Music Therapy

The mission statement of Belmont University’s Music Therapy Program is:

to provide a challenging education for the development of competent, comprehensive, and compassionate music therapists.

Given this statement, Belmont’s program achieves competency in the field of Music Therapy through diverse, high quality academic experiences and clinical training.  Belmont’s program develops comprehensiveness through a grounding in cognitive behavioral orientation, while at the same time introducing students to a variety of theoretical approaches within the field.  Belmont’s program develops compassion through living out its institutional mission of learning and service in the field of Music Therapy. 

Instruments of study within the Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy are: Voice, Viola, Violin, Cello, Classical Bass, Harp, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Euphonium, Tuba, Percussion, Organ, Piano, and Guitar.

Students will choose their preferred instrument of study as either a Classical or Commercial track and follow the respective audition requirements during the audition process. 

Why Study Music Therapy at Belmont?

It is the intent of the university to possess a unique Music Therapy program, clearly influenced by the resources of its location in Nashville and in Belmont’s large and stylistically diverse School of Music.  Nashville is rich in both musical and health care resources, providing significant strengths and breadth for the study of Music Therapy at Belmont.  The university collaborates fully with a variety of health care institutions in Nashville including Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, TriStar Centennial Parthenon Pavilion, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and Morningside at Belmont to maximize options for the study of Music Therapy. Belmont has also designed a curriculum in which the training of music therapists includes undergraduate experience in a diverse set of musical styles and so allows music therapists to enter the profession with both classical and commercial musical skills.

Layout of the Degree

Belmont’s Bachelor of Music degree with a Major in Music Therapy includes eight semesters of coursework plus a six-month internship. Following the successful completion of all required coursework and the internship, the student is eligible to sit for the certification exam administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). Upon successful completion of the three hour examination, the student will be awarded the credential of Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) from The Certification Board for Music Therapists and will be ready to be employed as a music therapist. This credential is accepted in all states and territories of the United States. 

The School of Music has a board certified Clinical Practicum Supervisor who supervises undergraduate practicum students within a variety of populations including assisted living, acute care addiction treatment, at-risk adolescents, and developmental disabilities.

Current Practicum Sites

• Blakeford Senior Lifestyle Solutions
• Brookdale Senior Living
• Gigi’s Playhouse
• Gilda’s Club
• JourneyPure at The River
• Metro Nashville Public Schools
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
• Morningside at Belmont
• Rising Star Choir at Belmont
• Rogers Behavioral Health
• The Children’s Hospital at TriStar Centennial
• TriStar Centennial Parthenon Pavilion
• Vanderbilt Behavioral Health

The Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy at Belmont University is approved by the American Music Therapy Association. 

To learn more about the profession of music therapy, please visit:

American Music Therapy Association: https://www.musictherapy.org/

The Certification Board for Music Therapists: http://www.cbmt.org/