Music Therapy, M.A., MMTC
The graduate music therapy programs prepare students to practice music therapy at an advanced level in a range of clinical settings.
Immaculata’s master’s programs provide extensive breadth and depth of training in the musical, clinical, and theoretical components of the music therapy discipline. The Master of Music Therapy and Counseling (MMTC) emphasizes psychotherapeutic practices that integrate professional counseling and music therapy while the Master of Arts in Music Therapy focuses on professional practice in music therapy.
These programs offer a developmental sequence of learning that will prepare you to be excellent clinicians and leaders in the field, culminating with advanced supervision, final projects, and if desired, completion of the educational requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania. The coursework may also be applied toward licensure requirements in other states. Our students intern and work at places such as Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Seasons Hospice, Tempo! Music Therapy Services, Princeton House Behavioral Health, and other clinical settings.
The 60-credit equivalency program (available as part of either the MAMT or MMTC degree) is designed for individuals without undergraduate training in music therapy, while the 48-credit advanced program (available as part of either the MAMT or MMTC degree) is designed for accredited music therapists (MT-BC) who wish to develop advanced skills in music therapy clinical practice.
At A Glance
Program: Master of Arts or Master of Music Therapy and Counseling
Audience: Graduate students
Format: Face-to-face classes
Next Start Date: January 16, 2024
Cost: $710/credit
Time to Completion Two years full-time
“I was able to grow interpersonally, enhance my clinical skills and refine my approach to clinical practice, making my experience in the graduate Music Therapy program a truly invaluable one.”
Kathleen Summers
Graduate Music Therapy: Equivalency MAMT and MMTC
Designed for individuals with some musical training who have not yet studied music therapy.
The 60-credit equivalency program is designed specifically for students who wish to complete music therapy training (attaining MT-BC eligibility) at the graduate level. These students possess an undergraduate degree in music (or related field), but have not yet studied music therapy. A career in music therapy offers you the opportunity to use your music skills to help people to attain an improved quality of life. Music therapists work in a variety of settings and with many different populations, such as:
- Working with people with special needs: children or adults with ASD, developmental delays, educational facilities
- Medical settings: neurological or physical rehabilitation, oncology, pediatrics
- Mental health settings: inpatient or partial hospitalization, correctional and forensic facilities, substance abuse treatment centers
- Community and school settings: at-risk adolescents, mental health, wellness
- Assisted living & end of life: skilled nursing facilities, hospice, palliative care
Program Highlights
The equivalency-level training leading to music therapy certification offers:
- Strong academic courses based on current literature, best practices, ethics, cultural diversity, and a variety of approaches used in current practice
- Small class sizes focused on individualized learning in a graduate-level cohort
- Individual lessons in guitar, voice, and piano, all focused on developing music therapy skills and repertoire
- Internships in a minimum of three different clinical settings with supportive supervision
- Solid preparation to use different kinds of music therapy experiences with clients, such as singing, playing instruments, improvising, writing songs, listening to music and verbal discussion.
- Preparation for the music therapy certification exam through workshops and self-assessment exams
Required Courses
Students entering the program who are not prepared to pass the diagnostic functional music skills proficiency examination, must complete one or more of the following courses (on a repeatable basis), until the necessary skills can be demonstrated.
- MUT 530 Music Skills for Therapy – Piano 1
- MUT 532 Music Skills for Therapy – Guitar 1
- MUT 534 Music Skills for Therapy – Voice 1
Required Courses
You can study part-time and complete these courses in eight semesters (two years and eight months).
- MUT 500Theoretical Orientations to Music Therapy Clinical Practice 3
- MUT 502Theories and Processes in Music Therapy Practice 3
- MUT 504Theories and Practices in Medical Music Therapy 3
- MUT 506Theories and Practices in Psychiatric Music Therapy 3
- MUT 608Ethical and Professional Orientation in Music Therapy 2
- MUT 609Music Therapy Practice with Diverse Populations 2
- MUT 512-514Clinical Training: Integrating Theory & Practice 3
- MUT 524Graduate Internship I 2
- MUT 525Graduate Internship II 2
- GEN 501Human Development 3
- COUN 600Research & Program Evaluation 3
- COUN 604Group Process 3
- COUN 608Psychopathology 3
- COUN 609Career and Vocational Counseling 3
- COUN XXX Counseling Elective 3
ADVANCED MUSIC THERAPY CLINICAL, PROFESSIONAL, MUSIC & RESEARCH SKILLS (Choose 13 credits from the following)
- MUT 600 Music and Imagery in Clinical Practice 2
- MUT 601 Advanced Resource Development 2
- MUT 603 Clinical Improvisation in Music Therapy 2
- MUT 606 Songs in Psychotherapy 2
- MUT 613 Music Biofeedback Research 2
- MUT 614 Grant Writing and Program Development in Music Therapy 2
- MUT 642 Clinical Assessment in Music Therapy* 2
- MUT 643 Integration of Verbal and Music Skills in Music Therapy* 2
- MUT 645 Advanced Technology for Music Therapy 2
- MUT 646 Music Therapy Research 2
- *Course required for LPC Track
ADVANCED CLINICAL TRAINING
- MUT 610 Advanced Music Therapy Practicum 1
- MUT 621 Advanced Music Therapy Internship I 1
- MUT 622Advanced Music Therapy Internship II 1
- MUT 630Advanced Music Skills for Therapy 1
- MUT 599Comprehensive Exam in Music Therapy 0
- MUT 690Culminating Project in Music Therapy 3
Graduate Music Therapy: Advanced MAMT and MMTC
Designed for music therapists (MT-BC) who wish to develop advanced skills in music therapy clinical practice.
