Music (MA), Music Education Concentration

The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the international applicants page to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.

Applicants must hold a U.S. teaching certificate or have completed an alternate routed music education program.

In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have
created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the
application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps
needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific
program of interest.

• Application Deadline: Rolling admission.
• Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions and pay (or waive) the non-refundable $60 application fee. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.

The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Music (MA) program, Education Concentration:

• Transcript: One from each college attended.
• Essays/Personal Statement: Write one essay of no more than three double-spaced pages in response to the prompt below. Your essay can include some description, but it should also demonstrate that you have critically reflected on the profession and your potential place within it. Please write in a concise, formal, professional style. If you make generalizations or assertions, be sure to provide support for them. In one integrated essay, thoughtfully discuss each of the areas identified below:
  • Why you are interested in the profession in which you want to pursue graduate work and, if applicable, the particular concentration within that profession.
  • Your knowledge of issues and trends in this profession or field.
  • What areas and topics you hope to study in depth and why.
  • Any related professional or personal experiences you have had, including opportunities to collaborate with other professionals, and how these experiences make you particularly well-suited for the profession.
  • Potential challenges and opportunities associated with diversity you think are relevant to the profession you are pursuing. Be sure to explain what you mean by “diversity” (related, for example, to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, language, disability) and how it may pose challenges or present opportunities.
• Letters of Recommendation: Two.
• Applicants must hold a U.S. teaching certificate or have completed an alternate routed music education program.
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.

Interviews for Graduate Music Applicants

Applicants to this program are required to schedule & complete an interview as part of the Cali School’s review process. A formal audition is not required for this program.To complete your interview, you must first submit an application to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Once your application is complete with all required materials, you must reach out to the Program Coordinator to request to schedule an interview. Contact information for the Program Coordinator & any further requirements can be found on The Cali School’s Audition Information Page. Please be sure to review the Program Requirements thoroughly (under Step 1)  to best understand & prepare for the application/review process specific to your area of interest. 

The 33-hour program offers small classes, individualized attention, and fieldwork in your own classroom. The program also fosters a balance of theory and practice to nurture musical maturity, reflective teaching practice and educational leadership. Graduate students may participate in large and small ensembles for credit or non-credit. Participation is subject to the ensemble director’s approval. A field project is the capstone experience in this program. Each student identifies a problematic issue within their own classroom and designs an action research project addressing the issue. Students working on their field project have ongoing support from a faculty mentor.

For more information, please visit the Music (MA), Music Education Concentration program listing in the course catalog.

If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us:
Office of Graduate Admissions
Email: graduate@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-5147
Fax: 973-655-7869

If you have specific inquiries regarding your program of interest, please contact the Music (MA), Music Education Concentration Program Coordinator:

*During the summer months, there will be a rotating department chair available to answer your inquiry. Find the updated summer chair for this program.*

Program Coordinator: Dr. Marissa Silverman
Office: Chapin Hall
Email: silvermanm@montclair.edu
Telephone: 973-655-7779