LATROBE, PA – The Saint Vincent College School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences has announced the addition of a music education certification program for undergraduate students beginning in fall 2020.
The new program will provide a rigorous program of study in which students develop high-level music skills and learn the art of teaching while embracing the culture and values of Saint Vincent College. Students will be prepared for employment as a public-school certified music educator for grades PreK-12 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, direct and instruct PK-12 school choirs, musicals and band ensembles and serve as a music educator for both private and public settings. In addition to teaching in a school setting, music educators also regularly provide lessons, support theaters and churches and assist in summer and camp programs.
“We are so excited for the music education program at Saint Vincent College,” said Thomas Octave, associate professor and chair of the Music Department, “and the great offering it will be to all of our students.”
Saint Vincent College music education candidates will pursue a bachelor of arts degree in music, an undergraduate program well known for its offerings in sacred music education and vocal performance. Students will enroll in courses that encompass all aspects of music history, theory and methods. For the teacher certification, students will receive training in pupil advancement, assessment, management, instructional strategy and curriculum development, as well as gain field experience as pre-student and student teachers.
Dr. Veronica Ent, chair of the Education Department at Saint Vincent College, explained, “The National Association of Music Education suggests that students need to have experience in creating to be successful musicians and to be successful 21st century citizens. The Saint Vincent College program strives to meet this expectation through an innovative design that provides a foundation that will prepare music educators to be flexible and willing to embrace new ideas to reach the next generation of musically-literate youth.”
The addition of the music education certification program at Saint Vincent College comes at a time in which the demand for music educators is expected to grow by more than 12 percent across the U.S. over the next six years, as it is estimated by the website www.careerexplorer.com that upward of 18,500 new music teachers will be needed by 2026. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which boasts the fourth largest amount of music teachers nationally with 5,500, the need is projected to continue to increase as educators leave the profession.
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