SDSU’s new Music Education Master’s degree is made by teachers, for teachers

As a former high school band director of eight years, Associate Professor Karen Koner understands the struggle of teaching while getting a master’s degree.

Koner, who has taught at San Diego State University’s School of Music and Dance for eight years, conceived the idea for the Master’s in Music Education because she wanted to create a program that teachers could easily fit into their schedules.

Koner obtained two master’s degrees while directing high school band, and said neither program was teacher-friendly.

“It was just really challenging to try to get it all done,” Koner said.

“When I formed this one, I really wanted it to be for teachers – that they could really do it in their schedules and not feel so stressed,” she continued.

Koner emphasized that, given the high cost of living in San Diego, it was essential to her to offer a master’s program that would allow teachers to avoid sacrificing hours at work.

SDSU’s Music Education undergraduate degree is the largest major in the School of Music and Dance, according to Koner, and the new master’s program will not only provide opportunities for those who graduated from that program, but for the entire community.

“There’s been no opportunity for those teachers to get a Master’s in Music (Education) ever in San Diego,” Koner said.

“It’s been a real need in our community for years, and so, it was time,” she continued.

Applications are now open for the Music Education Master's degree and the program’s first classes will start in Summer 2026.

“The way that we structured the degree is there will be two classes in the summer and the rest of the coursework is all in the evenings, so that your average teacher can continue to teach during the day and still go to school,” Koner said.

The program is the only one available south of Orange County, and the only one of three programs available at a California State University.

The degree will consist of two tracks and will include classes that cover topics such as instructional design, current trends in music education, history and sociological aspects of music education, and elementary-based music education.

Additionally, some classes will provide opportunities to learn from SDSU's conducting faculty through workshops and symposia, allowing educators to refine their conducting skills.

“It’s just a really great feeling that everybody is kind of ‘team music ed’ and we’re really invested in putting out the best educators that we can,” Koner said.

Koner will teach instructional design and capstone research, in addition to helping students with their master’s theses toward the end of their degrees.

“We’re just really excited to finally have it come forward,” Koner said. “We’re expecting really good things (from) it.”

For more information on the Master’s in Music Education, visit the SDSU Catalog.