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Teacher Training for Music Education

Master
MEd
Musikpädagogik - Universität Mozarteum | © Michael Klimt & Christian Schneider
© Michael Klimt & Christian Schneider
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Overview

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The degree programme in music education offers a wide range of courses in which students learn important theoretical principles in dealing with music and how to teach it. The master's course provides subject-specific didactic and practical training for teaching music in secondary schools and also allows students to specialise in an area of their choice.

Information Events

  • 8.1.2025
    06:00 pm
    Online
    Study information: Music Pedagogy
    Interested parties have the opportunity to get to know teachers and students, obtain information about music education degree programmes and entrance examinations and about the Department of Music Education in Salzburg and ask questions.
    Info event
    · Free
  • 20.3.2025
    09:00 am
    Universität Mozarteum
    Open House: Music Education Salzburg
    Information sessions, presentations, small performances, exhibitions & classroom visits
    Open Days
    · Free

Career paths

The master's degree programme in Secondary Education is designed to be completed within 4 semesters. Two teaching subjects must be chosen, in addition to which students are required to complete free elective subjects, a general grounding in educational science, and integrated teaching placements. The  subject Music Education can be combined with any other teaching subject.

Teacher employment law stipulates that new teachers must complete a Master's degree within five years of obtaining their Bachelor's degree in order to be able to enter into permanent employment. In addition, students must also complete a one-year induction phase in which they teach regularly and receive mentoring. The induction phase can be completed directly after the Bachelor's programme and recognised as a practical placement within the Master's programme in accordance with the respective curricular requirements and the current legislation (University Act and Higher Education Act).

In the Master's programme, the academic courses offerd at the university are complemented by practical projects in cooperation with schools. The courses in Music Pedagogy play a key role helping students to develop their individual teacher profile: On the one hand, these challenge future teachers to reflect on fundamental aspects of the discipline (preparing the way for a doctorate in this area, if they wish). On the other hand, these projects also build bridges to important cultural institutions, thereby underlining the essential role played by teachers in encouraging both productive and receptive participation in public musical life.

This degree course is orientated around current developments and performance practice in the arts, as well as the latest, most up-to-date research in the academic disciplines involved. It refers to the curricula of secondary schools and the general and holistic educational goals contained therein. Within the framework of the study programme, principles such as learner-centred orientation, questions of performance assessment, flipped classrom, flexible differentiation, competence orientation, diversity as well as teacher leadership are also taken into account.

Link to the curriculum 

The Master's degree programme in Secondary Education entitles the holder to full employment as a teacher of grades 5 - 13 in:

  • Special needs schools
  • Middle schools
  • Polytechnic schools (PTS)
  • Grammar schools (AHS)
  • Vocational schools and colleges (BMHS)

General course information

The teacher training programme at secondary level is carried out in cooperation with the following partner institutions (Central Region Partnership):

Salzburg location

  • Paris Lodron University Salzburg (PLUS)
  • Salzburg University of Teacher Education (PHS)
  • Edith Stein University of Teacher Education (KPH)
  • Mozarteum University Salzburg (MOZ)

Location Linz

  • Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU)
  • University College of Teacher Education Upper Austria (PH OÖ)
  • Private University College of Education of the Diocese of Linz (PHDL)
  • Linz University of Arts (UFG)
  • Anton Bruckner Private University (ABPU)
  • Catholic Private University Linz (KU Linz)

Applicants should ...

  • enjoy making music
  • want to develop musically and be diligent in practising
  • enjoy musical work with children and young people
  • be enthusiastic in their involvement with music
  • meet the requirements for admission

Graduates of the Master's programme in Music Education:

  • are able to reflect on central academic content, theories, development perspectives and areas of application, modify them and apply them to teaching practice.
  • can, based on their experiences as musicians, classify and analyse musical contributions from an artistic point of view, express themselves adequately in different artistic forms of expression and critically assess their own contribution
  • can recognise differences and similarities between the sub-disciplines of the subject and establish connections between essential findings in the different areas
  • are able to apply subject-specific procedures and methods, especially in the field of music education, in a manner appropriate to the situation
  • are able to develop, communicate and document subject-specific content and findings in a way which corresponds to the conventions of the subject, or to express them artistically
  • are able to recognise and work on subject-specific questions and problems independently and in cooperation with others
  • are able to present ways of learning processes in the artistic and academic elaboration of subject content and align them to the requirements of teaching practice
  • are able to establish cross-connections between subject content, subject didactic concerns and school practice and document this on the basis of concrete tasks.

The prerequisite for admission to the Master's degree programme Teacher Training at Secondary Level is the completion of the relevant Bachelor's degree programme Teacher Training (General Education) in the Central Region Partnership (e.g. BA Teaching Training in Music Education from the Mozarteum University) or another relevant Bachelor's degree programme or another equivalent degree programme at a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution.

If the undergraduate qualification is deemed in essence to be equivalent with the BA Teacher Training for Music Education, with the exception of only individual elements, the Mozarteum University is entitled to admit the candidate to the MA programme on the basis that they work towards fulfilling additional requirements prescribed by the university in order to achieve full equivalence; proof that these requirements have been fulfilled must be provided in the course of the Master's degree programme.

