Top Affordable, Accredited Master's in Music Therapy

Montclair State University offers a Master of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Music Therapy. This graduate degree is designed for students that already hold an undergraduate degree in Music Therapy. Applicants that have an undergraduate degree in in music or a related degree may choose to complete the Certification Program in order gain the coursework requirements to pursue credentialing as a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) and/or to be eligible to apply for the Master of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Music Therapy. The 40.5 credit graduate program focuses on coursework in assessment and intervention strategies for professional competence as a Music Therapist.

Courses include: Musical Style and Analysis; Piano Improvisation; Psychology of Music; Group Music Therapy Experience; Music Therapy Assessment in Clinical Practice; Clinical Improvisation; Supervision and Teaching in Music Therapy; Group Music Therapy; Research Methods in Psychology; Developmental Psychology; and Lifespan Psychopathology.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $17,355.00
• Credits Required: 41
• Application Deadline: Two weeks before a chosen audition date

A Master of Music in Music Therapy is offered at Ohio University. This 32 credit graduate program focuses on coursework in music, music therapy, and professional specialization electives. Specialized tracks of study include: Special Education; Child Life; Psychology; Research Methodology; and Early Childhood. Along with focused coursework and specialized clinical experience students have the opportunity to engage in research within their area of specialization. Coursework builds on undergraduate or equivalency studies and experiences to support graduates in becoming leaders in the field and profession of music therapy.

Faculty Research Interests Include: The effect of music in infants and young children; the use of music therapy in schools and community health settings; music with children with developmental disability and children with autism; integrative approaches in music therapy; music therapy in the treatment of traumatic stress; and the development of the Integrative Dynamic Music and Sandwork method.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $17,436.00
• Credits Required: 32

Lesley University offers a concentration in Music Therapy in its Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. This degree is offered as an on-campus track or a low-residency track of study. This 60 credit program can be completed in two to three years of full time study. The curriculum focuses on training students to integrate the practice of music therapy and psychotherapy to provide effective evidence-based interventions to individuals across the lifespan.

Courses include: Clinical Musicianship; Music, Imagery and Psychotherapy; Community and Therapeutic Applications of Drumming; Voice and Music Therapy; Orientation to Expressive Therapies; Theories of Mental Health Counseling; Theories in Music Therapy; and Supervision in Music Therapy and Counseling.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $17,550.00
• Credits Required: 60
• Application Deadline: January 15th

A Master of Music Therapy is offered at Slippery Rock University. Students can select between two tracks of study the general track (36 credits) or the counseling track (48 credits). The full-time program can be completed in two years, or students may choose to complete the program at a part-time pace. The program emphasizes social justice as a core component of the curriculum and makes every effort to integrate attention to social and cultural issues through the programming. Students have the option to select electives that align with professional goals. A number of unique electives are offered by the program including: Women and Aging; Death and Dying; Advanced Study of Social Emotional Disorders; and Advanced Study of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

Courses include: Reading Music Therapy Research; Music Therapy Assessment and Evaluation Techniques; Cultural and Social Foundations of Music Therapy; Music Therapy Supervision; Music Therapy Ethics and Professional Issues; Social Justice Approaches to Music Therapy; Advanced Music Therapy Practicum; Advanced Music Therapy Internship; Designing Music Therapy Research; Medical Music Therapy; Music Psychotherapy; Systems Thinking in Music Therapy; Independent Study; Helping Relationships in Music Therapy; Lifespan Development for Music Therapy; and Group Counseling for Music.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $18,000.00
• Credits Required: 36-48

Appalachian State University offers a Master of Music Therapy. Applicants that do not yet hold a Bachelor of Music Therapy Degree may enroll in the Equivalency and Master of Music Therapy program and complete the required courses to be eligible to complete the national examination administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Graduate students in this program will choose an area of specialty from options that include: the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music; Addictions; Health Care; Expressive Arts; Mental Health; Gerontology; and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery is a sought after skill set in the field of music therapy and requires students to engage in an off campus 5-day intensive workshop.

Courses include: Bonny Method of GIM; Clinical Paper in Music Therapy.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $18,271.00
• Credits Required: 36
• Application Deadline: November 11th for Spring, April 1st for Summer and July 1st for Fall

An online Master of Music Therapy is available at Georgia College. This program is offered online allowing students to engage with one another through virtual connections. The program offers on-campus visits twice each semester and once over the summer, so this program will be a good fit for students that are able to commute to campus when needed but want to enjoy the benefits and convenience of distance learning. The program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and is also approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) with an emphasis on supporting students in advancing their understanding and practice of music therapy.

