WAU Offers an Online Music Therapy Equivalency Program
Are you an experienced music therapy professional or recently graduated? Washington Adventist University offers the online music therapy equivalency program to make pursuing your degree faster and more flexible. This program is ideal for people who already hold bachelor’s degrees in music therapy, psychology or related fields who wish to complete all required course work and clinical training required by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) in order to earn a board-certified credential as a music therapist.
The Music Therapy Equivalency is a one-year undergraduate program designed to give those with bachelor’s degrees in music or related fields the courses needed for professional certification as a certified music therapist. To graduate, students must complete all mandatory coursework related to music foundations, health/behavioral/natural sciences and AMTA defined music therapy competencies as well as complete an intense six-month full-time internship.
Students must have completed at least 55 semester hours of college coursework with a grade point average of B+ or higher in all courses to be considered for admission into the equivalency program. An audition on their principal instrument may also be required if no degree in music has already been earned.
Completing all courses, including the six-month internship, is necessary to fulfill equivalency requirements and be eligible to sit for the national examination in music therapy administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). A passing score on this exam will grant you board certification in music therapy.
WAU offers both an Equivalency program and a Master of Music Therapy degree for those who have earned their bachelor’s degree in music. To be eligible, applicants must possess 55 credit hours of music-related undergraduate coursework with an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater in all music courses.
The Master of Music Therapy is an AMTA-approved degree designed to prepare professionals for practicing music therapy across a range of settings and populations. It’s a rigorous and demanding program with comprehensive coursework covering theory and application of music therapy, equipping students with knowledge that adheres to AMTA Professional Documents for Music Therapists.
This program is ideal for working professionals who must balance a full-time job and their studies in order to earn their music therapy degree. The flexible learning environment provided by the program allows students to participate in classes either on campus or off-campus on Sunday and weekday evenings, making it possible for many working professionals to attend class while maintaining their job responsibilities.
Each year, The Cratis Williams School of Graduate Studies at Appalachian awards several scholarships to deserving graduate students based on academic excellence, talent and financial need. These awards are given with no preference given.
Full-time students in the MMT program have the option to receive a graduate assistantship, with salaries ranging from $9000 to $11,000 annually depending on their duties and level of supervision they receive during their training in the program.