Future music teachers receive spezialized studies at the Universities for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck and at University Colleges of Teacher Education, which can be found in every federal state. Since 2017, the Universities for Music and Performing Arts and the University Colleges of Teacher Education collaboratively guide the teacher training programs for Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary School. The basis for this is a joint Bachelor Curriculum (240 EC) and Master Curriculum (120 EC). The Bachelor’s degree qualifies graduates for teaching in Lower Secondary School and the Master’s program for teaching in Upper Secondary School. Teachers at Secondary levels must also become proficient in teaching one of 25 secondary subject areas beyond music. Interestingly, this can be the subject ‘instrumental music education’ in which teacher-students receive special training for teaching an instrument at certain schools that emphasize music.

Before beginning a music teacher program for Secondary School, applicants have to pass a demanding entrance exam that assesses instrumental, vocal, and theoretical skills. Applicants must additionally demonstrate communicative competences through the teaching of a music lesson to a group of peer applicants.

Since the Primary School teachers are trained as generalist teachers, the entrance exam in terms of musical knowledge and skills is much lower than with the teachers for the Secondary School.