Hey, guys, it’s your new President-Elect, Freddy! I’m here to give you an update on things MT related. As some of you may remember, at this past regional conference in Charlotte there was a discussion during the town hall meeting about whether or not the profession of music therapy should require a masters degree in order practice. In the history of education and clinical training in the music therapy profession, a baccalaureate degree in music therapy (or its equivalent) has been required for entry into the field. As the profession is now considering the possibility of moving to requiring a master’s degree in music therapy as the minimum educational requirement for professional entry, many questions have been raised in relation to what a master’s entry educational program might look like. The Education and Training Advisory Board (ETAB) recognizes that there are a variety of educational models for preparing music therapists for master’s-level entry into the profession.
Many educators, clinicians, and researchers have reported that the bachelor’s degree is “bursting at the seams” and does not provide adequate preparation for the practice of music therapy as it exists today. With the bachelor’s degree as the entry level, the burgeoning body of knowledge required to meet the professional competencies exceeds the ability of the music therapy degree programs to effectively teach this expanded body of knowledge and skills. It is unrealistic to hold the expectation for the student to assimilate this knowledge and be prepared for competent professional practice. As a result, fulfillment of AMTA’s mission to provide quality music therapy services is compromised.
An emerging trend in university programs toward developing master’s degrees in music therapy is evident. More and more university programs are envisioning the growth of the current professional degree at the bachelor’s level to an advanced level of training that is both marketable and supportive of professional practice and ethics in the health related fields. Based on the current body of knowledge and research in the profession, as well as the growth in the scope of practice, the breadth and depth of education and training in music therapy required for entry into the profession needs to be expanded to a more advanced level. This will require some basic foundations in music therapy to serve as prerequisites to the advanced level curricula, either at the undergraduate level or at the graduate level, with more course credits required in the degree program in addition to and beyond the requirements for the master’s degree. It is important to note that these basic foundations requirements should not be confused with the “equivalency” as currently described in the AMTA Standards. Because the equivalency is by definition “equivalent to a bachelor’s degree,” it would no longer exist if the master’s degree were to become the entry level to the profession and educational requirement for the MT-BC credential.
As future music therapist, how do you feel about the situation? Are you for or against? Do you intend on getting your masters at some point?
