Wartburg College
MA in Music Therapy

Waverly, USA

DEGREE TYPE

DURATION

18 up to

36 months

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

Key Summary

About : The MA in Music Therapy focuses on using music to support therapeutic goals. You'll engage in both practical and theoretical learning, developing skills to work effectively in various healthcare and educational settings. The program encourages creativity and aims to foster personal growth while emphasizing the importance of ethical practice.

Career Outcomes : Graduates can pursue careers as music therapists, working in hospitals, schools, or private practices. Other opportunities include roles in mental health support, rehabilitation, and community music initiatives. The skills gained can lead to positions that promote well-being through music across diverse populations.

Wartburg is the only Iowa private college to offer advanced music therapy degrees

Our faculty are committed to mentoring you in your growth as a music therapist and in helping you deepen and broaden your understanding of what it means to use music therapeutically in a diverse, pluralistic society. The M.A. in music therapy prepares music therapists to work effectively within a multicultural environment and enhances their current work be it in private practice, medical settings, nursing homes, mental health facilities or populations experiencing cultural changes or mass trauma. The core program deepens the theoretical, philosophical and ethical frameworks of music therapy that not only inform practice but also provide support for important advocacy roles within the healthcare environment. Students in this program will also receive the BMGIM Level I training. The capstone course is MU699 which is the final writing and defense of your research project.

Option #1: Master of Arts in Music Therapy

The Master of Arts in Music Therapy program offers advanced competencies for credentialed music therapists or those who have completed a bachelor’s degree program in music therapy. The graduate program offers depth and breadth of knowledge per the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Advanced Competencies. The MA-MT program capstone achievement is a research /clinical project that is supported by interdisciplinary studies in research methodology and psychological and sociological perspectives. Master of Arts students will deepen and broaden their professional work through advanced clinical improvisation, peer supervision, ethnomusicology, advanced theoretical perspectives in music therapy, and Level I of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. A full-time student can expect to be 1.5 years in the program.

MA-MT Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in music therapy from a regionally accredited college/university.
Evidence of board certification or board eligibility letter from the previous academic program.
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00* from degree-granting college/university.
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00* in all music therapy coursework.
Music competency screening (live or taped) demonstrates musical abilities appropriate for professional music therapists.
Two musical pieces of contrasting moods and/or styles with your Major instrument.
Two further pieces that are sung while accompanying yourself on a) piano and b) guitar.
- Two musical pieces of contrasting moods and/or styles with your Major instrument.
- Two further pieces that are sung while accompanying yourself on a) piano and b) guitar.
Two letters of recommendation with at least one from a previous music therapy faculty person.
A personal statement (1-3) pages which address the following topics:
Your education and professional experience and how this has prepared you for graduate study in music therapy.
Your career goals and objectives in music therapy and how you envision the Wartburg MA-MT will assist you in achieving these objectives.
Your personal reflection on what makes you a good candidate for an advanced degree in music therapy.
- Your education and professional experience and how this has prepared you for graduate study in music therapy.
- Your career goals and objectives in music therapy and how you envision the Wartburg MA-MT will assist you in achieving these objectives.
- Your personal reflection on what makes you a good candidate for an advanced degree in music therapy.
Curriculum vitae or resume including any relevant educational and professional experience.
Interview with graduate admissions committee in person or via online technology.

Letters of recommendation must be received directly from references.

For students whose first language is not English, test scores from either TOEFL (minimum score of 550 paper-based or 80 internet-based) or IELTS (minimum score of 6.5) must be submitted.

Acceptance into the Master of Arts in Music Therapy program is determined by the graduate admissions committee and is provisional on satisfactory completion of the pre-requisite coursework, pre-internship, and internship fieldwork. Applicants will be notified in writing of their admission status in a timely manner.

Option #2: Equivalency + Master of Arts in Music Therapy

Combined Equivalency Plus Master of Arts in Music Therapy (EP MA-MT)

The Combined Equivalency Plus Master of Arts in Music Therapy program is intended for those who have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in music and wish to pursue a career in music therapy. Candidates for this program complete the curriculum established to meet the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Professional Competencies, including practicum experiences and internships. The graduate program offers depth and breadth of knowledge per the AMTA Advanced Competencies. Some bachelor-level courses may be taken simultaneously with master-level coursework in any given semester if the supportive course pre-requisites are fulfilled (note that the internship is a prerequisite for all advanced music therapy courses) Courses are taken for the bachelor’s degree requirements in music therapy, including the internship, will not apply toward the master’s degree. A full-time student can expect 2.5-3.0 years to complete the EP MA-MT.