MA in Music Therapy

The Masters in Music Therapy aims to develop students’ musicianship and personal potential, and equip them with the knowledge and skills to work as a registered music therapist.

About the MA in Music Therapy

On this programme, students gain experience working with adults and children alongside qualified music therapists on placements in a variety of settings including special and mainstream schools, and with people who experience:

Mental health problems
Dementia
Learning disabilities
School exclusion
Communication delay
Autism
Acquired brain injury or stroke
Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties

During the programme, students must undertake a minimum of 40 hours of individual personal therapy as a requirement from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is an additional cost not covered by the tuition fees (funding support is available - see our Postgraduate Funding page for more information).

Why study Music Therapy at Guildhall School?

You will join one of the world’s leading conservatoires, and will build your therapeutic and theoretical knowledge through an intensive programme of lectures and seminars. Weekly keyboard musicianship, improvisation and voice classes will help you acquire highly developed skills in therapeutic musical communication.

Working alongside qualified music therapists, you will gain experience working with adults and children on placements in a variety of settings including healthcare units, special and mainstream schools, and with people who experience mental health issues, dementia, learning disabilities and communication disorders.

The programme is influenced by psychodynamic approaches to therapy, and all Music Therapy students undertake their own personal therapy during training. A high degree of self-reflection and self-awareness is required, and gaining experience of personal psychotherapy prior to training is highly recommended.

Future careersClose

Graduates have an excellent record of employment in health, education, social and community service and the voluntary sector, and are eligible to register as arts therapists with the HCPC and as professional members of the British Association for Music Therapy.

Entry to this training demands a high standard of musicianship, a mature personality compatible with training as a therapist, and graduate level academic skills. The programme contains substantial academic components. Applicants are therefore expected to have already completed an undergraduate Honours degree at the point of application. Music is the most common subject, although applications from graduates in other subjects are welcome. Experience of working with people in the community in either health or education settings is highly beneficial. In general, candidates who have already obtained an undergraduate degree and gained subsequent experience are preferred. Applicants should demonstrate experience of a significant period of paid or voluntary work outside of full-time education, ideally including work with people in the community.