音乐疗法是指通过音乐和临床实践以音乐为基础的音乐干预措施，以由已获批准的音乐治疗方案的合格专业人员完成治疗关系中的个性化目标（AMTA，2016年） 。音乐治疗师可与各种临床人群合作，在我们的计划中，我们为学生提供培训，使他们能够与所有客户一起成为有效的音乐治疗师。阿拉巴马大学的课程开发音乐技能和治疗策略，使毕业生成为治疗团队的正式参与者。经过UA培训的音乐治疗师必须考入大学，然后达到音乐学院音乐专业的入学要求（成功试听和音乐理论入学考试）。
The music therapy program at UA was created in 1984, and it is the only degree program in the state of Alabama to offer a bachelor's degree in music therapy, which leads to eligibility for professional certification.Prospective music therapy students audition for acceptance into the SOM as well as apply for admittance into the university. The music therapy degree involves the traditional music courses, such as applied lessons and music theory and history course sequence, however, music therapy students learn guitar during the freshmen year and utilize the guitar, piano, and voice for clinical applications. Most of the music used in music therapy sessions involves patient preferred music, which means that students learn repertoire that spans various genres across multiple decades, such as pop, country, Motown, musicals, religious, etc..<br><br>The music therapy program at UA is unique due to a strong clinical training emphasis. Music therapy students experience a scaffolding approach, in which they observe music therapy sessions starting their first semester in school. Student expectations and involvement increases throughout the freshmen and sophomore years, students in their junior and senior year have multiple sessions per week. Student gain clinical experience serving various populations in the community.<br><br>Our music therapy program teaches students how to measure behavior and how to document progress utilizing appropriate jargon for each setting, this allows the students to be successful in securing jobs and keeping jobs, especially since administrators want to know why they are paying the same amount of money for a music therapist as a physical therapist. They also want to be able to see how a music therapist differs from a volunteer who sings, andit is important that music therapists can effectively communicate their approach and outcomes for a variety of populations.