General Information
There are over 70 approved college and university programs that offer music therapy training in the United States. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalency is required to enter the field. During their training music therapy students take part in a demanding curriculum that focuses on the following core areas:
- applied music study, music history, music theory/aural skills, and ensembles
- music therapy courses (including clinical skills, research, and music psychology)
- anatomy/physiology, psychology courses, and dance/movement
- other related courses.
Throughout the course of their bachelor’s or equivalency studies, students are involved in 200 hours of field experiences. Upon completion of coursework students must complete 1000 hours of field experience in a National Roster or University-Affiliated Internship. When the internship is complete music therapists are eligible to sit for the board certification exam. Passing the examination leads to entry-level credential MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) awarded by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Graduate degrees in Music Therapy are available.
Professional music therapists follow the standards for clinical interventions and ethical conduct in professional practice, which are defined in the following American Music Therapy Association documents: Music Therapists’ Standards of Clinical Practice, Music Therapists’ Code of Ethics, and AMTA Professional Competencies.
Educational Programs in Illinois
Illinois State University
Cindy Ropp, EdD, MT-BC
5660 School of Music
Normal IL 61790-5660
(309) 438-8803
crropp@ilstu.edu
www.ilstu.edu
Western Illinois University
Jennifer Jones, PhD, MT-BC
School of Music
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455
(309) 298-1187
JD-Jones2@wiu.edu
www.wiu.edu
Student Page
Check out the IAMT student page!
Clinical Training Sites
Here is the page for clinical training sites in Illinois.