Master of Music Education
Master of Music Education (M.M.E)
The Elizabethtown College Music Department offers the nation's first Master of Music Education (M.M.E.) degree focused on the study of peacebuilding and social-emotional learning. This program is designed for certified, in-service teachers who are interested in embracing social-emotional learning, trauma-informed pedagogy, diverse cultures, and peacebuilding within music classrooms.
This is a low-residency program with over 90% of coursework delivered online. Students attend one in-person week each summer. Across three years, students will enroll in two World Music Drumming® workshops during the in-person week.
Leveraging the successful World Music Drumming® curriculum as a site of practice, candidates explore diverse perspectives of music making and inclusive, empowering, and community-centered pedagogies.
The program culminates in a capstone project that challenges candidates to implement practices of social-emotional learning, trauma-informed learning, peacebuilding, and/or diverse cultures into teaching practice.
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Program Formats:


Credits Required: 34
Tuition & Scholarships:
- $525/Credit
- 15% Alumni Scholarship
- 15% Affinity Partner Scholarship
- Jay Fellowship Referral Program
Tuition and fees are reviewed and subject to change annually.
Elizabethtown College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
Other SGPS Offerings in Education:
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
Integrative STEM Education Endorsement
Student Learning Outcomes
- Implement world music drumming curricula with eclectic and inclusive approaches to music education (including Dalcroze, Orff, and Kodály)
- Develop, articulate, and practice philosophies and applied pedagogies rooted in peacebuilding
- Construct curricular materials and pedagogies that engage student learning in diverse musical traditions, critical issues in ethnomusicology, and the study of self and other
- Develop classroom environment plans and skill sets that build social-emotional capacity, possibilities for conflict transformation, and the practice of peacebuilding
- Explore, practice and develop plans and pedagogy that integrate key principles of curriculum and assessment
Master of Music Education
Degree Requirements

Application Requirements
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Admissions Requirements
- Possess a current, valid Teaching Certification.
- Official transcripts demonstrating musical study and conferring a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- A 3.0 cumulative GPA or above.
- Two current letters of recommendation from immediate supervisors, music teachers, mentors, and/or undergraduate faculty addressing your leadership abilities in music education and potential for success in graduate studies
- A writing sample that demonstrates your ability to write about music
- A brief personal statement (1 page) describing your purpose in pursuing graduate work in peacebuilding, your career objectives, and your particular interest in this Master of Music Education program
Application Process
Please feel free to contact or meet with our admissions team at any point during the application process. Our admissions counselors are not only a great resource to guide you through the process and answer questions, they are skilled at helping our applicants find the best program and options to help them reach their goals!
How to Apply: Complete the graduate application process via the online portal which includes:
- Submitting a $50 nonrefundable application fee (Waived for Elizabethtown College graduates).
- Requesting official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended.
- Submitting a copy of your current, valid Teaching Certification.
- Uploading a writing samples that demonstrates your ability to write about music
- Uploading your brief personal statement (1 page) describing your purpose in pursuing graduate work in peacebuilding, your career objectives, and your particular interest in this Master of Music Education program Submit GRE/MAT scores (optional).
- Submitting Letters of Recommendation.
- Supply two current letters of recommendation from immediate supervisors, music teachers, mentors, and/or undergraduate faculty addressing your leadership abilities in music education and potential.
Once you have submitted all of the admissions materials, please contact Dr. Kevin Shorner-Johnson at shornerk@etown.edu to schedule a time to take the Master of Music Education Theory Entrance Exam . This is required as part of the admissions process.
Program Features:
PROGRAM FOCUS
- Peacebuilding
- Diverse Cultures and Musics
- Social-Emotional Learning
- World Music Drumming®
ENHANCE YOUR PRACTICE
- Emphasis on classroom application at every level
- Coursework that develops projects and research in
your classroom
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING
- Online and hybrid delivery
- Synchronous and asynchronous opportunities
- No cohort constraints
- Accelerated semesters
AFFORDABILITY
- $525 per-credit
- No hidden fees
CAPSTONE
- Culminating project challenging you to implement musical peacebuilding in your teaching practice
FACULTY
- International experts in peacebuilding and world music pedagogy
- Expert public school music teachers to support the development
of your pedagogy


Meet Your
Program Director

Dr. Kevin Shorner-Johnson
Dr. Kevin Shorner-Johnson is director of music education at Elizabethtown College. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of peacebuilding and music education. As a teacher, he has applied his interests in ethics, spirituality, and peacebuilding to approach music coursework in ways that are rooted within an Anabaptist heritage of peacebuilding, intentional community, and ethical discernment. Dr. Shorner-Johnson's most recent scholarship will be highlighted in an international book that approaches and critiques the United Nation’s temporal constructions in education policy. His on-the-ground peacebuilding work focuses on building capacity and community within Central Pennsylvania Latina/o communities and using the arts to affirm and embrace the fullness of Puerto Rican identity.
View Dr. Shorner-Johnson's blog, podcasts and more at: https://www.musicpeacebuilding.com/
Our experienced Admissions staff is here to help. Fill out a brief contact form and one of our counselors will reach out to guide you on your way.