professors in the College of Fine Arts
Why study music education (vocal music K-12) at North Central University?
North Central’s Education: Vocal Music (K-12) major will prepare students with the applicable knowledge and hands-on experience they need to be a successful, effective, inspirational elementary, middle, and high school music teacher. Students will gain expertise in the subject matter through courses in curriculum development, classroom management, vocal music, teaching methods for a variety of instruments, and music theory. Plus, these learners will have an intensive student teaching experience where they’ll practice the relevant skills they need to teach in the 21st century.
Creating a Classroom of Joyful Noise
A combination of two great programs at North Central, students graduating with a degree in Vocal Music Education will be prepared to create meaningful and memorable learning experiences that support a variety of learning styles. Graduates will be able to teach numerous instruments including brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings, and vocal music along with the ability to conduct for choirs, orchestras, bands, and ensembles.
The programs offered by the School of Education are amongst the largest at North Central, meaning students will go through their program with a significant network of peers to support them, encourage them, and collaborate with. Plus, our professors are committed to being mentors and guides as students pursue their career goals and prepare to make a difference in the lives of students. Furthermore, graduates from our program will be ready to take the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations and apply to become a licensed teacher in Minnesota.
Program Higlights
Real-world teaching opportunities
Through clinical and field opportunities, you’ll get tons of classroom experience.
We want students to be fully prepared to succeed in the classroom when they graduate, so we start getting hands-on, real-world experience early in the program. Through clinical and field experiences in diverse settings, students will learn the skills of classroom management, lesson planning, and creating meaningful learning experiences. These experiences will prepare them to excel in their career as an elementary, middle, and high school educator and equip them to be an inspirational teacher for their future students.
Ensembles and Music Lessons
Develop your vocal talents through music lessons and group ensembles.
Students in the Education: Vocal Music (K-12) program will take voice lessons and participate in at least one ensemble every semester, except for the semester devoted to student teaching. This immersion in music and training will help students become skilled musicians with the depth of knowledge they need to teach others. Students will also take piano lessons every semester until they gain the piano proficiency that’s essential to teaching in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Mentored Student Teaching
Receive helpful coaching from North Central professors during student teaching.
During senior year, students will complete a fully immersive student teaching experience. While student teaching, they will spend 16 weeks working full-time in a local school system where they’ll practice lesson planning, classroom management, student assessment and evaluation, and everything else that goes into the teaching profession.
We partner with school systems in our area to provide student teaching opportunities, and students will be supervised by both seasoned classroom teachers and college professors throughout the experience. Classroom teachers and North Central professors will mentor and coach the students, offering valuable feedback to help them reflect on their experience and improve as a teacher.
Return on Your Investment
College of Fine Arts students receive hands-on experience and peer mentoring from the first day of class to graduation right in the heart of Minneapolis, a city known for its music and music connections. On top of that, North Central is one of the most affordable accredited Christian colleges in the nation, making it an easy choice to commit to NCU.
financial aid
Traditional undergraduate students receive financial aid
internships
Completed an internship in their chosen field (our students have resumes that reflect someone that has been in their career field for 3+ years at graduation)
Recent Jobs after Graduation:
- Music Educator
- Conductor
- Recording Artist
- Worship Leader
- Composer
- Private Instructor
- Recording Artist
- Manager
- Booking Agent
- Recording and Sound Engineer
- Music Critic
- Professional Performer
- Actor
- Scriptwriter
- Producer
- Stage Technician
- Designer
- Worship Pastor
- Audio Editor
NCU has some of the best teachers I have ever encountered. They genuinely care for the students. The Education department is specifically special. They take pride in training up the next generation of Godly teachers. They make sure that we are equipped and prepared for anything. I would recommend North Central to anyone looking for a quality Education Program.
Sarah, ’25