Applicants whose undergraduate degree was not awarded by an institution in the Central Region Partnership are required to pass an entrance examination to determine their artistic and pedagogical aptitude. 

Applicants whose first language is not German must also provide proof of German language skills.

Within the framework of the Bachelor's degree programme Music Education, piano and voice as well as an artistic major must be studied. All instruments offered at the location as well as voice, dance and choral conducting can be chosen as artistic majors. If piano or voice is chosen as an artistic major, a third instrument is not required. Candidates must indicate their choice of artistic major when registering for the entrance examination.

The teaching subject Music Education is to be combined with a second subject. The combination with the teaching subject Instrumental Music Education at the Mozarteum University is possible; for admission to the Instrumental Music Education programme, a separate audition proving artistic aptitude in two instruments must be passed.

Several steps are necessary for registration for the artistic entrance examination. Applicants who have already studied or are currently studying teacher training in the Central Region Partnership (Cluster Mitte) start with step 3.

1. Create a basic account in MOZonline [Link] (required once)
2. in MOZonline: fill in the mandatory statistics UHstat1 (pre-registration for studies) and note the application number that you will receive by email afterwards
3. create an application account in Muvac [Link]
4. fill out your own profile in Muvac (in any case necessary: personal data, information on expertise matching the desired degree programme, in the CV: current employment and information on previous training)

During the application period:

5. selection of the desired degree programme in Muvac (Browse -> Studies)
6. Fill out the application form in Muvac ("Apply now") - in the form, the application number (see step 2) or the Austrian matriculation number must be entered in the appropriate place

Detailed instructions with screenshots can soon be found HERE.
Communication during the application process takes place via Muvac or email, depending on the degree programme. Please ensure that you can be contacted at the email address entered in your profile throughout the entire application process and regularly check whether you have received any new messages in Muvac. You can set your own profile to inform you of any new messages in Muvac by email (Account settings -> Notifications). If your contact details change, please update your profile yourself.
Admission procedure

  • during the registration period fpr the general admission procedure to teaching degrees: registration and completion of the general admission procedure (if applying for the BA programme)
  • during the application period for the artistic entrance examination: online registration via the application portal Muvac (Please note: Registration is only possible if all information is complete!)
  • after processing your online application: invitation to the on-site audition (the invitation is sent via Muvac)
  • in Muvac: acceptance or rejection of participation in the admission exam; if necessary: information on the examination programme for the audition in the main subject(s) (KHF)
  • participation in the on-site audition
  • upon passing the audition and obtaining a place: invitation to enrolment to the degree programme
  • personal enrolment during the general admission period upon presentation of all necessary evidence/test results
If the admission test is not passed, it is only possible to repeat the admission test in its entirety and only from the next academic year. It is not possible to repeat an exam in the same year. The admission test can be repeated an unlimited number of times.

Registration for the entrance examination takes place via the application portal Muvac - information see 'Registration for the entrance examination'.

Link to the registration deadlines
Link to the examination dates

Registration may only be made for one location, either Central Region (for Salzburg and Linz) or Western Region (for Innsbruck). Multiple registrations at different locations are not permitted and will be cancelled.
When registering in the Central Region, candidates must specify their preferred location (Salzburg or Linz)  in the application in the above-mentioned registration portal.

Documents required for online registration

  • Curriculum vitae in tabular form with photo
  • Letter of motivation (approx. one DIN A4 page)
  • (final) certificates as well as examinations and transcripts of records of all previous artistic and/or pedagogical studies
  • Proof of German language proficiency

Form of the documents

  • The documents can be uploaded as PDF in the application form.
  • If the documents mentioned are not available in German or English, an official translation must also be submitted.

The artistic entrance examination

Partial examinations must be passed in the following areas:

  1. Audition in the artistic major, including piano & voice
  2. Mastery of the German language (at least level B2) for those whose first language is not German (further information HERE).

The requirements in the auditions are based on the requirements of the final examination of the BA Teacher Training for Music Education in the Central Region. An artistic programme must be performed that corresponds to the examination requirements in the artistic major. Candidates will also be required to demonstrate their abilities in piano playing for the classroom and singing for music teachers (including components relevant to school practice).

The various partial examinations listed above all take place within the entrance examination period for teaching degrees in music and instrumental music, with the exception of some auditions in the Artistic Major, which are held during the same session as the auditions for performance studies, depending on the instrument. Candidates are advised to check the examination dates to establish whether this applies to them.

Any questions?

You can find more information about starting your studies here:

People
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Britta Bauer | © Privat
Britta Bauer

Private Docent for flute / Head of Pre-College / Chair of the Curriculum Committee (Performance) / Member of the Curriculum Committee (Pedagogy)

Senate
Deputy Department Head
Faculty
Curriculum Committee
Regina Prasser
Regina Prasser

Senior Lecturer for Voice, Elocution / Rhetoric, Children & Youth Voice Education (Music Education)

Faculty
Curriculum Committee
Kai Bachmann | © Christian Schneider
Kai Bachmann

Ass.-Prof. for applied music theory, Ass.-Prof. for fine level listening & supervision of scientific work, Staff member for evaluation

Faculty
Employee
Stan Ford

Univ.-Prof. for Piano

Faculty
AKG
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