Admission into the Music Therapy Program

Students wishing to pursue a B.M. degree in Music Therapy must first audition and interview for preliminary acceptance by the music faculty. The audition consists of performance evaluation of technical and musical ability on the applicant's primary instrument. Requirements for the audition may be found on the department website: www.marietta.edu/music-department. Complete acceptance into the major (required to enroll in all 300 & 400 level courses) is contingent upon completion of the following requirements:

A 2.75 cumulative grade point average while enrolled at Marietta College. If the student’s grade point average falls below a 2.75, the student will be placed on program probation for one semester. If, at the end of the probationary semester, the student’s grades are still below a 2.75, the student will no longer be permitted to enroll in 300/400-level Music or Music Therapy courses.
Completion of WRIT 102 and COMM 203 with a grade of “C” or better.
Completion of the piano proficiency (MUSC 141,142, 241, 242)
Completion of the Aural Skills proficiency (MUSC 171, 172, 271 and 272)
Acceptance into the 300-level of applied study
Completion each of the following courses with a grade of C or better: MUSC 111, 112, 211, 212, 303, and MUTH 110 and four credit hours of the ensemble requirement.
Successful completion of four semesters of the recital requirement.
Successful completion of the sophomore review. The sophomore review is an individual conference with the faculty of the department to review the progress of each student to include the following:
- C or better in all MUTH courses typically taken in the first and sophomore years. (Intro, Voice for MT, Guitar for MT, Observe and Assessment, Psych of Music, and MT Theories);
- Passing sophomore level proficiencies for voice, piano, and guitar. (To be evaluated by the piano, guitar, and MT faculty in the 3 guitar courses (2 MUSC & MUTH 105); 3rd & 4th semesters of piano, and one semester of voice);
- Observation Hours complete and up to date for level of study;
- Preparation for Junior recital: documented plan with applied teacher approval;
- Active participant in Student Music Therapy Organization and Music Therapy Program activities.

Students will prepare and present an electronic portfolio that is based on detailed instructions provided in the Music Department handbook.

The sophomore review will include but is not limited to, the following topics: transcript review, piano proficiency results, aural skill proficiency results, repertoire list and jury evaluations, and a statement of goals, strengths and weakness with a plan to address the weaknesses sited. The review is designed not only to be an assessment of their progress to date, but an opportunity for the students and faculty to discuss weaknesses and strengths and set individualized goals for the rest of the student’s time at Marietta College. The College’s Department of Music will either accept or reject the student’s application into the Professional Music Therapy Certification Program based on the student’s qualifications and the department’s vote of confidence in the student’s ability to complete the Program. Students denied admission to the Professional Music Therapy Certification Program may appeal this decision according to the criteria set forth in the Marietta College Music Department Handbook: https://www.marietta.edu/sites/ default/files/documents/music_department_handbook_18-19_final.pdf

Prior to enrollment in MUTH 497 Music Therapy Internships:

After every post-sophomore review year, music therapy students will be evaluated by music therapy faculty using the pre-intern competency evaluation form based upon the AMTA Professional Competencies. The student and their advisor will be responsible for keeping track of the individualized training plan. After completion of 1) all academic course requirements, and 2) satisfactory evaluation on all pre-internship competencies by music therapy faculty, the student is eligible for MUTH 497 (national roster approved music therapy internship). Music therapy faculty will assist individual students in the search and application process for a specific internship placement.

The following requirements must be met for admission into the music therapy internship semester:

Formal admission and good standing in the music therapy program;
Satisfactory evaluations in all pre-internship observations and field work;
Completion of all prerequisite courses;
Successful completion of seven semesters of the ensemble requirement;
Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75.
Completion with a grade of “C” or better in all required MUSC and MUTH courses.

Prior to receiving a BM in Music Therapy, the Music Therapy student must complete a 6-month internship at an American Music Therapy Association approved internship clinical site. This internship is approximately 6 months in length and requires a minimum of 900 hours of supervised clinical training. At the completion of the internship, the student is eligible to sit for the national board certification exam to become a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC). This certification allows the music therapist to enter into practice.