
Why Music Educators Choose Berklee's Graduate Programs Explore Berklees flexible master's degrees and certificate in music education, and get advice from working teachers and online learners who've studied here.
By
John Mirisola
September 4, 2024
Music education students play in and conduct an ensemble.
Image by Kelly Davidson
Anybody whos ever benefited from a great music teacher knows the transformative role that music education can play in a persons life. Its one reason why so many musicians wind up becoming music teachers themselves-to share that love for music that somebody else nurtured in them.
But the decision to pursue a career in the classroom-to get a masters in music education, or to earn a graduate certificate-isn't always easy. Most working teachers can't leave the classroom to advance in their careers. And for others, maybe the program they're interested in is far from where they live.
If youre looking to get your masters degree in music education, or to earn a graduate certificate, Berklees graduate music education programs offer a flexible, contemporary approach to the music classroom that helps you to connect your teaching to todays culture and technology. With class formats built to accommodate working teachers, online and hybrid learners, and on-campus study, theres never a bad time or place to start your career as a music teacher, or to take the next step in your professional development.
In this article, well explore some of the key features of the graduate music education experience at Berklee:
Three world-class programs
Online, hybrid, and flexible classes
Contemporary and culturally responsive teaching
Customizing your graduate music education experience
Focused training for teaching students with disabilities
Well also hear from current students and alumni of Berklees graduate music education programs, and theyll share their advice on:
How to earn your music education masters degree or certificate while teaching
How to earn your music education masters degree remotely
Three World-Class ProgramsBerklee offers three graduate programs in music education:
The Master of Music in Music Education
The Master of Music in Music Education (Autism Concentration)
The Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism
Each program has been designed to fit the schedules and meet the needs of todays educators. Our Music Education Department is led by Cecil Adderley, the president-elect of the National Association for Music Educators, so students can be assured theyre receiving the most forward-looking and rigorous training available. And graduate students in these programs also have the chance to work with some of the worlds leading practitioners and scholars of accessible music education through the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.
Read on to learn more about each program and the adaptive course structure that makes them work for teachers in every stage of their careers.
Online, Hybrid, and Flexible ClassesOne of the core values of graduate music education at Berklee is that each program should be able to serve working teachers. Thats why the programs are designed to ensure that teachers enrolled in these programs can keep their jobs while they advance their careers through graduate-level training. Courses are offered in the evenings during the fall and spring semesters, and students can enroll in two full-time sessions during the summer.
This program was flexible for me, a working teacher, which was a must, says Sarah Fard, who took one course at a time and completed her Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism in 2018. I had found myself working as a paraprofessional for students with autism early on in my career, before returning to the music classroom, and noticed that there was a lot that I had not learned in my pre-service education that directly impacted how well I was able to best teach various students. I wanted further training so that I could best support my students and also help other teachers do the same.
It is very important to enroll in programs that have you working with the materials that you use in the classroom, so that the work you are doing is purposeful.
- Sarah Fard, Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism
During the academic year, students can also participate in classes remotely using web conferencing and student-directed study formats-a model Berklees graduate music education programs have been refining for years before COVID-19 made online learning a necessity at other institutions.
Im teaching a class tonight where I have five students on the web and four students in the room, and we are all together having class, says Rhoda Bernard, managing director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education and the founder of all three graduate programs. Weve been doing hybrid and remote learning in graduate music education since long before it was sexy.
Contemporary and Culturally Responsive TeachingPeople today experience, consume, make, and interact with music in a wide range of ways, explains Bernard, and we have now access to music from all over the world and from all throughout time in ways that weve never had before, and it has to change how we teach.
While many music education programs still follow outdated models, graduate music education at Berklee is designed to help todays teachers engage with the latest pedagogical, cultural, and technological shifts shaping contemporary learning environments.
The real future of music is being made at Berklee because the institution is choosing to embrace today's culture for music, people, and music learning that exists in the world outside of the school, says Adam Calus BM '17, MM '21.
Ready to take the next step in your teaching career?
Learn more about applying to Berklees graduate music educat
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
27/04/2026
CES Power, a provider of infrastructure for live events, has announced the acquisition of three Ireland-based businesses: GH Energy Rental Ltd, Event Power, and...
27/04/2026
FuboTV Inc. has announced it is developing its Multiview feature for the Fubo streaming service on select LG TVs, including 2024, 2025, and newer 4K and 8K mode...
