The Bachelor of Music in music education prepares students to be certified public school teachers. This degree has three tracks: Instrumental (Wind, Strings, and Percussion), Keyboard, and Vocal. (Keyboard, Guitar, and Harp have either a vocal or instrumental emphasis in determining large ensemble requirements.)
Successful completion of the degree qualifies students to sit for the Music Content Knowledge Praxis Examination prior to student teaching. Graduates of this program also qualify for certification in other states, subject to the individual processes of each state. The Bachelor of Music in music education is constructed on a solid core of performance experiences and, as such, also prepares students for potential graduate study. Certification qualifies students to teach K–12 music in the New Jersey Public Schools.
As a music education student at TCNJ, you will get to experience:
- Rigorous study in traditional and progressive approaches to music teaching and learning.
- Hands-on teaching experiences in urban, suburban, and rural school districts at all levels, K–12.
- Curated field experiences for students interested in music technology, musical theater, and students with learning differences.
- Opportunities to student teach in global placements
- A focus on post-graduate success, including a 100% job placement rate and graduate program admission track record.
Coordinator of Music Education
Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education
Music Building 
mcbriden@tcnj.edu 
(609) 771-2551
Music Education Faculty
- Tanatchaya Chanphanitpornkit, EdD, Strings, Music Education
- Brandi Diggs, DMA, Vocal Methods
- Matthew Gould, Brass Methods
- Ingrid Ladendorf, Intro to Music Education, K-8 General Music
- Eric Laprade, DMA, Conducting II, Instrumental Literature, & 7-12 Instrumental Methods
- John Leonard, DM, Conducting II, Vocal Literature
- Dennis MacMullin, Woodwinds Methods I and II, Student Teaching Supervision
- Nicholas McBride, EdD, Intro to Music Education, 7-12 Choral Methods, Student Teaching
- Kathleen Mitchell, Woodwind Methods I
- Heather Mitchell, Conducting I, Choral Literature
- Michael Newman, Guitar Methods
- Michael Pettis, Marching Band Techniques
- Wilfredo Rodriquez, String Methods & Jazz Pedagogy
- Colleen Sears, EdD, Contemporary Issues in Music Education, & 7-12 Instrumental Methods
- William Trigg, Percussion Methods
Sample of classes that music education majors take:
Sample of classes that music education majors take
College Core
Conducting and Literature
- Conducting I
- Conducting II (Choral or Instrumental)
- Literature Seminar (Choral or Instrumental)
Historical and Cultural Studies in Music
- Music in Global Perspective
- Music from 600 to 1750
- Music from 1750 to 1945
- Music from 1945 to Present
Keyboard Skills
- Keyboard Skills I
- Keyboard Skills II
- Keyboard Skills III (Choral only)
- Keyboard Proficiency Exam
- Keyboard Harmony, Piano Pedagogy, and Art of Accompanying (piano only)
Methods Courses
- Vocal Methods
- Diction for Singers (vocal only)
- Woodwinds I
- Woodwinds II (instrumental only)
- Brass Class
- Strings Class
- Guitar Class (vocal only)
Music Education Sequence
- Introduction to Music Education
- Contemporary Issues in Music Education
- K-8 Practicum
- 7-12 Practicum (Choral or Instrumental)
- Jazz Pedagogy
- Student Teaching Seminar
Musicianship
- Musicianship I
- Musicianship II
- Musicianship III
- Musicianship IV
Music Technology
Private Lessons
- 7-8 semesters of 50-minute lessons
Primary/Large Ensembles
- 7-8 semesters of large ensembles
Capstone Experiences
- Senior Recital
- Student Teaching
Meet Our Alumni
Choir Director, Monroe Township High School
Band Director, Wayne Valley High School
Orchestra Director, North Brunswick Township High School
Composer and Clinician, Alfred Music, Carl Fischer Music
Director of University Bands, Rutgers University
Artistic Director, Eastern Wind Symphony
Music Director, Princeton Brass Band
Band Director, Trenton Central High School
Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Studies, UMKC