BM in Music, Music Therapy – Curricular Overview

Music therapy studies incorporate content from varied disciplines in addition to specific music therapy courses. Music therapy courses encompass varied teaching-learning situations including theory and practice courses that are knowledge-oriented, lab and clinical training courses that focus on skill development, and practice courses (practicum, fieldwork) that allow the student to apply learned skills in music therapy with actual clients. Clinical training courses begin in the freshman year with clinical observation and continue through internship. A rigorous music curriculum develops musicianship to a high level. Clinical foundations courses develop the student’s knowledge base of human development in both normal and atypical trajectories. General education rounds out the college experience.

The American Music Therapy Association divides Professional Competencies into three major categories, Musical Foundations, Clinical Foundations, and Music Therapy. How our curriculum fulfills these competencies is outlined below. The 128 credit hour degree takes 4 years of coursework followed by the 6-month internship to complete.

Bachelor of Music, Music Therapy: 52 hours

Musical Foundations: Music therapists need to be good, well-rounded musicians.

• Music Theory I, II, III, IV
• Piano I, II
• Conducting
• Music History I, II
• 12 semester hours of Applied Lessons across six semesters (2 in upper division)
• Ensemble (every semester of residency; at least one vocal ensemble required)
• Guitar
• Multicultural Percussion
• Vocal Techniques
• Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze in the Classroom

Clinical Foundations Core: 22 hours

• Psychology (general, personality, abnormal)
• Exceptionality (developmental disabilities)
• Anatomy & Physiology (human development)
• Sociology (human social systems)

Music Therapy Courses: 27 hours

• Psychology of Music (theory and practice)
• Research Methods (theory and practice)
• Music Therapy in Medicine, Education, and Psychology (3 theory and practice courses)
• Clinical Training Courses (methods, clinical skills I and II)
• Observation of Music Therapy (practicum)
• Practicum Courses (200, 400 level practicum; 4 to 5 semesters)
• Internship (1020 hours)
• Introduction to Music Therapy (theory and practice)

General Education: 43 hours

43 SH in Communication Skills, College Writing, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, Humanities, Multicultural Studies, and Human Well-Being.

The following required courses fulfill general education requirements.

• Introduction to Psychology (Social Science; Clinical foundations)
• Introduction to Sociology 100 (Social Science, Clinical foundations)
• Personality & Adjustment (Social Science, Clinical foundations)
• What to Listen to in Music (Humanity and Fine Arts; Musical foundations)
• Biology (human) (Natural Science/Math, Clinical foundations)

Note. This is a general guide. The courses in the university catalog are official.