Music Therapy

Mailing Address
2121 Euclid Ave., MU 111
Cleveland, OH 44115

Campus Location
Music and Communication Building
2001 Euclid Avenue
Room 111
Cleveland, OH 44115

Contact
Phone: (216) 687-3807
musictherapy@csuohio.edu

Master of Arts in Music Therapy

The Master of Arts degree program in Music Therapy provides students with the opportunity for board-certified music therapists to advance their knowledge and skills. Advanced training and specialization opportunities are vital to the growth and development of the bachelor's level music therapist.

The MA in Music Therapy at Cleveland State University offers advanced training in music therapy with the option to specialize in one of several areas: health care administration, special education, health sciences, or mental health. This program allows graduate students to strengthen their clinical and research skills in music therapy while gaining expertise in their chosen specialty.

The MA requires a total of 36 credits to complete. This includes 15 credits in graduate music therapy coursework, 9–12 credits dedicated to your chosen specialization track (health care administration, special education, health sciences, or mental health), and 9–12 credits in electives, which allow for further exploration and customization within your field of interest. This structure ensures a well-rounded education with both depth in music therapy and interdisciplinary expertise.

Cleveland State University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). This includes all music and music therapy degree offerings. In addition, The Cleveland State University Master of Arts in Music Therapy is approved by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

Admission

To apply for the MA in Music Therapy at Cleveland State University, candidates must complete both the Department of Music requirements and specific program prerequisites to qualify for an interview with graduate faculty.

Admission Requirements:

Proof of a Bachelor's degree in Music Therapy or a Bachelor's degree in Music with Music Therapy equivalency.
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in music therapy or music therapy equivalency coursework.
MT-BC credential (Music Therapist – Board Certified).
Submission of a scholarly writing sample focused on music therapy, such as a literature review, journal article submission, book chapter, or clinical monograph.

Eligible candidates will be invited to an interview with faculty, which includes a discussion of relevant experience and a demonstration of clinical musicianship competence to meet AMTA Professional Competencies. Candidates selecting the Mental Health track must also provide evidence of completed coursework in Research Methods (equivalent to PSY 312) and Behavioral Science Statistics: Inference (equivalent to PSY 317) as part of their undergraduate training.

Research

The CSU Department of Music Therapy faculty members are active in a wide variety of research areas. Their research has been published in national music therapy publications and other related journals. Graduate music therapy students are required to successfully complete a research project or thesis, under the guidance of a Graduate Music Therapy faculty member, as a capstone to the MA in Music Therapy program.