Music Therapy Certificate

Program Website:

Program Director: TBD 
Phone: 410-704-2143 
Email: mmccabe@towson.edu 

The Graduate Certificate Program in Music Therapy is currently in its planning stages and is not currently accepting new students while the program is being designed. More information will be provided at a later date. To express interest in the program, please contact the Department Chairperson. 

The twenty-two-unit certificate program in music therapy focuses on entry level competencies in three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations, and professional competencies defined by AMTA and the Certification Board of Music Therapists. The new course work includes application of music therapy procedures and techniques learned in the classroom through required fieldwork in facilities serving individuals with disabilities in the community. Students learn to assess the needs of clients, develop and implement treatment plans, and evaluate and document clinical changes. Program graduates will be prepared for and eligible to sit for the national certification examination for music therapists administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Upon the successful completion of this exam, graduates will have the MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) credential, as well as be able to apply for the Licensed Practitioner of Music Therapy (LPMT) credential which are both prerequisites for professional practice.  

The course work for the music therapy program is conceived as a flexible two-year plan dependent upon prior student course work. A student entering the certificate with all completed perquisites could complete the PBC in one complete calendar year and prepare to sit for board-certification shortly after conferral of the certificate. Music therapy certification requires additional internship experiences beyond completion of the academic course work, which is built into the program model. Completion of the internship will be a required component of the program model. Music therapy is a profession that requires its practitioners to have clinical competencies as well as musical skills. Students are required to have knowledge in psychology, human development, music theory, and ethics in order to practice and treat patients in an effective manner. Alongside the academic course work and practicum experiences, students will receive 1200 hours of clinical training which includes a supervised internship.