Music Therapy Major Application

Application procedures for prosective music therapy students entering in the academic year beginning Fall 2025.

1

Music Therapy Major Audition Requirements

A preliminary screening audition is required for the music therapy degree program:

Pre-Screening Audition - All materials due by December 15, 2025

  1. Complete the Music Therapy Application
  2. Applicants are to include the URL for a single video, no more than 5 minutes in length. (If uploading a link to a YouTube video, it can be unlisted, as long as it is not marked “Private".) The video should include the following:
    1. The applicant's name and their reasons for choosing to study the field of music therapy at Utah State University.
    2. A few personal qualities the applicant possess that would help them be successful in this field and program, based on their understanding of music therapy.
    3. A song, sung and accompanied by the applicant on either guitar or piano, which best demonstrates their musicality and personal connection to music.  Suggested genres are either folk, contemporary, or an original song composed by the applicant.

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE FOR ON-SITE AUDITION: We will do our best to notify you on or before January 15th as to whether or not you are being invited to campus for an on-site audition. If more time is needed for our pre-screening review, we will keep you updated.

On-site auditions - January 31, 2026

You must submit additional materials requested by the due date identified in your invitation letter.

  1. After being notified via e-mail of being advanced past the pre-selection audition, applicants will be invited to an on-site audition and asked to perform the following memorized repertoire:
    • A sung popular/contemporary song, accompanied on piano
    • A sung folk or children’s song, accompanied on guitar
  2. All additional materials being requested must be received by the due date indicated in the invitation letter received.
  3. Potential music therapy majors who have been invited to the on-site auditions must also audition for the studio faculty in the area of their major performance instrument. Please check the audition requirements online for your specific instrument (piano, voice, strings, etc.) to guide you in preparing for this audition. In most cases, applicants will submit this video electronically.
  4. Scheduling for all music therapy auditions is completed by Cary Youmans,

    College of Arts & Sciences

    Advisor. He will contact you to schedule the time of your audition and provide you with any additional information you may need to complete your audition.
 
2

Application Consideration

General factors considered throughout the application process include (but are not limited to):

  1. Minimum GPA for admission consideration is 3.0
  2. Demonstration of musicianship (vocal and instrumental)
  3. Basic understanding of the music therapy profession
  4. Personal motivation for becoming a music therapist
  5. Previous academic, community, and personal accomplishments

If you have been accepted to Utah State University, and plan to attend in the fall, but are not accepted into the Music Therapy Program, you may still enroll in required General Education courses (see Fall Semester Class Schedule) and re-audition the following year. You may also enroll in Music 1310 - Introduction to Music Therapy, however you may need to obtain the instructor’s permission to do so, as this will be determined by space availability.

 
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Financial Aid and Scholarship Resources

The Music Therapy Program only awards scholarships to matriculated music therapy majors. Information regarding these scholarships will be available during the academic year and are generally awarded annually during the spring semester.

Music talent scholarships for your primary instrument may be available at the time of auditions. These are highly competitive, and have individual instruction and ensemble participation requirements. Generally, the voice area considers music therapy majors for scholarships, and the piano, strings, and guitar areas do not. Please contact the respective area program director for information regarding scholarship availability.

Freshman and transfer students may apply for University Scholarships through the on-line Scholarship Universe program. The deadline to apply is generally the 1st of February preceding the fall semester for which the student is applying. Check the university website to be sure.  Grants and Student Loans are also available through the Financial Aid office.

 
4

On-site Audition Information

Candidates selected for on-site auditions will need to submit additional information for their audition. That information will be communicated via email to those invited for an on-site audition.