So, you interested in music therapy? Think you have what it takes?
A music therapist’s training is fairly unique as it incorporates coursework in music (obviously!), psychology and therapy, anatomy and physiology, the biological, social and behavioral sciences, and disabilities. I like to say that, as a music therapist, I am a musician, scientist, and therapist rolled up in one.
Currently, there are over 70 colleges and universities in the states (and one in Canada) where you can receive music therapy training. Of those, over 30 also offer graduate music therapy programs.
Music Therapy Training
If you are being trained as a music therapist, you must first finish your basic collegiate coursework. Following that, you complete a six month clinical training internship at an approved training site. Finish your internship and you can sit for the national board certification exam administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Pass the exam and you are now a board certified music therapist, or “MT-BC.”
Types of Music Therapy Degrees
At the collegiate level, there are a couple of different types of program options available:
- Bachelor: This is your most basic training, often combining music therapy coursework with basic education classes (e.g. english, math, etc.).
- Equivalency: For students who have a Bachelor’s degree but want the music therapy training. Students in an equivalency program will only take classes they need to meet music therapy education requirements.
- Master’s Equivalency: Students in this program have a Bachelor’s degree but are not yet music therapists. In this program they will take graduate coursework on top of the music therapy training requirements. They will still need to complete an internship and, depending on the university, may or may not need a thesis. Graduates of a Master’s equivalency program may have an MM, MA, or MME degree (some colleges incorporate music therapy into their music education programs).
- Masters: The board-certified music therapist will be enrolled in this program. Simple, straight-forward graduate school. These programs offer the same degree options listed in #3.
- Doctorale: There are a small handful of schools that offer music therapy specific doctorale programs…but not many. However, music therapists have other options, the most common being a philosophy doctorate (PhD). Other music therapy “doctors” have earned an education (EdD) or a psychology doctorate (PsyD).
And that’s it. For more information about music therapy training, visit the American Music Therapy Association or the Certification Board for Music Therapists websites.
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Kimberly,
As a full time music therapist, I’ve been enjoying your blog a lot. However, as a Canadian, I need to inform you that we have not one, but seven training programs in our country. Currently two of these offer a Master’s degree, with the others offering a 4-year Bachelor’s degree plus internship.
Come on over to the CAMT site: http://www.musictherapy.ca/links.htm
Keep up the interesting writing, and be encouraged in your own MT work!
~Joel Klassen, MTA
Hello Joel,
My mistake! Thank you so much for letting us know about the additional music therapy programs in Canada. I looked on the AMTA website, which only lists one program, the University of Windsor. I mistakenly assumed that’s all that was available in Canada. Thank you again – and I hope to hear from you on here again!
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly!
I am constantly getting emails from people asking for this information. Would you mind if I post a link to this on my blog?
Thanks!
Rachel
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Ten Little Suns =-.
Yes! Please do! I hope it helps others. Thanks, Rachel.
Kimberly
Therapy services are important for human life and really essential. I appreciate your support in this field.
I so agree! I went to a workshop last month and the speaker said that therapists literally change the brain. It’s such important work. ~Kimberly
If the Los Suns were wearing their uniforms to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, I would be all for it. ”
Hi, I am currently an Elementary Education major with a minor in Music at Millersville University in PA. Is it possible for someone with their Bachelor’s in El. Ed to get their Master’s in Music Therapy. I’ve been doing research lately, and I’ve found that I am quite interested. I was originally a Music Education major at Millersville, put switched because I was growing to hate doing music and I didn’t want to hate what I would be teaching for the rest of my life. I hope to hear from someone soon!
I’m going to respond to Emma real quick- YES YOU CAN!
Love it
Will pass along to a couple of my friends who want to be a music therapists
.-= K Floortime lite mama´s last blog ..Listen to Angels =-.
Music therapist sounds like a dream job! I am so fascinated by the various therapists who work with my daughter and sometimes daydream a major career change. Adding my other passion in life would certainly be the cherry on top.
.-= Fawn´s last blog ..Their world of music =-.
