Music Therapy Jobs in Minnesota
Music therapy is a profession in which music is used to treat people with emotional, cognitive or physical disabilities. It has seen tremendous growth over the past several years and boasts an optimistic job outlook. Primarily found in hospitals and other health care settings, but also practiced by schools and private practices.
A bachelor’s degree in music therapy or its equivalent is necessary for professional practice. This program covers coursework in music, psychology, biology, social and behavioral sciences, disabling conditions and general studies. Furthermore, you must apply what you learnt during class through required field work at facilities serving individuals with special needs in your community or on-campus clinics.
This degree program lasts four years, with students accumulating 1200 hours of clinical training through classroom study and fieldwork embedded within the curriculum. Upon completion of this undergraduate degree, students may opt to take the national certification exam and earn the credential Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC).
Many universities provide master’s degrees in music therapy that enhance professional skills. The master’s curriculum imparts greater breadth and depth to existing professional competencies, including advanced competencies specific to music therapy. Presently, 30 AMTA-approved degree programs exist across North America and Canada that offer this kind of degree program.
Master’s degrees are available in research, theory, development, clinical practice, supervision and college teaching and administration. Many of these master’s programs place advanced studies within the music therapy discipline of theory and practice while others draw upon allied health or physical sciences for advanced study.
These master’s degrees typically involve research projects that take a substantial amount of time and money to complete, as well as the completion of an internship.
The University of Minnesota offers both a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and an equivalency program. This baccalaureate degree is designed to impart entry-level competencies across three main areas: musical foundations, clinical foundations and music therapy foundations and principles as outlined by AMTA’s Professional Competencies.
On the bachelor’s degree program, students learn to assess client needs; create and implement treatment plans that address those requirements; communicate empathy and foster therapeutic relationships; as well as demonstrate knowledge of ethical principles and current practice standards. They also complete a clinical training internship which qualifies them to take the national certification exam for earning the credential of Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) after passing it successfully.
Graduates of these programs possess a range of abilities that position them for leadership positions within the profession. These individuals possess the capacity to evaluate their own work and that of other professionals, create treatment plans and implement them, assess client behavior changes, conduct client assessments, plan group sessions, and offer consultation to colleagues.
These highly skilled professionals are in high demand, as they use their knowledge to aid patients in recovery and improving quality of life. In addition to traditional hospital and healthcare settings, these specialized professionals may work in hospice care programs, substance abuse programs, oncology treatment centers, pain management clinics, correctional facilities, senior centres, nursing homes, and schools.