Music Therapy

Western Michigan University's music therapy program was established in 1958, and added an on-campus Music Therapy Clinic in the 1970s. As one of the first accredited music therapy programs in the nation, WMU's program includes training at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and also offers an equivalency certificate option for those who already have a degree in music. The music therapy program is fully approved by the National Association for Schools of Music (NASM), and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

Beyond the classroom

Music therapy students at WMU have the opportunity to gain professional experience in the Music Therapy Clinic, located in WMU's Unified Clinic on the main Kalamazoo campus, or at one of the University's 30 affiliate medical, educational, and health-related agencies in the greater Kalamazoo area. Students also have the option to join the Student Music Therapy Association, a WMU register student organization open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

After you graduate

Recent WMU graduates with degrees in music therapy are working as board-certified music therapists in:

  • Community-based agencies
  • Correctional facilities
  • Hospice agencies
  • Hospitals
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Mental Health—inpatient and outpatient
  • Psychiatric hospitals
  • Private practice as business owners
  • Private practice as an employee
  • Rehabilitation
  • Schools

Career Outcomes

Other programs of interest