Internships and Careers

At Lake Forest, both quality academic programs and internship experiences help students prepare for the working world. Our proximity to great schools in Chicago offers access not only to extensive internship options, but also to a network of powerful alumni, teachers, and administrators.

Classroom experiences and fieldwork

We make sure our music education students aren’t just learning how to teach music in a classroom at the college. They are in real K-12 classrooms beginning their first semester in music education. Every course involves fieldwork in the schools resulting in an unparalleled amount of practical experience. The Chicagoland area boasts some of the finest K-12 music programs and music educators in the country. Our music education students are learning from the best, both at the college and in the schools.

Areas of fieldwork include:

• Elementary general music
• Elementary, middle, and high school choir
• Middle and high school band
• Middle and high school orchestra
• Secondary general music

Students complete two intensive internships as part of their music education curriculum:

• One semester in the students’ junior year, they go everyday to a middle school in the Waukegan School District. This half-day immersion placement provides students with practical music education experience in an under-resourced area.
• The senior year is dedicated to the capstone student teaching placement. This one-semester full time placement provides students with a realistic picture of what teaching music is like on a daily basis.

Because music education majors have a rather specialized area of study, they will receive substantial career guidance as part of their academic program. In addition, they can join a Career Pathway to get to know more students outside of the major, who share some similar interests. The Law and Public Service or Creative Arts Career Pathways are most likely to be a good fit.

Explore the Career Pathways by participating in events, reading profiles of students’ and alumni experiences, and by joining a pathway (or two).

Get a job!

This K-12 Music Education licensure program results in a K-12 music teaching license in the state of Illinois.

Potential careers and options:

• elementary general music teacher
• middle and high school band, choir and orchestra director
• private lesson instructor
• jazz ensemble director
• graduate school in music education

To explore more career opportunities in music education, talk to the Career Advancement Center.