The Graduate Certificate in Piano Pedagogy provides a focused, advanced curriculum for individuals who wish to deepen their expertise in piano teaching and studio pedagogy at the graduate level. Designed for both music-majors and non-degree seeking students, this certificate is especially well suited for pianists interested in private teaching, collegiate studio work, community music education, or enrichment of their current professional profile. Students will engage with pedagogy theory, applied piano instruction, repertoire selection for learners, and practical teaching techniques, all under the guidance of the School of Music faculty in piano.

Admission Requirements

In addition to all University requirements for admission to graduate studies, students applying to the graduate certificate program must provide and/or meet the following program-specific requirements.

Program-Specific Requirements*

• A minimum of two letters of recommendation 
• CV or Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• Audition 

Although a music‐degree is not required, candidates should demonstrate sufficient keyboard proficiency and a commitment to piano teaching. Non-music majors and non-degree‐seeking students are welcome to apply. Admission is managed through the School of Music’s graduate admissions process; applicants should review the piano audition requirements to complete the application process.

How to Apply

Current Music Graduate Degree-Seeking Students: Graduate students in good standing (non-probationary) may submit a request to the Area Coordinator, in Piano, to add the Piano Pedagogy Graduate Certificate at any time during their course of study. There are no admission requirements for current music graduate students.

Current Graduate Students Outside of Music: Non-music graduate students in good standing (non-probationary) who wish to be admitted to the Certificate program must apply directly to the certificate by completing the application to add a Graduate Certificate for current degree-seeking students (online form submission). Applicants may be invited to interview with the Area Coordinator of the Program who will determine whether the student has the necessary background.

Certificate-Seeking Students (non-degree seeking): If applying directly to the Certificate program, you must apply directly to KU (online form submission). Applicants may be invited to interview with the Area Coordinator of the Program who will determine whether the student has the necessary background.

Contact Information

• Advisors for the Piano Pedagogy Certificate: Ellen Sommer
• Director of Undergraduate Student Services: Rita Riley
• Director of Graduate Student Academic Services: Anna Paradis 

A list of all course offerings can be found on the Schedule of Classes.

*These are the admission requirements in place at the time this catalog content was published. 

Course Requirements

All courses required for the Graduate Piano Pedagogy Certificate already exist and are scheduled into annual course rotation schedules.

Twelve (12) credit hours must be completed to obtain the Graduate Piano Pedagogy Certificate.

Note for International Graduate Students

International students will be expected to adhere to federal regulations governing their visa status. More information is available at https://iss.ku.edu. Elective courses in the School of Music or courses in the AEC may be taken to reach full-time enrollment. Students enrolling in a combination of AEC and music courses will be issued a “pathway” I-20 instead of a Certificate I-20.

Descriptions

Applied Studio Instruction Courses: Students are required to enroll in 3 credit hours of applied studio instruction (PIAN 711) with the appropriate faculty member.

Pedagogy Courses: Students are required to enroll in 9 credits of pedagogy.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Pedagogy Courses
PIAN 840	Advanced Piano Pedagogy I	3
PIAN 846	Advanced Piano Pedagogy II	3
Choose one additional pedagogy course from the list below:		3
PIAN 950	Advanced Piano Pedagogy III (3 hours)
PIAN 956	Advanced Piano Pedagogy IV (3 hours)
MUS 800	Directed Study: _____ (3 hours)
MEMT 915	Teaching Music in Higher Education (3 hours)
Literature Course		3
Choose one literature course from the list below:
PIAN 743	Piano Repertoire I (3 hours)
PIAN 744	Piano Repertoire 2 (3 hours)
PIAN 747	Piano Repertoire 3 (3 hours)
PIAN 748	Piano Repertoire 4 (3 hours)
Total Hours		12

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Demonstrate capacity to teach piano students of all ages and ability levels. 
• Demonstrate capacities to work independently and make effective artistic judgments. 
• Develop deeper knowledge of piano repertoire.