Hi Kimberly,
I just want to thank you for your generosity in sharing Music Therapy ideas in this blog.
I’ve wanted to be a music therapist since I heard of the field 5 years ago. Unfortunately, we don’t have trained music therapists and venues for training here in the Philippines.
I’m very happy that when I discovered twitter, I got connected to you and your fellow MTs. I’ve begun reading all your blogs and links in the hope of learning and of eventually being able to practice them here in our country. 🙂 Keep up the wonderful work! 🙂
I have a question for all of you music therapists. I am passionate about music and with helping people. Currently I am music performance major. I want to go into music therapy for grad school. However, my parents are discouraging me from it because they don’t believe that it’s a very marketable career and that it is hard to get a job. I don’t really care for how much money I am making but I do care if I could actually get a job. How is the job market for music therapists?
Hello Alexis–There are plenty of job and job opportunities for music therapists. A did a quick look on the AMTA website (www.musictherapy.org) and found over 100 jobs currently available. That said, depending on the area you choose to live, you may need to create your own job opportunities by starting a private practice. But there is a need for our services and there are job opportunities. Thanks for asking–and good luck! ~Kimberly
Thank you so much for your note, Jeanie! I would recommend following (on Twitter) @AileenMTBC. Aileen worked with me in Colorado. She’s from the Phillipines, but is now married and lives and works in Colorado. Maybe you two can talk? 😀 ~Kimberly
Hey Kimberly!
My name is Brooke and I’m a senior in high school, as well as an aspiring Music Therapist. I was sad to see that my dream college, BGSU, does not offer a Music Therapy program. Is it possible for me to major in psych, minor in music, and still claim the title of Music Therapist? Or no? If so, how far would I have to take my Major/Minor? Masters? Beyond? I really need these questions answered. Thank you so much, and I love the blog! 🙂
-Brooke
hey i am in collage right now and i want a bachlors dagree in muisc because i want to be a muisc tharpist and i was just woundering how much math i need to take to get the dgree
lol sorry i spelled my name wrong
Hi! I’m currently in high school, and I am strongly considering the possibility of becoming a music therapist. I’m actually doing a presentation on this career in a few weeks. However, I do have some questions that I hope you can answer!
Is there potential for promotion or movement in music therapy?
Is there potential for growth in music therapy / What’s the future outlook for music therapy?
Thanks, I appreciate you posting this blog – it was very helpful!
Hello Megan–Thank you for your interest! Yes, there is potential for growth in the field. We’ve barely touched the surface of the service(s) music therapists are able to provide. As the research continues to support and “fine-tune” what we are able to offer (e.g. as we understand more clearly how music therapy helps and can show that it works), we will be able to expand into more and more facilities. ~Kimberly
LOVE this article! Thanks so much for putting all this info in one place!
hello kimberly !my name is hayoung
im a girl from south korea (not north korea lol) and I’d love to be an amazing music therapist
and o wow I loved your article! thanks for sharing a lot of information cuz theres usually no information about music therapy in korea. You helped me a lot to decide my future and jobb
therefore I just wanna say ‘ Thank you so much (: ‘ and wish me luck !
Best of luck! If you haven’t, yet, please check out the World Federation of Music Therapy (http://www.musictherapyworld.net/WFMT/Home.html) to learn more about music therapy in South Korea. ~Kimberly
Hello Kimberly,
Currently I am a sophomore and recently attended a music therapy clinic, I fell in love. I play the cello and have always wanted to get a degree in Psychology, when I found out about Music Therapy I was ecstatic. However, I was wondering if it is possible to minor in it and still be able to practice it? Thank you for your help! ~Emily
Hello Emily–Unfortunately, it is not possible to minor in music therapy and still practice. However, you can do an equivalency program after you graduate (either with a Masters or without). In essence, this will “fill in the gaps” of your training so that you meet all the educational and clinical training requirements as laid out by the American Music Therapy Association (www.musictherapy.org). Best of luck~Kimberly
Kimberly,
After reading other comments, I will probably be your challenge!!
