Abstract
The purpose of this research was to investigate the published course descriptions of introductory courses in music education at the university level. Course requirements for music education degrees were collected from 59 randomly selected, nationally accredited schools of music. Introductory courses in music education were required by 28 (47%) institutions while 25 (42%) required a more general introductory course in education with four institutions requiring both. Six (10%) of the institutions did not require a course identifiable as an introductory course. A content analysis of published course descriptions revealed three overall themes in course content: the Music Education Profession, Curriculum and Instruction, and the Music Teacher; however, there was much variability in content necessitating a fourth miscellaneous category. Education course descriptions showed similar overall themes; however, differences emerged in the type of content included within each theme.
