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Music Therapy at Guildhall School of Music & Drama - UCAS

Course options

2024 - 20252025 - 2026
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Course summary

On this programme, students gain experience working with adults and children alongside qualified music therapists on placements in a variety of settings including special and mainstream schools, and with people who experience:

  • Mental health problems
  • Dementia
  • Learning disabilities
  • School exclusion
  • Communication delay
  • Autism
  • Acquired brain injury or stroke
  • Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
During the programme, students must undertake a minimum of 40 hours of individual personal therapy as a requirement from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is an additional cost not covered by the tuition fees (funding support is available - see our Postgraduate Funding page for more information). Why study Music Therapy at Guildhall School? You will join one of the world’s leading conservatoires, and will build your therapeutic and theoretical knowledge through an intensive programme of lectures and seminars. Weekly practical musicianship, improvisation and voice classes will help you acquire highly developed skills in therapeutic musical communication. Working alongside qualified music therapists, you will gain experience working with adults and children on placements in a variety of settings including healthcare units, special and mainstream schools, and with people who experience mental health issues, dementia, learning disabilities and communication disorders. The programme is influenced by psychodynamic approaches to therapy, and all Music Therapy students undertake their own personal therapy during training. A high degree of self-reflection and self-awareness is required, and gaining experience of personal psychotherapy prior to training is highly recommended. Tuition is complemented by one-to-one conservatoire-level training in your Principal Study and Second Study lessons with the School’s teachers. The programme provides access to leading specialists in improvisation and an active research community, with the possibility of taking part in research events.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Health and Care Professions Council

Entry requirements

Applicants will normally have already completed an undergraduate Honours degree at the point of application. Music is the most common subject, although applications from graduates in other subjects are welcome. Experience of working with people in the community in either health or education settings is highly beneficial. Accomplished musicians who do not possess a university degree are welcome to apply, provided they can manage the academic demands. If they are successful at audition and interview, they will be asked to complete an academic task before an offer of a place is made. We welcome applicants from different backgrounds and at different stages in their lives, with diverse personal, musical educational and work experiences. We are looking for applicants who are creative, engaged and thoughtful, and curious about their own and others’ experiences. Entry to this training demands a high standard of musicianship (see our Auditions page), a mature personality compatible with training as a therapist, and graduate level academic skills. The programme contains substantial academic components. Visit our Apply to Guildhall page for details of online applications.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)7Applicants whose first language is not English must achieve as a minimum the IELTS Academic Training examination with an overall band score of 7, regardless of previous study at a UK institution.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

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

Fees are variable depending on the mode of study. Please consult the School website for more information: https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/fees-and-funding

Sponsorship information

The School does its best to ensure that no student who is offered a place on merit is prevented from taking up that place on grounds of financial hardship and so a range of financial support is offered. The School offers a wide range of scholarships to students regardless of domicile. A scholarship award may be made to cover either the full cost of tuition fees or a fraction of them, and may include an element for maintenance. Awards are made by academic staff to individuals on the basis of their talent, their potential and their personal financial need. Applicants may be considered for a scholarship at audition and a scholarship may be given along with an offer of a place at the School. All students who accept a place at the School can also apply for scholarship support.

Music Therapy at Guildhall School of Music & Drama - UCAS