Accelerate Faculty

In response to growing demand, Alverno College is launching a Master in Music Therapy (MMT) program in the fall of 2018. The program is the only master's degree program in the field offered in Wisconsin, and is designed for practicing music therapists who want to increase their marketability and maximize their career potential. Alverno's music therapy program is the third oldest in the country, and will celebrate its 70th anniversary in the fall of 2018.

Alverno has hired Rebecca Engen, Ph.D., MT-BC to oversee the new master's program. Prior to coming to Alverno, Engen served 16 years as a professor and director of Music Therapy at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. She also spent time as an internship director and clinician specializing in adult populations, working specifically with psychiatric and medical patients.

“There is a huge need for music therapists in health care settings, schools, social service agencies and senior living facilities,” said Scott Zeman, vice president for Academic Affairs. “For decades, Alverno has been a leader in training music therapists, and our new Master in Music Therapy program expands our offerings in multi-disciplinary approaches to overall wellness. We're thrilled to provide an opportunity for practicing therapists to advance their training.”

Music therapy uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals, and is beneficial to people suffering from a wide variety of conditions including Alzheimer's, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injury, depression and anxiety. Treatment includes playing instruments, singing, moving to music and listening to music.

Open to both women and men, this program was intentionally designed as a Master of Music Therapy, rather than a Master of Art in Music Therapy. The distinction means this is the most specialized degree available, and is highly desirable to music therapists looking to advance their training. The program requires 36 credits to complete, and is offered in a distance learning format with low residency. Designed to serve music therapists both locally and globally, students will take most of their classes online and will only be required to be on campus for up to one week each summer for face-to-face student engagement and learning. Students can choose to attend full or part time, and can complete the program in two years with full-time attendance.

Alverno College has been training music therapists longer than any other college or university in Wisconsin, and graduates of the undergraduate program boast a 100% job placement rate. Students interested in applying or learning more about the Master of Music Therapy can find more information at alverno.edu/masterofmusictherapy or call the admissions office at 414-382-6100.