Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy

Learn how music can help people improve or maintain their cognitive, emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being with the Bachelor of Music (BM) in Music Therapy in Temple's Boyer College of Music and Dance. Designed to prepare you for entry-level clinical positions in music therapy, you can pursue work in a variety of settings, including general hospitals, geriatric facilities, hospice programs, prisons, private practices, psychiatric facilities, rehabilitation centers, schools and community settings.

This 130-credit Bachelor of Music will take you four and a half years to complete, including postacademic clinical training. Over the course of your studies, you will follow a sequence of academic coursework and clinical training including a supervised postacademic clinical internship. In the final two semesters of study, you will work part or full time in an approved clinical site for a total of 1,000 hours, learning to assume the complete range of professional responsibilities of a music therapist.

Fully approved by the American Music Therapy Association, you will learn the importance of interpersonal skills, musicianship and self-understanding through courses in applied music, history, psychology and theory, with functional instrument lessons and clinical methods. In order to align your studies with your particular career goals, you can choose the Jazz or Traditional concentration. After successful completion of the Music Therapy BM, you’ll be eligible to take the national examination of the Certification Board for Music Therapists and, in turn, qualify for professional certification in the field.

Classes & Curriculum

Classes in the Music Therapy BM focus on ethics, methods and research used in practice. In this program, some of your courses will include

  • Developmental Music Therapy,
  • Music Therapy Overview,
  • Medical/Rehabilitative Music Therapy and
  • Secondary Piano.

Learn more about required Music Therapy BM courses.

Related Graduate Degrees

A Music Therapy student sits on a hospital bed next to a patient while playing the guitar.

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, the Bachelor of Music offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

These tuition costs apply to the 2023–2024 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $20,616.00 per year
Out-of-state: $36,216.00 per year

Concentrations

You can focus on Music Therapy or you can take one of the following concentrations.

  • Bassoon
  • Cello
  • Clarinet
  • Classical Guitar
  • Double Bass
  • Euphonium
  • Flute
  • French Horn
  • Harp
  • Harpsichord
  • Oboe
  • Percussion
  • Piano
  • Saxophone
  • Trombone
  • Trumpet
  • Tuba
  • Viola
  • Violin
  • Voice
BC-MTHE-BMUS

Additional Program Information