Course summary
Are you a musician and interested in working with people? Music Therapy may be the career for you. This course will be of interest to people who, aside from a high level of musicianship, are interested in helping people with a wide range of needs. Music Therapists must be registered with the health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and this course is a pre-registration programme which means that graduates are eligible to apply for their HCPC registration. Music Therapy offers relational experiences through music. It is an established clinical intervention to help people whose lives have been affected by injury, illness or disability.
Modules
The MSc Music Therapy Programme sits together with Art Psychotherapy, Dramatherapy and Play Therapy as an arts therapies pathway within the Person-Centred Practice Framework at QMU. The programme contains the modules listed below. Year One •Practice-based Learning 1 (40 credits) Developmental and Relational Perspectives (20 credits) •Therapeutic Practice and Resources (20 credits) •Theory and Practice of Person-centred Health and Wellbeing (20 credits) •Leading Person-centred Practice for Health and Wellbeing (20 credits) Year Two •Practice-based Learning 2 (40 credits) •Arts Therapies in Context (20 credits) •Dissertation (60 credits) The modules listed are correct at time of posting (October 2021) but are subject to change. In the event that modules change, QMU will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on students.
Assessment method
Teaching includes practical and academic elements with an emphasis on experiential and interpersonal learning and teaching methods, including lectures, seminars and tutorials. Practice education is supported by regular supervision at QMU. Students are not required to cover the cost for supervision at University or on placement. Assessments are varied and include practical and written formats as well as short video, poster and case work presentations. Personal development is fundamental to therapeutic training and it is a requirement of the HCPC that students attend regular personal psychotherapy throughout the course, with a minimum of 40 hours of attendance. Personal therapy is not assessed and students are required to cover the cost.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- Health and Care Professions Council
- British Association for Music Therapy
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
Entry requirements
The MSc Music Therapy at QMU is academically, musically and personally demanding. Therefore, it is necessary that you are able to demonstrate your readiness for the course as well as meet the entry requirements. Applicants usually have an honours degree. However, a comparable professional qualification, or extensive experience in a related field will be considered. This is alongside evidence of a high standard of practical musicianship, a fundamental ability to listen openly and fluency in a diverse range of musics. You should be able to demonstrate a high degree of skill and flexibility on at least one instrument. You do not need to be able to read Western musical notation. We are committed to enabling and widening access for musicians from diverse backgrounds. You will also have a minimum of one year’s experience of relevant work experience with persons in the community, education or health settings. Some experience of personal music therapy or psychodynamic psychotherapy, or experiential workshops in creative therapies is desirable. International: You will be required to provide evidence of English language competence at no less than IELTS 7.0, and with no individual component score less than 6.5. Interview: Interviews are usually held between January and June. Your personal statement should include the reasons you feel drawn to the profession of music therapy at this stage in your life and why the particular approach taught at Queen Margaret University appeals to you. Please include an outline of any texts you have read in preparation for this programme. We would also like to hear about your own relationship with music and how this has shaped your decision to apply. In addition, please detail any relevant experience within caring professions, which does not need to be music related, and highlight particular qualities you feel you would bring to the programme. Some applicants will be asked to attend interviews and audition. This will usually include group improvisation with other applicants and an individual audition in which the applicant will: play prepared pieces, improvise on a given theme and sing a short song of their own choice. The interview will assess each applicant’s personal suitability for the profession, ability to reflect and readiness for the demands that the course entails. For applicants who are unable to travel to QMU, or when social restrictions apply, auditions and interviews are held online. Criminal Records Check: A satisfactory criminal records check will be required.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
England | £8295 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £8295 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £8295 | Year 1 |
Wales | £8295 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £8295 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £8295 | Year 1 |
International | £15930 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Provider information
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Queen Margaret University Drive
Musselburgh
Edinburgh
EH21 6UU