MAT Music Education (PK-12 Certification) at University of South Carolina

Programme overview

Become a licensed South Carolina music teacher and enjoy performance, teaching, leading and research opportunities. Develop outstanding professional teaching skills in this one- to two-year program. In collaboration with the USC College of Education, the master of arts in teaching degree is designed for music students whose undergraduate degree was not in music education.

Faculty: College of Education / School of Music | Duration: 30 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbia, SC, United States

What you will study

Study music education foundations and techniques, graduate music courses, professional education courses in the College of Education, courses in music learning and teaching and practicum opportunities. Participate in ensembles and collaborate with other students in real teaching experiences through Music for Your Life programs for children and adults.

Career pathways

Potential careers include Teacher, Educator.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admissions (University of South Carolina Academic Bulletin): The general requirements for admission include the completion of an undergraduate degree in music education with a grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) on relevant courses; valid teacher certificate; an interview; and fulfillment of the general requirements for admission to The Graduate School, including the submission of three recommendations. A list of additional admission materials specific to this program is available on the School of Music website. Unless they have completed an undergraduate degree at an English-speaking institution, applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL, IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam, or Duolingo exam. Normally, the minimum acceptable score on the TOFEL is 80 (internet-based score) or 570 (paper-based). The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2...

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applications are accepted for Fall, Spring and Summer terms; Fall applications open the prior September, Spring applications open in January and Summer applications open in May.

The graduate application fee is $50 per primary application, reinstated effective August 1, 2026. Deadlines are programme-specific. The Moore School of Business, the Arnold School of Public Health and the College of Nursing use their own applications; the Moore School charges an additional $50 application fee for graduate programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://www.sc.edu/admissions-at-sc/applications/index.php

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