PLEASE NOTE Before reading further on this page please see the message on our Training and Education homepage. The Part-time MA programme is being revised during the period 2009-11, and there will be no entry to the programme during 2010-11. The revised programme will incorporate many of the aspects described below, whilst also being more accessible to musicians with relevant experience. We hope the following programme description will serve as a guide to the overall Nordoff Robbins training approach. |
Part-time MA in Music Therapy
(Community Music Therapy / Nordoff-Robbins)
This programme is the first part-time training programme from Nordoff Robbins, and also the first training to focus on the emerging approach of Community Music Therapy, and how this interfaces with the established practice and training tradition of Nordoff Robbins.
The MA programme is presented by Nordoff Robbins (London), Nordoff Robbins North West (Manchester) and in collaboration with the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, validated by City University London.
The programme has been specifically designed to interface with the developing Nordoff Robbins regional services, which have been located in areas of the UK where music therapy provision is currently low. It has also been specifically designed to provide a part-time training to people unable to access the current full-time programmes mostly located in the London and South-East area.
The programme offers an innovative part-time practice-based professional training for musicians wanting to develop their therapeutic skills (for example, outreach musicians, community musicians and music teachers). The developing approach of Community Music Therapy is discussed here in a recent article by Gary Ansdell (Director of Education at Nordoff Robbins) in LINK Magazine.
The part-time delivery of the programme allows students to pursue a limited amount of other professional activity during the training period.
The programme runs for 5 semesters (30 months), with a requirement that students:
- Spend a day a week (9am-5pm) on a supervised ‘placement residence’ (the first of which will be in the Manchester area)
- Attend a 7 hour on-site training session one day per week (from 1-8pm) at the Royal Northern College of Music, organised by Nordoff Robbins
- Pursue an e-learning programme of private study and musical skills practice of at least 8 hours per week.
Key features of the programme
- A series of three placement residences on which students spend 1 day per week. The 3 placements involve contrasting clinical populations (with children and adults) and varying organisational contexts. These placement residences give students a chance to become involved with the life of each placement community.
- This placement learning is complemented by a structured taught programme of lectures, workshops and seminars delivered on a second day per week at the training base at the Royal Northern College of Music.
- There are also five residential weekends across the programme, and two residential weeks.
- Students’ personal and professional development are supported by a range of individual and group supervision, mentoring, professional support and personal development components.
- The programme requires private study and skills practice for 8 hours per week. The programme’s e-learning dimension provides a range of specially-designed course material to help students organise and access their own learning needs.
Graduates of the programme will be eligible to apply for registration for the protected title ‘music therapist’ with the Health Professions Council.
For more detailed information about the programme download the Guide for Applicants.
