Written by Eliza Simikian
Applications are now open!
The University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam College of Music is proud to announce the launch of a new fully online Master of Music in Music Education for Practicing Educators. Designed specifically for working teachers, the program allows educators to continue their own professional growth while remaining in the classroom. As the College’s first fully online master’s degree, it extends a long-standing tradition of excellence in music education through innovative, experience-driven learning.
“The launch of this program represents an opportunity for growth and meaningful engagement with educators across our state and beyond,” said Brendan McConville, associate dean of academic and faculty affairs. “By listening carefully to practicing teachers and designing a rigorous, accessible curriculum around their lived experiences, we are investing in both our K-12 educators and the classrooms they serve.”
What sets this degree apart is its singular focus on teaching practice. Designed for K–12 educators seeking to become master teachers, the curriculum is grounded in the daily realities of today’s music classrooms. Each course is intentionally designed through the lens of the practicing educator and structured so that students can immediately apply new strategies, ideas, and reflections in their own schools.
“The key differentiator is our focus on teaching practice,” Angela Ammerman, teaching associate professor of music education, said. “This program is specifically designed for teachers to become master educators truly. Each course invites them to use their own classroom as a lab, applying what we study today with their students tomorrow.”
Ammerman developed the program alongside Associate Professor Emmett O’Leary after listening closely to in-service teachers and drawing on years of experience working with educators in the field. Rather than adapting an existing curriculum to an online format, they built the degree from the ground up. Through ongoing conversations, they identified a desire for graduate study that is rigorous, relevant, flexible, and deeply connected to real-world instruction.
The online format enables educators to earn a graduate degree in under two years while continuing the work they care about most. Coursework begins with Habits of the Master Music Educator, a foundational class in which students examine influential teachers from their own lives, establish professional goals, and begin intentionally strengthening their practice. Those habits guide students throughout the program.
Additional courses include conducting and rehearsal strategies, classroom management, K–12 ensemble score study, and audio and video technology courses all directly connected to contemporary music teaching. The degree culminates in a capstone tailored to each educator’s interests. Students may develop a curriculum proposal, complete a research paper, or present a lecture-ensemble performance featuring their own school ensembles, paired with a reflective presentation on instructional strategies and pedagogical philosophy.
“This is the master’s program teachers have been asking for,” Ammerman said. “It is practical, immediately applicable, and rooted in joy-filled teaching. Every aspect of this program has been designed to enrich the lives of educators and their students for years to come.”
Angela Ammerman Teaching Associate Professor of Music EducationNatalie L. Haslam College of Music
With the launch of this fully online degree, the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music expands access to its nationally respected music education programs while continuing to support and inspire educators in classrooms across the country. Applications are now open for Fall 2026 admission.
