Music therapy is a broad and diverse field where skilled clinicians work with clients to accomplish their personal and health-related goals through music. Music therapists work in a wide range of environments, including hospitals, schools, early intervention programs, assisted living facilities, long-term care, memory care, hospices, psychiatric facilities, group homes, and private practices. Becoming a music therapist in the United States requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at an accredited institution, and then passing the national board certification exam.

View Program Guide for Bachelor of Music, Music Therapy here 

Students in the Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy degree program take 32 credits of music-therapy-specific courses in addition to music and Rowan Core requirements, for a total of 120 credits. Selected courses in the music therapy concentration are offered primarily online via asynchronous delivery (students review materials and complete work on their schedule) with on-campus meetings two to three times per semester for a total of 12 hours of face-to-face class time per 3-credit course. These courses include Foundations of Music Therapy, Psychology of Music, Principles of Music Therapy I and II, Music Therapy Research Methods, and Therapeutic Principles for Music Therapists. Other courses are offered via face-to-face instruction on weekday evenings once per week. These courses include Clinical Piano Skills I and II, Clinical Guitar Skills, and Music Applications for Music Therapy I, II, and III. Music Therapy Practicum I, II, and III and Residency in Music Therapy require supervised field placements in the community under the supervision of a board-certified music therapist. Students complete approximately 65 hours for each semester of Practicum and 1000 hours over two semesters of Residency, totaling 1200 hours. Courses outside of the music therapy program may be offered in online or face-to-face delivery formats, including ensembles and applied lessons that require face-to-face instruction.

The Music Therapy Post-Baccalaureate Certificate is a 38-credit, full-time or part-time program offered in a hybrid format. The music therapy courses are cross-listed with the bachelor’s courses: post-baccalaureate students take classes with the bachelor’s degree students according to the format described above. Similarly, these students undertake the same clinical training requirements (practicum and residency) for a total of 1200 hours of clinical training. And, as described above, outside of the music therapy program (Developmental Psychopathology and Abnormal Psychology) may be offered in online or face-to-face delivery formats.

If you are interested in applying for the Bachelors of Music in Music Therapy program, please complete an application with the university and register for an audition with the music department.

If you are interested in applying for the post-baccalaureate certificate in music therapy, please apply through the Rowan Global application.

• Dr. Andrea Hunt