Undergraduate Study in Music Therapy

Alicia Clair
Office: 448 Murphy Hall
Phone: (785) 864-4784
Email: memt@ku.edu

 

Is music therapy for me?

To find out, ask yourself: Do I have a good music background? Does music give me pleasure? Do I enjoy working with people of all ages and musical abilities and of different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds? Do I care about the physical and mental challenges many people face? Am I patient? Do I like diverse musical styles? Am I committed to helping others? Do I believe music at all levels enriches life?

What is the Music Education and Music Therapy Division?

KU's Music Education and Music Therapy division in the School of Fine Arts offers programs in music education and music therapy. If you're interested in using your musical skills in a helping profession, you will earn a degree in music therapy. This program will deepen your musical skills and develop your skills as a clinician who can use a variety of musical styles to meet the needs and abilities of clients.

How do I become a music therapist?

Your four-year program in music therapy, plus a six-month internship, will prepare you for entry-level positions in the profession. Upon graduation, you will become a Registered Music Therapist (RMT) through the National Association of Music Therapy. After your RMT registration, you may apply to take the music therapy national board certification exam. Certification is required for positions in many state hospital systems and often is required for other music therapy clinical positions.

What degree is offered?

Music therapy undergraduates earn a Bachelor of Music EducationÜMusic Therapy degree (B.M.E.- Music Therapy). The degree requires a broad but structured sampling of courses in the humanities, language arts, and social and natural sciences. It includes substantial course work in music therapy and music.

The division also offers a dual-degree program that enables students to earn a bachelor's degree in both music education and music therapy. Students usually complete the degree requirements for music therapy and then complete the courses needed for licensure in music education.

How do I get into the School of Fine Arts?

Check the Admissions Requirements Page.

What will my first two years be like?

You will be enrolled in the Department of Music and Dance in the School of Fine Arts. You will complete many liberal arts and basic music courses during the first two years.

Your music courses will develop your basic performance skills on several instruments, including your major instrument. You will take courses in music therapy, music history, music theory, special education, and psychology and other liberal arts fields.

You will enter the Music Therapy Professional Sequence in your junior year, but courses in your first two semesters will help you decide if music therapy is the career for you.

Your first year's schedule in music therapy may look something like this:

 

First semester	Hours
MEMT 116 Performance Media: Guitar	1
MEMT 116 Performance Media: Orchestral Instruments	1
MEMT 150 Principles of Music Therapy I	3
MTHC 105 Theory I	4
PIAN 144 Elementary Keyboard Skills I	1
121 Major Instrument Private Lessons	1
Band/Orchestra/Choral Group	1
ENGL 101 Composition	3
TOTAL	15

 

Second semester	Hours
MEMT 116 Performance Media: Voice	1
MEMT 116 Performance Media: Technology	1
MTHC115 Theory II	4
PIAN 148 Elementary Keyboard Skills II	1
121 Major Instrument Private Lessons	1
Band/Orchestra/Choral Group	1
PSYC 104 General Psychology	3
ENGL 102 Composition and Literature	3
TOTAL	15

 

What will my program be like?

Students in Music Education and Music Therapy who will become certified therapists earn a minimum of 127 credit hours after four years of study. Most students average about 17 credit hours, or 10 courses, a semester. Many courses require a commitment to regular practice hours. Others require regular fieldwork in clinical settings. In their fifth year, students earn an additional 6 to 12 hours in a six-month clinical internship in a clinical setting approved by the National Association for Music Therapy. This internship may be anywhere in the country, or even overseas.

What kind of job can I get?

You will find there's good demand for music therapists. Your education will prepare you for positions in hospitals, institutions for exceptional children and adults, community mental health facilities, geriatric facilities, pain and rehabilitation clinics, and other health-related settings. Some music therapists work in private practice with individuals or with small groups. Some have joined with psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, and recreation therapists to form consulting firms or clinics that serve nursing homes, sheltered workshops, hospices, or mental health centers.

How do I get into the professional sequence?

You must apply for admission to the Music Therapy Professional Sequence after you have completed the first semester of your sophomore year. To be admitted, you must have at least a 2.75 grade-point average in the required courses for your major and must have received satiKU Fine Artsctory faculty evaluations. Completed applications are reviewed only twice a year, in February for the following fall semester and in September for the following spring.

Can I get a scholarship?

You can compete for music performance scholarships and for one of the national scholarships for music therapists. The School of Education also offers some scholarships for students who will be working with people with disabilities. For information about scholarships based on academic merit, diversity, major, and residence, write or call the University of Kansas, Office of Admissions and Scholarships, Lawrence, KS 66045, (785) 864-3911. For information about grants, loans, and other need-based financial aid, write or call KU's Office of Student Financial Aid, 50 Strong Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-1920, (785) 864-4700.

Where can I go for information?

For information about the division, careers, admissions, testing, and advising, contact Alicia Clair, Music Education and Music Therapy, the University of Kansas, 448 Murphy hall, Lawrence, KS 66045, (785) 864-4784.

What if my interests change?

You may decide to focus on music education or performance. Some of the courses you take during your first year will apply toward other degrees. The variety of courses will help you choose a major and a career.

Why should I choose KU's music therapy program?

 

The Program

KU's music therapy program was the first in the nation to develop classes and research facilities to study the influence of music on behavior. The program is the only one in Kansas approved by the National Association of Music Therapy and one of only 12 in the country to offer an NAMT-approved master's program. Its clinic for instruction and research set the standard for other programs.

The Faculty

The members of the music therapy faculty are national and international leaders in music therapy with broad experience in the field. You will develop your musical skills with widely published composers, concert and chamber musicians, soloists and music educators. The music faculty includes artists and theorists recognized for their dedication to music and teaching.

Facilities

As a music therapy major you will have access to a range of equipment and clinical resources. The division has computers and software for music therapy; a well-equipped media center; sound systems, videotape, and observational equipment; a collection of more than 2,000 ethnic, classical, and contemporary recordings; and a variety of published curriculum and clinical materials.

KU Enrichment

The KU Broadway, Concert, Chamber Music, and New Directions Series bring the finest solo artists and ensembles to campus. The Lied Center of Kansas is a 2,020-seat performing arts hall with state-of-the-art production capabilities. Each year influential composers lecture and perform as part of the Symposium of Contemporary Music. A steady stream of guest artists, lectures, special events, and clinics will enrich your music experience.