Master of Music Therapy
Website: https://twu.edu/music/graduate-programs/master-of-music-therapy/
The Master of Music Therapy degree program is offered to students who have completed a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in music therapy. Applications are welcomed from those who are board-certified music therapists, as well as those who are concurrently completing the undergraduate equivalency program requirements to become music therapists. This 36-hour graduate program allows for a minimum of 18 hours to be dedicated specifically to music therapy and includes advanced studies in integral thinking, research, leadership, and advocacy. Students can tailor electives to target advanced study in music, music therapy topics, healthcare administration, women and politics, or courses in human development and family studies. Students will complete and defend an arts-based or research-based thesis for the M.M.T. degree.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Investigation - ability to engage in complex problem-solving in diverse settings.
- Communication - ability to communicate in both oral and written forms.
- Collaboration - ability to work as part of a team with others from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds, and cultures.
- Leadership - ability to take a leading role in various, diverse settings.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
36 semester credit hours (SCH).
Special requirement
A grade of A or B for courses to be counted toward the degree.
Final Examination
An oral examination will include a comprehensive review of the major area of emphasis and the culminating project. The result of the exam will be reported as:
- pass,
- not pass, or
- deferral (exam may only be repeated once).
Program of Study
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Major Area | ||
| MU 5223 | Advanced Theories of Music Therapy Leadership | 3 |
| MU 5123 | Clinical Applications of Research in Music Therapy | 3 |
| MU 5103 | Integrating Activism in Music Therapy | 3 |
| MU 5113 | Advanced Applications of Integral Thinking in Music Therapy | 3 |
| MU 5493 | Advanced Clinical Supervision in Music Therapy | 3 |
| MU 5903 | Special Topics (Special Topics in Music Therapy) | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Graduate Music Elective(s) | 3 | |
| Other Graduate Electives | 9 | |
| Thesis | ||
| MU 5983 | Thesis | 3 |
| MU 5993 | Thesis | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 36 | |
Electives
Approved electives may be selected from psychology, sociology, music therapy, social work, special education, drama, business and economics, music education, applied music, and other fields appropriate to the student’s goals. Students may use electives to gain a concentration in Healthcare Administration, Women in Politics, or Songwriting/Technology. Students may choose to complete a minor in a related field with the approval of the music therapy advisor and the appropriate department.
Students without a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy
Students without Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy will be admitted provisionally with the stipulation that they complete all equivalency coursework and clinical experience that make them eligible for board certification by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. This equivalency coursework usually consists of about 32 to 50 undergraduate semester credit hours, most of which can be taken concurrently with graduate coursework in a carefully planned program. As part of the undergraduate equivalency coursework, a six-month internship is required prior to removal from provisional status. A minimum of 12 graduate semester credit hours as specified by the program must be completed after the internship.
Additional Requirements
Testing for drugs, specific immunizations in addition to those required by TWU, proof of personal medical insurance, and/or passing a criminal background check may be required by certain facilities associated with the required clinical work or for certification. If students are unable to be cleared on any of these requirements, they may not be eligible to continue in the program or to obtain certification. The cost of any required background checks, immunizations, and/or drug testing is the responsibility of the student.
Certification as a Music Therapist (MT-BC) is achieved by passing a national examination administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Completion of the undergraduate equivalency or an undergraduate degree in music therapy does not guarantee eligibility to take the board certification exam. Questions regarding specific criminal background matters and their possible effects on eligibility for board certification should be addressed directly to the Certification Board for Music Therapists.
Music Therapy students who do not have the appropriate professional certification (i.e., MT-BC) must complete all eligibility requirements for that exam prior to the awarding of the master’s degree in Music Therapy.