27/04/2026
Shade, a file management platform for creative teams, has announced a $14 million funding round led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital, br...
27/04/2026
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will present the Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition - Immersive Audio in All Flavors - on April 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ...
27/04/2026
DAZN has announced DAZN48, a creator program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will recruit 48 creators - one representing each of the 48 qualified nations - to ...
27/04/2026
FloSports has announced exclusive streaming rights to four CrossFit competitions: Legends Del Mar: CrossFit Semi-Finals, Magic City Games, NorCal Classic, and t...
27/04/2026
Telestream has announced that Pulse, its software-defined test and measurement p...
27/04/2026
Shade has announced it is a Cloud Computing and Storage winner in the 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. Winners were selected by a panel of industry exp...
27/04/2026
Leading the NBA's video-ads platform, this Penn State grad is at the forefro...
27/04/2026
DAZN has expanded its international broadcast rights for the T100 Triathlon World Tour to include Africa. All races from the T100 calendar will be available for...
27/04/2026
NAB Show has announced the recipients of its 2026 Project of the Year and Product of the Year Awards at a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Each wi...
27/04/2026
DIRECTV has launched on Meta Quest headsets, becoming the first MVPD to offer live TV through the platform. The timing coincides with the stretch run of the MLB...
27/04/2026
TBL Team Boxing League has announced a broadcast agreement with MSG Networks to air all remaining Season 4 fights live across MSG's television and digital p...
27/04/2026
IP integration, interoperability, growth of intercommunications were key concerns for vendors and visitors alike
Attendees at the recently concluded 2026 NAB S...
27/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
27/04/2026
A pro-audio emphasis, spectrum changes, and on-field audio mark the new products and enhancements to existing offerings
Microphones remain the primary point of...
27/04/2026
The Sports Video Group team was all over the NAB Show floor out in Las Vegas las...
27/04/2026
N r Spotify grundades f r 20 r sedan dominerades musikmarknaden av illegal nedladdning. Sedan dess har streaming bidragit till att teruppr tta betalningsvilja...
27/04/2026
Time on Spotify should feel meaningful and intentional, not something that slips...
27/04/2026
New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...
27/04/2026
Kit includes supercardioid & shotgun capsules
High-end mic manufacturer Schoeps have recently introduced another member of their Desert Island Set family. O...
27/04/2026
LA2A-inspired 500-series module arrives
Sound Skulptor have announced the upcoming launch of a new 500-series module that aims to recreate one of the most p...
27/04/2026
SSL-inspired compressor unit upgraded
Stam Audio are well known for their painstaking recreations of vintage audio gear, with their extensive product range ...
27/04/2026
Available for current Nielsen ONE Ads customers, this new capability predicts sa...
27/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/04/2026
Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year A...
27/04/2026
Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflo...
27/04/2026
Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD ...
27/04/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large Module-R desk and MediaWall monitor display mount for an expanded master control room at Gravity Medias West...
27/04/2026
Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot N...
27/04/2026
Back to All News
Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Dami n Szifron s...
27/04/2026
Red Seat Ventures Announces Exclusive Multiyear Partnership with Kill Tony The Company is the New Monetization and Distribution Home for the Globally Popula...
27/04/2026
RT 2FM is calling on aspiring DJs across Ireland to take their shot at the spot...
27/04/2026
RT continues to champion Ireland's creative life this May, supporting a broad range of festivals, exhibitions and performances across music, theatre, liter...
26/04/2026
Back to All News
Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), A...
26/04/2026
Back to All News
Nine Queens, Starring Alvaro Morte and Patrick Criado, Starts ...
25/04/2026
In the heart of Mexico City, music, culture, and fashion converged last night as Spotify and Vogue Latin America welcomed guests to an intimate gathering at Soh...
25/04/2026
New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...
25/04/2026
Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of ...
25/04/2026
SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 24, 2026
0 Comments
Compact modular set ideal for location sound ...
25/04/2026
Berklee Africana Studies Hosts Gospel Extravaganza 2026 The Signature Series event will honor three new inductees to the Berklee Gospel Hall of Fame and celeb...
25/04/2026
Student Spotlight: Siva Maja Gierszewska, who performs under the artist name Siva, shares how she found her songwriting confidence at Berklee.
April 24, 2026...
25/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/04/2026
Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from 1/...