Music Therapy (MA) SRH University

Would you like to use the healing power of music to help people? In our programme, you will develop music therapy skills and learn about the latest therapy concepts.

Music Therapy is the specific therapeutic use of music for the promotion of emotional, cognitive, social, and physical integration and recovery on a scientific basis. As an arts therapy approach, it has the potential to contribute to activation, stabilisation, and recovery in the context of prevention, acute intervention, and rehabilitation.

In both science and clinical practice, there is an increasing interest in music therapy approaches as an important addition to standard care.
The professional context of music therapists is not limited to traditional areas of practice such as psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, or special education. Music therapy is also applied in classical somatic medicine and increasingly used in prevention.
In recent decades, music therapy has been established in the following fields:

• psychiatry
• psychosomatics and psychotherapy
• neurology (early and general rehabilitation)
• geriatrics
• palliative and hospice care
• paediatrics
• intensive medicine centres (for example, neonatology, oncology, pain) and their post-intensive care facilities
• psychosocial institutions working with children and families with special needs, disabilities, and early support
• institutions of prevention and education (e.g. music schools, youth centres, kindergartens)

The Master's study programme is anchored in the Evidence-Based Practice Model within medical and health science-related contexts. It offers a comprehensive therapy education, including psychodynamic / depth psychology models, cognitive-behavioural approaches and systemic, humanistic, and genuine arts-therapies approaches. Fundamental musical and clinical competencies are taught on the basis of manualised therapy concepts and practised in small groups. The development of your therapist personality is encouraged and supported by music therapy self-exploration and therapy supervision.

This programme is designed as a two-year full-time programme and generally begins with the winter semester on 1 October. The study programme contains 120 ECTS and concludes with a state approved degree. The interdisciplinary team of lecturers offers the ideal environment for studying in a field where music therapy, medicine, psychology and music overlap.
It has been our philosophy to combine teaching, practise, and research under one umbrella.

• Teaching – Music therapy, music, and psychology/medical subjects are aligned with the respective topic and are combined with opportunities for the students to develop their therapist personalities (e.g. music therapy experiential and self-experience groups).
• Practise – The music therapy outpatient centre on-campus and clinical internships (in cooperation with our national and international partner facilities) offer training opportunities closely linked to everyday practice.
• Research/Science – Our in-house psychophysiology laboratory and the collaborative research projects with our national and international partners provide the opportunity for students to familiarise themselves with and contribute to scientific work and research under the supervision of our scientists.

The advantages of our high-quality programme include the following:

• We offer small study groups.
• Our competence model: Competencies as required by employers and practice are the foundation of the curricular study structure.
• Five-week units aligned to one practice-related subject
• Transparent study organisation with evaluation and clearly defined, competence-oriented exam settings specifically tailored to the respective content.
• Education partnership: academic/professional, organisational and personal support from mentors
• Specially equipped facilities, such as PC studios and practice rooms, allow medial support for music notation, therapy analysis, etc.
• International study flair with student exchange with selected universities and clinics
• Close collaboration between the educative music therapy outpatient centre and the study courses
• Quality assurance through regular, confidential evaluation and open exchange between lecturers and students
• Guest lecturers in the context of academic colloquia, teaching exchange, or research partnerships

Between the first and second years of the degree, students complete an internship (sometimes called "practicum" or placement), typically from late July to the beginning of October. The clinical internship provides intense practical experience outside the classroom, supervised closely by external mentors (or supervisors). These mentors are academically educated music therapists. The organisation is handled by the students in consultation with the university. Every placement requires prior approval of the university (the internship office of the faculty). This internship must be completed in a location where the student speaks the language of the patients.

• Academic admission requirements include proof of a first academic degree (Bachelor's, Diplom or Magister) in music, social work / special education, psychology, nursing, medicine or a comparable degree. If you have not graduated yet, apply with existing transcripts.
• Curriculum vitae
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Letter of motivation
• Copy of your identity card or passport

None. Students may purchase a discounted semester ticket or a discounted "Deutschlandticket" for public transport.

Working as a non-EU citizen: In possession of a valid German residence permit for study purposes, you are allowed to work for up to 120 full days (full day = eight hours per day) or 240 half days (half day = four hours) during the calendar year. However, freelance work is not permitted. Internships that are mandatory for the successful completion of your studies at SRH do not count towards the above-named 120 full days.

Employment that is considered “student part-time work” ("studentische Nebentätigkeit", e.g. employment as a student worker at a university or in a university-related organisation or "Werkstudent" activities at companies that are related to your studies) can be done without any time restrictions.

There is a special scholarship available. The "Deutschlandstipendium" is a special scholarship programme supported by the German government and private companies. 

We offer individual career counselling services in our Career Development Centre. Here you will find courses on how to prepare for job applications and interviews, covering techniques such as body language and voice training, as well as continued education offerings such as our business skills certificate. In addition, you can access job listings on the university website.