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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Dear Elementary Music Colleagues,<br>
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The Texas A&M University-Commerce Department of Music presents an exciting option for teachers who want to earn a Master of Music with emphasis in Music Education: the
<b>TAMU-C Music Education Cohort</b>! Participants earn their graduate degree in four consecutive summers while still working full-time.<br>
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This 30-hour, summers-only program was the first of its kind in North Texas. It was created specifically for full-time elementary music teachers. Students will be challenged to develop a greater understanding and mastery of the music teaching-learning processes,
to improve personal musicianship, and to become leaders within the music education profession.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The program offers a combination of coursework in music education (pedagogy, movement, elementary classroom instruments, conducting), music history, research, philosophy, theory, and performance study.
Students also complete an independent study project on a subject of their choice within the realm of elementary music. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br>
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Features of the program:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">All classes are held during the month of June—Summer I term.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">No GRE Exam</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> is required for admittance into the program.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></span><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">No diagnostic entrance exams in theory or history</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> are required. All cohort students will take “Introduction to Graduate Study” as a
refresher course as part of the degree.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">If you have taken Kodály or Orff Schulwerk courses within the last six years you may substitute up to eight of your credit hours for Pedagogy and Movement classes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">You can earn up to 45 CPE hours for each methods class you take.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">All face-to-face classes will be held at the brand new, beautiful Mesquite Metroplex Center in Mesquite, Texas.
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<a href="https://new.tamuc.edu/mesquite-metroplex-center/" style="color: blue;">https://new.tamuc.edu/mesquite-metroplex-center/</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This third cohort features blended courses and an entirely virtual option.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">What is a cohort?<br>
</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">A cohort program is a fully planned curriculum with a specified starting and ending date. Students are admitted to the program as a group that moves through the program together, taking courses
in a planned sequence. Students will graduate together in August 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<b>What are the advantages?<br>
</b>1. Because the program is fully scheduled from the outset, students find it easier to plan ahead and better manage their schedules between work, home, and study.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">2. In most degree programs, there are only a few courses that must be taken in a particular order. While this gives students flexibility, it also means that students in any given course will be at different
stages in the learning process. In a cohort program, faculty members know exactly what courses students in the cohort have taken and in what order. Therefore, the curriculum in a cohort program is more cohesive with stronger links between courses.<br>
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<i>3. Most graduate students are full-time music teachers who are studying part-time while working and fulfilling family responsibilities. Sometimes it is difficult for such students to feel as though they are a part of the university's community. However,
a cohort provides a strong sense of belonging, and creates a network of support that is invaluable long after the participants complete the program.<br>
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4. Because this is a summers-only program, students will be able to assimilate their new learning during the interposing academic years. <b><br>
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</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">These are the courses students will take each summer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><img src="cid:870a24bc-86da-4bf2-8000-76a86efa9a86" originalwidth="1710" originalheight="910" rszimgcmd="fitToWindow" style="width: 560px; height: 298.012px;"></p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Our affordable tuition rates can be found in the Admissions page of the website:
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<a href="https://new.tamuc.edu/admissions/" style="color: blue;">https://new.tamuc.edu/admissions/</a></span> Prospective students are encouraged to seek out the scholarship opportunities that can be found in the FINANCIAL AID section on the same page.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br>
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Current students are working professionals, just like you, who are passionate about teaching with excellence.
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Classes are very active—singing, dancing, playing instruments, composing, researching.
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">You will leave overflowing with ideas to use with your students, new skills, and a renewed sense of the importance of what you do.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I am looking forward to hearing from you!<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
</span>
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<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px"><font face="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Tahoma"><b>Darla Meek, MM</b> |
<b>Lecturer and Music Education Coordinator<br>
</b>Department of Music | Texas A&M University-Commerce<font color="#0000FF"><u><br>
</u></font>PO Box 3011 | Commerce, TX 75429<br>
Tel. 903.886.5294 | Fax 903.468.6010 | </font><br>
</span></font><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12pt"><br>
<b><font face="serif">THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM</font><br>
</b></span></font><br>
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