Music Therapy at NYU Steinhardt provides graduates with an advanced specialization in psychotherapeutic music therapy. The curriculum emphasizes clinical musicianship in its various facets, the development of the student’s individualized approach, and self-experience courses that support each student’s growth as a music therapist working in creative and improvisational modes of practice. Specialized courses – such as those in cultural humility, verbal methods, and technology – ensure that graduates of the program are prepared to meet the demands of the contemporary music therapy profession.
Degrees In This Program
Master of Arts
Music Therapy
This American Music Therapy Association–approved degree prepares you for certification and licensure to work with all types of people seen by music therapists.
Doctor of Philosophy
Music Education with a Specialization in Music Therapy
This doctorate is designed for credentialed music therapists with an articulated area of clinical specialization who want to develop research skills.
Doctor of Philosophy
Rehabilitation Sciences
Prepare for a fulfilling academic career in research and teaching in the rehabilitation sciences through interdisciplinary study across health fields.
Meet Grad Student Isabelle Kern
First year graduate student Isabelle Kern talks about what initially drew her to NYU Steinhardt, her interest in combining music and psychology, the ability to use music to help people heal, and why Music Therapy is the program she's been looking for all her life. Learn more about the Music Therapy Master's Program.
I am continually curious about the cultural identity of both therapist and therapy participant within the therapeutic process, particularly because of how music can be so culturally salient. - Jasmine E., Music Education with Specialization in Music Therapy (PhD`27)
Creative Arts Therapies
NYU Steinhardt is home to distinguished graduate programs in Music Therapy, Drama Therapy, and Art Therapy. Designed to complement one another, these programs foster interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing students to engage with peers across the creative arts therapies.
News and Events
NYU Steinhardt’s Nordoff-Robbins Center and MARL Receive Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Award
The team’s research examines how music therapy may be able to improve social communication skills in autistic children.
Music Therapy Publishes New Research on Measuring Music Engagement
The NYU Steinhardt Music Therapy program has published groundbreaking new research in the Journal of Music Therapy, advancing the field’s understanding of music engagement in therapy sessions through the development of the Music Engagement Scale (MES).
Alan Turry on Readying the Next Generation of Music Therapists
Alan Turry, Director of NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Music Therapy, highlights unique opportunities—from hands-on training at the Nordoff-Robbins Center to diverse clinical placements across hospitals, schools, and community settings—that prepare students for meaningful, real-world impact. Turry also shares how a focus on improvisation and interdisciplinary collaboration helps students grow artistically and professionally, empowering them to use music as a transformative force in the lives of others.
Questions
For more information, please contact music.therapy@nyu.edu