Pedagogy of Music Education – a two-year study program

Length of Study

– 2 academic years (four semesters), a full-time basis, intended for bachelor’s degree holders graduated in another academic major.

60 credits are required per year. They are earned from required subjects (70%), elective subjects (20%) and optional subjects (10%).

Admission: The conditions for admission to the study program are published in the Candidate Master Guidebook for the relevant academic year available on the NMA’s website.

Subjects Studied

– Required: Pedagogy, Solfege, Piano, Harmony/Counterpoint, Music History, Introduction to Musical Analysis, Counterpoint with Arrangement,

Methodology of Teaching Music II, Psychology II, current Teacher Training Practice, Internship, Inclusive Education II, Information and Communication Technologies in Training and Work in Digital Environment, Preparation of a Master’s Thesis with a primary supervisor.

– Electives A: Subjects covering Pedagogy, Psychology and particular areas of Didactics: Theory of Music Education, Traditional and Alternative Music Educational Models, Methodology of Music Education, Methods of Teaching Music, Ethics and Pedagogy.

– Electives B: Interdisciplinary and applied-experimental subjects: Conducting a Choir from Piano Scores, Musical Masterpieces in School Programs (GE), Piano, Approach and Implementation of a Research Project, Latin Language and Music, Bulgarian language for Foreigners.

– Optional: Foreign Language(s), Sports

Method of Graduation: Practical state-mandated exam and master’s thesis defence.

Career Opportunities:

– To work as music teachers at schools within the pre-school, primary and secondary school education system; to teach Solfege, Elementary Theory of Music, Harmony (Counterpoint), Polyphony, Musical Analysis, Reading Sheet Music, Music History, Musical Literature, Organology, Orchestration, Bulgarian Folk Music, Aesthetics of Music at secondary specialised schools of music or secondary schools of art; to teach Music Pedagogy and Music Theory subjects at higher schools of music and universities offering study programs in the field of Music Pedagogy; to conduct research work in the field of Music Pedagogy and Methodology of Music Theory at higher schools of music and universities offering study programs in the field of Music Pedagogy; to teach theoretical musical subjects (Solfege and Elementary Theory of Music) at community centres and music schools; to work as managers in the system of pre-school, primary and secondary school education, or at community centres and music schools; to provide the music life with organizational and methodical guidance; to manage music creating groups; to conduct school choirs and orchestras; to conduct non-professional (amateur) musical ensembles; to work in authors’ teams for development of music training methods, of music and singing textbooks for comprehensive schools, as well as specialised textbooks and teaching aids in Solfege, Elementary Theory of Music, Music History, Musical Literature, Musical Folklore, Organology, musical forms to be studied at secondary schools of music or secondary schools of art.

As music teachers they can work at any institutions of education where music is taught—at community centres, publication and editorial offices, etc.—to occupy positions such as teachers, lecturers, editors, conductors of non-professional music performance groups.