Invest in The Future

The American College of Music (ACM) was founded in 2019 by music educators whose primary purpose is to offer a 100% Online graduate education that is affordable and academically valued by utilizing student-centered, hands-on instruction. Through teaching and learning, ACM empowers students to develop critical and creative thought as a starting point in acquiring fact-based knowledge, resulting in favorable outcomes and informed solutions. At graduation, each student will have the ability to live, adapt, and lead in an ever-changing, interconnected world.

What are the issues/problems that ACM is trying to address?

• ACM offers a 100% Online master’s degree program for working music educators to further their educational goals, academic knowledge, and pedagogical skills. Due to out-of-school preparation time and extra-curricular activities such as rehearsals, performances, and competitions, in-service music practitioners have difficulty attending traditional brick-and-mortar graduate programs.

• For the past twenty years (2000-2019), public and private graduate education tuition has increased 250%, while inflation has hovered around 2.1%. Sky-rocketing tuition rates are due to the introduction of government-secured student loans into the market, negating free-market competitiveness.

• Teacher preparedness is a significant issue, especially among new, untenured music educators. A 2011 survey by the US Department of Education reveals that fifty percent of teachers are not prepared to meet the challenges of their profession. What music educators want is practical, hands-on content that covers subjects like musical repertoire, advanced instrument techniques, and technology utilization, to name a few. Most importantly, K-12 music practitioners seek mentorship programs with experienced master teachers.

Your donations will help ACM with its mission to transform music education.

• ACM’s 100% Online master’s program in music educators has no required residency or out-of-state tuition. The program consists of 5-ten-week quarters, graduating students in 15 months, expediating class time and program length to accommodate working educators’ demanding schedules.

• One of ACM’s main priorities is to help music educators achieve their educational goals by keeping tuition rates affordable and providing low-interest private financing, culminating with a debt-free degree. Maintaining a cost-effective overheard and seeking individual donations and grants facilitates the program’s success.

• ACM Online curriculum is designed to increase the music educator’s effectiveness in the classroom by incorporating heuristic (hands-on) learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and mentorship into every offered course. As a result, ACM students will be able to overcome their educational challenges, have successful programs and become master teachers.

  
  “Music and the other arts foster in our students the characteristics employers want to see in the people they hire.”
  (Denese Odegaard – Past President of the National Association of Music Educators)