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Master of Music in Music Education: Professional Practice Emphasis

Master of Music (MM) Hybrid

The Master of Music in Music Education: Professional Practice Emphasis degree offers a flexible, hybrid delivery model designed specifically for working professionals, including both structured online coursework and schedule-friendly, in-person residency experiences. 

Students enroll in two 10-day summer residency experiences, one in each summer of the two-year program, held on campus at Converse University. These immersive residencies emphasize collaborative, practice-based learning and focus on instructional application, musicianship, pedagogy, and professional dialogue that benefit from in-person engagement. 

Following each summer residency, students complete structured online coursework that extends and deepens the on-campus learning experience. During the Fall and Spring semesters of both academic years, coursework is delivered online through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, allowing students to remain fully employed while progressing through the degree.

Program Goals

  • Advance Artistic and Pedagogical Practice: Develop highly skilled music educators who integrate musical artistry, research-informed pedagogy, and reflective teaching into contemporary classrooms and rehearsal spaces.
  • Strengthen Professional Leadership: Prepare educators to lead within schools, communities, and professional organizations through collaborative critical inquiry and artistic development.
  • Connect Research to Real-World Teaching: Bridge scholarship and practice by helping educators apply learning science, assessment strategies, and both historical and philosophical perspectives to everyday instructional decisions.
  • Support Sustainable Career Growth: Provide a flexible pathway for working teachers to deepen expertise while remaining active in their professional roles and local communities.
  • Cultivate Lifelong Learning and Innovation: Encourage adaptive thinking, creative problem-solving, and responsiveness to evolving musical, cultural, and educational contexts. Prepare individuals for doctoral studies in music education.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Musicianship and Performance: Demonstrate advanced musical understanding and apply artistic decision-making within rehearsal, performance, and instructional contexts. Integrate performance practice with pedagogical strategies that promote musical independence and expressive depth.
  2. Teaching and Learning: Design instruction grounded in principles of learning psychology, cognition, and motivation. Sequence curriculum that supports diverse learners and maintains high artistic standards.
  3. Assessment and Reflection: Develop and apply meaningful assessment practices that inform instruction, measure growth, and support student achievement. Expand teaching practice through reflective and data-informed decision-making.
  4. Historical and Philosophical Practice: Interpret historical and philosophical perspectives in music education and connect them to contemporary practice. Articulate a personal philosophy of music education grounded in scholarship and lived experience.
  5. Leadership and Collaboration: Lead initiatives that strengthen music programs, foster collaboration with stakeholders, and advocate for the role of music in education. Communicate effectively with students, colleagues, administrators, and community partners.
  6. Professional Inquiry Engage in graduate-level research and applied inquiry that addresses authentic challenges in music teaching and learning.

MM in Music Education: Professional Practice Emphasis

The Master of Music in Music Education: Professional Practice Emphasis is a two-year, low-residency* graduate program designed for practicing music educators seeking advanced professional study through a flexible, non-traditional format.

This low-residency pathway is designed primarily for in-service music educators seeking advanced professional preparation while maintaining their teaching careers. Practical application is a unifying focus across all the courses, ensuring that students can integrate graduate-level learning into their professional work.

Converse University is home to one of the few low-residency graduate programs in music education in the region, offering working educators the opportunity to pursue advanced credentials without leaving their professional positions.

The program emphasizes meaningful learning rooted in real-world professional experience. Students work closely with faculty mentors as they complete coursework that connects directly to their daily teaching and professional responsibilities.

The degree requires 30 graduate credit hours completed through four online semesters and two 10-day summer residency experiences (one in each summer of the two-year program) held on campus at Converse University. The program culminates in a capstone professional project or thesis that reflects the student’s area of specialization, along with an oral presentation or defense.

*The term “low-residency” refers to taking classes at Converse. On-campus housing and meals are not provided as part of the summer curriculum.

More reasons to choose Converse:

Low-Residency Program

Minimal on-campus time combined with robust online learning options, allowing students to remain active in their professional roles.

Cohort Identity and Professional Community

Cohort relationships are established during the summer intensives and are intentionally sustained through collaborative online coursework throughout the program.

Individualized Faculty Advisement

Students receive consistent, one-on-one advisement from full-time music education faculty who understand the demands of in-service teaching.

Blended Online Instruction

Online coursework blends both synchronous and asynchronous interaction to provide flexibility, supporting meaningful engagement while accommodating varied schedules.

Designed for Working Professionals

The program is intentionally structured to align with school calendars, teaching responsibilities, and ongoing professional commitments.

Graduate Admissions

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Beyond the Classroom

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