<p>I will be graduating high school next May, so I'm busy doing research on colleges and majors. The last couple years I had planned on becoming music therapist, but I'm also interested in teaching elementary music. My dream job would be teaching music part-time and working as a music therapist part time. So I'm not sure which I should major in. There is only one college I've found that offers a dual degree program that I'd be interested in attending. I've also thought about getting a degree in music education then going back to do a music therapy equivalency program. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Anybody out there with advice for MusicLover?</p>
<p>Music ed curriculum requires quite a few credits each semester usually 18/19 (At son’s school they allow music majors to max out at 19 credits/semester. All other majors at the school are allowed 18 credits.) to graduate in the 4 year time frame. If you do find a school allowing the double major, it would probably take 5 years. You might want to look at Baldwin Wallace in Ohio since when we were looking they had both music therapy and music ed. Otherwise, I’d recommend music ed as an undergraduate major and music therapy for graduate school.</p>
<p>My daughter will be getting her undergrad in music and her masters/equivalency in music therapy to save money, since there is only one school in our state that offers music therapy. We have been communicating with the professor at her grad school of choice to be sure she takes the necessary classes. For her it only adds one extra year, because music therapy is a 5 year program for a bachelors. If you’re wanting to give lessons, a music ed degree isn’t necessary. But if you want to teach in public school it is. Think hard this summer about your focus, because you need to be sure of the schools you want to apply to at the beginning of your senior year. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice! I didn’t realize that there were masters/equivalency programs, I thought you had to have a bachelor’s in music therapy before grad school. Getting my bachelor’s in music ed then completing a masters/equivalency programs probably makes the most sense. Thanks again!</p>
<p>You’re welcome. My daughter is looking at the University of Kansas. Look at the National Association of Music Therapy website. There’s a pamphlet you can download with a list of schools offering music therapy and advanced degrees. It can really narrow your search down. Good luck!!</p>
<p>I actually looked into this. I got my undergrad in Music Ed, but considered getting my masters/equivalency in Music Therapy. Unfortunately, by then I was married with children and just didn’t think I could take the time to do the internship (I would have had to travel somewhere else for that). So my recommendation is if you get the music ed degree, you might want to just go right ahead and do the Music Therapy Masters/Equivalency before you get too tied down in life. There are not as many job prospects for music therapy as there are for music ed, and so you need to be prepared to go where the job is…or promote yourself. In fact, I know at Western Michigan University, they now have classes to teach you how to promote yourself (as a business), because in a small town, that is really the only way to get work. I think it’s great they are doing that.</p>