I have vocal performance degree from FSU. A graduate degree in education. I have taught young children, started learning centers and a private school. I have also done concert work. I play a quitar and autoharp. Several years ago, I began going into nursing homes and singing to groups with my autoharp as well as going into individual rooms. I saw this as a ministry, especially when women began to speak after several months of not talking or singing hymns with me and then began to communicate.
I have also taught piano,voice and directed choirs. At 72, I’m still in good health and going strong. I would love to work with the elderly in nursing homes by singing and playing my autoharp. I’m a little old to go back to school. Where could I get information for workshop training to ehance and enlighten me to ways I could do this as a part-time, low salary job as I do need a small income. This would give me great pleasure and personal satisfaction to help bring happiness and some connection to the world around people in nursing homes. Is there any way I could get into something like this that would be more involved than just going in and singing/playing on a volunteer basis?
Thank you for any advise you can give me.
Jean in Greenville, SC
Hey Kimberly!
I am a sophmore in high school right now and interesting in music therapy. This has all my favorites into one, music and helping people. I was wondering do you need to know how to sing, play guitar and piano in order to be one? I play bass guitar and violin. Are there specific kinds of instruments you need to master? Also, is it true you have to audition?
Hi Kimberly,
Thank you for your article! I came across this field a little bit too late but i’m hoping to catch up now! I have been playing flute and piano for a number of years and have achieved grade 8 in both instruments. However I do not major in music, instead I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Is it possible to study a masters degree in music therapy without a degree in music/music education?
After reading different sources, I realized a possible way is to take an equivalence program? Are there any schools you would recommend? Or taking a bachelors degree in psychology which I could finish in 1.5 years and then try applying for the master’s degree? (I’m from Hong Kong and there’s a school that offers a psychology degree for 1.5 years, but a music degree will take me another 3 years.) Would you know which way could lead a quicker path to music therapy?
I would really appreciate if you could give me some advise!
Thank you and regards,
Janice
Hello Jean–Thank you so much for your interest! There are other “music healing” types of professions that may work for you. Although I don’t know specifics about each profession and the training involved (other than it’s not as much training as what a music therapist needs), I would start by checking out information on becoming a music thanatologist, a music practitioner. Best of luck to you! ~Kimberly
Hello Janice–That’s a good question! In short…I don’t know and it may depend on the school. There are some schools that may accept you into an equivalency program if you have a non-music undergrad degree…it may just mean taking more music classes. It may also be that you get a second undergrad degree in music therapy. In fact, some schools offer a 5-year Masters degree. In other words, in 5 years you could have a second Bachelor’s and your Masters. And if you’re in Hong Kong, the “rules” are totally different than here in the state. So, in short, the good news/bad news is that you have options…and your best course of action is to talk to a MT professor at your school of choice. Good luck! ~Kimberly
Hello Jessly! Yes, you do have to be proficient on guitar, piano, and voice to be a music therapist…but the good news is that you can learn all that in college! They don’t have to be your major instrument. My major instrument was flute and that’s what I auditioned on, but I’ve never used it as a music therapist. And, yes, you’ll probably have to audition. You’ll be a music major, which means you’ll need to be in some sort of studio. Best of luck you! ~Kimberly
Hi this is Lorraine again the email I used was incorrect for the info I just submitted. It is mom111388@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you
Hello Lorrane–There are a handful of online masters degree programs, but unfortunately I think they’re for those who are already trained as music therapists and are board-certified. Same is true for any doctoral PhD work–to get one in music therapy, you need to be a music therapist. That said, maybe there’s an opportunity to get a degree in a related field–psychology, education, music ed–and take music therapy courses that would meet requirements? Your best bet would be to seek advisement from a university professor. Best of luck! ~Kimberly
Hello from Canada!
There are six undergraduate & two master programs in music therapy.
Capilano University B. MT – British Columbia
Canadian Mennonite University B.MT – Manitoba
University of Windsor B. MT – Ontario
University of Wilfred Laurier BMT/ MMT Ontario
Concordia University BmT/MMT Quebec
Acadia university BMT Nova Scotia
Don’t forget about us! Hehe!
