Music Education - Major (Bachelor of Music)

Music education majors at Nazareth College qualify for birth-12 certification in music from the New York State Department of Education. (Currently, 41 states participate with New York in an interstate reciprocity agreement that recognizes New York State certification as a legitimate teaching credential within their states.) As a state certification requirement, students complete professional courses in instrumental, choral, and general music methods. In addition to a music senior experience, the student teaching experience serves as the capstone for this program. A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required for student teacher placement. To earn teacher certification, students must complete all professional courses (as defined in the department handbook) with a grade of C or higher, and must pass the New York State teacher certification exams. The Bachelor of Music degree in music education requires a minimum of 136 credits.

Note: The program listed below is the traditional four-year program. A nine-semester program of study is available in the department of music student handbook. The nine-semester program does not require summer study.

Requirements for New York Initial Teacher Certification
All teacher candidates must successfully complete the following to meet the requirements for New York teacher certification:
• Academic and education program with a GPA of 2.7 or higher
• All education course work with a grade of C or higher
• New York State teacher certification examinations

A minimum of three exams need to be passed:
• Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST)
• Written Assessment of Teaching Skills (ATS-W)
• Content Specialty Test (CST)

See www.naz.edu/dept/edu/certification.cfm for details, suggested timelines for these exams and costs.

Teacher candidates use the NYS TEACH system to apply for Initial certification(s) and need to pay the fees in effect at the time they apply. New York requires all teacher candidates to have fingerprint/background check on file with TEACH and pass all appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations www.nystce.nesinc.com. New York State Education Department maintains a website with certification requirements: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/

During a teacher candidate’s final semester information on the application process will be sent via email. Additional support may be obtained by contacting the Nazareth College Teacher Certification Office at 389-2592 or 2591 or e-mail gpotemp2@naz.edu or chill0@naz.edu, www.naz.edu/dept/edu/certification.cfm.