The Bachelor of Arts in Music Option in Music Therapy is designed to prepare students 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 experiential courses to help develop the creative, intellectual and intuitive skills of students. Students work through many hypothetical and real cases to develop their skills in order to successfully complete the program and reach the culminating experience of the internship. Prior to the start of the internship, the student must demonstrate significant progress toward the competencies as laid out by the American Music Therapy Association.

A. Admission to the Major

Admission to the major in Music for all undergraduate degrees is determined by audition. Those auditioning for the Performance Options must exhibit a high performance competence in the audition. Audition procedures and standards are listed on the Department of Music—Audition and Placement website.

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.

B. 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. Students enrolled in music ensembles in the Fall semester normally are expected to re-enroll in the same ensemble for the Spring semester. The nature of these classes makes it essential that consistent personnel be maintained throughout the year.

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.

C. Grade Requirement

Students in all options of the B.A. and B.M. Music degrees must earn a grade of “C-” or better in all courses in the Music curriculum, including those required courses that are offered in other departments.

D. 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)

a. 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 (2)*
Ensembles (4)
Electives (to be chosen through advisement) (5)

*Must all be on one instrument, including the 2 units in the core requirement.

b. 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)

4. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog.
The following 9 units of Music courses count for GE: MUS 191/L, MUS 202 and MUS 307.

Total Units in the Major/Option: 81

General Education Units: 39

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