Music Education

Bachelor of Education (Music) with Honours is a vocational programme for musicians who aspire to teach music in schools. You will be enrolled in one of the most highly regarded routes into classroom music teaching in Scotland, qualifying you for both primary and secondary school teaching. The degree provides integrated school placements in all four years of study.

In this programme, you will study aspects of teacher education in developing your skillsets for effective classroom practice and preparation for school experience. With a focus on professionalism, practitioner enquiry and career-long professional learning, you will develop a personal educator identity.

You will undertake intensive music studies focusing on creativity, performance and collaboration. You will develop your skills and knowledge in musicianship, musicology, technology, piano and classroom instruments.

With school placements in every year of study, you will have the opportunity to embed learning and develop the practical application of skills through teaching practice.

Following graduation, you will qualify for Provisional Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). All eligible graduates are guaranteed a probationary year of classroom teaching in a Scottish school. GTCS standards are recognised in the UK and internationally, with many of our former students working in Scotland or abroad after graduation.

Course Modules

Year 1 - Developing as a Teacher:

Professional Studies will focus on developing as a teacher, exploring learning and teaching in the primary school, and key issues about how children learn, and teacher professionalism.

Your school placement will be in a primary school where you will learn how to plan and develop lessons to support learning within the school context and develop a wider awareness of education.

We provide a solid foundation in performance, ensemble playing, composition and arranging, collaboration, music technology and the exploration of musical contexts.

Year 2 - Developing the Whole Child:

In Professional Studies, the focus moves towards child development, health and wellbeing and inclusive education.

Your school experience will be in a secondary school where you will focus on Broad General Education (BGE) in the Music department and the wider school.

Music studies will focus on broadening knowledge and deepening understanding through collaborative and creative practice, to develop as a musician and support your work as a classroom practitioner, including building awareness and experiencing global musical contexts.

Year 3 - Assessment, Education and Society:

Professional Studies in year three will explore assessment, education and society and the cross-cutting educational themes which influence learning and teaching. You will begin to consider the role of practitioner enquiry and reflective practice in the development of your teacher identity and capacity for career-long learning.

School experience will focus on secondary three and four and the transition from Broad General Education into the Senior Phase and towards National Qualifications.

In music studies, you will have core studies in composition for film and studio collaboration. You will choose additional electives from a list of modules such as performance, musicology, composition folio, additional support for learning, primary music, instrumental music teaching, accompaniment studies, conducting, arranging, additional performance study, etc.

Year 4 - The Enquiring Professional:

Professional Studies in year four will support you to implement a small-scale, action-research project in your classroom, with a focus on analysing the impact of a pedagogical intervention, uniting theory and practice.

In your final year, the focus of the placement will be the senior phase. You will spend an extended period in a secondary school fully embedding the GTCS Standard for Provisional Registration into your practice to join the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT).

You will combine your knowledge, skills and school experiences to date, making connections between your studies at RCS and career-long professional learning.

You will have core studies in composition and composition for film, with a particular focus on the teaching of these areas, along with other electives from the elective catalogue, some of which build on year 3 electives.

https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/bachelor-of-education-music-hons/#programme-structure

Please see our website for more information.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• General Teaching Council for Scotland