<p>Whymper…do you want to get certified in music education? Is that your goal? If so, you need to check YOUR STATE’s requirements for doing so. </p>
<p>In my state, you would have a couple of options.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Enroll in a Masters of Music Education program…but understand that you will have a lot of prerequisite courses to take if you do this. The coursework for music education is quite rigorous and unless you have already taken some of the courses, it could take you a while to finish.</p></li>
<li><p>Our state has a “Alternate Route to Certification” for those who were not music majors. This is primarily for certification in shortage areas (music ed is one in this state right now). You are required to have a bachelors degree to even apply for this. If your degree is in a related field it will be more likely for you to be accepted (e.g. music performance folks who want to become certified or engineer who wants to teach math). There are a couple of different varieties in this state…one is a summer course of study, the other year long with classes on the weekends. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>You mention “continuing education courses”. Many schools offer summer or evening college courses for those who are already certified in an area…to maintain their certification. Where I am, they are open to anyone who registers for them and pays…but they usually do not apply to getting certified in the area UNLESS you are a matriculated student in a music education program AND the courses are approved as part of your course of study.</p>