Music Education

Music education is a discipline that sits at the intersection of musical knowledge and expertise, educational theory and practice, and the professional formation needed to inspire young people through music. It asks you to develop as a musician and performer while also building the pedagogical understanding, communication skills and personal qualities that make an effective teacher and music educator. Music education matters not only for the musical development of individuals but for the role that music plays in building communities, fostering creativity and developing the concentration, discipline and emotional intelligence that transfer across all areas of learning.

At the University of Aberdeen this three-year, full-time programme gives you the remarkable opportunity to learn, compose and perform with world-renowned composers and musicologists working across all genres, styles and periods. You will grow as a musician and performer while also specialising in the skills needed to inspire a new generation through music education in schools and community settings. You will engage with educational theory, curriculum design, music psychology and the practical realities of teaching music to learners of different ages and abilities.

The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to encounter different musical and educational traditions in an international context.

Graduates of music education programmes pursue careers as music teachers in schools, peripatetic music instructors, community music leaders, music therapists with further training, choral and ensemble directors, music service officers and musicians who combine performing careers with educational work. Some graduates also move into arts administration, music management, recording and production or broadcasting. The combination of musical expertise and educational insight that the degree develops is a foundation for a varied and rewarding career at the intersection of music and human development.