The Department
Dean: Charles Morrison
Graduate Officer: Heidi
Ahonen-Eerikainen
Faculty
Full-time Faculty
The
Program
The Master of Music Therapy curriculum
is designed to give opportunities for advanced clinical education and the
learning of contemporary clinical theories which will lead to the development
of music therapy knowledge, skills and attitudes.
The program helps students gain an understanding of the major clinical theories and philosophies of practice and of current Canadian and international music therapy trends; the program also illuminates and emphasizes the balance between music and therapy.
Specifically, the Master of Music Therapy program aims to develop students’ knowledge and skills in the following areas:
Professional Affiliations
The Music Therapy program maintains an
active involvement with the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT).
The CAMT is a federally incorporated, self-regulated, non-profit professional
association dedicated to the fostering of music therapy in clinical, educational
and community settings throughout Canada. Many music therapy students become
members and practice at both the local and national levels. It is expected
that most students will join the CAMT and complete their internship upon
graduation.
One-Year Program
Two-Year Program (full-time)
Year 1 | ||
Fall term | Winter term | Spring term |
MU501
MU502 MU503 SK522 |
MU504 Practicum I
MU505 MU506 MU507 |
MU508 Practicum II |
Year 2 | ||
Fall term | Winter term | Spring term |
MU601
MU603 Practicum III MU606 MU607 SK621 |
MU602
MU604 Practium IV MU605 |
MU608
MU609 |
One-Year Program (full-time)
Fall term | Winter term | Spring term |
MU601
MU603 Practicum III MU606 MU607 SK621 |
MU602
MU604 Practium IV MU605 |
MU608
MU609 |
The Practicum
The Master of Music Therapy requires one
practicum in year one for students in the two-year program and one continuous
one-day-per-week practicum for students in their final year. In year
one, practicum will take place at the on-site clinic at Laurier and in
the community. In the final year of the two-year program (and in
the one-year program), students will be assigned to a facility off-campus.
All practicum experiences will be supervised by a qualified and experienced
music therapist. To complete practica, students will be required
to write and present a case study based on their clinical experience.
Requirements for Continuing
in the Program
In addition to successfully completing
the academic courses, students must be judged to be capable of assuming
the professional and clinical responsibilities of the practicum.
Any students not meeting these requirements may be required by the dean
of Music to withdraw from the program.
MU501 0.5
The Field of Music Therapy
The study of the discipline of music therapy
through the investigation of special populations, treatment models and
clinical orientations. Music therapy approaches are explored through
practical demonstration, lectures by guest national and international music
therapists and case studies.
MU502 0.5
Musical Resources I
Students practise and experience musical
resources needed for clinical improvisation and song-writing. Through
the identification of musical components and their therapeutic use with
clients, students explore and demonstrate how to use music clinically.
MU503 0.5
Music Therapy Methods
Students explore models of assessment,
indexing and the formulation of clinical aims and objectives. Students
observe and evaluate ongoing music therapy sessions by experienced music
therapists. Clinical de-briefing gives students the opportunity to
dialogue about clinical interventions and the therapeutic process.
MU504 0.5
Practicum I
In this practicum students lead and co-lead
group and individual sessions. Weekly supervision is provided by
a qualified and experienced music therapist (12 weeks).
MU505 0.5
Emerging Concepts
Through the in-depth study of music therapy
theories and case studies, students articulate connections between clinical
practice and theory. Students critically discuss and analyse classical
and recent music therapy literature. The emergency of theory is linked
to students’ developing clinical work in Practicum I.
MU506 0.5
Musical Resources II
Students study specific components and
qualities of musical idioms, scales and modes. The influences of
world music on clinical improvisation are explored. Clinical and
musical issues from students’ practica are critically analysed.
MU507 0.5
Experiential Music Therapy
The experiential music therapy group offers
students the opportunity to experience music therapy as a client.
Group members write a weekly log in order to analyse and reflect on the
musical therapeutic process.
MU508 0.5
Practicum II
A continuation of MU504, Practicum I.
MU601 0.5
Musical Resources III
Students’ knowledge of the creative clinical
applications of music is expanded. Advanced musical idioms and compositional
styles are addressed. Linking this course directly to Practicum II,
students bring to class clinical issues for group discussion and practice.
Students pursue one musical area of interest and formulate an idiom for
clinical practice.
MU602 0.5
Talks on Music and Music Therapy
Theoretical connections between music
theory, aesthetics and clinical practice are studied. Through comparison
of music therapy case studies, the compositional process and musical aesthetics,
students gain a greater understanding of the music in their clinical practice.
Students observe and evaluate ongoing music therapy sessions by experienced
music therapists. Clinical de-briefing gives students the opportunity
to discuss clinical interventions and the therapeutic process.
MU603 0.5
Practicum III
Students are assigned to a clinical facility
one-day-per-week. Clinical work includes individual and group sessions.
Weekly supervision is provided by a qualified and experienced music therapist
(24 weeks).
MU604 0.5
Practicum IV
A continuation of MU603, Practicum III.
MU605 0.5
Musical Resources IV
This course examines specific applications
of musical elements and their clinical intent and potential. Through
isolation of musical components and their structure and expressive qualities,
students understand how to apply musical forms for different clinical situations.
The aesthetics of music and form, the therapeutic relationship and the
potential clinical results are explored.
MU606 0.5
Music Therapy Qualitative Research
Students learn and critically discuss
modes of inquiry that do justice to the clinical process and improvisation
in music therapy. The acquisition of research skills includes the
formulation of research questions, methods of data collection and the interpretive
analysis of findings. Students articulate their own research interests
and develop a research topic for their major paper.
MU607 0.5
Music Therapy Supervision
Students study and discuss developing
models of music therapy supervision. Students learn about supervision
and the supervision relationship through the presentation of case material
and their own experience of supervision. The interplay between musical
and verbal evaluation is a crucial facet of the course.
MU608 0.5
Experiential Music Therapy
The experiential music therapy group offers
students the opportunity to experience music therapy as a client.
Group members write a weekly log in order to analyse and reflect on the
musical therapeutic process.
MU609 0.5
Major Paper
A major qualitative research paper consolidating
one area of the student’s learning and experience. The paper will
be evaluated by an examination committee.
SK522 0.5
Clinical Social Work Practice with
Individuals
This course focuses on the application
of basic skills and theories to helping individuals. Generic stages in
the helping process and the principles and skills in these various stages
are reviewed. This includes consideration of interviewing skills, the principles
and skills underlying the development of a good helping relationship, skills
of holistic assessment and formulation, the application of clinical theory
to understanding and intervening with individuals, issues in working with
various marginalised populations, ethical issues, and note-taking and record-keeping.
This course emphasizes a laboratory approach to teaching and practising
skills.
SK621 0.5
Use of Self
The emphasis of this course is on the
differential use of self as it relates to the direct treatment experiences
of the students during Practicum II.