Participate in community partnerships in areas such as gerontology, preschool, autism and physical impairment. Take advantage of options to further your career, whether or not you are already board certified.
The MM program in music therapy provides students with graduate-level study in the theory, practice and research of music therapy.
There is a two-year track for those who have completed either the undergraduate music therapy degree or its equivalent and who are board-certified or hold a similar international music therapy credential. Additionally, a three-year track is offered for those who have an undergraduate degree in music but not in music therapy.
The master's degree program fosters an expanded research perspective in music therapy, emphasizing community partnerships and program development with a concentration in the student's area of choice, drawing from a number of possible options. Cognate areas include counseling and counseling psychology, special education, gerontology, social work, audiology and speech-language or other areas of choice from the many options.
At A Glance
Music Therapy, MM
- Offered by: Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe
Plan of study
The Plan of study is the required curriculum to complete this graduate level program.
Degree requirements
The degree credit requirements for the two-year track are distributed as follows:
music therapy core (16 credit hours)
other studies in music (8 credit hours)
clinical cognate (9 credit)
Three-Year Track: In addition to the requirements stated above, the three-year track requires 30 credit hours of deficiency coursework for a total of 63 credit hours, including completion of an internship required for certification.
Additional Curriculum Requirements
Completion of diagnostic exams in musicology and music theory is required of all new graduate-level music students prior to enrollment in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre.
Additional information about degree requirements for all graduate music programs may be found on the check sheets at https://musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/degree-programs/music/graduate.
Graduates are eligible to sit for the music therapy certification examination given by the Certification Board for Music Therapists.
Admission requirements
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a U.S. bachelor's or master's degree in music or music therapy from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's or master's degree from an institution in another country that is officially recognized by that country.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee: https://admission.asu.edu/graduate
- School of Music, Dance and Theatre application, including a resume and personal statement: https://musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/admissions/music/undergraduate-steps-to-apply
- official transcripts
- three letters of recommendation
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency (https://admission.asu.edu/international/graduate/english-proficiency). The School of Music, Dance and Theatre does not offer conditional admission under any circumstances. In order to meet English proficiency requirements, students should have a TOEFL score of at least 550 (PBT) or 80 (iBT), or an IELTS overall band score of at least 6.5, or a Pearson Test of English score of at least 60.
All applicants are required to perform a live audition or submit an audition recording (https://musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/admissions/music/graduate-auditions). Auditions are scheduled only after complete application materials have been received.
Applicants to the three-year track must complete the prerequisite courses listed below, which are not a part of the coursework for the MM program in music therapy (three-year track) but are required for eligibility to sit for the board-certification exam (www.cbmt.org). These prerequisites may be taken during undergraduate study, at a community college or other university before beginning the Master of Music program in music therapy (three-year track), during summer sessions at ASU, or online through an accredited institution recognized by ASU. An applicant is eligible to apply to the Master of Music program in music therapy (three-year track) while completing these prerequisites and may finish these courses during the first year in the music therapy program, although this additional work may present a hardship. The prerequisite courses must be completed before a student begins the internship at the end of their first year of study at ASU, unless prior arrangements have been made. Completing the prerequisite courses prior to beginning the Master of Music program in music therapy (three-year track) is highly recommended.
- Introduction to Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Overview of Exceptional Children/Special Education
Applicants should visit the program website for more information on application deadlines. To ensure prompt processing of application, applicants should email MDTAdmissions@asu.edu after submitting an application. An in-depth interview emphasizing the applicant's music therapy philosophy, research activities and clinical interests is scheduled after receipt of complete application materials. A phone interview may be arranged.
Information about this program
Visit the School of Music website for full details.