Music Therapy
Music therapy students receive supervised clinical training and education in the use of musical, clinical and interpersonal skills to address healthcare needs of varied populations in individual and group settings. Students get practical applied experience in the types of facilities in which graduates are often hired: schools, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric facilities, etc.
B.S. in Music Therapy Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate all learning outcomes required for the B.A. in Music.
- Demonstrate functional clinical music skills in guitar, piano, voice, and percussion.
- Develop professional competency in areas of music foundations, clinical foundations, and music therapy knowledge.
Proficiency Examinations
Music therapy students (campus and online) must demonstrate competent music skills as outlined in the American Music Therapy Association Professional Competencies in voice, piano, guitar and percussion. In addition, degree seeking students must pass the Piano Proficiency Examination. All music therapy students must pass Competency Examinations in the areas of Guitar, Voice and Piano. Students are responsible for appropriately preparing for and scheduling these exams during specific times in their course of study. These timelines and processes are provided in detail in the handbook appropriate to the student’s program (Music Therapy Student Handbook or MTED handbook).
Clinical Training and Academic Requirements
Students must complete at least 1,200 clock hours of music therapy clinical training. A minimum of 180 pre-internship hours are accrued in field/practicum experiences (in conjunction with Practicum course sequence).
A minimum of 900 hours are accrued during internship. Successful completion of the internship is a degree requirement. Admission to the internship requires: a cumulative GPA of 2.0; an average of 2.5 in all music courses; a “B-” or better in all music therapy courses; and a recommendation from the Program Coordinator and/or Director of Music Therapy. Study of the applied instrument and ensemble participation are required each semester except during the internship. Requirements are specified in the Individual Training Plan which is presented to students at the commencement of their first practicum by their academic advisor, and reviewed each academic year until completion of the program. Degree-seeking music therapy majors must take MU-200 (American Music: From Jamestown to James Brown and Beyond) to fulfill the Woods Core “Fine Arts” requirement.
Successful completion of academic and clinical requirements, including meeting the Professional Characteristics and Disposition requirements leads to eligibility to take the music therapy board examination administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. (Further information about the Individual Training Plan and the Professional Characteristics and Disposition Student Assessment can be found in the Music Therapy Student Handbook or MTED handbook). Passing the examination leads to the professional credential MT-BC (Music Therapist - Board Certified).
The music therapy programs at SMWC are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and are approved by the American Music Therapy Association.