Haha it would have been helpful
If I read the comments!! Joel told you that already! I’m on my phone so it didn’t show
Them all! Joel – I think one of the programs is no longer!
Hello Kimberly,
I love music and have loved it since I was a child. I always wanted to major in music, but had opposition from my parents. I became an English major, and music minor, but over the course of being in college, I have taken many music classes. Is there a way for me to get a master’s degree in Music therapy, and if so can you explain how that is possible to me? I have looked on the AMTA and the Temple University Website and from what I have discovered, I need either the equivalency program, which requires all the core classes, and some general ed classes, along with the clinicals, or 60 undergraduate credits in music or the equivalencies to be in a combined master’s equivalency program. I was wondering if the equivalencies would that make up the 60 credits would also include classes like anotomy, physiology, psychology, sociology, biology etc?
Thanks in advance,
Wesselyn
Hi Miss Kimberly. I really love your site! I’m a second year Music Education student in University of the Philippines,Diliman. Just wanna ask,aside from a diploma in music education course,what other subjects or course should i get to have a degree in music therapy? Thank you so much!
@Wesselyn You are right–it sounds like your best course of action will be to enroll in a Master’s equivalency program. In essence, your music therapy adviser would look at the courses you’ve already taken and will “fill in the holes” of classes you need to take to meet all the requirements. So if you’ve taken certain psychology or science courses as an undergrad, that may help lessen your class load as an equivalency student. Your best bet would be to meet NOW with a MT adviser at the school of your choice. S/he can advise you on classes you should try to take as an undergrad. Best of luck!
@Dakota Thank you! I’m not sure if there’s a music therapy training program in the Philippines, so I don’t know what will work for you. If, however, you want to come to the states to train, you should look at the list of schools that offer music therapy training (see the AMTA link in the blog post). A music therapy professor at one of those schools will better be able to answer your question. Good luck! ~Kimberly
I never knew these existed until I started going to school for therapy. Do you think Music Therapists can also be psychotherapists/psychiatrist?
@Psychotherapist Yes! There are MT-BCs who are also licensed psychotherapists or counselors or social workers. It’s not a large percentage, but it does happen. ~Kimberly
Kimberly! Your post is so timely! Roia and I were just emailing last week about the requirements for being a music therapist. I have to say that I was really way off base in some of my assumptions. Thanks so much for putting all this info in one place! I’m happy to retweet it and also link to it in my blog! (And, I’m so looking forward to your guest post next month at Private Practice from the Inside Out!)
Have a great day!
Wonderful Tamara! So glad this article is helpful for you! I’ll be in touch soon with an article 🙂 ~Kimberly
Hey Kimberly,
First of all after reading your blog I am even more interested in pursuing to study Music Therapy. Putting this aside I would like you to know that I am from Nepal,I bet you have not heard of it. It’s in between China and India. I am 22 years old whose just started her music classes but in not a certified way.My country barely has a Music Therapist and I could be the possible first one ever female to do so.
So I desperately need your suggestion if you can,because I don’t think I fulfill the eligibility to apply to study music therapy but I just want to do a Diploma in it cause I am already in the process of my 2nd year in Bachelor in Sociology.
Thanking you beforehand ,
Priyanka Rai
Hello Priyanka! Thank you for reading the Maven blog. I hope it continues to be a valuable source of information and resources for you. I have heard of Nepal :)…but I am not sure what to offer in terms of suggestions. What I can recommend is that you check out the World Federation of Music Therapy website at http://www.musictherapyworld.net/ Perhaps you will find information there that can help? Good luck! ~Kimberly
Thanks a lot, Kimberly for the website!
Hi Kimberly,
I am a stay at home mom who is starting her education over. I attended a private college 15yrs ago as a music major but, never finished nor obtained a degree. I’ve been trying to figure out….what’s next? A friend told me about your site and I have to say it sounds like what I’ve been looking for! At 36yrs I am so scared of starting from scratch. Where do I start? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Crystal in Texas
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