2023 Analysis of State Music Education Certification Practices in the United States

NOTE: Certification requirements change over time. NAfME recommends checking with a state’s department of education to verify current requirements

Teacher certification and licensure practices for music educators vary by state. Preservice music teachers, practicing music teachers, and music teacher educators can all benefit from knowing what the music teacher certification practices are in each state. This information, posted in June 2023, can inform state music education policy, preservice music teacher preparation, teacher mobility, and reciprocity.

Updated from the 2020 music teacher certification data (collected by May, Decker, Willie, Worthen, & Pehrson) by doctoral students in music education at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO under the direction of Dr. Wendy Sims (Mary Shields, major contributor, assisted by Apinporn Chaiwanichsiri, Allison Davis, Ruoxi Deng, Austin Gaskin, Amanda Greenbacker Mitchell, Faith Hall, Priscila Honorio, Kacey Kennedy, Lun Tong, Ronnie Wilson)

Click the button below to access our data set that contains music teacher certification requirements for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2023.