Introduction
Codarts, as part of the new Master of Arts Therapies, offers a unique part time music therapy programme of 120 EC. The music therapy programme will run alongside the dance therapy education. With this master the internationally well-known professional training in dance therapy, with a strong basis in dance, gets an equivalent for music therapy with a strong basis in music. Both programmes offer the possibility for advanced professional training and specialisation.
Based in a conservatoire the arts-based programme covers the main areas in contemporary music therapy and methods, clinical training and research. It is designed to accommodate experienced musicians, music teachers and music therapists to expand and deepen their professional practice both in arts in society as in arts in therapy. This is the first programme in the Netherlands that offers music therapy training for musicians or music educators at master’s level.
The programme looks at music from psychological, biological, physical, expressive, cultural and social perspectives and explores the meaning of music from these various angles. The curriculum focus areas are professional identity, development of music therapy improvisation skills, music therapy theory and methods, clinical training, research subjects, and interdisciplinary work. In generic subjects such as research, psychotherapy and psychology modules, music therapy and dance therapy students work together through joint classes, presentations and group tasks. Music therapy course work is offered separately.
This programme starts every two years. The next possibilities to start are September 2018 and September 2020.
Read moreYear 1-2-3
A focus on advanced musical skills and artistic development within music therapy.
Year 1 Developing: in year one the focus is on development, growth, play, creativity within music therapy, finding out about one’s own and other’s musical preferences and values, exploring improvisation in music, learning different MT approaches and methods and diversity issues and developing of musical skills and artistic development. Through critical reflection students learn to connect theory& practice to personal interest and qualities; building up the enquiring mind and getting acquainted with mental health care institutions through fieldwork visits.
Classes take place every Friday, two Saturdays per month and three intensive weeks (Oct., Feb. and June/July) per year.
Year 2 Connecting: year two will focus more on practice; pathology and different client populations, treatment goals, observations, building up confidence and identity as a dance therapist, leadership styles and skills, and sharpening research skills. Students may begin an internship and will most likely continue this into the third year.
Classes take place every Friday, two Saturdays per month and three intensive weeks (Oct., Feb. and June/July) per year.
Year 3 Integrating: in year three the acquired and accumulated skills, knowledge and experience of the first two years will be further applied into the internship, and into the research project leading into a master’s thesis; the integration of it all.
No scheduled classes in year three as students will have an individual route for internship and research. Music therapy supervision and research labs are offered as a rule every three weeks on Saturdays.
Master
The Practice-Based Research modules and the research project leading to the master thesis offer professional tools for the music therapy student at two levels: First it generally contributes to an increased understanding of music therapy. Second, it introduces enquiry, evaluation and research methods that help the MT practitioner to understand and develop practical approaches to treatment. Students learn how an enquiring approach adds value to the therapeutic profession. Learning outcomes are on master’s level: conducting in-depth music therapeutic diagnostics; designing and evaluating music therapy research, interventions, protocols and guidelines. By searching for information and developing evaluation skills, students are able to link therapeutic experience with theoretical knowledge and practice-based evidence and acquire the skills of a reflective practitioner.
After graduation
Students emerge as critically engaged and enquiring music therapists. Their training enables them to make significant contributions to the further development of the field, both nationally and internationally. A qualified music therapist can be employed in different areas, such as mental health care, public health services, social service agencies with crisis intervention programmes, day centres, forensic settings, special education, geriatric institutions and in private practice. Music therapists can work preventatively, for example in ‘arts for health’ projects. Music therapists at master’s level are able to conduct research, publish articles and move on to a PhD degree.
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