For students preparing for careers in the therapeutic applications of music (entrance audition required). Capstone experience: Internship. Completion of the Program qualifies students to take the national examination needed to become a Board-Certified Music Therapist.

The music therapy program is an evidence-based curriculum that consists of both didactic and experimental courses to help develop the creative, intellectual and intuitive skills of students. Students work through many hypothetical, as well as real cases to develop their skills in order to be successful completing the program that leads to the culmination experience of the internship. Prior to the start of the internship, the student must demonstrate significant progress towards the competencies as laid out by the American Music Therapy.

Admission to the Major

Students wanting to select Music as a major are expected to have had a variety of pre-college cognitive and affective experiences. These could include high school performance, high school theory programs, individual private instruction with music professionals, and music professional and vocational experiences. Admission to the Major in Music for all undergraduate degrees is determined by audition. Students must complete this audition and be accepted to the Department prior to being accepted in the major. Those auditioning for the Bachelor of Music Degree must exhibit a high performance competence in the audition.

Transfer students seeking admission to Performance Options must audition at the appropriate entrance level determined by the number of transferable units accepted by the University. (Example: At the time of the audition, students with more than 60 transferable units must demonstrate musical proficiency at the junior level for admission to a Performance Option.) Exceptions to this policy are rare and are at the discretion of the Music Department.

After admission to the University and admission to the Music Department (audition for Performance Options and audition plus interview for other Options), students will need to complete required course work in the Music Core curriculum and in an Option. Successful progress toward the Degree is in part determined by appropriate course work taken in a sequential manner and by earning a grade of “C-” or better in all courses in the Music curriculum, including those outside the Music Department. Students will not be admitted to Upper Division study in Music until all Lower Division course work has been successfully completed.

Lesson and Ensemble Requirements

To qualify for individual lessons in any semester, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units, including lesson units and the correct number of ensemble units required by his or her Option.

Enrollment in the designated ensemble(s) for the student’s instrument is a corequisite of enrollment in private lessons each semester of enrollment. Students who do not meet this requirement by the third week of the semester will not be eligible for lessons that semester.

All students enrolled in individual lessons must demonstrate their progress in the major before a faculty jury at the end of each semester of study. Students receiving lower than a grade of “C-” in that semester of lessons will need to take additional study at their own expense to achieve their required level of performance before resuming Department-paid lessons.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

1. Lower Division Required Courses (24 units)

MUS 110A Keyboard Musicianship I (1)
MUS 110B Keyboard Musicianship II (1)
MUS 111/L Musicianship I and Lab (1/1)
MUS 112/L Musicianship II and Lab (1/1)
MUS 191/L Music Technology I and Lab (2/1)
MUS 201 Style and Literature of Western Music I (3)
MUS 202 Style and Literature of Western Music II (3)
MUS 210A Keyboard Musicianship III (1)
MUS 211/L Musicianship III and Lab (1/1)
Individual Lessons (1-1)
Ensembles (4)

2. Upper Division Required Courses (5 Units)

MUS 307 Music from a Global Perspective (3)
MUS 483ME/L Music Entrepreneurship and Lab (1/1)

3. Music Therapy Option Requirements (52 units)

Additional required music courses (20 units)

MUS 210B Keyboard Musicianship IV (1)
MUS 212/L Musicianship IV and Lab (1/1)
MUS 213 Harmony I (3)
MUS 214 Harmony II (3)
Individual Lessons (must all be on one instrument, including the 2 units in the Core requirement) (2)
Ensembles (4)
Electives (to be chosen through advisement) (5)

Required Therapy Courses (32 units)

MUS 292 Orientation (2)
MUS 360/L Functional Skills for Therapy and Lab (2/1)
MUS 390MI Music Therapy Improvisation (2)
MUS 392/L Music in Therapy and Lab (3/1)
MUS 477 Practicum (1-1-1-1)
MUS 491 Psychology of Music (3)
MUS 492/L Influence of Music on Behavior (3/1)
MUS 494AC Internship (4)
PSY 310 Behavior Disorders (3)
SPED 400 Introduction to Special Education (3)

General Education

The following 9 units of Music courses count for GE: MUS 191/L, 202, 307.

Total Units in the Music Therapy Option: 81

General Education Units: 39 (Does not include MUS 191/L, MUS 202, or MUS 307)

Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120