Music Therapy
Offered by: MusicIf you have a love of music and a passion for helping others, music therapy is an excellent career choice. In the Music Therapy program at SRU, you'll learn to provide therapeutic musical experiences with individuals with diverse needs, helping them to reach optimal health and achieve personal growth. Through SRU's accredited Music Therapy program, you'll receive dedicated, individualized instruction and mentorship from highly skilled faculty members, not from graduate assistants.
Why Choose Music Therapy?
In the Music Therapy program at SRU, you'll develop the required musicianship and clinical skills to provide therapeutic support to people of all ages with a wide range of physical, intellectual, emotional, behavioral, developmental, sensory, and social needs. Through your coursework, you will develop the competencies required of today's music therapists to work in special education, nursing homes, psychiatric treatment centers, correctional facilities, rehabilitation centers, day programs, and in private practice.
The knowledge you'll acquire in your classes will be applied through a six-stage clinical experience program. You will participate in at least 200 hours of real-world music therapy experiences with young children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. You'll gain valuable skills through our on-site music therapy clinic, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a wide array of musical instruments. Your classes will involve experiential learning at every level, and this program is also unique in its focus on issues of diversity and social justice.
What Will You Learn?
SRU's Music Therapy program will give you the knowledge, skills, and abilities to work as a professional in healthcare, education, and community settings. Upon completion of the program, you'll be eligible to take the national Board Certification Exam for Music Therapists by CBMT.
You'll become skilled in:
- Music therapy interventions such as improvisation, re-creation, song writing, and receptive techniques
- Assessing client functioning
- Developing and implementing a clinical treatment plan
- Evaluating client progress
Careers In Music Therapy
Our alumni hold music therapy positions in a variety of settings, including:
- Early Intervention
- Group Homes
- Medical Hospitals
- Private Practice
- Psychiatric Hospitals
- Shelters
- Special Education / Diverse Learner Classrooms
Clubs & Organizations
- American Music Therapy Association for Students
- Mid-Atlantic Region American Music Therapy Students
- Slippery Rock University Music Therapy Club