Best Music Therapy Degrees

Writer Corinne Heline nailed it when she wrote that “The magic of “musical medicine” will come into its own. The application of such healing potencies will not be limited just to man’s body and mind. It will be an agency for building and healing his soul as well.”

Indeed, “musical medicine” has come into its own in the professional field of music therapy. The Arizona State University declares best the focus of music therapy, defining it as a health care and special education profession where engagement in active and receptive music making within the context of a therapeutic relationship helps a client achieve non-musical, therapeutic goals.

Simply stated, music therapists use music to help others heal. By implementing a variety of instruments, songs, and styles, music therapists assist vast and different populations of patients to achieve their own non-musical, therapeutic goals. Whether in private practice, schools, long-term care facilities, hospitals—even correctional centers—music therapy and healing take place.

The field finds itself fitting into several industries, the perfect intersection of health care, special education, psychology, and performing arts. That intersection necessitates rigorous training and extensive education, both requisites for attaining the MT-BC (music therapist, board certified) credential. According to the Certification Board for Music Therapists, this credential exists “to identify music therapists who have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to practice at the current level of the profession. The purpose of board certification in music therapy is to provide an objective national standard that can be used as a measure of professionalism by interested agencies, groups, and individuals.”

In order to become a music therapist, students first need to have a degree in music therapy or some sort of equivalency degree or certification. (This article will focus explicitly on the pursuit of a traditional undergraduate, bachelor”s degree and the best schools for that pursuit.)

Most preparation programs provide a combination of academic and clinical preparation. It is common for many universities to advertise that their program takes “four years, plus a six-month internship.” Thus, students embarking on this path should realize that this isn”t a standard four-year degree. Following the successful completion of undergraduate coursework and clinical training, candidates are then eligible to sit for the national board exam and receive the MT-BC status.

Strong curriculum—AMTA approved should be a given, and all the schools on the list below have AMTA-approved curriculum.

It should be noted that each college or university has its own path towards different degrees in music therapy. It seems that the most common degree is the Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Music Therapy, but you”ll also find a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Music Therapy, a Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) in Music Therapy, and even the B.M.T. degree (Bachelor of Music Therapy).

It takes the right kind of person to become a music therapist. You can”t only be a skilled musician; you must also have compassion as well as keen observation skills. Likewise, you can”t only be a talented therapist; you need to be able to lead songs and perform music. With that in mind, we favored programs that required more than the standard music school audition for admission into the music department or music therapy program.

The more MT-BC on staff, the stronger the program. The MT-BC credential is one that requires recertification, so having faculty members keep their certification current suggests that those faculty members are staying current in the field.

It is critical for music therapy students to have access to clinical opportunities. The closer, the better, whether the opportunity affords itself through an on-campus clinic, a hospital within walking distance from the university, or a school near the campus community.

Is the school affordable? Well, that answer varies from family to family, but any school becomes more affordable when it offers scholarships, so we”ve noted which programs provide scholarship opportunities.

Another item that falls under this category includes unique programs and offerings. Does the school have any study abroad opportunities to music therapy students, any special programming that distinguishes these from other music majors? We also considered the added benefits of these programs when compiling the list.