Courses include: Gender and Cultural Issues in Creative Arts Therapy; Qualitative Research; Quantitative Research; Self Experience in Music therapy; Ethics in Creative Arts Therapy; Graduate Clinical Improvisation; Study Abroad; Music Therapy Models; Graduate Clinical Project; Music Therapy Thesis; Music Therapists and Technology; Music and the Exceptional Child; Leadership, Supervision and Management; Independent Study in Music Therapy; and Music Therapy Advanced Graduate Practicum.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $18,486.00
• Application Deadline: November 1st for Spring, April 1st for Summer and July 1st for Fall

Molloy College offers a Master of Science in Music Therapy. The program focuses on supporting the professional development of music therapists through advanced study in music and psychotherapy. The curriculum includes attention to research, ethical practices, and attention to issues of diversity. The program will be a good fit for individuals with an undergraduate degree in music therapy or a related field and for musicians that wish to use their musical capabilities to support the well being of diverse populations. Depending on the applicants undergraduate degree this graduate program can be completed with 48-60 credits.

Courses include: Music Therapy Foundations and LAB; Music Therapy Treatment Planning and LAB; Psychopathology and Music Therapy; Clinical Practicum; Internship; Clinical Piano Improvisation; Clinical Guitar Improvisation; Survey of World Music; Intro to Guided Imagery and Music; Basic Theories of Psychotherapy and their Relationship to Music Therapy; Foundations of Music Therapy Groups; Music and Medicine: Music Psychotherapy in Healthcare Communities; Professional Ethics in Music Therapy; Qualitative and Quantitative Research; Advanced Clinical Supervision; Vocal and Verbal Techniques in Music Therapy; and Advanced Survey of Developmental Psychology.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $19,980.00
• Credits Required: 48-60

A Master of Music in Music Therapy is offered at Shenandoah University. This 34 credit program can be completed in two years of full time study. The program is designed for students that hold the credentials Music Therapist Board Certified (MT-BC) and are interested in advancing their professional practice and capacity to engage in research. Courses are offered through intensive weekend retreats in order to allow students to continue their current professional work as music therapists. The program also offers support on the business side of being a professional music therapist with courses that focus on reimbursement and billing.

Courses include: Music Therapy Research: Contemporary Overview; Advanced Theoretical Foundations of Music Therapy; Assessment and Evaluation in Music Therapy Practice; Advanced Clinical Practice: Resource Development; Thesis; Verbal Skills for Music Therapists; and Music Therapy: Professional Practices.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $20,710.00
• Credits Required: 34
• Application Deadline: January 15th

A Master of Science in Creative Arts Therapy with a Music Therapy Specialization is offered at Nazareth College. Students can choose to complete the Advanced Standing Program (48 credits) or the Comprehensive Program (60 credits). This program can be completed on a full or part-time path of study in as little as two years. The Advanced Standing program will be a good fit for students that already have earned their undergraduate degree in music therapy and are interested in additional training in counseling in order to pursue state licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist. The Comprehensive program is designed for musicians and educators that are interested in learning the clinical skills to use music as a therapeutic intervention and will also lead graduates to be qualified to pursue certification in music therapy as well as state licensure as a Creative Arts Therapist. Applicants planning to practice outside the state of New York should consult their home state licensure board to evaluate if program requirements match individual state requirements.

Courses include: Principles of Music Therapy Supervision; Methods and Research; Music Neuroscience; Music Therapy Internship; Repertoire and Improvisation in Music Therapy for Children and Adolescents; and Advanced Music Therapy Practicum.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $21,720.00
• Credits Required: 48-60
• Application Deadline: April 1st for Fall, October 1st for Spring

Temple University offers a Master of Music Therapy. This degree is offered to professional music therapists to enhance their clinical practice. Two areas of concentration in the program are Music Medicine and Music Psychotherapy. The Music Medicine specialization will be a good fit for music therapists interested in enhancing the mind-body connection and health. The Music Psychotherapy Concentration is set up to provide training focused on the client-therapist connection to support emotional and relational growth. Students are encouraged to explore individual areas of interest through independent study and research. Students that are planning to pursue state licensure have the opportunity to complete additional coursework.

