<p>Hello, I want to study music education in a Texas university with a great music school. I have Baylor, TCU, and SMU on my list, but I would like consider a few of the Oklahoma schools. My question is this: can I get a degree and certification in Oklahoma but come back and teach in Texas? Is this just not recommended?
If ya'll have any suggestions on great music ed programs in Texas or Oklahoma, give me a holler!</p>
<p>You seem to really like private schools. UNT and UT probably have the best reputations for public schools in Texas, with UNT probably being the best music school in the state, as it’s a really top-tier music school. You should look up whether those two states cross-certify but usually certification in any given state is valid in 40+ others (depending, of course, on where you’re certified) and I think it’d be unlikely that two bordering states wouldn’t have compatible certification, so the answer to your question is probably.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help PianoMan12! I’ve considered these two great state schools, but my counselor and I both agree that I would not flourish in them. I do not like the large size of a state school, and though UNT and UT both have great reputations, I would feel lost in the size of the fishbowl (plus, I stand a better chance of getting a full ride to SMU or TCU, the private colleges, just because they have more money to give away.)
Does anybody have any input on any of the schools I’m looking at?</p>
<p>Well for music I think SMU probably has the best reputation out of those schools. It’s definitely a good start to know what kinds of schools you’d thrive at. Do you need to stay in the Texas-Oklahoma area? If money and distance aren’t an issue and you want a really small school I’d suggest either Lawrence or Oberlin (although at Oberlin they have a five-year BM in performance - MM in teaching double degree).</p>
<p>Yes, I do have to stay within about a six mile drive from my home of Dallas, Texas, so I have not considered those schools. They sound very rigorous and have good reputation, but I’m pretty attached to staying close! 
What do you think of Oklahoma City University or University of Tulsa with regards to music education?</p>
<p>Anything in OK is more than a 6 mile drive from Dallas- did you mean 6 hours?!!
You need to check to find out if there is reciprocal certification between the states of TX and OK, because if there is not and you become certified in OK and want to teach in TX, you’ll have to sit the exams in both states! You can ask the education depts at the schools but I’d also check with the state departments of education and ask them for web site citations, simply because having something in print is a lot more reassuring than a verbal commitment. I know of people certified in PA who have had to retake all of the tests to teach in NY, and they are states that border each other. There is just no need to make it harder on yourself than it needs to be!
Don’t write off a school just because the overall number of students on campus might be large- what matters to you is the number in the school of music and music ed departments (and average class size). I don’t know that SMU (which has a sizable student body) would definitely have smaller classes than say, UNT. With music, you orbit within your own area for a great deal of the time, so “getting lost” isn’t as much of an issue as it might be in some other majors. As for $$, if your grades are good, there is plenty of assistance to be had at UNT!
My advice would be to stay in TX, if that is where you intend to teach, and do your research as to departmental and class size. Then look at costs, and apply to some private and some public colleges so that you can then compare bottom lines.</p>
<p>Woops! I meant six hour drive from Texas.
Thank you for your advice about the state schools. They’re still definitely on my radar, and I may apply to UNT, still unsure. The elementary music education teacher I shadow, a grad of UNT, actually suggested I look elsewhere, just because UNT’s school of music is so huge and it was hard for her to get personal attention. We’ll see. As to the money, I already know I can get a full scholarship from my SAT/GPA at UNT, but it has lower standards academically than I would prefer.
I’ll have to dig deeper into the certification requirements in Texas. Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>Sounds like you may be a perfect fit for Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City. Beautiful facility and small, private school atmosphere. They award academic and talent awards. The talent awards are very generous.</p>