COURSE CURRICULUM

The MSc Music Therapy at Queen Margaret University is part of an interdisciplinary arts therapies pathway alongside the MSc Art Psychotherapy, MSc Dramatherapy, and MSc Play Therapy programmes. The two-year course combines academic learning, creative development, research, and extensive clinical placements to prepare students for professional practice as music therapists. In Year One, students undertake Practice-based Learning 1, a core 40-credit placement module involving one day of supervised practice each week, where they develop therapeutic relationships, professional skills, and an understanding of the social and political factors affecting individuals and communities. The Music Therapy Resources module encourages experiential learning through discussions, workshops, and creative activities, helping students explore their own creative processes and the therapeutic use of music, sound, and improvisation in both individual and group settings. Arts Therapies Studies 1 introduces key developmental and relational theories that underpin arts therapies practice within person-centred and psychodynamic frameworks while preparing students for future research work. In Year Two, Practice-based Learning 2 builds upon previous experience by placing students in a different setting and increasing practical experience to two days per week, supported by regular supervision and peer learning. Arts Therapies Studies 2 enables students to critically examine therapeutic practices, organisational dynamics, health and wellbeing, and power relationships across diverse settings through lectures, workshops, and interdisciplinary collaboration with professionals and individuals with lived experience. The programme concludes with the Independent Academic Project, a 40-credit research module in which students investigate a topic of personal, academic, or professional interest within music therapy. Under the guidance of a project supervisor, students produce an evidence-informed project that demonstrates creativity, independence, critical thinking, reflective practice, and academic rigour. Through its combination of theoretical study, practical placements, interdisciplinary learning, and independent research, the programme equips graduates with the knowledge, skills, and professional competencies required to become registered music therapists and to use music as a therapeutic tool to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in a wide range of settings.