Thesis or Clinical Paper in Music Therapy

The Master of Music Therapy candidate has two options for the culminating project within the degree requirements. These are the thesis and the creative project in music therapy.

Thesis: The thesis entails proposal, design, implementation, and scholarly documentation of an original research investigation. Students interested in completing a thesis are advised to begin the process early in consultation with their thesis advisor and to make use of the Thesis Handbook available from the Office of Graduate Studies. Note that the Thesis prospectus must be approved by the student's graduate committee prior to the semester in which the student intends to undertake the research. The prospectus plus Thesis Committee Form must be on file in the Office of the Graduate School before the student is permitted to register for MUS 5999 Thesis.

Clinical Paper in Music Therapy: The Clinical Paper is designed to provide an appropriate alternative to the traditional thesis as the culminating experience for student whose focus is clinical music therapy. While similar to the thesis in scope, it differs in its design and emphasis. Although both the Thesis and Clinical Paper are based upon a critical review of the relevant literature, the Clinical Paper will document either music therapy for a specific population or clinical application of an approach in music therapy rather than a traditional research study. In either case the paper is based on both a review of the literature and clinical experience. Those completing the Clinical Paper are required to enroll in one additional approved music therapy elective course related to the topic of the paper.