Skip to main content

Music therapy is one of the fastest-growing fields in the music industry, combining your love for music with a meaningful career in healthcare and education. Certified music therapists are key to improving lives, using music to heal, inspire, and connect. SUNY Fredonia’s Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy equips you with the skills and real-world experience needed to thrive in this dynamic field.

Whether you’re helping children with special needs, supporting mental health in psychiatric institutions, or comforting elderly patients in nursing homes, our rigorous four-year program, including a six-month clinical internship, prepares you to become a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) with confidence.

At Fredonia, you’ll benefit from small classes, personalized mentorship, and a creative, compassionate community. Our program prepares you to take the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) exam and join the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), setting you on a path to a fulfilling career with limitless growth potential in hospitals, schools, correctional facilities, or private practice.

The Fredonia Difference

Fredonia’s Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy is among the most comprehensive in the nation, emphasizing the integration of musical, psychological, and clinical skills. Our AMTA-approved curriculum meets the highest professional standards.

We’re also introducing a Master of Music degree in Music Therapy program, allowing you to further specialize and prepare for licensure as a New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. Fredonia undergraduates can transition seamlessly into the master’s program, completing both degrees in just 5.5 years.

Career Opportunities for Music Therapy

  • Board-certified music therapist
  • Group practice
  • Senior living facility therapist
  • Private practice
  • School therapist
Fredonia degree map icon

What does a 4-year degree look like?

Fredonia catalog seal icon

What are all the required and elective courses offered to obtain this degree?

MUS 137 Diction for Singers

A two-semester sequence intended to give singers an understanding of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and a thorough application of IPA symbols to the sounds of Italian, German, French, Latin and English diction.

MUTY 211 Clinical Placement and Seminar I

Seminar designed to address knowledge of American Music Therapy Professional Competencies in Clinical Foundations. Structured experiences include weekly field placements in area nursing homes, documentation and supervision appropriate to students' first clinical experience.

MUTY 215 Music Therapy Repertoire

Designed to address the development of American Music Therapy Association Competencies in foundational knowledge and repertoire of Music and Music Therapy experiences in singing, playing instruments, movement, listening, and creating.

Why Music Therapy at Fredonia?

music therapy students in class

Master's in 5+

Undergraduate Music Therapy students of Fredonia may move seamlessly into the new Masters program and complete their Bachelor and Master degrees in as little as 5 1/2 years.

music therapy students in class

18 month completion

Alternatively, music therapists who have completed an undergraduate degree in music therapy at Fredonia or elsewhere and are Board Certified may complete their curricular requirements in 18 months full-time or as part-time students at their own pace.

concerto competition

Show your work

Music Therapy majors have the same opportunities to compete for performance honors as all other majors, including Concerto Competition and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate.

Take the next step

Request Info Visit Apply