Purpose, Philosophy and Design

Courses in the Program

Clinical Training in Music Therapy

Getting Started

Certification Board for Music Therapy

American Music Therapy Association

Degree Program Information

College of Performing Arts Home Page

Information Contact:
Vince Glaeser, Director
Extended Education
714-997-6548
glaeser@chapman.edu

The purpose of the music therapy program is to provide a personalized education that facilitates the emergence of the music therapist within each student and prepares the student for entry into the contemporary workplace of our global economy. The competency-based curriculum in music therapy strives to develop an understanding of music, human development and exceptionality, clinical processes, and the therapeutic use of music within a context of critical thinking, inter and intra-dependence, and a passion for learning so that the emerging music therapist understands not only the technical aspects of the profession, but also the role of the discipline and the profession as a vehicle for facilitating the health and well-being of all people within our world community.

Program Philosophy

The program philosophy is based on an understanding of the musical interactions between two or more people as a clinical process to facilitate health and well-being through the remediation or palliation of the symptoms related to illness and disease, or life-challenging conditions. Thus, at Chapman University music therapy is defined as an allied health profession in which musical interventions are used in an interactive clinical process between a music therapist and a client, or clients, to address the therapeutic or palliative care needs of the individual or group.

The Music Therapy Program Design

The Equivalency Program in Music Therapy is designed so that each student meets the equivalent standards of Chapman University’s Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy. Thus, it is a professional program grounded in Chapman University’s liberal arts tradition and the professional competencies required to enter the music therapy profession. The music therapy curriculum includes course-based experiences across the disciplines of music, psychology, and the sciences to provide foundational understanding about the relationships between the therapist, the client(s), and music. Thus, the program of courses provides (a) an understanding of human physiological and psychological development and exceptionality, (b) the art, history, science, theory, and technology of music and sound, and (c) the historical, theoretical, and musical processes and experiences that comprise the artistic, scientific, and clinical discipline of music therapy.

In the core music therapy program, practical experiences are combined with the classroom-based experiences to provide each student with the opportunity to develop clinical skills and abilities through university-affiliated field-placements with diverse populations, people of varying ages, and in multiple settings in off-campus locations. The combined curriculum helps each student develop intra- and inter-dependent critical thinking, multicultural awareness, and clinical proficiency for successful professional practice.