The reform of teaching methods for ethnic music courses in universities aims to emphasize the spirit of the Chinese nation, enhance the core literacy of contemporary university students, and strengthen their cultural heritage. With the development of the times, universities must recognize the urgent need to cultivate high-quality and sustainable development of professional talents in ethnic music. To achieve this, it is necessary to identify key points of cultivation and formulate corresponding measures to comprehensively reform the ethnic music courses in universities. Firstly, the reform will focus on strengthening the inheritance of traditional music culture. This includes teaching skills such as playing ethnic musical instruments, singing music works, and conducting in-depth interpretation and research on traditional repertoire. Secondly, the reform will cover the development of modern ethnic music. This includes introducing modern works, their creation, interpretation, and diverse forms of musical expression, to deepen students' understanding of the development trends of ethnic music. Thirdly, the reform will introduce interdisciplinary teaching methods, integrating ethnic music with subjects such as history, literature, and art to enhance students' overall understanding and cognition of ethnic culture. Fourthly, the reform will promote practical teaching activities, such as ethnic music performances and campus concerts, to cultivate students' performance abilities and spirit of teamwork. Finally, the reform will introduce comprehensive assessment methods, such as work creation, thesis writing, and music concert performances, to comprehensively evaluate students and enhance their overall literacy. These reform measures will contribute to the formation of a high-quality and sustainable development system for cultivating professional talents in ethnic music, providing important support for the comprehensive development and cultural heritage of contemporary university students.