Music Therapy Certificate
Program Director: TBD
Music Chairperson: Melissa McCabe
Phone: 410-704-2143
Email: mmccabe@towson.edu
The Graduate Certificate Program in Music Therapy is currently in its planning stages and is not currently accepting new students while the program is being designed. More information will be provided at a later date. To express interest in the program, please contact the Department Chairperson.
The twenty-two-unit certificate program in music therapy focuses on entry level competencies in three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations, and professional competencies defined by AMTA and the Certification Board of Music Therapists. The new course work includes application of music therapy procedures and techniques learned in the classroom through required fieldwork in facilities serving individuals with disabilities in the community. Students learn to assess the needs of clients, develop and implement treatment plans, and evaluate and document clinical changes. Program graduates will be prepared for and eligible to sit for the national certification examination for music therapists administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Upon the successful completion of this exam, graduates will have the MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) credential, as well as be able to apply for the Licensed Practitioner of Music Therapy (LPMT) credential which are both prerequisites for professional practice.
The course work for the music therapy program is conceived as a flexible two-year plan dependent upon prior student course work. A student entering the certificate with all completed perquisites could complete the PBC in one complete calendar year and prepare to sit for board-certification shortly after conferral of the certificate. Music therapy certification requires additional internship experiences beyond completion of the academic course work, which is built into the program model. Completion of the internship will be a required component of the program model. Music therapy is a profession that requires its practitioners to have clinical competencies as well as musical skills. Students are required to have knowledge in psychology, human development, music theory, and ethics in order to practice and treat patients in an effective manner. Alongside the academic course work and practicum experiences, students will receive 1200 hours of clinical training which includes a supervised internship.
Prerequisites for Admission
Prior to commencing the certificate's coursework, an entering student must have completed the following prerequisite coursework with a grade of "C" or better or demonstrate competency by successful evaluation via a proficiency exam in the items marked with an asterisk (*). A list of Towson University course equivalents is available from the department.
- * Functional Piano, Guitar, Percussion, and Voice
- * Introduction to Conducting
- Developmental Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Music Psychology/Music Cognition
Certificate Requirements
The Graduate Certificate in Music Therapy consists of a total of 24 units, 12 of which are fully online, 3 in hybrid courses with some in-person/on-campus meetings alongside asynchronous/online study, and 9 in clinical placement practicums and a residency internship that encompass the American Music Therapy Association's required 1,200 hours of clinical music therapy experience at AMTA-approved internship sites. Successful completion of all coursework, the 1,200 hours of clinical experience, and the internship is required before receiving the certificate or sitting for the Music Therapy Board Certification Examination.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MSCT 601 | INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC THERAPY | 3 |
| MSCT 602 | MUSIC THERAPY PRINCIPLES I | 3 |
| MSCT 603 | MUSIC THERAPY PRINCIPLES II | 3 |
| MSCT 604 | MUSIC THERAPY RESEARCH METHODS & ETHICS | 3 |
| MSCT 605 | MUSIC THERAPY PRACTICUM I | 1 |
| MSCT 606 | APPLICATIONS TO MUSIC THERAPY I | 1 |
| MSCT 607 | MUSIC THERAPY PRACTICUM II | 1 |
| MSCT 608 | APPLICATIONS TO MUSIC THERAPY II | 1 |
| MSCT 609 | MUSIC THERAPY PRACTICUM III | 1 |
| MSCT 610 | APPLICATIONS TO MUSIC THERAPY III | 1 |
| MSCT 611 | RESIDENCY IN MUSIC THERAPY INTERNSHIP | 6 |
| Total Units | 24 | |
- Articulate and identify the neurological and psychological effects of processing musical stimuli.
- Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze and review music therapy core theories and methods.
- Identify and explain music therapy approaches and interventions based upon diagnosis and symptoms.
- Identify and demonstrate ethical therapeutic practices.
- Design and implement effective therapeutic interventions.
- Review and write scholarly research reviews that influence discourse and lead to further exploration in the field.