Master of Music Therapy

Use your passion for music to help improve people's lives. Join the only programme in New Zealand that trains graduates to become professional music therapists.

A career in music therapy

Learn how to use music to support the development and wellbeing of people with complex emotional, intellectual, physical, or social needs.

You'll get a comprehensive grounding in music therapy. Study the theory and put it into practice in a clinical or social community setting. Then take what you've learned from your practical experience and apply that to your research project.

When you study at the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), you'll learn from dedicated staff with many years' experience as music therapists.

If you have a mature and compassionate attitude, curiosity, a knack for critical thinking, and a passion for practical, creative music-making, then this programme is for you.

Professional registration

The programme was developed in association with Music Therapy New Zealand (MThNZ). You'll be encouraged to join this organisation during your training, so you can start building links with other professionals and the supporting community. Once you've completed your degree, you'll be able to apply for accreditation as a Registered Music Therapist through the Music Therapy Registration Board of MThNZ.

Community placement

You'll learn from valuable community placements in settings such as special schools, inclusive mainstream schools, pediatric units of hospitals, and adolescent mental health services. You might also be hosted in elder care facilities, hospices, and community units for adults with neurological disorders and mental health challenges.

These valuable placements are also a chance to build the professional networks that will help advance your career.

Scholarships for international students

We are currently offering a NZ$10,000 VUW Postgraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma programme. Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.

PhD

If you want to pursue an academic or research career, you can complete a PhD. You'll work under supervision to produce original research that makes a significant contribution to knowledge. Full-time candidates usually complete the degree within three to four years.

A PhD at Victoria University of Wellington will cost between $6,800 and $8,200 each year, depending on your subject.

The Faculty of Graduate Research will handle your application and support you throughout your PhD study. Contact NZSM at [email protected] about available supervision before you apply.

Community

Postgraduate study at Victoria University of Wellington will help you build valuable relationships and networks with peers, university staff, and future colleagues. Our core values are developing flexible musicianship, nurturing diverse ways of being, professional growth, and sustainable practice.

You'll work closely with staff, getting the benefit of their experience, expertise, and enthusiasm. You'll have opportunities to attend seminars, social functions, and the School of Music's many events. You'll also get to meet and work with music therapy students and graduates at different levels through shared lunches and presentations three times a year.

Māori and Pasifika support staff are available for advice, including on research ethics relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.

When you're doing your Part 2 research, you'll also get a workspace. The Postgraduate Students' Association can give you information on study at the University and provides a voice for you on campus.

Partnerships

The programme's partnerships with others within the New Zealand music therapy community will provide opportunities for clinical placements and collaborations. These include:

• Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre
• Music Therapy New Zealand
• Wellington Early Intervention Trust
• Therapy Professionals Ltd (Christchurch)
• Mary Potter Hospice
• Te Omanga Hospice
• Kimi Ora School
• Celebration Choir, University of Auckland
• Chamber Music New Zealand
• IHC New Zealand
• Community Music Junction
• Arts Access Aotearoa
• Southern Music Therapy

Live and study in New Zealand's creative, compact, and vibrant capital. Enjoy the city's lively music scene, featuring musicians from around the world and across the musical spectrum.

Careers

You might join past graduates and work as a registered music therapist in special schools and autistic units, early intervention centres, hospices, rest homes, and community mental health services. Music therapy is still a new profession in New Zealand, but it is growing. Graduates find work easily in Aotearoa and abroad, with support from our parent organisation, Music Therapy New Zealand. Many music therapy organisations around both the North and South Islands enable placements and employ our graduates.

Scholarships

You can apply for McKenzie Music Therapy Scholarships through the University's scholarships database. These scholarships are for students moving into the research component of their Master's and for candidates doing a PhD in Music Therapy.

If you're about to start your Master's research full time, you can also apply for the Wellington Master's by thesis Scholarship.

You'll find other scholarships listed on the NZSM website.

You can also look for scholarships based on your level of study, subject area, and background.

Learn about how and what you'll study for the Master of Music Therapy.

Available qualifications

• Master of Music Therapy by coursework and research
• Master of Music Therapy by research

Most students do the Master of Music Therapy by coursework and research, which is in two parts. In Part 1 you'll do coursework and in Part 2 you'll do casework and research.

If you're already a music therapist with an appropriate postgraduate qualification you can go straight to Part 2—the Master of Music Therapy by research.

How you'll study

Learn through practical musical and placement study, theory and research. You and your tutors will work closely together in small groups to problem-solve, reflect on theory and practice, and consider questions that can lead to practice-based research.

What you'll study

In Trimester One you'll do courses covering the principles and methods used in music therapy. In Trimester Two you'll do courses on the exploration of music from cultures other than your own, and learn how this applies to your practice, along with courses on approaches to music therapy research and a workplace practicum.

For Part 2, you'll do a range of music therapy casework, followed by a supervised practice-based research project linking to what you observe and experience on your placement. For the Master of Music Therapy by research, your study may be practice-based or more theoretical, depending on your interests and research questions. Both options are full-year courses.