UB launches accelerated five-year music education program

UB Teach has launched a new accelerated program that allows students to earn both their Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance and Master of Education in Music Education in just five years. This innovative program addresses a critical teacher shortage while providing students with a faster and more affordable pathway to a fulfilling career.

This combined program, a collaboration between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Education (GSE), streamlines the path to becoming a music teacher.

“With this new program, UB becomes only the second university in the state to offer a combined, five-year degree in music performance and music education,” says Brian Moseley, director of undergraduate studies and associate professor in the Department of Music. “Students can earn their undergraduate degree and certification faster, and that means that they can begin their career as a music educator sooner and at a lower cost.”

UB Teach graduates are eligible for New York State professional teaching certification in grades pre-K-12. Students graduate in just five years, saving time and money — and without having to apply to graduate school. In years one through three, students will complete music coursework in the College of Arts and Sciences and any entry-level education courses. In years four and five, students will take graduate-level coursework in both music and education.

“In the fifth year, they’ll be student teaching and taking the final education course or courses they need. And then, at that point, they’ll be licensed to be music educators in New York State. So it’s an intense program but I think we’ve made it manageable,” says Eric Huebner, professor and chair of the Department of Music. 

Through UB Teach, students in the music education track will participate in large and small ensembles every semester. As they begin their study of conducting in later semesters, they will have opportunities to conduct and rehearse these groups as well.

“In designing this program, we were committed to placing music performance at its heart,” Moseley explains. “This not only allows us to showcase our award-winning performance faculty, but also reflects our belief that the best music educators are, above all, exceptional musicians. In the MusB/EdM, students not only complete their undergraduate degree and certification more efficiently, but they also benefit from a curriculum that keeps music performance as its central focus,” he says. 

Students take methods courses in woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion and voice — preparing them to teach across a music curriculum upon graduation.

“This is a particularly important program because it brings back the idea that you can enter UB as a freshman into a music education program,” notes Elisabeth Etopio, assistant dean and clinical professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction. “Since the music education program transitioned to GSE, it has been a graduate program only. While it is still a graduate program, you can make progress toward the goal of becoming a music teacher from your first semester at UB.”

Every student in the UB Teach program takes part in a teacher residency in their fifth year, where they’ll work alongside a mentor in a Western New York school for a full school year.

“Western New York has an incredible musical heritage — one that UB has played a significant role in shaping and continues to influence to this day,” Moseley says. “Our music students are already deeply engaged in the community and in music education through our department’s internship program, collaborating with organizations like Buffalo String Works and Buffalo Girlchoir.

“We are confident that graduates of this program will find excellent career opportunities both in Western New York and across the state.”  

UB is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The new music education program begins this fall and students can apply for this program through the UB Teach website as a freshman to transfer student.