Music Therapy
Master of Science in Creative Arts Therapy
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Study advanced practice, theory, and research in music therapy. Focus on individual research interests, psychotherapy, and interprofessional collaboration.
- For people with music therapy board certification (MT-BC) seeking a master's degree with psychotherapy training (48 credit hours).
- For people with non-therapy music degrees who combine the master's with an "equivalency" certificate in music therapy (60 credit hours).
- Fulfills the educational requirements to become a licensed creative arts therapist in the state of New York.
- The music therapy program is approved by the American Music Therapy Association and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
Choose full- or part-time
Clinical experience off and on campus
Complete in as fast as 2 to 2.5 years
Equivalency Certificate (24 credits)
Nazareth offers a 24-credit music therapy equivalency certificate program.
Curriculum Examples
- Human Development and Assessment Across the Creative Arts Therapies
- Ethics and Cultural Humility
- Music & Neuroscience
- Advanced Repertoire & Improvisation in Music Therapy
- Research in Music Therapy
- Contemporary Issues in Interprofessional Team Practice
Value of your Degree
- Job placement is strong. Our graduates typically find employment in their chosen fields within six months after graduation.
- Music therapists are employed in a variety of settings, including general and psychiatric hospitals, community mental health agencies, rehabilitation centers, treatment facilities, elder care communities, schools, and private practice.
Making Grad School Affordable
Grants, scholarships, veterans benefits, loans, and undergraduate loan forgiveness are options for paying for this grad degree.
Student's Perspective
"The Nazareth creative arts therapy program is comprehensive and led by passionate professors who are experts in clinical and research frameworks. The program supports integrative approaches and provides opportunities to learn in many different clinical settings and under the direction of many different clinicians, each with different styles."
Maxwell Corrigan '16G, who works as a music therapist at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Fla.
What to Expect
- Expert faculty are all licensed mental health professionals
- Extensive interdisciplinary clinical experience off and on campus
- On-campus music therapy clinic provides stand-alone care and co-treatment with physical therapy, speech therapy, and art therapy
- Develop expertise in assessment, treatment, and professional collaboration
- Learn to work with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly
- You have the option to include an Early intervention specialist (advanced certificate) to develop specialty knowledge and skills to be a strong advocate for young children and their families.
- Benefit from top-notch facilities. Nazareth's York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute provides new clinic, research, and collaboration spaces. The new 550-seat Glazer Music Performance Center is designed to provide state-of-the-art acoustics for large instrumental and vocal ensembles, integrate multimedia collaborations, and enable live recording.
Music and Art Therapy Co-Treatment
Music therapy intern Shannon Stott '25G and art therapy intern Melissa Gernon '99G, '24G, SSJ team up to provide their client a multi-sensory experience on the drums. The client put paint on her fingers, and as she played the drum to the beat, a picture was created.