Explore the power of music to heal and rebuild
The Music Therapy Major at Marietta College can transform your love for music into a lifelong calling and provide you with the opportunity to pursue a career helping others. This bachelor’s program develops musicians into dedicated therapists, pairing each student’s love of music with their desire to give back and empower others.
This program is divided into four years of academic study at the Marietta Campus in Ohio and a half year of clinical experience. Graduates are eligible to take the national examination of the Certification Board for Music Therapists to qualify for professional work in the field upon completion of all the requirements.
Program Overview
At its core, the Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy degree focuses on the development of competent music therapists. Students will be provided with high-quality academic and clinical training experiences designed to prepare them for professional practice within institutions or in their own private practice.
Educational instruction will be grounded in evidence-based practice and students will be introduced to a variety of theoretical approaches within the field of music therapy. They will also be exposed to a diverse range of clinical populations.
Through academic coursework and clinical training the degree will:
- provide personalized instruction within a liberal arts environment;
- challenge students to develop music and therapeutic skills as well as an understanding of the issues and theories that impact the future of music therapy in the United States;
- provide competency-based instruction grounded in evidence-based practice;
- integrate academic and clinical experiences to expose students to local, regional, and national communities by music therapists.
Overall, this program prepares students to transform their passion for music into a career focused on promoting the health and well-being of at-risk populations through music therapy.
Careers in Music Therapy
Music Therapy is an exciting profession that provides musicians with the opportunity to use their musical skills to support the empowerment and development of others. As a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), you will use a wide variety of instruments and musical experiences to help people of all ages work toward goals related to education, health, rehabilitation, and wellness needs.
Music therapists are in high demand and usually work in general hospitals, schools, prisons, psychiatric facilities, rehabilitation centers, geriatric facilities, hospice programs, training institutes, private practices, schools, and universities, as well as in social-community settings.
According to Payscale, the average annual salary for a music therapist is around $41,000. The top-earning therapists receive closer to $70,000. Your annual salary will depend on many factors including your years of experience, education level, location, and work setting.
Discover The Transformative Power of degree in Music Therapy
Financial support for establishing the Music Therapy program at Marietta College came from important donations from Donald ’81 and Leslie Straub Ritter ’85. Due to their donation and understanding of music therapy, a campus building was renovated and opened in the Fall of 2017 to meet the academic and administrative needs of the program, and its future clinic is designed to meet the therapeutic needs of clients and the community.
Marietta College’s Music Therapy major takes your love of learning and builds it into a fulfilling career of holistic therapy and healing. To learn more about earning your Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy and how it can help you reach your goals, request more information today.
*Marietta College's Music Therapy program is currently being reviewed for accreditation by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy
Main Coursework
| MUSC 111 | Music Theory I | 3 credit hours |
| MUSC 112 | Music Theory II | 3 credit hours |
| MUSC 141 | Keyboard Skills I | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 142 | Keyboard Kills II | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 171 | Aural Skills I | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 172 | Aural Skills II | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 211 | Music Theory III | 3 credit hours |
| MUSC 212 | Music Theory IV | 3 credit hours |
| MUSC 232 | World Music | 3 credit hours |
| MUSC 241 | Keyboard Skills III | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 242 | Keyboard Skills IV | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 271 | Aural Skills III | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 272 | Aural Skills IV | 1 credit hours |
| MUSC 303 | Beginning Conducting | 2 credit hours |
| MUSC 330 | Music History I | 3 credit hours |
| MUSC 331 | Music History II | 3 credit hours |
| MUTH 101 | Class Voice for Music Therapists I | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 102 | Class Voice for Music Therapists II | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 105 | Guitar for Music Therapists I | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 110 | Intro to Music Therapy | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 112 | ||
| MUTH 201 | Psychology of Music | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 210 | Theories in Music Therapy | 1 credit hour |
| MUTH 301 | Music Therapy Foundations I | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 302 | Fieldwork Music Therapy I | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 303 | Music Therapy Foundations II | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 304 | Fieldwork Music Therapy II | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 305 | Functional Music Skills I | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 306 | Functional Music Skills II | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 307 | Functional Music Skills III | 2 credit hours |
| MUSC 401 | Music Theory Foundations III | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 402 | Fieldwork Music Therapy III | 1 credit hours |
| MUTH 403 | Music Therapy Research | 2 credit hours |
| MUTH 404 | ||
| MUTH 497 | Music Therapy Internship | 6 credit hours |
Psychology, PHED and Education Courses
| PSYC 101 | Intro to Psychology | 3 credit hours |
| PSYC 285 | Statistics for Behavioral Science | 4 credit hours |
| PSYC 286 | Research Design | 4 credit hours |
| PSYC 350 | Abnormal Psychology | 4 credit hours |
| PYSC 375 | Health Psychology | 3 credit hours |
| PHED 325 | Stress Management | 3 credit hours |
| EDUC 230 | Integrated Arts for Diverse Learners | 3 credit hours |
Applied Study
| MUSC 151 | 2 credit hours | |
| MUSC 251 | 2 credit hours | |
| MUSC 351 | 2 credit hours | |
| 6 credit hours | ||
| Elective Study | 6 credit hours | |
Additional requirements
- 7 credit hours in an approved ensemble
- MUSC 105 – Recital Attendance is required each semester of enrollment (8 semesters)
- Recital Requirement – a 30-minute recital is required
- Piano Proficiency – Each student is required to pass a piano proficiency exam after the completion of 4 semesters of Keyboard Skills
- Aural Skills Proficiency – Each student is required to pass an aural skills proficiency exam after the completion of 4 semesters of Aural Skills