The 48-credit degree program is specially designed for music therapists (MT-BC) who wish to develop advanced skills in therapeutic techniques for medical, mental health, and didactic settings.
Program Highlights
- Opportunities for study in related fields including counseling and healthcare administration, including an optional dual degree in music therapy and clinical mental health counseling
- Tuition discount for active fieldwork supervisors of Immaculata University students
- Opportunities for low-residency completion to accommodate the needs of working professionals
- In-depth training in client assessment and cultural diversity
- Advanced clinical supervision focused on the application of theory, clinical approaches, and supervision techniques
- Development of advanced music skills through coursework and individual lessons
- Opportunities for self-reflection and the development of your unique talents
Required Courses
Required Courses (LPC Concentration)
- MUT 608 Ethical and Professional Orientation in Music Therapy 2
- MUT 609 Music Therapy Practice with Diverse Populations 2
- GEN 501 Human Development 3
- COUN 600 Research & Program Evaluation 3
- +COUN 604 Group Process 3
- +COUN 608 Psychopathology 3
- +COUN 609 Career and Vocational Counseling 3
- +COUN XXX Counseling Electives 9
+ Students pursuing the professional track (not seeking their LPC) may substitute these courses with electives.
ADVANCED MUSIC THERAPY CLINICAL, PROFESSIONAL, MUSIC & RESEARCH SKILLS (Choose 14 credits from the following)
- MUT 600 Music and Imagery in Clinical Practice 2
- MUT 601 Advanced Resource Development 2
- MUT 603 Clinical Improvisation in Music Therapy 2
- MUT 606 Songs in Psychotherapy 2
- MUT 613 Music Biofeedback Research 2
- MUT 614 Grant Writing and Program Development in Music Therapy 2
- MUT 630 Advanced Music Skills for Therapy 1
- MUT 642 Clinical Assessment in Music Therapy* 2
- MUT 643 Integration of Verbal and Music Skills in Music Therapy* 2
- MUT 645 Advanced Technology for Music Therapy 2
- MUT 646 Music Therapy Research 2
- *Course required for LPC Track
Advanced Clinical Training
- MUT 610 Advanced Music Therapy Practicum 1
- MUT 621 Advanced Music Therapy Internship I 1
- MUT 622 Advanced Music Therapy Internship II 1
- MUT 599 Comprehensive Exam in Music Therapy 0
- MUT 690 Culminating Project in Music Therapy 3
Dual Degree Option
If you are interested in pursuing a career in counseling and music therapy, you may be eligible to pursue both degrees at a significantly reduced credit load. Graduate music therapy students with advanced standing may apply to the CACREP-approved Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and pursue the dual degree for 15 additional credits beyond the 60 credits required for LPC licensure. Students accepted into the dual degree program are required to complete both an advanced internship in music therapy and an internship in clinical mental health counseling.
State Licensed Professional Counselor Requirements
To pursue the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential in Pennsylvania, you must complete 3600 hours of supervised, clinical practice following completion of graduate study. If you are in the 48-credit degree program, you must elect a minimum of 12 additional credits, because Pennsylvania requires a minimum of 60 graduate credits to earn the LPC credential. You must also have successfully passed the Music Therapy Board Certification exam. For further information, refer to the Licensure section of this Handbook and Pennsylvania law.
Immaculata’s music therapy program is designed in accordance with educational requirements for licensure in Pennsylvania, and students must assume independent responsibility for ensuring that they are eligible and that they meet all requirements for licensure, including payment of state fees. Students pursuing licensure outside Pennsylvania must follow the regulations and procedures stipulated by those jurisdictions, and must independently verify that their graduate studies in music therapy meet the educational requirements of those jurisdictions.
Course Schedule
Graduate courses offered from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm weekday evenings to accommodate students who are working. Advanced (600-level) courses are offered on weekends in an intensive format. You can expect to spend one to four weekends on campus per semester. Some general and elective courses are available online.
Accreditation
The Master of Arts in Music Therapy and the Master of Music Therapy and Counseling (MMTC) programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).
Please submit the application materials required for admission to Immaculata’s master’s programs. GRE test scores are not required, but you will also be asked to audition for the program:
- Perform one piece on your primary instrument. Typically pieces from “classical” or jazz traditions suffice, but other options may be included in accordance with your undergraduate concentration or personal musical work. An accompanist is not required, and pieces do not need to be performed from memory.
- Demonstration of existing skills in piano and guitar. Typically, we ask for six pieces from the “popular” music literature (for example, children’s songs, pop music from the 1960s to present, folk music, religious music, and show tunes) where three songs should be performed on piano and three on guitar, including one children’s song on each instrument. Diversity in musical style is encouraged. Memorization is welcomed but not necessary.
Please note that in addition to auditioning for program entrance, the musical requirements above serve as an evaluation of existing skills so that faculty may make recommendations towards achievement of functional music skills needed for music therapy practice. Therefore, if you have limited experience on one or more above instruments, you are still encouraged to pursue admission. Please contact the program director for more information.
Financial Aid
Immaculata’s graduate music therapy programs are some of the most affordable programs of their kind in the region. Graduate students may be eligible for $20,500 in Stafford Unsubsidized loans per aid year.
Find out more about financial aid.
Additionally, we offer 20% off for supervisors of Immaculata University fieldwork students within our Advanced Track.
