Daryl Kinney, area head
WELCOME to Music Education at The Ohio State University, one of the leading music education programs in the nation. Whether you're looking to start a career as a music educator, refine your teaching through professional development, or broaden your horizons with one of our graduate degrees, Ohio State has the tradition, faculty and resources to help you succeed! Your Ohio State affiliation will be recognized throughout the nation and around the world. We are here to help you achieve your musical, personal and career goals.
Our undergraduate program is a four-year program leading to a Bachelor of Music Education degree and an initial license to teach music in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade schools.
The post-baccalaureate program is a shorter non-degree program for those holding a music degree (BM, BA) who wish to obtain a license to teach music in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade schools.
The graduate programs encompass the MA and PhD degrees in music education, for those who wish to expand their abilities in both teaching and scholarship.
Whether you are interested in completing a Master of Arts, beginning a PhD, seeking professional development, or exploring areas of interest within and outside of music, Ohio State’s Pathways to Your Future in Music Education provides the flexibility through summer courses, autumn/spring courses (most in the evenings), or online and in-person courses to meet your professional goals.
Questions? Contact Daryl Kinney, Music Education Area Head
What does Ohio State offer prospective music teachers?
- A first-tier, Research 1 university with nationwide and worldwide name recognition
- A music community that offers a personal and supportive experience, with a close-knit student body
- A renowned, progressive and student-focused music education faculty with specialists in band, orchestra, choral and general music education — from early childhood through adulthood
- An outstanding applied voice and instrumental faculty who are deeply invested in teaching — in a school where all music majors study with a professor
- Exceptional ensemble experiences in choir, band, orchestra, jazz and marching band
- A vibrant campus community with opportunities to extend your education beyond music — to collaborate and engage with endless resources
- Engagement in the diversity of Columbus-area school districts from the earliest days of the program
- A wide range of music student organizations providing opportunities for personal connection and professional development
Our Faculty
The faculty at Ohio State are among the nation’s leaders in both teaching and scholarship. They have taught in diverse school settings, and published, presented and guest conducted around the world. They regularly contribute to music education in the state of Ohio through presentations at conferences and workshops, and through working directly with students in schools.
You will find their research and contributions published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, Music Educators Journal, the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Application of Research in Music Education, Contributions to Music Education, Journal of the College Music Symposium, Clavier Companion, Empirical Musicology Review, American Music Therapy Association, The Kodály Envoy, American Music Teacher, American String Teachers Journal, American String Teacher, String Research Journal, Journal of String Research, and The Instrumentalist.
Recognized as leaders in the field, our faculty have presented at national conferences of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE), the College Music Society (CMS), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), and the American Eurythmics Society. In addition, they have conducted and presented in nearly every state as well as in England, Canada, Brazil, France, Hungary, Norway, Malaysia, Italy and Israel.
Meet the Music Education faculty | Contact Us | Meet Alumni
Want to learn more?
Future undergraduate and graduate students, explore our degree programs, application and audition details and more, in the navigation menu.
High school students, learn about outreach programs, admissions visit days, request an appointment with our admissions coordinator, and more at Undergraduate Admissions.
Questions?
- Future undergraduate students — contact Tanya Sparks, admissions coordinator, at sparks.348@osu.edu.
- Future graduate students — contact Graduate Studies at mus-grad@osu.edu.