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Undergraduate Catalog

Music Therapy, Bachelor of Music

Program Requirements for Music Therapy Majors (87 credits)

Completion of this program leads to board certification as a music therapist. Following academic studies and the required clinical training, candidates are awarded the B.M. degree and are eligible to take the National Board Certification Examination for Music Therapists, designed and administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Successful candidates earn the credential  Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC).

Music therapy degree candidates must complete clinical training in two stages: pre-internship and internship. Pre-internship training consists of at least 180 hours of supervised fieldwork, completed in conjunction with music therapy coursework and involving at least three different client populations. These supervised placements are designed to expose students to a variety of diverse client populations and clinical settings and prepare them for internship eligibility.

The degree culminates with an in-depth, supervised music therapy internship at an AMTA-approved clinical training site, which may be either nationally rostered or University-affiliated. A minimum of 1,200 clinical training hours is required, including at least 180 hours of pre-internship experience and at least 900 hours of internship, or until entry-level competence is demonstrated, as defined by AMTA and CBMT.

This competency-based AMTA-approved curriculum prepares students to use music therapeutically across the lifespan to support individuals with diverse clinical goals, including but not limited to those experiencing developmental, emotional, cognitive, physical, and/or neurological challenges. Credentialed music therapists are employed in such places as mental health facilities; rehabilitation and medical centers; schools and special education programs, hospice and palliative care; correctional facilities; senior centers and nursing homes; private practice and community agencies. Students are also prepared for consulting roles and to pursue graduate study in music therapy or related disciplines. Professional membership is available through the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

Basic Musicianship and Performance (48 credits)

MUSC 111AWritten Theory I

2
MUSC 111BWritten Theory II

2
MUSC 112AAural Skills I

1
MUSC 112BAural Skills II

1
MUSC 118CPercussion Techniques for Therapists

2
MUSC 120BVocal Methods II

1
MUSC 220AVocal Pedagogy

1
MUSC 127AClass Piano

1
MUSC 127BClass Piano

1
MUSC 211AWritten Theory III

1
MUSC 212AAural Skills III

1
MUSC 212BAural Skills IV

1
MUSC 218AConducting I

1
MUSC 218BConducting II

1
MUSC 227AKeyboard Harmony

1
MUSC 227BKeyboard Harmony

1
MUSC 318D
Italian & German Vocal Diction & Literature

1
MUSC 318E
French & English Vocal Diction & Literature

1
MUSC 322History of Music I

3
MUSC 323History of Music II

3
MUSC Varies
Applied Major

16
MUSC Varies
Ensembles

4-6
MUSC Varies
Applied Guitar

2
Or
MUSC 163A/B
Beginning Guitar Class I & II

2
MUSC 482ASenior Recital

0
Or
MUSC 482BSenior Recital

0

MUSC 120B: For instrumental music majors

MUSC 220A, MUSC 318D, MUSC 318E: For vocal music majors

Music Therapy Component (27 credits)

MTH 170APrinciples and Foundations of Music Therapy

2
MTH 170BIntroduction to Clinical Practice in Music Therapy

2
MTH 271APre-Internship Clinical Experience I

2
MTH 271BPre-Internship Clinical Experience II

2
MTH 371APre-Internship Clinical Experience III

2
MTH 371BPre-Internship Clinical Experience IV

2
MTH 372Foundations of Music Psychology & Human Behavior

2
MTH 373Psychological Models & Methods in Music Therapy

2
MTH 377Clinical Musicianship

2
MTH 471APre-Internship Clinical Experience V

2
MTH 474Professional Identity & Ethics in Music Therapy

3
MTH 475Music Therapy Research & Clinical Reasoning

3
MTH 480Music Therapy Internship

1

Behavioral/Health/Natural Sciences (12 credits)

BIOL 130Principles of Anatomy and Physiology

3
PSYC 211General Psychology

3
PSYC 251Lifespan Development

3
PSYC 431Abnormal Psychology

3

BIOL 130, PSYC 211: Fulfilled in Core Curriculum requirements