Over the past 25 years, alternative certification has emerged as a realistic option for obtaining teacher certification in music. Although advocated by policy makers and embraced by career changers, music teacher educators have frequently viewed the role of content knowledge and pedagogical training in these programs with a high degree of skepticism. This article provides an overview of the organizational schemes used in graduate and nondegree alternative certification programs at universities, school districts, and other entities. A research agenda is provided that is designed to stimulate academic scholarship on alternative certification policies and programs and their impact on candidate quality, music education programs, and the music education profession overall.Keywords music teacher education alternative certification, graduate teacher education, nondegree teacher education programs, research agenda Teacher certification policies provide a set of minimum criteria that regulate the quality and quantity of the prospective teaching force (Imig & Imig, 2008). State policy makers have often simplified the processes by which qualified individuals who do not Downloaded from Hellman et al. 79have a degree in teacher education can obtain certification. These initiatives have been grounded in the assumption that increased competition and diversity in the employment pool can improve education quality. Career changers interested in becoming teachers have embraced alternative certification as a practical and meaningful way to enter teaching without many of the traditional curricula constraints. On the other hand, teacher educators have been skeptical of the assumption that this trend is a productive way to improve education. In this article, we will provide background information on alternative certification, describe the organizational schemes of alternative certification programs, and propose a research agenda for examining the effectiveness and impact of alternative certification programs.

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