Curriculum

The master’s program in music therapy uniquely qualifies students for specialized careers in psychotherapeutic music therapy and for leadership roles in the field. The 60-credit degree includes advanced coursework, clinical training, and individualized supervision,  designed to prepare every student for national certification in music therapy (MT-BC) and licensure in New York state as a Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT). Our faculty is especially diverse in experience and expertise, accommodating an increasingly international student community. Our program is deeply engaged with the multicultural resources of New York City, artistic and intellectual, facilitating a genuinely global educational experience.

Course Sequence

The NYU music therapy program uniquely allows students to begin the study of music therapy at the graduate level, without having an undergraduate degree in music therapy or another music degree. The coursework consists of three ongoing streams, engaging with theory, clinical methods and practical experiences, and musical and self-development. From the beginning of their training, students are placed in a clinical setting so that all learning takes place in the context of real-world clinical applications. We emphasize clinical music competencies, particularly in clinical improvisation. Basic courses in theory, methods, and clinical training are supplemented by specialized courses in essential contemporary topics such as cultural humility, music therapy technology, and verbal aspects of music therapy. 

Specialization 

Within music therapy, the general focus of the NYU program is in psychotherapeutic music therapy. Although all students take the same sequence of courses, the program requires a clinical specialization involving the extensive study of a specific client population, mastery of the theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing relevant clinical issues, and demonstrated competency in music therapy practice within the identified clinical area. These specializations can be identified by age (e.g., children, adults, seniors), clinical condition (e.g., psychiatry/psychotherapy, medical conditions, problems of aging), or setting (e.g., hospitals, schools, forensic).

Culminating Experience 

The culminating experience is a written document demonstrating each student’s chosen clinical specialization within the field of music therapy. Students integrate what they have learned in all aspects of the program by presenting case material from their clinical experiences with supportive theory and research from a variety of domains such as music therapy, psychology, psychotherapy, related creative arts therapies, or various music disciplines such as the sociology of music, musicology, or ethnomusicology. Students complete the project once all coursework and the advanced clinical internship are completed.