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Music Therapy and Counseling

Major: Music Therapy and Counseling
Degree Awarded: Master of Arts (MA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 90.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.2305
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1129

About the Program

The Master of Arts program in Music Therapy and Counseling educates students for creative, responsive and effective therapy practice, in which music is the essential mode of transformation. Through a balance of classroom education and clinically supervised practicum and internship experiences, students develop a strong foundation for skilled clinical practice. The 90 quarter-credit curriculum includes specific music therapy coursework in areas such as clinical musicianship; clinical improvisation; theories and methods for children, adolescents, adults and older adults, and technological applications, as well as general mental health counseling coursework in human development; social and cultural foundations; clinical appraisal and assessment, and group dynamics. All courses are taught at the graduate level. Graduates are eligible for Board Certification through the Certification Board for Music Therapists, as well as professional counseling licensure in Pennsylvania (upon completion of post-graduation requirements).

Music therapists use music within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals. Research shows that music therapy is an effective treatment for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other aging-related conditions, substance abuse problems, acute and chronic pain, and brain injuries. Graduates of the MA in Music Therapy & Counseling program go on to work in a variety of clinical environments, including but not limited to: medical and behavioral health in-patient and out-patient settings; community health and wellness centers; schools and afterschool programs; trauma-informed settings; correctional facilities; elder care facilities, and private practices. Students also pioneer new frontiers in therapy application through clinical work and research.

Additional Information

For more information about program, visit the College of Nursing and Health Professions' Music Therapy website.

Degree Requirements

Core Courses
CATX 501	Foundations of Creative Arts Therapies	2.0
CTCN 501	Human Psychological Development	4.5
CTCN 503	DSM and Psychopathology	4.5
CTCN 504	Professional Orientation and Ethics	4.5
CTCN 505	Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy	4.5
CTCN 509	Social and Cultural Foundations	4.5
CTCN 601	Introduction to Behavioral Research	4.5
CTCN 603	Clinical Appraisal and Assessment	4.5
CTCN 604	Career Counseling	4.5
CTCN 608	Group Dynamics in Counseling and Music Therapy	4.5
Music Therapy Track Courses
CATX 570	Clinical Musicianship I	2.5
CATX 571	Clinical Musicianship II	2.5
CATX 572	Clinical Musicianship III	2.5
CATX 573	Clinical Musical Improvisation	4.0
CATX 575	Theories and Methods in Music Therapy with Children and Adolescents	4.5
CATX 577	Theories and Methods in Music Therapy with Adults and Older Adults	4.5
CATX 579	Technological Applications in Music Therapy	2.0
CATX 673	Advanced Topics in Music Therapy and Counseling I: Music, Imagery and the Therapeutic Relationship	3.0
CATX 674	Advanced Topics in Music Therapy and Counseling II: Integrative and Community Processes	3.0
CATX 678	Advanced Clinical Improvisation & Musical Analysis	4.0
Clinical Education Courses
CTCN 512	Clinical Practicum & Practicum Supervision I	2.0
CTCN 522	Clinical Practicum & Practicum Supervision II	2.0
CTCN 532	Clinical Practicum & Practicum Supervision III	2.0
CTCN 612	Clinical Internship & Internship Supervision I	2.0
CTCN 622	Clinical Internship & Internship Supervision II	2.0
CTCN 632	Advanced Clinical Internship & Internship Supervision III	2.0
Culminating Project
CATX 625	Culminating Project in Music Therapy I	1.5
CATX 626	Culminating Project in Music Therapy II	1.5
Additional Electives
As needed, in consultation with the program director students can select the following electives:
CATX 627	For Culminating Project Only
Total Credits		90.0

Sample Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits	Summer	Credits
CATX 501	2.0	CATX 571	2.5	CATX 572	2.5	CTCN 504	4.5
CATX 570	2.5	CATX 577	4.5	CATX 573	4.0	CTCN 505	4.5
CATX 575	4.5	CTCN 509	4.5	CATX 579	2.0
CTCN 501	4.5	CTCN 522	2.0	CTCN 503	4.5
CTCN 512	2.0			CTCN 532	2.0
	15.5		13.5		15		9
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Winter	Credits	Spring	Credits
CATX 673	3.0	CATX 625	1.5	CATX 626	1.5
CTCN 601	4.5	CATX 674	3.0	CATX 678	4.0
CTCN 608	4.5	CTCN 603	4.5	CTCN 604	4.5
CTCN 612	2.0	CTCN 622	2.0	CTCN 632	2.0
	14		11		12
Total Credits 90

Creative Arts Therapies Department Faculty

Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC (Temple University) Director, PhD Program in Creative Arts Therapies. Professor. Research in music therapy, chronic pain, systematic reviews.

Natalie Rae Carlton, PhD, ATR-BC, LPCC (Lesley University) Director, Art Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Associate Clinical Professor. New media and art therapy, social justice in art activities, transgender and LGBTQ identity.

Christina Devereaux, PhD, LCAT, LMHC, BC-DMT, NCC (UCLA) Program Director for Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling. Associate Clinical Professor. Dance movement therapy, children, attachment, autism spectrum disorder, trauma, group work, clinical supervision.

Sharon W. Goodill, PhD, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Union Institute and University). Clinical Professor. Medical dance/movement, mind/body studies, movement assessment for DMT, CAT research and leadership.

Scott Horowitz, MA, MT-BC, LPC (Drexel University) Director of Field Education. Clinical Instructor. Interdisciplinary practice and education, developmental models of clinical and practicum supervision, music therapy and neurodevelopmental populations.

Girija Kaimal, EdD, MA , ATR-BC (Harvard University) Interim Department Chair, Assistant Dean for Special Research Initiatives . Associate Professor. Art therapy, educational research, program evaluation, art therapy.

Dawn Morningstar, MCAT, VC-DMT, LP (Hahnemann University) Coordinator of CAT Clinical Services. Assistant Clinical Professor. Specialty in working with children and adolescents, Dance/movement therapist at Drexel's Parkway Health and Wellness faculty practice outpatient clinic.

Marisol S. Norris, PhD, MT-BC (Drexel University) Director, Music Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Assistant Clinical Professor. . Community music therapy, critical pedagogies, Black aesthetics, culturally sustaining practice, radical healing framework.

Michele Rattigan, MA, ATR-BC, NCC, LPC (MCP Hahnemann University). Associate Clinical Professor. Unresolved trauma; post-partum depression and anxiety; disordered eating and body image concerns; self-harming behaviors; dissociative disorders

Minjung Shim, PhD, BC-DMT (Drexel University). Assistant Professor. Medical dance/movement therapy, chronic pain management, mindfulness-based interventions, clinical trials, theory/model-building, qualitative inquiries, scoping reviews.

Emeritus Faculty

Nancy Gerber, PhD, ATR-BC (Union Institute and University). Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Art therapy assessment and treatment of adolescents and adults; modern psychoanalysis and art therapy; arts therapy education and doctoral education; arts based research and mixed methods research.

Florence Ierardi, MM, MT-BC, LPC (Temple University) Director, Music Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Clinical improvisation, trauma-informed music therapy, multicultural music therapy perspectives.

Ellen Schelly-Hill, MMT, BC-DMT, NCC, LPC (Antioch NE Graduate School) Director of Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling MA Program. Associate Clinical Professor Emerita. Adults diagnosed with mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain and with histories of trauma; clinical supervision; ethics.

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