Courses include: Qualitative Research in Music Therapy; Quantitative Research in Music Therapy; Theories of Music Psychotherapy; Advanced Music Therapy Clinical Training; Music in Medicine; Music Therapy Ethics; Models of Clinical Supervision in Music Therapy; Advanced Music Therapy Practicum; Advanced Topics in Music Psychotherapy; and Advanced Topics in Music Medicine.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $22,158.00
• Credits Required: 36 - 63
• Application Deadline: February 1st

State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia offers a 48 credit Master of Music in Music Therapy. Students in the program will complete coursework in Music Therapy, Music Education, and Psychology along with a final Thesis project. The program is set up to be accessible for working students with the assumption that most graduate students in the program will continue their full-time professional work as a music therapist while pursuing this advanced degree in music therapy. Students can also select to complete the program on a part-time basis if that feels more manageable.

Courses include: Foundations of Advanced Music Therapy; Advanced Guitar Skills for Music Therapists; Advanced Clinical Piano Improvisation; Theory of Vocal Psychotherapy; Introduction to Guided Imagery and Music; Special Studies; Vocal Psychotherapy Practice; Theory and Practice in Guided Imagery and Music; Clinical Applications to GIM Theory and Practice; Internship in Music Therapy; Advanced Practicum in Music Therapy; Psychology of Music; Psychological Research in Music; Lifespan Developmental Psychology; and Psychopathology.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $22,210.00
• Credits Required: 48

A Master of Science in Music Therapy is available at the State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz. The program is approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) as well as the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). This 48 credit advanced degree prepares graduates to successfully complete the Certification Board Examination in Music Therapy. Applicants are encouraged to be thoughtful and well prepared when applying for the program particularly with the performance component showcasing the students skill in singing, guitar, and piano and their capacity to consider clinical aspects of the music.

Courses include: Foundations of Music Therapy; Music in Counseling; Music Therapy for Older Adults; Medical Music Therapy Assessment and Treatment; Music Therapy in Special Education; Music Therapy Research and Program Evaluation; Repertoire in Therapy; Improvisation for Therapy; Advanced Guitar for Therapists and Educators; Music Therapy Ensemble; Human Growth and Development; and Psychopathology.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $22,210.00
• Credits Required: 48

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis offers an Online Master of Science in Music Therapy. This online graduate program in Music Therapy can be completed with only 30 credits. The curriculum is focused on research, clinical work, and the thesis. Students in the program will complete online coursework designed to advance their career as professional music therapists. This online program utilizes synchronous and asynchronous technology to support students in learning and engaging with peers without needing to travel to campus. Students enrolled in this online graduate degree in Music Therapy will be able to conveniently engage in their graduate education while maintaining and advancing their careers as music therapists.

Courses include: Philosophy and Theory in Music Therapy; Music Therapy Quantitative and Qualitative Research; Music in Medicine; Advanced Clinical Techniques in Music Therapy; and Thesis in Music Therapy.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $23,208.00
• Credits Required: 30

A Master of Music Therapy is available through the College of Music at Florida State University. Students can choose between two tracks of study with the thesis and non-thesis option. Students will learn to enhance their capacity and skill level in supporting clients in developing and reaching goals through the use of musical interventions. Along with strengthening clinical skills, the program works to support graduate students in learning administrative and research skills in order to effectively take on leadership roles within the field of music therapy.

Courses include: Music in Special Education; Music in Counseling; Applied Music Assessment in Music Therapy/ Education; Medical Music Therapy; Grant Writing in Music Therapy and the Arts; Behavioral Health Counseling; Advanced Music Therapy Clinical Placement; Psychology of Music; Behavior Modification; Nonverbal communication; Descriptive Research; and Arts in Medicine.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $24,116.00
• Credits Required: 30-36
• Application Deadline: December 1st

Colorado State University offers a Master of Music with a Music Therapy Specialization. Students can choose to complete this degree either on-campus or online. The online program will require only one visit to campus for a four day summer session, allowing students to easily continue their employment and professional practice as a music therapist. Both the on-campus and online programs are taught by the same qualified faculty with focuses on evidence-based practice and the neuroscience of music therapy. Graduates will feel confident in enhancing their current clinical work as music therapists, to supervise and teach in the field of music therapy, and to pursue a doctoral degree in music therapy.

Courses include: Advanced Research Methods in Music Therapy; Composition for Music Therapy Practitioners; Neuroscience/ Music Foundations in Therapy; Music Therapy Practicum; Independent Study: Music Therapy; Historical Foundations of Music Therapy; and Advanced Practice in Music Therapy.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $24,312.00
• Credits Required: 30-32
• Application Deadline: February 15th