UM Music Therapy

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy involves using music as a tool to help people regain or develop important life skills, such as communication, physical movement, attention and memory, emotional growth or social skills. Therapeutic techniques are based on scientific knowledge regarding how the human brain and body respond to and utilize musical stimuli.

Music therapists work with individuals of all ages who require treatment due to deficits in physical, cognitive or social/emotional functioning. Potential employment sites include medical or psychiatric hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, special education or
early intervention school settings, hospices, or correctional settings. Music therapy can be a rewarding career for the individual who has a strong musical background and who is interested in a health care profession.

The Frost School of Music offers four degree programs in Music Therapy:

• Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy
• Master of Music degree in Music Therapy
• Master of Music degree in Music Therapy with Equivalency
• Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music Education with Music Therapy Emphasis

Unique benefits of our Music Therapy program include:

• Learning in a humanistic and scientifically-based music therapy curriculum
• Faculty trained in an evidence-based approach, known as Neurologic Music Therapy
• A low student-teacher ratio to promote thorough learning of academic concepts and
clinical skills
• Exceptional standards for clinical training opportunities and supervision
• A rich music environment with a plethora of performing opportunities
• A 95% employment rate among music therapy graduates