doctor of music education
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If I have a Doctor of Musical Arts am I qualified to be a teacher?
I am pursuing a Master of Music in Jazz Studies/Music Production and next I am considering pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition. I do not have any formal education in Music Education. What kind of credentials would I need to teach Music in a high school or university? I assume it is different depending on the place, but do I need to study Education first?
Thanks!
Yes and No. A DMA will not qualify you to teach in public schools (as insane as that sounds) but will qualify you to teach at the college/university level and in the studio.
In order to get a K-12 Music certificate to teach in the public schools you will have to either complete a teacher education program or participate in an alternative certification program. Almost all states have an alternative program for those with a degree that want to become a teacher – contact your state department of education.
Expect, as a minimum, to need to take methods courses in brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings, and voice as well as some education courses.
Also expect to face a challenge finding a job. While very many music teachers have a master’s degree – most districts won’t want to pay a doctorate level salary to a teacher with no proven experience.
For post-secondary teaching you’ll not need any additional teaching credentials but you’ll be expected to be looking to teach the subjects you have graduate degrees in. With an MM in Jazz Studies, you could expect to be a good candidate for jazz teaching seats. The DMA in Composition could be very valuable. Teachers of composition and theory are not all that easy to come by. You’ll need some publication experience though – plan to have some compositions published if this is the route you want to take.
That MM also qualifies you to teach music appreciation at your local community college – it appears that very few music faculty want to teach that course so you may find an in to the business that way.
Any advanced degree in music is more than most private studio teachers have. You are, of course, qualified to teach private studio music. This can be particularly lucrative if you live in an area that has a demand.
